Fire Standards Board Publish Two New Fire Standards
The Fire Standards Board has reached a significant milestone with the release of two new Standards, completing its initial suite. The Digital and Cyber Fire Standard and the Procurement and Commercial Fire Standard are now available on the Fire Standards Board’s website, following consultations with the fire and rescue sector and broader stakeholders. Like previous standards, these aim to drive continuous improvement and service delivery across England’s fire and rescue services (FRSs).
In today’s environment, where organisations must continually advance their digital services and cybersecurity measures, the Digital and Cyber Fire Standard outlines key recommendations and procedures to help FRSs use information and communications technology (ICT) safely, efficiently, and effectively. This will enable FRSs to enhance prevention, protection, and response services, ultimately contributing to community safety.
The Procurement and Commercial Fire Standard highlights the importance of best practices in procurement and commercial operations within FRSs. By adopting this Standard, FRSs can ensure that contracts and supplier relationships deliver value for money and support high-quality services, benefiting the environment, diversity, safety, and well-being of their communities.
Suzanne McCarthy, Chair of the Fire Standards Board, commented on the release, saying: “The Board has always aimed to ensure that Fire Standards focus on achieving positive outcomes, are applied consistently across the nation, and are backed by national guidance and resources. Through consultation with subject matter experts and stakeholders, we’ve now published a suite of 19 meaningful standards that will support improvement and reinforce the professionalism of the service. These Standards define what ‘good’ looks like and are increasingly referenced within the HMICFRS inspection framework.”
Each Fire Standard comes with an Implementation Tool designed to help services assess their compliance and develop action plans to address any gaps. The Fire Standards Board will continue engaging with FRSs to understand the impact and benefits of these Standards. The Board is responsible for approving Standards, setting priorities for development, commissioning work from third parties, and overseeing the development and maintenance of professional Standards for England’s fire and rescue services.
The Fire Standards Board has been set up to oversee the identification, organisation, development and maintenance of professional Standards for fire and rescue services in England. Although SS Systems are not involved directly with fire and rescue services in the UK, we are at the forefront of fire safety and the correct adoption and implementation of fire safety standards. Threats are ever changing such as the significant rise in battery powered devices, tools, vehicles and consumer products. The evolving landscape is one where fire safety expertise is a “must do” task for all involved.
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