FSM Live Coventry
Seminar Programme
Headline Sponsor
The 2025 agenda
If you’d like to speak at FSM Live 2025 please contact our conference chair Brian Sims at bsims@westernbusiness.media
Times & sessions are preliminary and subject to change.
Seminar Programme
08:30
Doors open/Networking
09:15
Ministerial address by the Fire Minister & Secretary of State at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
Dame Diana Johnson (Fire Minister, UK government)
Alex Norris (Secretary of State at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, UK government)
This not to be missed session will feature ministerial addresses from two ministers. Fire Minister Dame Diana Johnson and the Secretary of State at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government Alex Norris will deliver speeches on behalf of the government to outline its plans for both fire safety and building safety.
09:45
Taking back control of fire engineering
Speaker TBC (Apollo Fire Detectors)
The conventional approach to installing door retainers means stepping outside of the fire industry to handle mains voltage. Installers can take complete control of the install process, with the Addressable Door Retainer, which draws power directly from the loop.
10:10
Building Safety Regulator - Regulatory Realities
Ross O'Loughlin (Director, Global HSE Group)
Ross will discuss how investors, architects, engineers, and those responsible for fire safety or evacuation can effectively navigate the complex world of fire related regulations, whilst protecting themselves, their tenants, and their assets.
10:30
The Future of Smart Fire System Management
Salvy Vittozzi (Regional Sales Manager, Advanced)
In this session, Salvy will explore the evolving capabilities of smart fire system management. By allowing users to easily locate and respond to fire system events in real time, even when not on site, the new technology is supporting faster, safer incident responses and reducing unnecessary evacuations.
10:50
Networking break
11:20
Competency, Compliance and Best Practice – What does ‘Good’ Look Like? –
Chris Tilley (Head of Commercial, Fire Industry Association)
Chris will discuss competency levels across the industry and the challenges faced in ensuring compliance is adhered to. What do competent companies and individuals look like? How can they ensure and prove compliance? What is next in raising the bar of competency to the next level?
11:45
Domestic Fire Safety Hidden Truths
Gareth Butler (Aico)
This presentation highlights the importance of domestic fire safety, focusing on smoke alarms' life-saving role. It covers fire risks, legislation, British Standards, and compliance practices, including BS 7671 and BS 5839-6 for fire alarm systems. Key topics include landlord obligations and the need for proper electrical inspections (EICRs) to ensure home safety.
12:10
Eight steps to managing and containing Lithium-ion battery fire risks
Matt Humby (Firechief Global)
This session will delve into the challenges associated with Lithium-ion battery fires and you will gain valuable insights into why they happen and how to prevent, or should the worst happen, contain them an eight Step Battery Safety Plan.
12:30
Choosing the Best Fire Detection Technology for Your Application
Chris Dunne (FFE Ltd)
Fire detection systems play a critical role in safeguarding property and lives, especially in challenging environments. This seminar explores four advanced technologies, beam smoke detectors, flame detectors, aspirating smoke systems, and linear heat detectors, offering insights into their applications, benefits, and considerations. Learn how to select the ideal solution to match unique risks and environments.
13:00
Lunch
14:00
Specifying fire detection systems for a major upgrade or refurbishment
Ray Puttock (Wireless Fire Business Development & Marketing Consultant, EMS)
With the many recent changes to fire legislation, as well as the continuing activities and consequences of Grenfell, it’s a wonder that building owners, and those responsible for properties are able to keep up! A look at the latest fire detection technology to make your decision the safest and easiest to, as well as driving down costs.
14:20
Competent fire risk assessors: Are there enough and how do we fix the skills gap?
Colin Todd (Managing Director, CS Todd Associates)
Currently, there is no legal requirement for fire risk assessors to be competent. In England and Wales, s.156 of the Building Safety Act has not yet been brought into force, but will prohibit Responsible Persons from appointing anyone to carry out an FRA unless that person is competent. The Public Inquiry into the Grenfell Tower disaster has recommended that there be mandatory accreditation of fire risk assessors. Colin Todd will discuss whether there are sufficient competent fire risk assessors to make these measures practicable at the current time, and how future career pathways may fix the skills gap.”
14:40
Why Qualifications are under scrutiny in 2025
Darren Ellis (Qualifications Manager, FireQual)
For a number of years now, demonstrating individual competency has been a growing concern within the fire safety industry. With new British Standards such as BS 8670-1 introducing the SKEB model, evidencing skills and knowledge is becoming a far more defined action. With this comes the requirement of credible qualifications and the need to question unregulated options.
Join Darren, who will discuss the integrity of Regulated Qualifications and why this should be properly explored for any individual requiring qualifications in 2025 and beyond.
15:00
Networking Break
15:20
Approaches to understanding engineering systems fire requirements
Paul McSoley (ASFP)
This session will explore how passive fire safety systems can be scheduled around the building risk conditions and work together to form a compliancy approach to building fire safety.
15:40
Fire evacuation in healthcare – how can we prove it works?
Peter Aldridge (General Secretary, NAHFO)
This session will look at the challenge of evacuating critically patients when it’s difficult to practice it. How does the shift to eLearning impact on this and what can learn from actual incidents and lived experiences.
16:00