Fire Safety and Emergency Preparedness Training Course

Duration 10 days 20 modules · 65 contact hours
Level Intermediate Certificate on completion
Who attends Health and Safety Managers, Facilities Managers and others
Fee from USD 2,200 KSh 190,000 for Kenyan organisations
Where 52 cities + online See dates by city
Next start 16 Nov 2026 Course code SD-OHS-063

Before you join: Participants should have basic workplace safety knowledge and some familiarity with their organisation's premises, operations or emergency arrangements.

Dates & prices

Two start dates a month in every city, and live online on weekdays or weekends. Fees are per participant; classroom fees include tuition, materials, lunch and refreshments, and the certificate.

Suggest a date or city

Showing the next six months. Later dates, other cities and private deliveries for your team are available on request.

Course overview

Fire incidents can develop from a minor ignition into a life-threatening emergency within minutes. Employers must identify credible fire scenarios, control ignition and fuel sources, maintain effective protection systems, and ensure people can evacuate or respond safely. Weak fire risk assessments, unclear emergency roles, poorly maintained equipment and unrealistic drills can leave organisations exposed to injury, property loss, operational interruption and regulatory action.

This course develops the practical competence needed to manage fire safety and emergency preparedness in offices, industrial sites, warehouses, healthcare facilities, public buildings and mixed-use premises. Participants learn to conduct structured fire risk assessments, select control measures using the hierarchy of controls, assess means of escape, specify emergency roles, plan evacuations, manage fire wardens, evaluate drills and work effectively with emergency services. The course also covers fire detection, alarm arrangements, portable extinguishers, passive fire protection, hot work controls, vulnerable-person evacuation and post-incident recovery.

Teaching combines concise technical briefings with facilitated case work, incident scenarios, plan reviews, group decision-making and emergency simulations. Participants progressively develop practical documents during the course, including a fire risk assessment, emergency response plan, evacuation strategy, inspection schedule and drill evaluation record. The final capstone requires participants to assemble, review and present a complete fire safety and emergency preparedness package for a realistic workplace scenario.

The course suits professionals with operational responsibility for workplace safety, facilities, security, business continuity or emergency response. It is particularly relevant where premises contain large numbers of occupants, hazardous materials, complex evacuation routes, shift operations, contractors or critical services.

What you will be able to do

  • Conduct a structured fire risk assessment using credible fire scenarios and control measures
  • Evaluate means of escape, occupant capacity, travel distances and evacuation arrangements
  • Develop a site-specific emergency response plan with defined command roles and actions
  • Select fire prevention and protection controls using the hierarchy of controls
  • Plan fire drills, evacuation exercises and post-drill performance reviews
  • Assess inspection, testing and maintenance requirements for fire safety systems
  • Investigate fire and near-miss events using root cause analysis methods
  • Produce and present a complete fire safety and emergency preparedness package

Benefits of attending

For you

  • Greater confidence conducting workplace fire risk assessments
  • Practical skill designing evacuation and emergency response arrangements
  • Improved ability to brief fire wardens and emergency role holders
  • Reusable evidence for safety, facilities or resilience responsibilities
  • Stronger judgement when reviewing fire safety contractors and reports

For your organisation

  • More credible fire risk assessments linked to operational controls
  • Clearer evacuation roles, communication routes and accountability procedures
  • Better preparation for inspections, drills and emergency service liaison
  • Reduced likelihood of uncontrolled fire hazards and delayed evacuation
  • Consistent records for fire safety assurance and corrective action tracking

Course modules

20 modules over 10 days

Participants can explain how fires start, develop and affect people, buildings and evacuation decisions.

  • Fire triangle, tetrahedron and heat transfer mechanisms affecting ignition control
  • Classify Class A, B, C, D and F fire hazards
  • Combustible loading calculations using floor area, materials and storage heights
  • Identify ignition sources through task observation and energy isolation review
  • Fire development stages from incipient ignition through flashover and decay
  • Smoke movement, toxic products and tenability criteria during enclosure fires

Participants can assign fire safety responsibilities and identify applicable legal and standards-based requirements.

  • Employer, occupier, manager and employee duties within fire safety governance
  • Apply ISO 45001 risk management principles to fire safety arrangements
  • NFPA 101 life safety concepts for occupancy and means of egress
  • NFPA 72 requirements for fire alarm notification and supervisory signals
  • Local authority approvals, inspections and enforcement documentation requirements
  • Duty-holder matrices linking fire controls, inspections and corrective actions

Participants can complete a documented fire risk assessment using a structured assessment process.

  • Five-step fire risk assessment process from hazards through review
  • Define credible fire scenarios using people, fuel, ignition and location
  • Assess likelihood and consequence using a calibrated risk matrix
  • Record existing controls, deficiencies, actions, owners and completion dates
  • Prioritise corrective actions using risk ranking and implementation feasibility
  • Set review triggers after process changes, incidents and occupancy changes

Participants can specify preventive controls for common workplace ignition and fuel hazards.

  • Electrical safety controls for overloaded circuits, damaged cables and temporary supplies
  • Hot work permit controls covering preparation, fire watch and closeout
  • Flammable liquid storage using segregation, quantities and ignition source control
  • Waste management routines preventing combustible accumulation and blocked escape routes
  • Smoking controls, designated areas and disposal arrangements for ignition prevention
  • Oxygen enrichment hazards from cylinders, oxidisers and medical gas systems

Participants can inspect passive fire protection features and identify common failures.

  • Compartmentation principles limiting smoke and fire spread between building zones
  • Fire-resisting walls, floors and ceilings assessed for integrity breaches
  • Fire doors checked for self-closing, gaps, damage and obstruction
  • Penetration sealing requirements around cables, pipes and building services
  • Protected shafts, risers and stairwells maintained as fire-resisting enclosures
  • Interpret fire safety drawings, compartment plans and door schedules

Participants can evaluate whether detection, alarm and lighting arrangements support timely evacuation.

  • Manual call points, automatic detectors and alarm zones explained
  • Detector selection for smoke, heat, flame and aspirating systems
  • Alarm audibility, visual signals and accessibility for hearing-impaired occupants
  • Emergency lighting coverage for escape routes, stairways and external assembly areas
  • Cause-and-effect matrices linking detection zones to emergency system responses
  • Fault reporting, impairment controls and temporary compensatory measures

Participants can select extinguishers and define safe limits for first-aid firefighting.

  • Extinguisher media selection for ordinary combustibles, liquids, gases and metals
  • Rating systems, travel distances and extinguisher placement principles
  • PASS technique applied within safe escape and visibility limits
  • Recognise conditions requiring immediate evacuation rather than firefighting intervention
  • Inspection checks for pressure, pins, hoses, labels and service dates
  • Fire blanket, hose reel and fixed suppression system limitations

Participants can assess escape routes and develop practical evacuation arrangements.

  • Calculate occupant loads using floor area, function and peak occupancy
  • Assess travel distance, exit capacity and alternative escape route availability
  • Escape route inspections covering obstructions, signage, lighting and door operation
  • Assembly point selection using access, wind direction and emergency vehicle routes
  • Roll-call methods for employees, visitors, contractors and remote workgroups
  • Phased, simultaneous and zoned evacuation strategies for complex premises

Participants can prepare emergency response plans with clear roles, actions and escalation points.

  • Emergency response plan structure covering alarm, evacuation and incident escalation
  • Incident command roles for incident controller, wardens and communications coordinators
  • Initial action checklists for fire, smoke, explosion and alarm malfunction
  • Decision thresholds for evacuation, sheltering, partial closure and emergency shutdown
  • Emergency contact directories including fire service, utilities and specialist contractors
  • Control room logs recording events, decisions, communications and handovers

Participants can develop concise emergency messages for occupants, responders and management.

  • Alarm messages distinguishing evacuation, alert, standby and all-clear instructions
  • Plain-language emergency announcements for occupants under stress and time pressure
  • Communication trees linking wardens, managers, security and emergency services
  • Media holding statements protecting facts, privacy and operational integrity
  • Family liaison principles following injury, fatality or prolonged site closure
  • Post-incident staff communications addressing return-to-work and support arrangements

Participants can plan inclusive evacuation arrangements for people requiring assistance.

  • Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans for employees needing individual assistance
  • Generic Emergency Evacuation Plans for visitors and unidentified occupants
  • Refuge areas, evacuation chairs and communication equipment selection criteria
  • Assign buddies and assistants without creating unsafe dependency arrangements
  • Mobility, sensory, cognitive and temporary impairment considerations during evacuation
  • Confidentiality controls for personal evacuation information and assistance records

Participants can define, train and support emergency role holders for effective response.

  • Warden area assignments based on floors, zones and occupant distribution
  • Sweep procedures checking rooms, toilets, meeting spaces and isolated areas
  • Warden equipment lists including identifiers, torches, radios and checklists
  • Shift coverage planning for weekends, night work and absenteeism
  • Briefing protocols for visitors, contractors and temporary workforce personnel
  • Role competency matrices covering induction, refresher training and assessment

Participants can plan, observe and evaluate drills that test emergency arrangements realistically.

  • Drill objectives linked to evacuation speed, accountability and communication performance
  • Exercise design using announced, unannounced and table-top drill formats
  • Observer checklists recording alarm response, route use and warden actions
  • Measure evacuation performance without encouraging unsafe rushing or congestion
  • Hot debrief methods capturing observations immediately after exercise completion
  • Corrective action registers assigning owners, deadlines and verification evidence

Participants can prepare site information and access arrangements for emergency responders.

  • Premises information boxes containing plans, hazards, contacts and utility details
  • Fire appliance access routes, turning areas and hydrant availability checks
  • Site plans marking hazardous materials, shutoffs, muster points and control rooms
  • Utility isolation procedures for electricity, gas, fuel and process systems
  • Responder briefings covering occupancy status, missing persons and incident hazards
  • Joint familiarisation visits with fire services and security personnel

Participants can establish inspection and maintenance controls for key fire safety measures.

  • Planned preventive maintenance schedules for alarms, extinguishers and emergency lighting
  • Inspection frequencies based on manufacturer instructions, codes and risk exposure
  • Impairment management permits for disabled alarms, sprinklers and fire doors
  • Defect classification separating critical, major and routine corrective actions
  • Contractor service reports reviewed against scope, findings and completion evidence
  • Compliance dashboards tracking overdue inspections, defects and closure performance

Participants can control elevated fire risks created by contractors and temporary work.

  • Hot work permit authorisation, gas testing and combustible removal requirements
  • Fire watch duration determined by work type, location and residual heat
  • Contractor induction covering alarms, escape routes and emergency reporting
  • Temporary structures, generators and electrical leads assessed for fire hazards
  • Construction fire safety plans addressing changing routes and incomplete protection
  • Handover controls after maintenance, shutdowns and fire system modifications

Participants can assess additional controls for specialised fire hazards and occupancies.

  • Lithium-ion battery charging risks, thermal runaway and segregation controls
  • Commercial kitchen hazards involving grease, extraction and suppression systems
  • Data centre fire protection for electrical rooms and critical equipment
  • Laboratory controls for flammables, compressed gases and incompatible chemicals
  • Warehouse storage configurations affecting sprinkler performance and fire spread
  • Healthcare evacuation priorities for patients requiring clinical support equipment

Participants can investigate fire events and translate findings into recovery and prevention actions.

  • Secure incident scenes while preserving evidence and maintaining access control
  • Timeline analysis reconstructing detection, decisions, evacuation and response actions
  • Five Whys and barrier analysis applied to fire control failures
  • Witness interview methods separating observations, assumptions and recollections
  • Recovery priorities for life safety, building access, operations and communications
  • Lessons-learned reports linking root causes to verified corrective actions

Participants can monitor fire safety performance and report assurance information to management.

  • Leading indicators covering inspections, training, drills and action closure
  • Lagging indicators for fires, false alarms, injuries and property damage
  • Audit protocols testing documents, physical controls and staff knowledge
  • Management review reports presenting risks, trends, resources and decisions
  • Assurance sampling methods for large estates and multi-site operations
  • Annual fire safety review cycle aligned with organisational risk governance

Participants can build, review and present a complete fire safety and emergency preparedness package for a defined workplace.

  • Define premises profile, occupancy, hazards and credible fire scenarios
  • Complete a documented fire risk assessment with prioritised control actions
  • Develop evacuation strategy, warden assignments and accountability arrangements
  • Prepare emergency response procedures, contact lists and communication scripts
  • Create inspection schedules, drill plans and corrective action registers
  • Present the package for peer review, challenge and management approval

Exercises and examples are adapted to each cohort's sectors and roles.

What you take back to work

  1. Fire risk assessment template
  2. Emergency response plan template
  3. Evacuation and accountability plan
  4. Fire warden role checklist
  5. Fire drill evaluation form
  6. Fire safety inspection schedule

Who should attend

  • Health and Safety Managers — responsible for fire risk controls and emergency arrangements
  • Facilities Managers — manage building systems, contractors and evacuation readiness
  • Fire Wardens and Marshals — coordinate local evacuation and accountability actions
  • Security Managers — control incident communications, access and emergency coordination
  • Operations Managers — protect personnel and maintain response readiness during disruptions
  • Business Continuity Practitioners — connect fire response arrangements with recovery planning

Skills and tools covered

Fire risk assessmentEmergency response planningEvacuation managementFire protection systemsDrill evaluationIncident investigation

Tools and standards

ISO 45001, NFPA 101 Life Safety Code, NFPA 72 National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code, ISO 23601 Safety Identification

How the course runs

Training methodology

The course uses short instructor briefings to establish fire science, standards and planning methods, followed by case analysis, group exercises and document reviews. Participants assess realistic workplace scenarios involving offices, warehouses, healthcare areas, contractor work and high-occupancy premises. Simulations examine alarm activation, evacuation decisions, communications and incident command. Trainers provide structured feedback on risk assessments, emergency plans, drill records and corrective actions. Each participant adapts the course tools to a workplace context and builds material for the final capstone presentation.

Requirements and prerequisites

Participants should have basic workplace safety knowledge and some familiarity with their organisation's premises, operations or emergency arrangements. Experience in health and safety, facilities, security, operations, maintenance or business continuity is useful. Participants should be able to read site plans, follow written procedures and contribute to workplace risk discussions. Prior fire-service experience, engineering qualifications, formal fire warden certification or specialist knowledge of fire codes are not required. The course explains technical fire safety concepts before applying them to planning and assessment tasks.

A typical training day

08:30 – 10:30First session
10:30 – 10:45Refreshment break
10:45 – 12:30Second session
12:30 – 13:30Lunch and networking
13:30 – 15:00Third session
15:00 – 15:15Refreshment break
15:15 – 16:30Workshop and daily review

Live online deliveries follow the same structure in East Africa Time, with shorter screen blocks and longer breaks.

What the fee includes

  • Instruction by a practitioner facilitator
  • Full course workbook and materials
  • Exercise files, templates and case studies
  • Refreshments and lunch on classroom deliveries
  • Certificate of completion
  • Post-course application plan

Frequently asked questions

Participants need basic workplace safety knowledge and familiarity with their own premises or operations. Formal fire engineering qualifications, fire-service experience and prior fire warden certification are not required.

Participants should bring any available fire risk assessment, emergency plan, evacuation map, drill report or inspection record from their workplace. These documents are useful for application planning, but they are not mandatory.

The course is designed for health and safety, facilities, security, operations, maintenance and business continuity professionals. It also suits fire wardens and managers who oversee occupied premises or high-risk work activities.

Basic fire warden training focuses mainly on local evacuation duties and extinguisher awareness. This course addresses fire risk assessment, prevention controls, protection systems, emergency planning, drills, assurance and incident recovery.

Participants build practical documents throughout the course and can adapt them to their own site. The templates support reviews of risk assessments, emergency plans, inspection arrangements, warden coverage and drill performance.

Training runs from 08:30 to 16:30 each day, providing about 6.5 contact hours daily. The first week establishes assessment and planning methods, while the second week develops assurance, specialist controls, incident learning and the capstone package.

Questions about this course?

Ask about dates, fees, group bookings or running it for your team. Our training team replies by email.

Ask on WhatsApp info@skillsetdevelopment.com

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