Leading fire protection specialist Wormald is raising the bar on fire safety by committing to the Fire Protection Accreditation Scheme (FPAS) for their technicians.

The Fire Protection Accreditation Scheme (FPAS) is a nationally-harmonised two-stage industry accreditation scheme offered by the Fire Protection Association of Australia (FPA Australia) to recognise the skills and competencies of individuals working in the fire protection industry across Australia.

Wormald’s commitment to the FPAS aims to formally recognise the skills of their 600-plus team of inspect and test technicians by 2020. This follows the push by State Governments and the industry for stronger quality controls in the design, installation and maintenance of fire safety systems.

John Lynch, General Manager of Business Support Services at Wormald, explains that assessing fire safety requires specialist professionals who can provide the visibility and accountability needed to properly manage fire risk. Wormald is committed to ensuring their highly trained and competent technicians are appropriately recognised through industry accreditation.

Wormald technicians will first apply for a ‘transitional level’ accreditation, which will recognise their existing skills. They can then complete units of competency related to their area of specialisation and expertise by 2020 to achieve a ‘qualified’ level of accreditation.

Chief Executive Officer of FPA Australia Scott Williams commended Wormald on this initiative, and said their commitment demonstrated strong leadership as the industry moved to have all technicians accredited by 2020.

He added that Wormald was helping raise the standard of work undertaken in the fire protection industry, which ultimately promoted better fire safety outcomes for the community.