G/M/FIFirE or a Eurpean Diploma?

[Guest]

Hi Folks

We talk alot on here about on going career development and the obvious importance of being qualified when being a safety officer.

Can anyone tell me which they feel is the best route to take between:

The IFE qualifications ie; GIFireE, MIFireE, FFireE

or

the CFPA European Advanced Diploma in fire prevention

Im baffled as to which would offer me the best career progression and would be greatful If anyone could help point me in the right direction

[Chris Houston]

Safety or Fire Safety?  For safety I would have thought the IOSH would be the first choice http://www.iosh.org.uk/

[Guest]

one thing you miss is that the F I Fire E is an 'award' type qualification, you dont get it by taking and passing exams to gain qualifications as in the grads or members

i suppose it also depends on what you are hoping to achieve, gaining knowledge and understanding as opposed to the gaining of qualifications would normally be the correct reason for education unless of course the qualifications are to be used to gain 'access' to a post or organisation

dave bev

[colin todd]

M I Fire E is a significantly higher level of qualification that CFPA diploma.

[Guest]

Generally speaking I want to know which offers the best opportunity to learn more about fire safety. (Hence why I asked about the IFE / CEAP Fire Safety Diploma not a health and safety based qualification).

And obviously yes I do want to advance my career too.

Which of the two routes is the more respected qualification or body which is the one that carries more weight is really what Im asking

Thanks peeps

[Guest]

wow, i didnt realise i was that clever, colin!!

dave bev

[Simon Morriss]

Firewolf

Personally I would recommend the CFPA diploma not least because you can convert, with a little effort into MIFireE at the end.  Saying that I have passed GIFireE and then went on to study for the members.  I completed the fire science paper but then stopped as to me it was all Fire Service relevant from that point and not that applicable for the Fire Officer, even the fire science was about HP falling over and calculating when that would happen.  The CFPA is more suited for the role of the fire officer as the topics it covers is more business based.  

There may be some mileage in doing the Grads to get the "pure" fire knowledge and then doing the CFPA.  However if money was tight, for a non fire authority person CFPA all the way!!!!

Simon
 :lol:

[Guest]

Has anyone else noticed the number of persons taking (or passing) the IFE exams is dropping? A few years ago the pink paper that appears in the Journal with all successful candidates names and locations, national and international, was considerably larger than this years for example.

I know they keep harping on about increasing the member’s numbers, but I see little done to improve the situation, they still appear to be a club with in a club, and unless you are a white hat with wider band, you’ll never get into their “Corporate” level AIFireE or above, and be given voting rights.

As a GIFireE myself, I twice enquired how you became an “Associate” member, but I never really got a straight answer. You don’t take an exam for this level, but you do need support of three other “Corporate” level members. With only two bars on my collar, I can’t see many white hats agreeing to that.

Moan complete signing off.

[colin todd]

Those who claim the IFE is an officers club are living in the past. The members exam is really good quality. ( I always thought you were clever Davey, just politically misguided!!!). It would carry more weight, I think, than CFPA, which I always regard as more suitable for the industrial site fire officer or internal adviser than the consultant or fire authority fire officer. It is also worth bearing in mind that the Engineering Council Division of the IFE is fully recognized (and well thought of) by the UK Engineering Council as a fully fledged professional engineering institution. Those who have passed the sub-officers exam are also considered to be suitably academically qualified to be awarded the the qualification of Engineering Technician.

[Guest]

Hi Colin

Thanks for your feedback

I see you mention there that the IFE route would be better suited for industrial fire officers / internal fire officers as opposed to consultants etc.

I d like at some point during my career to probably set up my own consultancy - again IFE would be the best route ?

[Guest]

Colin, you appear to be in the know. Why does the IFE insist that to get AIFireE or MIFireE, via the mature candidate’s route, individual case procedure? Or if you pass the CFPA Diploma, you still need the support of three other “Corporate” level members.

Surely if the IFE wants to encourage new members to join, and existing to further themselves, why do they put obstacles in the way like the one I have mentioned.

I am a retained LFf, whom has passed the Preliminary & Intermediate Certificates. I went to two local meetings, and when I announced I was a retained fire fighter, I could see the looks of, why are you here?

No one said a thing, but I was not made welcome. Our link officer has his Members but offers little if no support in going for my Graduate certificate.  Because I am not an activate IFE member. Doesn’t that appear to be a club with in a club? It certainly does to me.

[colin todd]

Firewolf, I would have said IFE is the right body for you. If you wanted to hire an electrical engineering consultant, you would want a C Eng MIEE, so I see it as an exact parallel. Mark, The need for corporate referees should never be an insurmountable barrier to membership. If you are having a problem, could I suggest that you contact the IFE, who will try to help you. If you get stuck, email me. I am disappointed that you were made unwelcome at a branch or group meeting, espceially as a firefighter (retained or not). The IFE is not merely a firefighters institution in any case; it is the professional body for all those in the world of fire. If there is anything else I can do to help, please let me know. Perhaps there is scope for membership workshops at which potential members could be mentored. This is certainly not impossible.

[Hammond]

The CFPA diploma and CFPA Advanced diploma do offer a route to IFE membership at various grades.  They have been assessed and recognised by IFE as fulfiling the academic requirements for membership at either Tech (CFPA Diploma) or Grad (Advanced Diploma).  The FPA also run a CFPA/MIFireE conversion course for holders of the Advanced Dip which fulfils the academic requirements for Member level membership of IFE.  The FPA's Training catalogue has a little diagram and some text which explains all this.

[NOMS]

Where can I get information on the CFPA advanced Diploma?

[Peter Wilkinson]

http://www.thefpa.co.uk/pdf/training.pdf

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