IFE pays tribute to Her Majesty the Queen
Steve Hamm MSc BEng(Hons) CEng FIFireE, Chief Executive Officer, The Institution of Fire Engineers, on the behalf of the IFE pays tribute to Her Majesty the Queen.
`The Institution of Fire Engineers is deeply saddened by the recent passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. The longest reigning British monarch, Her Majesty has been a reassuring constant in a fast-changing world. She leaves behind an unforgettable legacy, and we thank her for her life of exceptional service.
We send our condolences to His Majesty The King and the Royal Family at this difficult time.’
Examination Update
It’s that time of year and with the October examinations being held on 3rd October 2022. Once again we are holding the examinations at the Tyco Training Centre in Media City, Dubai. Many thanks go out to Johnson Controls and in particular Jason Mather for their on-going support and use of their training facilities. Normally a quiet examination day compared to the March examinations this October examinations set a record for the branch with a total of 24 candidates registered to sit the exams with a total of 31 papers. The Level 2 & 3 Certificate for Passive Fire Protection remains popular with 3 No. candidates sitting the Level 2 Certificate and 11 No. registered to sit the Level 3 Certificate. This steady interest in the examinations in passive fire protection demonstrates the importance of the subject and the number of members wanting to gain professional recognition in this area of expertise.
New International Branch – Caribbean and South America
June 2022 so the launch of the new international Caribbean and South America (CASA) branch. We wish our colleagues and members every success for the future. In keeping with the corporate objectives of the IFE the branch will be encouraging and providing the knowledge and expertise required to strengthen the skills and instincts of fire professionals enabling them to identify, develop and sustain the targeted capabilities necessary for continuous improvement and reducing the occurrence of fire and other incidents.
Market Update
The success of the Expo 2020 continues with the legacy site at Expo City Dubai welcoming its first set of business tenants in October. The legacy site will be fully pedestrianized and will not allow cars within its districts. The legacy site will be a freezone area and has attracted many large companies including firms that were seminal partners of the six-month Expo event. The success of the legacy is demonstrated by 80% of the Expo built infrastructure being retained offering a smarter, more balanced, resilient, and sustainable way of life.
Market conditions still remain challenging, however Saudi Arabia continues to perform well with a 9% year-on-year expansion in terms of the overall project market supported by the expansion in utilities and the oil and gas sector. This led the GCC utilities sector to record a 16% year-on-year growth.
There was a gap of around 24 months in the project development cycle due to the impact of COVID-19 but the good news is that the region’s new project cycle appears to be kicking in again and higher oil prices will fuel the speed of growth. This will provide numerous opportunities within the fire sector.
International General Assembly Update
The IFE AGM, Fire 2022 conference, Board and International General Assembly (IGA) meetings will be held during the week commencing 17th October 2022. As part of the wider IFE Governance review it is felt an appropriate time to also consider how the IGA operates and to discuss how the current rules impact the IGA operating model and examine its efficacy.
As part of the wider discussion the IGA can consider the current rules that define how it operates, to review the current efficacy of the working arrangements and to potentially develop areas for improvements. If the IGA agrees to any areas for improvements or change an opportunity may arise to recommend them to the Board for consideration and include within the wider Governance review.
The intent of these discussions is based on the following principles:
- That the IGA is effective at representing all IFE branches
- That the IGA operational model/framework is fit for purpose to achieve its objectives
- That the IGA leadership includes the best skill set available
- That IGA representatives are supported and are enabled to perform their roles
The IGA has been operating for over 20 years and was established to accomplish a number of objectives including:
- Providing support of the corporate strategy that sets the direction and global agenda of the Institution;
- Providing a forum for Branches to share experiences and support for Branch development;
- Provision of a debating forum and sounding board for new initiatives
The outcome of these discussions will be included in the next branch update.
Volunteers Week
June saw the Volunteers’ Week which serves to thank millions of volunteers for their contributions. The IFE, embraced this week to recognize its volunteers, which total over 450 volunteers from around the world who are involved in every area of IFE work. Whether that is supporting the membership and registration team with application reviews and interviews, setting exam questions, marking exam papers, running a branch or Special Interest Group, becoming a Board Trustee or joining our Technical Strategic Advisory Group, every single volunteer plays a crucial role in underpinning our work to illuminate a fire safe future.
As part of this special week it was announced the launch of a newsletter which will be issued to all of our volunteers. This bi-annual newsletter will feature volunteer profiles, long service recognitions, news, events and volunteer vacancies. The founder of this newsletter, Debbie Cammies, IFE Volunteer and Branch Support Manager, comments: “We really want our volunteers to feel part of a special community and the newsletter provides the perfect place for them to share positive news with fellow volunteers as well as be the first place to learn of new opportunities with the IFE. The inaugural newsletter launches this week with the next issue following at Christmas. We hope our volunteers enjoy the read and encourage them to come forward with any content for the upcoming issues.”
Steve Hamm, IFE Chief Executive, adds: “Our role as the professional body for the fire sector has been built on the contribution of our members and volunteers for over 100 years. Volunteers are our lifeline and without them the Institution would not be where it is today, so I thank each and every one of you for your dedication and support. Whilst this week is specifically about recognising our volunteers, this is something we continually acknowledge throughout the year, and we hope the introduction of initiatives such as the newsletter and pin badges go someway to doing this. With the appointment of Debbie who focuses on our volunteers there will be more developments in the pipeline.”
For more information, go to www.ife.org.uk/GCC-UAE
About the Author
Branch President, GCC Branch – The Institution of Fire Engineers.
