Policy paper

Next steps on fire engineering profession reform

Published 17 December 2025

Purpose of this statement

The government is committed to strengthening public safety by building a highly-skilled and sustainable fire engineering profession with high standards of professional accountability.

This statement sets out how the government will implement both the recommendations of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 2 report and the advice of the Fire Engineers Advisory Panel, in relation to the future of the fire engineering profession.

Context

The Grenfell Tower Inquiry (“the Inquiry”) Phase 2 report set out how the Grenfell Tower fire was the culmination of failures from government and other bodies in the construction industry. It drew attention to the current lack of consistent, formal requirements to practice as a fire engineer, and a lack of understanding about fire engineering across the built environment.

The government accepted all the recommendations relating to fire engineering in full (see Annex A) and subsequently convened the expert Fire Engineers Advisory Panel (“the Panel”) to develop an Authoritative Statement of the knowledge and skills to be expected of a competent fire engineer (Recommendation 17) and to advise on all fire engineering profession recommendations.

Its terms of reference and membership has previously been published.

The Panel was led by officials and carried out its work through a structured programme across 11 meetings and engagement sessions between April and December 2025. This included engagement with professional bodies, consultants, clients, and fire and rescue service representatives, as well as review of relevant academic literature, and engagement with Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government policy teams. Representatives of the Devolved Administrations were also in attendance.

The Authoritative Statement

The Panel’s Authoritative Statement has been published.

It outlines a number of key principles which should underpin future regulation and reform. The government accepts these principles, which include:

• the title and function of fire engineer should be regulated in statute
• preparing the fire safety strategy should be the central, protected function of a regulated fire engineer
• the development of a competent fire engineer should be a structured process combining formally accredited education and supervised professional experience, comparable to other engineering disciplines
• fire engineers require deep understanding and knowledge of core architectural and engineering principles, fire science, human behaviour, and regulations relevant to buildings and fire safety
• other built environment disciplines need to acquire more detailed understanding of fire engineering and the role of the fire engineer in order to produce consistently fire safe buildings.

The Authoritative Statement also identifies areas the Panel considers essential to managing increasing building complexity and reducing life-safety risks:

• expanding the scope of buildings and critical infrastructure that require a fire safety strategy beyond the existing definition of a Higher Risk Building (HRB), based on a holistic approach that takes into account design complexity, usage or occupancy demographics
• introducing periodic review of the fire safety strategy during occupation, to ensure it is still fit for purpose as building use evolves and as maintenance works are undertaken

The government commits to undertaking further analysis of this advice and, where required, consulting on a proportionate approach.

This work will consider, among other factors:

• the relationship between the fire engineer and other roles during the occupation phase (including fire risk assessors)
• variations in life safety risk across different building types, uses, and occupancy demographics
• the implications for existing regulations and legislation related to buildings and fire safety
• the potential impacts or costs for residents, contractors, employers and wider society
• equality impacts in accordance with Public Sector Equality Duty
• Environmental Principles Policy statement

While urgent reform is required, the government recognises that this is a challenging programme demanding detailed analysis, consultation, capacity building, and careful design to avoid unintended consequences. This document therefore sets out the government’s initial approach, ahead of fuller proposals and detailed implementation options that will be developed and consulted on in 2026.

Regulating the profession

Legislative basis and aims

The government will legislate to regulate the title and function of a “fire engineer” to strengthen public safety and professional accountability. Establishing the regulator and regulatory framework will require primary legislation.

A public consultation on the details of regulation and implementation will take place in 2026.

Subject to consultation, the legislation should:

• define the statutory functions of fire engineers, including design, delivery and periodic review of the fire safety strategy
• establish the legal basis for regulation of the profession, ensuring that there are consistent professional standards and robust enforcement
• set out the relationship between fire engineers and all relevant dutyholders, reinforcing that responsibility for safety is shared but clearly delineated

Statutory regulation would mean that, after legislation is implemented, only registered individuals will be legally permitted to use the title “fire engineer” or carry out restricted fire engineering functions and activities.

The statutory function

To support legislation and implementation, further detailed policy work will be undertaken on the issues below, with additional detail to be published in due course:

• defining and implementing the fire safety strategy as the core statutory function of fire engineers, ensuring coherence with existing and emerging regulations and guidance, including recommendation 10 for higher-risk buildings and the development of BS 9994
• determining the scope of buildings requiring a fire safety strategy produced by a regulated fire engineer. This will include an impact assessment, analysing the level of qualified professionals required to meet demand and how best to phase implementation beyond the higher-risk building regime. This will reflect design complexity, building use, and occupant demographics while maintaining proportionality
• defining the accountabilities of the fire engineer to clarify how the fire engineer’s statutory functions sit alongside contractual arrangements, and the responsibilities created under the new higher-risk building regime. This recognises that the effective delivery of fire safety is, and must remain, a shared responsibility across all those involved in the design, construction, handover and management of buildings with legal requirements placed on other dutyholders and accountable persons
• clarifying the fire engineer’s role across the whole building lifecycle, including the Panel’s proposals for periodic review of the fire safety strategy during occupation. This work will consider triggers for fire engineer involvement, alignment with any expanded building scope, interactions with other professions (especially fire risk assessors) and clarification of respective roles, duties and competence required, regulatory impacts, capacity and costs

The regulator

The government will identify the most suitable home for the regulator, drawing on models from other regulated professions, within and beyond the built environment.

This will consider the feasibility of expanding the remit of existing regulators and professional bodies or whether a new independent body is required, as indicated in the original Inquiry recommendation.

The regulator will be responsible for:

• defining and maintaining competency standards and ethical standards
• accrediting education programmes and approving routes to registration
• maintaining a public register of fire engineers
• monitoring compliance and overseeing professional discipline, including enforcement of standards and the code of conduct

Criteria for registration

All practising fire engineers, regardless of prior experience or qualifications, will be required to demonstrate their competence against the regulator’s standards, and once registration is introduced, entry to the register will be based on evidence of that competence.

Existing practitioners will have clear routes to demonstrate their competence and transition into the new system. Routes to registration will be carefully explored and adapted as part of the phased implementation programme. Additional requirements may include: adherence to ethical codes, continuing professional development, and evidence of practical experience.

Internal market considerations

The government will continue to explore, in close collaboration with the Devolved Administrations, whether the proposed regulatory framework should be developed on a UK-wide basis or implemented separately for England. The Devolved Administrations have been engaged with the Department and the Panel from the outset, and this collaborative approach will continue.  

In reaching decisions, all governments recognise that many fire engineers train and work across borders and that, under the principles of the UK Internal Market regime, any future model will need to support appropriate routes for professionals to access and work across different UK markets.

Implementation

Implementation may need to be phased to ensure sufficient capacity across the profession, allowing time for individuals to plan training and upskilling, for employers to recruit, for higher-education providers to expand provisions and for the regulator to accredit and validate requirements. Lessons learned from the statutory regulation of other sectors (such as building inspectors) will inform this process.

Building the profession

A successful regulatory system depends on a strong and sustainable pipeline of professionals, which includes:

• practising fire engineers who already meet the regulator’s future requirements
• practitioners who require upskilling to achieve those requirements
• professionals in adjacent disciplines who could transition into fire engineering, potentially through post-graduate study
• new entrants, including school leavers or people seeking to transition careers, requiring undergraduate education

To support this pipeline and smooth transition, the government will:

Develop higher education provision

The government will seek advice on expanding current higher education provision, including whether a consortium approach may help provide high-quality, accredited courses that meet the Inquiry’s recommendation 16 and are aligned with the Authoritative Statement.

The government will consider targeted funding to support course development, including transitional training for existing fire engineers.

Provide bursaries

To support uptake and stabilise course provision, the government will consider bursaries for prospective entrants. Advice will be sought on feasibility and implementation, and alternative options, recognising that industry must also play a significant role in promoting the profession to transform its current rates of entry.

Support research and academic capacity

The government will explore options to diversify fire engineering research and activity within universities, including funding research programmes. This will help the higher education sector to advance excellence in fire engineering while also creating a learning environment that supports future cohorts.

Fire Engineers Transitional Board

To guide the early stages of reform, the government will establish a Transitional Board comprised of experienced regulators, representatives from professional bodies, and expert advisers.

While the future regulator will ultimately maintain the profession’s competency standards, the Transitional Board will support MHCLG to:

• develop a competency framework for the profession
• establish education and training standards
• develop routes to registration and professional oversight
• expand higher education provision, exploring the potential of consortia, bursaries, and research funding, as well as other options

Its output will support education providers in developing programmes aligned to the new regulatory expectations. In the interim, providers should use the Authoritative Statement as the foundation for curriculum design.

The Transitional Board will also reflect on potential models developed by MHCLG for establishing the new regulator, including where the regulator should sit within the wider system. Industry will play an important role in preparing for regulation by developing and professionalising its workforce.

Finally, the Transitional Board will offer views and support on the proposed initiatives to increase capacity, as well as ad-hoc advice on wider reform to the profession and to built environment professions more broadly.

Conclusion

The government is committed to delivering a clear, robust and modernised regulatory framework for fire engineering that strengthens public safety, supports a highly skilled profession, and responds to the lessons of the Grenfell Tower tragedy.

The Authoritative Statement and this document mark the beginning of a partnership between government, industry, regulators, and higher education to build a profession equipped for the future.

Annex A: Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 2 report recommendations 10, 15, 16, 17, and 18.  

Recommendation 10

That it be made a statutory requirement that a fire safety strategy produced by a registered fire engineer to be submitted with building control applications (at Gateway 2) for the construction or refurbishment of any higher-risk building and for it to be reviewed and re-submitted at the stage of completion (Gateway 3). Such a strategy must take into account the needs of vulnerable people, including the additional time they may require to leave the building or reach a place of safety within it and any additional facilities necessary to ensure their safety. 

Recommendation 15

For the profession of fire engineer to be recognised and protected by law and for an independent body to be established to regulate the profession, define the standards required for membership, maintain a register of members and regulate their conduct. 

Recommendation 16

That the government take urgent steps to increase the number of places on high-quality masters level courses in fire engineering accredited by the professional regulator. 

Recommendation 17

That the government convene a group of practitioner and academic fire engineers and such other professionals as it thinks fit to produce an Authoritative Statement of the knowledge and skills to be expected of a competent fire engineer.

Recommendation 18

That the government, working in collaboration with industry and professional bodies, encourage the development of courses in the principles of fire engineering for construction professionals and members of the fire and rescue services as part of their continuing professional development.