We at the FIA are extremely proud to be the premium provider of industry recognised training within the fire industry. Through our industry-recognised courses, we offer training designed to help you develop your career, demonstrate competency, and stay up to date with the latest revisions to fire protection standards.

This year one of our delegates has stood out from the rest. Liam Dean of EFT systems has not only passed all four main Advanced Qualifications, but has done so in rapid time. In just four months Liam passed:

• Fire Detection and Alarm Design Theory and Regulatory Requirements
• Fire Detection and Alarm Installation, Theory and Regulatory Requirements
• Fire Detection and Alarm Maintenance, Theory and Regulatory Requirements
• Fire Detection and Alarm Commissioning Theory and Regulatory Requirements

On the back of this impressive achievement, the FIA want to highlight Liam’s success and learn a little more about his route through FIA training and his thoughts on it. Here’s a little more about Liam and his thoughts on FIA Training.

My name Is Liam Dean, I’m a 37-year-old from the north west of England, I’ve been working in the fire & security industry for 14 years, since 2008, yes a late bloomer, but at 23 entering an industry I knew very little about was quite daunting, with the added pressure of initially working on large national network rail sites. I was very lucky to work alongside some talented and experienced individuals, who of course become lifelong friends in an industry that is very close-knit. I spent a few years gathering experience, not just in fire, but electrical and security. Becoming a multi-skilled technical engineer was my focus and my drive, I wanted to be the best I could be.

In 2016, I joined EFT Systems as a multi-skilled lead engineer, I’ve been part of EFT’s growth since then and spent time managing a large team of 30 x engineers, customer management, commissioning large projects as well as supporting the wider business.

My current role is within EFT’s academy, not just supporting EFT’s apprentices that come through every year but supporting the whole 60 x strong engineering team. Part of this is implementing processes and delivering these processes in the field as part of training to achieve maximum results for the business.

The FIA Courses & Qualifications Gained:

My FIA journey began in 2017, completing the old-style units:

• FIA unit 1 – Fire Detection Design
• FIA unit 4 – Fire Alarm Installation & Testing
• FIA unit 5 Fire Alarm Maintenance
• ICEL Emergency Lighting Foundation & Design

Then we heard of the changes to the FIA in 2018/2019 following Grenfell, we all supported the changes and I wanted to give the Advanced pathway a try, this in turn would help me to give the best support to the engineers in the field:

• BS5839-1 Foundation Course
• Environmental Course
• FIA Advanced Designer Part 1
• FIA Advanced Designer Part 2
• FIA Advanced Installer
• FIA Advanced Commissioning
• FIA Advanced Maintenance

The Advanced courses above were all completed within 14 months online, resulting in me gaining all 4 x Advanced Qualifications in, Design, Install, Maintenance and Commissioning.

Did you feel satisfaction on passing environment at the end?

I got great satisfaction from passing these modules, they are not easy by any stretch of the imagination, I also had to retake a couple of exams after failing the first time, but this really makes you think about revision and making sure you pass on the retake.

What was the training like?

The courses are so informative and delivered in a way that is engaging, memorable, clear, and concise. During the training courses, the material will spark discussions about real life scenarios that we have encountered in our career.

Do you feel a sense of achievement?

I most definitely feel a sense of achievement after gaining all 4 modules. The FIA in my opinion, is the pinnacle off all BS5839 training, delivered by people who have experience in similar fields to those attending the training.

How important are training and Qualifications in your eyes?

The training and qualifications are imperative to what we do in this industry, me and the EFT academy lead our apprentices through the FESS program, working closely with Skills4Security. The Advanced FIA qualifications just solidify the whole program.

Any final thoughts on FIA training?

I would certainly recommend these courses to anybody wanting progress in the fire industry, us at EFT are bringing several engineers through the advanced pathway now, the training is second to none, the trainers are very informative, even completing courses online, I never felt left behind, and the pace was always very steady. Don’t be disheartened if you fail an exam the first time, you do get a resit and the training material provided is excellent to refer to, not just for the exam but for years ahead.