Technician grade membership (TIFireE) is an entry level graded membership for those who have gained a ‘level 3’ qualification, equivalent to 130 hours of learning time, in Fire Engineering and have been working in a relevant role in the industry for at least 2 years.
Being a TIFireE is a clear sign of professional commitment to working towards the highest level of competency at the start of your career.
At this level you may wish to check whether your qualifications are accredited by the Engineering Council and if so, apply with us to become Registered as an Engineering Technician.
If you have three or more years of fire engineering experience and a Level 3 Qualification in a fire subject that included at least 370 hours of study (usually called a Diploma) then you can apply for Graduate grade membership which carries the post-nominals GIFireE.
If you have a number of smaller Level 3 fire qualifications, which together total at least 370 hours, you can use these together provided they include fire related subjects.
With your background and qualifications, you may also want to think about applying for Engineering Technician registration of the Engineering Council through the IFE. An Engineering Technician applies proven techniques and procedures to solve practical engineering problems. Following a successful application, you would be awarded the post-nominals EngTech.
Associate grade membership is for those people who meet the academic criteria for Member grade and are working towards gaining the necessary experience required to meet the full Member grade criteria. This makes Associate grade ideal for new graduates of fire-related degrees.
You can also check whether your degree is accredited by the Engineering Council and if so apply with us to become Interim Registered as an Incorporated Engineer (IEng) or Chartered Engineer (CEng).
Applicants who are not in a fire engineering role but who facilitate fire engineers or fire engineering and hold a Level 4 or higher qualification in their specialist area may apply for Associate grade. They must ensure that their application demonstrates their association to fire engineering.
Please note: If you are looking to become Interim registered as an Incorporated or Chartered Engineer, please apply for this rather than applying for Associate alone. A successful Interim application will attain Associate membership automatically so an Associate application does not need to be made.
Member grade membership is appropriate for individuals who hold a Level 4 Diploma or equivalent and have been working within the fire sector for at least five years. This makes Member grade ideal for those who have gained extensive experience and now want the professional recognition to go with it.
If you hold a degree you can also check whether it is accredited by the Engineering Council and if so apply with us to become Interim Registered as an Incorporated Engineer (IEng) or Chartered Engineer (CEng).
Technical Report route
If you do not have the academic qualifications required for MIFireE but you are able to demonstrate that you have achieved a standard of professional competence comparable to your contemporaries who have achieved MIFireE grade through the academic route, then you may be able to apply for MIFIreE grade via the Technical Report route. Please contact our membership team who will provide you with the Technical Report route application form.
Fellow must have been a MIFireE of the IFE for a minimum of three continuous years). The Fellow grade is awarded to those who have demonstrated significant individual responsibility, exceptional contribution to the fire engineering profession over an extended period of time (not normally less than 15 years) and who have contributed to the IFE during their membership (e.g. any volunteer work you have carried out for the IFE such as exam marking and branch activities).
Fellows of the IFE also benefit from esteemed professional recognition in the global fire sector through the use of the post nominal FIFireE.