The FIA look at its Foundation in Fire Detection & Alarms unit. This unit is the first unit to be studied on the qualification pathway. It can be studied on its own for your own knowledge, or in conjunction with the other units to obtain a qualification in fire detection and alarm systems.
This unit of study may be right for you if you are working within the fire detection and alarm industry, and wish to gain a broader understanding of best practice and standards. If you are a fire detection and alarm designer, installer, maintainer, or commissioner (or hoping to be working within that capacity), then this course will be the first step along the way to studying further units in those areas with us.
If you are an employer of technicians within these fields, then all of the following information will help you ascertain whether the Foundation in FD&A and the subsequent units of study that lead to the qualification in fire detection and alarm systems will be right for your business. We’ll explain what other units are available at the end of this video.
The Foundation in FD&A is a two-day intensive course, and is run throughout the year at locations across the UK. Training is delivered by professionals within the fire industry who have a background of both training and extensive technical expertise. Training is delivered in class through a PowerPoint and a course handbook.
As the name Foundation suggests, this course covers a broad base of knowledge that will prepare learners to undertake further fire detection and alarm courses.
There are 10 areas within the syllabus, and all of these are assessed. Throughout the course, all of the areas are covered by the trainer, and more extensive notes are available in the course handbook, which is given to learners on the first day of the course.
The 10 areas of study are:
1) Legislation
2) Standards, Codes of Practice, Guidance, and Technical notes
3) Working with Third Parties
4) Documentation
5) Fire Events
6) Passive protection
7) Fire Detection and Alarm System Technology
8) System Design (according to the requirements of BS 5839)
9) Explosive Environments
10) False Alarms and Unwanted Fire Signals
Each area is given sufficient detail but will help broaden a learner’s knowledge before going on to specialise in further areas of fire detection and alarm systems.
To give a clear picture of each of the 10 areas, this video breaks down the areas of study individually, and discusses the other units and courses you can take to gain a qualification in fire detection and alarms.
