Who Can Deliver Fire Marshal Training?

From a legal stand point, anyone with sufficient knowledge, understanding and expertise can deliver fire marshal training. There is no requirement for your trainers to be accredited or formally approved by the Health and Safety Executive. However, in practice, it is advisable to choose your fire marshal trainers carefully, to ensure that your nominated fire marshals receive effective, up to date training that they can use can protect your people and your premises, both day to day and in an emergency situation.

It is possible to have your fire marshal training provided by your local fire service, but this is often an expensive option. What’s more, you may find that your training is delivered by retired fire officers who have been out of the industry for some time. At the other end of the scale, some companies use existing fire marshals to train their colleagues. This will certainly save money, but it is unlikely to provide the level of training required, defeating the object of having fire marshals in the first place. You have little to gain by cutting corners in this way, but you have everything to lose.

How to choose a fire marshal training provider

When selecting your fire marshal training provider, you should look for a company that has lots of experience, both in the fire safety industry and in training people in the workplace. There is no formal exam at the end of fire marshal training, so you want to be sure that your trainer is skilled at continual assessment, and that they will make sure that all candidates understand their roles and responsibilities.

Ideally, you should look for a fire marshal training provider who has experience with companies like yours in your business sector. Every industry has its own unique challenges that contribute to their fire risk and it is important that your training provider understands these risks and can tailor their course to cover them, while also including all the generic fire marshal skills.

Most importantly, you should also look for a training provider who will come to you, to deliver your fire marshal training in-house. This type of training is much more convenient for all concerned and means less time away from work for your candidates. It also has the advantage of providing training within the real-life environments in which the skills will be used, highlighting the real fire risks present in the workplace, as well as pointing out hazards and potential problems that may be encountered during an evacuation. This is much more effective than learning theory in the classroom, and it will give your appointed fire marshals hands-on experience that could save vital minutes in an emergency situation.

At the end of the day, just because anyone can deliver your fire marshal training, doesn’t mean that they should. The better your trainers, the better your training, so you should choose your fire marshal training providers carefully. It will make all the difference in the event of a fire, and it could even save lives.

Find out more about our Fire Marshal & Warden training course.