Over the past year, the Institution of Fire Engineers has moved decisively from intent to impact. Guided by member insight and professional integrity, we have embedded EEDI into how we operate, how we communicate, and how we shape the future of the fire engineering profession as part of structural, cultural and lasting change.
Quick wins that matter
We know that meaningful progress starts with practical action. Several early commitments have already been delivered and are making a tangible difference.
Inclusive language and accessibility checks are now embedded into our communications and policy sign off processes. A clear checklist supports teams to do the right thing consistently, and feedback routes are being included wherever possible so members can tell us what works and what needs improving.
We have strengthened transparency and trust through a more structured feedback system, using clear metrics to understand engagement and satisfaction. This gives us a stronger evidence base for decision making and helps ensure member voices continue to shape our priorities.
Branches have been a key focus of our work, with practical guidance, presentations, and tools shared with branch leaders to help embed EEDI principles into local activity. This support is designed to strengthen branch culture, encourage inclusive practice, and lay the groundwork for future re-engagement across our international network.
We have also identified support for members returning to the profession as an important area for future development, informed by member feedback and lived experience. This work will be shaped over time to ensure it is practical, proportionate, and aligned with professional standards.
Raising the bar on standards and behaviour
Professional excellence depends on a safe, respectful environment. Work is well underway to reinforce a zero tolerance approach to unacceptable behaviour, supported by strengthened policies and clearer routes for reporting concerns, including anonymously. Alongside this, we have developed guidance and educational content for employers, helping them understand what zero tolerance looks like in practice and how to embed it meaningfully within their organisations. IFE members can access this guidance here. [LINK TO GUIDANCE WEBPAGE]
Building inclusive professional pathways
Looking beyond the immediate, we are tackling some of the more complex structural challenges facing fire engineering.
Exam based progression routes are being reviewed and modernised, with close collaboration between the IFE and sector partners to ensure alignment with real roles and responsibilities across fire and rescue services. This work is ongoing, but it represents an important step in making professional progression clearer, fairer, and more inclusive.
Cultural change for the long term
True inclusion is sustained over time. As our work continues to evolve, we are focused on ensuring EEDI is increasingly embedded into how we think, plan, and make decisions across the institution. This includes exploring how lived experience, professional insight, and member feedback can better inform future activity, and how progress can be reflected and shared in a way that is meaningful, proportionate, and transparent.
To support this, we are using the Royal Academy of Engineering’s Diversity and Inclusion Progression Framework internally to help us reflect on our progress, identify areas for improvement, and benchmark our approach over time. This will be complemented by periodic member feedback, ensuring we continue to close the loop between listening, learning, and action.
Keeping members at the centre
This work does not happen in isolation. Members will continue to receive regular updates through the IFE’s communications, and structured feedback loops will ensure we keep listening, learning, and adapting. Your experiences, challenges, and successes remain the most powerful drivers of change.
Together, we are shaping a profession that is not only technically excellent, but also inclusive, ethical, and fit for the future.
Talk to us
Your voice matters. Share your experience and help shape the future of the institution by completing our short member feedback survey.
The Institution of Fire Engineers is committed to advancing Equality, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EEDI). We began by listening to our members through a survey and focus groups, supported by our EEDI partner, Equal Engineers, to better understand your experiences and priorities. This feedback has laid the foundations for our EEDI work and is shaping how we move forward. This is your institution, and we are committed to taking action in line with what matters most to you.