Welcome to the IFE Southern Branch website

Encouraging Professional Development
The IFE Southern Branch actively seeks to offer good CPD opportunities and mentoring for fire safety professionals. We hold monthly webinars with 6 monthly in person events.
About Us
In 2018, Jake Derrick decided to try to reform the disbanded Southern Branch. He succeeded! We are now an active and thriving Branch with a dedicated Committee who are passionate about fire safety. The Southern Branch normally meets quarterly for an evening Branch meeting, with an annual AGM and hosts regular CPD Events. We hold monthly webinars with 6 monthly in person events – see our Upcoming CPD Events page. These webinars are also recorded and shown on the 'Previous CPD Events' page.
President’s Message
A warm welcome from the Institution of Fire Engineers' Southern Branch. In 2021 when I joined the Southern Branch committee, I was warmly welcomed by a group of like minded individuals who had a passion for giving something back to the industry. Unlike when Jacob set up the Branch (where it was dormant with no activity planned and no presence inside the IFE globally), the Branch had already gone from strength to strength, providing webinars that were always a sell out and attended regulary by 200+ people. Due to a change in personal circumstances, various members of the Branch committee dedicded to move on, and I had the honour of being elected as the Branch President. Jacob, Andrea, Steve and Mike, you all did an increadible job and will be sorely missed. We are member-driven and exist to provide support and opportunities to IFE members; more recently we have provided online CPD to a much wider audience. In-person meetings offer the chance for industry networking and technical discussion and we hope to resume these in 2022. Personally I'm looking forward to pushing on with the events, allowing free CPD opportunities for all. On top of this, in a field where there is often a culture of blame, I am keen to help and mentor anyone that wants to improve and progress within the industry.
WHAT ARE THE KEY OBJECTIVES OF THE BRANCH?
  • Provide two CPD in-person day seminars per year.
  • Provide regular Branch meetings including CPD and technical discussion opportunities.
  • Provide regular online CPD to a wide audience.
  • Offer networking opportunities.
  • Create a network of members who can help others with academic and study support.
  • Foster relationships and network building between branch members to grow industry support networks.
  • Feedback Branch member views to IFE HQ.
  • Finally, and most importantly; Act as a beacon of professional and technical integrity, ingenuity and support to members, breaking down barriers and norms, fostering engagement and offering an environment where questions are freely asked and answered, ultimately working towards the IFE’s objective of making the world safer from fire.
The Branch Council is always delighted to engage with prospective members of the IFE and to welcome new members to the Branch. I hope to see you online or at a meeting in the future.