FRES Council

The Fire and Rescue Equipment Suppliers [FRES] Council represents the manufacturers and suppliers of goods and services to the Fire and Rescue sector including appliances, personal protective equipment and associated ground fire fighting equipment.

The Council’s key role is to present the collective views of this sector of the industry, including negotiation and discussion with government and other external bodies. It links suppliers with Fire and Rescue practitioners and other stakeholders. FRES Council acts as a strong and consistent industry voice and a key influencer in the decisions that affect the industry.

It is made up of 15 elected members representing small, medium and larger FIA member companies:

 

Chair:         Bernie Higgins, Cold Cut Systems UK Ltd

Vice Chair: Brian Hesler, Draeger Safety Systems UK

Secretary:  Ian Moore, FIA

Member:    Abby Hannah, Steadfast

Member:    Suzanne Prince, W L Gore & Associates

Member:    Sarah Adamson, Angloco Ltd

Member:    Derek Gotts, Supply Plus

Member:    Ian Callaghan, PBI Products

Member:   Lesley Routh-Jones, AW Hainsworth & Sons Ltd

Member:    Tim Wight, Texport

Member:    Alistair Brown, Angloco

Member:    James Jones, Vimpex

Member:   Dominic Wellman, Capita Plc (Fire Service College)

Member:    Paul Cartwright, Aico Ltd

Member:    David Matthews, FIPPE Ltd

 

Council meets at least quarterly, usually at FRS HQs, and welcomes both internal and external guests to these meetings.

We input into many operational aspects of the FRSs as well as maintaining comprehensive representation on relevant British, European and International Standards Committees.  

Th​e Council has significant recognition from key bodies, including the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC), the Home Office and the Local Government Association as well as being a member of the Fire Sector Federation. 

During the current pandemic emergency, we have been working alongside the National Fire Commercial Transformation Programme (NFCTP) Team to connect suppliers of Personal Protective Equipment to UK Fire and Rescue Services, to enable those services to carry out their role in supporting the Health Sector. Fire and Rescue Services have also been able to access the Fire Industry Association’s outstanding online training courses free of charge and over 30 FRS have taken advantage of this to keep their staff training up to date.