FireNet Community
FIRE SERVICE AND GENERAL FIRE SAFETY TOPICS => General Interest => Topic started by: Benzerari on August 12, 2008, 09:18:09 PM
-
I would like to know what sort of things an alarm engineer should put in his PRR to get his application for membership with IFE submitted and accepted, I have checked samples of PRR, and found them mostly related to fire officer tasks, rather then fire alarm engineering task…
I have been told, without PRR report, the application would not be accepted, any suggestions about that?
Thank you
-
I would like to know what sort of things an alarm engineer should put in his PRR to get his application for membership with IFE submitted and accepted, I have checked samples of PRR, and found them mostly related to fire officer tasks, rather then fire alarm engineering task…
I have been told, without PRR report, the application would not be accepted, any suggestions about that?
Thank you
If there is no serious sugestions in this, means that there is some thing wrong in either IFE membership system or the actual members wills...
Where the problems lies? I don't know! :)
-
Benzerari, sorry im not a big fan of IFE and a little bias against them, mainly through my own bad communications with them.
If you ask anyone out side of the industry if they have heard of the IFE the answer will be more than likely no.
How ever on the plus side the fire and rescue services usually have heard of the IFE which may gain you a little respect when dealing with the F&R services.
They are definately biased towards fire fighters and ex firefighters, but I would assume that is because they know exactly what level of membership to give to a set grade of fire fighter, and it also gives the impression of a fire fighters old boys club. (again this is only my personal opinion)
-
Thomas, what a jaded view! I am a member of the IFE and have never been in the fire service so I guess I must have got into the "fire fighters old boys club" by stealth!
To perhaps try to answer the original post, the IFE membership committe use the PRR to assess the level of training, experience and knowledge of an applicant. It might seem a daunting task producing the PRR from scratch, but I'd suggest you start by compiling a timeline of all the training you've undertaken and seek to fill in the gaps between the training activities with evidence of your work activities to demonstrate experience. i.e. putting the training into practice. You need to demonstrate your level of competency and your commitment to CPD.
Hope that helps
-
Thomas, what a jaded view! I am a member of the IFE and have never been in the fire service so I guess I must have got into the "fire fighters old boys club" by stealth!
To perhaps try to answer the original post, the IFE membership committe use the PRR to assess the level of training, experience and knowledge of an applicant. It might seem a daunting task producing the PRR from scratch, but I'd suggest you start by compiling a timeline of all the training you've undertaken and seek to fill in the gaps between the training activities with evidence of your work activities to demonstrate experience. i.e. putting the training into practice. You need to demonstrate your level of competency and your commitment to CPD.
Hope that helps
Thanks for giving a try Colin, what you are stating is just then a CV. Why they don't call it then a CV rather than PRR, I think couple of papers of PRR wouldn’t be enough to judge some one else competence, until you meet him in a one to one basis interview, which can confirm a lot of things in the CV itself...
Otherwise stretching the same CV with more bla bla... which most people consider it jargon, would that be the focus then?
This is just my opinion, I am still not getting the point.
-
because it's not a CV
and anyone could submit certificates but you also have to prove to them that you know your stuff through the career review.
i have done mine so i will let you know how it gets on...
-
because it's not a CV
and anyone could submit certificates but you also have to prove to them that you know your stuff through the career review.
i have done mine so i will let you know how it gets on...
Good idea Grame, If you don't mind, send me a copy to see how it looks like...
Thank you
-
Benzerari, it's NOT a CV. For a start the membership committe has no interest in your stamp collecting hobby or any such thing. The focus is on whether you as an individual has attained sufficient technical knowledge and have expertise and experience to use that knowledge competently. For IFE membership to be meaningful, the committee has to ensure that those awarded the title of "Member" and the degnatory post-nominals "MIFireE" have an appropriate level of knoweledge, understanding and expertise.
My suggestiion to use your training record and fill in the gaps with experience, was merely to help provide a framework to get you started, rather you than stare at a blank page wondering what the heck to write. I had to produce a PRR when I applied for Chartered Engineer status and used the above process to generate my submission. Thankfully, what I ended up with must have been fine since my application was successful first time.
I assume you've got a copy of "Membership Rules for Titles and Grades" which has a helpful annex on IPD requirements for membership grades. If you check out the skills and knowledge requirements in Annex D, and ask yourself "What training have I undertaken and/or what experience do I have that provides evidence of this?" for each of the criteria set out. Chances are that some of your training and/or experience meets more than one of the membership criteria. I found it easier to write about the training and experience I had and then provide a margin note highlighting which criteria (A1, C3, D1&2 etc) I beleived the narrative demonstrated.
Once you've made the start you'll soon find it will quickly develop to quite a lengthy report, mine ended up at 18 pages!
Best of luck, just stick at it.
-
Benzerari, it's NOT a CV. For a start the membership committe has no interest in your stamp collecting hobby or any such thing. The focus is on whether you as an individual has attained sufficient technical knowledge and have expertise and experience to use that knowledge competently. For IFE membership to be meaningful, the committee has to ensure that those awarded the title of "Member" and the degnatory post-nominals "MIFireE" have an appropriate level of knoweledge, understanding and expertise.
My suggestiion to use your training record and fill in the gaps with experience, was merely to help provide a framework to get you started, rather you than stare at a blank page wondering what the heck to write. I had to produce a PRR when I applied for Chartered Engineer status and used the above process to generate my submission. Thankfully, what I ended up with must have been fine since my application was successful first time.
I assume you've got a copy of "Membership Rules for Titles and Grades" which has a helpful annex on IPD requirements for membership grades. If you check out the skills and knowledge requirements in Annex D, and ask yourself "What training have I undertaken and/or what experience do I have that provides evidence of this?" for each of the criteria set out. Chances are that some of your training and/or experience meets more than one of the membership criteria. I found it easier to write about the training and experience I had and then provide a margin note highlighting which criteria (A1, C3, D1&2 etc) I beleived the narrative demonstrated.
Once you've made the start you'll soon find it will quickly develop to quite a lengthy report, mine ended up at 18 pages!
Best of luck, just stick at it.
Thanks Colin for this info...
-
Just a bit of history about the IFE. It was started in 1918 by a group of Chief Fire officers with the aim of encouraging the science of fire. Its membership does tend to be heavy on the fire service personnel side as it is an obvious professional body for them and for a long time it had links to the promotional exams for the fire service. It has always welcomed anyone who is interested in fire.
It also has branches all over the world principally in Commonwealth countries but there is a branch in the USA.
Yes it can be seen by non fire service people as a fire service club and in the fire service it is often accused of being an officer's club. Both of these views are wrong. It tries to encourage knowledge about all aspects of fire and emergency operations and in the field we are in any information must be seen as useful.
And yes I am a member and I have been for a long time and I still find it useful.
-
Benzerari, sorry im not a big fan of IFE and a little bias against them, mainly through my own bad communications with them.
If you ask anyone out side of the industry if they have heard of the IFE the answer will be more than likely no.
How ever on the plus side the fire and rescue services usually have heard of the IFE which may gain you a little respect when dealing with the F&R services.
They are definately biased towards fire fighters and ex firefighters, but I would assume that is because they know exactly what level of membership to give to a set grade of fire fighter, and it also gives the impression of a fire fighters old boys club. (again this is only my personal opinion)
Thomas; thanks for your opinion; at least I don't feel alone in this dilemma;
I share with you some of the bits, till I get all the missing points sorted out and well understood :)
The IEE i.e. doesn't oblige references from an IEE member in particular, some others necessitate two ref one academic and one industrial, which is more flexible and from any disciplines...
-
Just a bit of history about the IFE. It was started in 1918 by a group of Chief Fire officers with the aim of encouraging the science of fire. Its membership does tend to be heavy on the fire service personnel side as it is an obvious professional body for them and for a long time it had links to the promotional exams for the fire service. It has always welcomed anyone who is interested in fire.
It also has branches all over the world principally in Commonwealth countries but there is a branch in the USA.
Yes it can be seen by non fire service people as a fire service club and in the fire service it is often accused of being an officer's club. Both of these views are wrong. It tries to encourage knowledge about all aspects of fire and emergency operations and in the field we are in any information must be seen as useful.
And yes I am a member and I have been for a long time and I still find it useful.
Thanks Mike for this bit;
What about some one who doesn't have any corporates or associates referencies who should sign all my bits of copies of diploma and certificates and even the application form its self with the PRR...
All my coleagues and freinds I have worked with, in so many companies in the last 8 years or so... none of them are members of IFE, probably because they are kind of people whom just does the job, get payed, get home and that's it!
I am seeing the membership from other angle, the career progression can not go farther without getting i.e. membership of cutting edge technologies article, magazine, journals and so on... the membership seems to be the main door but its not so easy... with in particular the IFE itself
Also why fire alarm engineers are not considering this membership?
How many fire alarm engineer is member of IFE?
Why alarm service companies do not bother about recruiting fire alarm engineers who are member only?
Why even the bosses of the majority of alarm service companies do not bother to be member?
Why IFE is not doing some effort to attract them?
Why researchers in fire science related... are not members of IFE or and not attracted to be?
How can fire officers who are member of IFE, judge the qualification and competence of a fire alarm engineer while the two fields are a bit different, and must complete each other?
Why? and Why? and Why? ..????
A lot of issues I just would like to understand…
-
Benz ,
Start your own one up in particular to the trade itself , you could end up being the biggest.
-
Like Scientology
-
Benz ,
Start your own one up in particular to the trade itself , you could end up being the biggest.
One hand doesn’t clap Gal.
-
Like Scientology
Please let me know how Grametology gets on, this may help in Benzotology... :)
It's going to take minimum three months to get feedback of the PRR.
-
'And its easy climb a ladder when is down'
-
Benzerari, the requirement for the application to be supported by two corporate members of the Institution shouldn't prove too much of an obstacle. Contact the membership secretary at the IFE and explain you difficulty in obtaining corporate member support for your application. In most cases, the need for application support can be flexible. In my case, the IFE accepted my application supported by two corporate members of the IEE.
Give them a call, it shouldn't be the show stopper it first appears.
-
Benzerari, some of your questions sound rather like self fulfilling prophesies. If fire alarm engineers don't join because there are very few fire alarm engineers how is their point of view going to be taken into consideration.
With regard to the dificulty of becoming a member of the IFE, there are various grades of membership which require different levels of qualification to get into. The IFE has always looked upon itself as a professional body requiring set standards, therefore they must examine the qualifications of applicants to decide which grade of membership is appropriate. Once you are in there are ways you can progress through the levels of membership and they don't depend on you being a fire fighter.
The other side is there are aways complaints that the fire brigade don't understand the fire industry and vice versa (just look at some of the threads. Here is an opportunity to meet the other side especially fi there is a strong branch with regular meetings. It is amazing how many 'major' problems can be sorted with a chat after a branch meeting.
"I would never belong to a club that would accept me as a member" Groucho Marx :-
-
Benzerari, the requirement for the application to be supported by two corporate members of the Institution shouldn't prove too much of an obstacle. Contact the membership secretary at the IFE and explain you difficulty in obtaining corporate member support for your application. In most cases, the need for application support can be flexible. In my case, the IFE accepted my application supported by two corporate members of the IEE.
Give them a call, it shouldn't be the show stopper it first appears.
Thanks Colin for that
-
Benzerari, some of your questions sound rather like self fulfilling prophesies. If fire alarm engineers don't join because there are very few fire alarm engineers how is their point of view going to be taken into consideration.
With regard to the dificulty of becoming a member of the IFE, there are various grades of membership which require different levels of qualification to get into. The IFE has always looked upon itself as a professional body requiring set standards, therefore they must examine the qualifications of applicants to decide which grade of membership is appropriate. Once you are in there are ways you can progress through the levels of membership and they don't depend on you being a fire fighter.
The other side is there are aways complaints that the fire brigade don't understand the fire industry and vice versa (just look at some of the threads. Here is an opportunity to meet the other side especially fi there is a strong branch with regular meetings. It is amazing how many 'major' problems can be sorted with a chat after a branch meeting.:-
Agreed to some extend, Thanks Mike