At the time of writing the preparation for the March exams are in full swing. The exams are being held again at the Johnson Controls Training Academy on the 23–24 March 2023 with 15 candidates sitting a total of 26 papers. Special thanks go out to Jason Mather at Johnson Controls for the ongoing support provided to the branch and for staging the venue for the exams. The interest in the Level 3 and 4 certificates in passive fire protection remains strong and there has been a number of candidates studying towards the fire investigation qualifications which is particularly encouraging.
Exciting times lie ahead for the branch as Terry Johnson takes over the role of Branch President. Terry has a long-standing international presence in the fire and emergency planning community, and has become a regional ambassador as an emergency response executive. He has a breadth of experience in coordination and resilience whilst considering sustainable, environmentally positive solutions matching complaint, competent protection for high-risk asset protection. Terry is extremely passionate about the development of international best practices across the region and is dedicated to firefighter wellbeing. Terry has a keen interest in exploring realistic innovative solutions to give enhanced assured tactical safe practices whilst remaining focused on talented proficient, skilled and refined capability. With a long-decorated operational career which has led to a position of cultured leadership and structured mentoring at tactical and strategic levels, maintained by the willingness of ‘always open’ to discuss and advise anyone interested or related to fire and safety. Being involved with the IFE and the opportunity to support individuals or groups in the UAE and supporting coordination and an integrated approach across the GCC is something Terry is enormously proud of and will work tirelessly to engage within the region, especially with the fabulous support from the General Directorate of Civil Defence Dubai, with the aim to increase the IFE membership, support academic ambition, activate live debate and interaction on current fire-safety issues. A goal within the branch business plan is the aim to mentor and hand over the baton to a local member to build on a great foundation based on over a century of courageous leadership and stewardship within the IFE.
The branch was formally inaugurated on 28 of November 2016 attended by Steve Hamm representing the Board of Directors from the UK HQ. Establishing a registered branch within the UAE proved to be a long but worthwhile process. The journey began in 2014 with the establishment of a Founding Committee to satisfy the requirements of IFE (UK) governance. The role of Branch and Regional President is in the safe hands of Terry Johnson who takes the reins from Peter Stephenson who has stood down at a recent AGM to take a supporting role under Terry.
Dubai Civil Defence (DCD) have been very supportive of the branch formation and hosted the IFE Examinations at Al Awir Training Centre in 2014, prior to Tyco (Johnson Controls) Training Facility in Dubai providing ongoing support from 2016 to date.
Under Terry’s leadership supported by the IFE Branch Committee the following are seen to be the key to success in the region, namely:
- Engaging with GCC Nationals and regional Civil Defence Authorities, particularly Dubai Civil Defence.
- Encourage diversity of membership.
- Retaining the established IFE brand identification.
- Offering enhanced sponsorship and advertising opportunities.
- Attaining an agreed increase in membership and encouraging diversity by promoting all sectors within the industry.
- Providing and building a successful conference programme within all GCC Countries and Internationally.
- To establish an agreed regional business process in line with IFE guidelines.
- Connecting and collaborating with other professional associations, particularly those looking to establish in the Middle East.
- Forming local Specialist Interest Groups.
- Establishing and supporting regional IFE Groups and providing administrative support.
The branch looks forward to ongoing regional success for members and supporting the wider fire safety goals of the community.
Market update
The construction market within the region remains positive with Saudi Arabia with the UAE continuing to dominate construction as real estate within the Middle East is predicted to thrive throughout 2023 and beyond. The construction sector has a total pipeline of $1.36bn of projects under development, according to real estate specialists CBRE. The figures are a sign of the ongoing real estate boom in the Middle East, despite global economic headwinds. anticipates a positive outlook for Middle East real estate in 2023, as elevated oil prices and resolute economic growth are expected to support strong levels of occupier and investment activity. It is predicted that the economies of GCC countries will continue to record relatively strong rates of growth in 2023.
Both the hydrocarbon and non-hydrocarbon sectors have seen strong rates of recovery over the course of the past year, with economic growth in the GCC region noticeably outpacing the global average during 2022. Over this period, economic growth in GCC countries recorded an average growth rate of 6.3%. and as we move through 2023, their GDP growth is expected to reach 2.7%.
This economic backdrop is expected to continue to provide the support required for regional economies to work towards their economic diversification targets. Real estate projects and associated sectors such as the hotels and industrial, logistics and manufacturing sectors will play a central role in this diversification drive. The total value of real estate projects currently planned or under construction currently stands at an estimated $1.36tn. Saudi Arabia accounts for 64.5% of this total or some $877bn, followed by the UAE, which at $293bn accounts for 21.6% of the total.
Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar share 1.7%, 4.4%, 4.6% and 3.3% of the total respectively. While this level of investment in real estate is a core part of a number of countries’ diversification strategies, the continued development and easing of regulations will be crucial in supporting these initiatives.
Fire safety concerns – lithium battery fires
Of the currently available technologies, lithium-ion batteries have the highest energy density and are the first to employ an organic solvent in the electrolyte. Their failure probability is calculated to be extremely low when stored and operated within the recommended limits, but their normal operation can be disrupted if there is electrical (e.g. short-circuit, overcharging) or mechanical abuse (e.g. mechanical crash, self-heating, external heating source). If the heat losses (usually convective) cannot offset the amount of heat increase within the battery system (either by internal exothermic reactions or external heat fluxes), then a phenomenon called ‘thermal runaway’ occurs. During thermal runaway, the temperature increase leads to an exponential increase in the reaction rate within the battery, leading to a cascading effect that can evolve into a very serious fire or explosion. This type of fire risk should be fully understood with necessary and appropriate safety measures implemented. The branch will continue to support fire-safety initiatives to raise awareness and mitigate risks to help make the region a safer place.
About the Author
Branch President, GCC Branch – The Institution of Fire Engineers.
