Fire marshal training for care homes is essential to ensure the safety of residents and compliance with stringent fire safety regulations. Fire wardens play a critical role in care homes and require comprehensive training to effectively fulfil their duty of protecting vulnerable individuals, including those with mobility challenges. If you are a care home owner or manager looking to update your team’s training, here’s what’s required to provide effective and thorough fire marshal training.
1. The required fire marshal training content
Care home staff who take on the role of fire marshal or fire warden need to be able to:
- Move residents as part of the evacuation strategy adopted for the home.
- Help those on the premises to leave in the event of a fire.
- Check the premises to ensure everyone has left.
- Use firefighting equipment if safe to do so.
- Liaise with the fire and rescue service on arrival.
- Shut down vital equipment.
- Perform a supervisory or managing role in any fire situation.
This means they need:
- A detailed knowledge of the fire safety strategy of the premises.
- Awareness of human behaviour in fires.
- The authority to encourage others to use the most appropriate escape route.
- The ability to search safely for people inside the care home.
These skills can only be learnt through thorough fire marshal training for care homes. Here’s what’s covered in our comprehensive fire marshal training course.
2. A qualified trainer
Some elements of fire safety training for care homes can be completed online. However, the importance of face-to-face fire marshal training for care homes should not be underestimated.
Fire wardens and marshals require advanced training and must be able to use fire extinguishers—a skill that can only be learnt through practical sessions. Furthermore, care home owners and managers need to keep a detailed record of this training to comply with their duties under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and the Fire Safety Risk Assessment Supplementary Guide: Means of Escape for Disabled People.
Employing a qualified trainer simplifies this process. The Government’s Communities and Local Government (CLG) Guide to Fire Safety Risk Assessment for Residential Care Premises provides best practices for care homes when appointing a trainer. It states trainers should:
- Be accredited.
- Understand the specific needs of care home staff and residents.
At Benfield Fire Safety, our trainers meet and exceed these requirements. All our trainers are:
- Train the Trainer qualified.
- Assessor qualified.
- Verifier qualified.
Additionally, our instructors hold qualifications for instructing people in the use of breathing apparatus and becoming incident commanders, which greatly enriches our courses.
The CLG guidance also highlights the importance of trainers with relevant experience. At Benfield Fire Safety, our team comprises former full-time fire officers, retained firefighters, and ex-Armed Forces personnel. They hold qualifications in NVQ Levels 5 & 7 in management, ensuring their expertise benefits every course and provides a superior learning experience.
3. Modern fire safety training technology
The Government’s CLG guidance emphasises the value of modern technology in fire marshal training for care homes.
At Benfield Fire, we have invested in state-of-the-art training equipment. Our training simulations use digital fire extinguishers and smoke goggle technology to create realistic environments without any risk.
We also provide fire extinguisher training outdoors with a fully controlled gas rig, allowing participants to gain hands-on experience in a safe, controlled setting.
Our clients consistently praise our fire marshal training for care homes for being interactive, engaging, and highly professional. If your care home would benefit from realistic fire marshal training for care homes delivered by professionals, please contact Benfield Fire Safety by emailing Customerservice@benfieldfs.co.uk or calling 0300 303 3277.
