Dear members,
FPA Australia has an important purpose: to maintain
and improve fire safety.
As part of that mission, the Board and staff are committed
to a goal of improving the professionalisation of the sector and
increasing practitioner skills.
Earlier this month, we released a qualifications matrix for
consultation with members based in New South Wales.
The motivation for this work was the reforms currently
occurring in that state in design and assessment, and the need for
a qualified pathway for practitioners.
The matrix forms part of our thoughts on what might be
included in a national framework, that have guided our responses to
inquiries by the Australian Building Codes Board and allowed us
to consider what skills might be needed to improve
performance across all parts of the industry.
This is a draft position paper designed to flesh out the
ideal qualifications for different roles in the
industry.
For those interested, the matrix can be found here
and we have a feedback template here.
This is another step in our ongoing attempts to ensure that
the industry is sustainable, trusted, and reliable.
Our overall strategy is to develop similar matrices tailored
to each jurisdiction, especially for those that currently have no
licensing or accreditation frameworks.
These will look to apply common standards where appropriate,
but to tailor requirements for local circumstances where
necessary.
The role of an industry association such as ours is to
support our members while, at the same time, helping them to become
better skilled and more professional.
This will lead to safer communities, where loss of life,
injury, and damage to property and the environment are eliminated
through effective fire protection.
I encourage all of you to provide your thoughts and
feedback, so that we can identify the right training standards for
all practitioners.
And deliver a better skilled, more professional, fire
protection industry.
Stay safe!
William (Bill) Lea, AFSM
President