How to choose a fire safety specialist

The selection of a fire safety specialist is the most important task for any organization, because his qualifications depend not only on compliance with the law, but also on the life and health of employees, as well as the safety of property. Modern requirements for fire safety are quite strict, and to fulfill them, an expert is needed who is able to competently organize a protection system, train personnel and monitor the serviceability of equipment.

First of all, it is worth paying attention to the candidate’s education and qualifications. Fire safety is an area where formal knowledge and a relevant diploma are of great importance. The specialist must have higher or additional education in the field of technosphere safety, fire extinguishing, operation of fire protection systems. The availability of certificates of completion of advanced training and certification courses is also a weighty argument in favor of the candidate.

The second important criterion is practical experience. A true professional should understand the operation of automatic fire extinguishing, alarm, warning and evacuation systems, as well as regulatory documents: the Law, fire safety regulations, codes of regulations and GOST standards. If a specialist has previously been involved in the design, installation or maintenance of fire systems, this will be a great advantage, since theoretical knowledge is not enough without practice.

Equally important is the specialist’s ability to organize staff training. In each organization, it is necessary to conduct introductory, primary and repeated fire safety briefings, as well as evacuation classes. The candidate must be able not only to monitor the serviceability of the equipment, but also to communicate to employees the algorithms of actions in case of fire. An important indicator of a specialist’s reliability is his ability to work with regulatory authorities.

Inspections by the Ministry of Emergency Situations or Rostechnadzor are inevitable, and a competent specialist is able to prepare all the necessary documents, briefing logs, test reports and reports so that the organization passes the inspection without violations. When choosing a candidate, you also need to take into account his personal qualities: responsibility, attentiveness, stress tolerance. In an emergency, a specialist needs a quick and accurate analysis of the situation, so he must be able to make decisions in a limited time.

A good solution would be to contact specialized companies that provide outsourcing services for fire safety. In this case, you will receive a team of experts with a wide range of competencies who will take over the design, maintenance of systems, staff training and audit support. This approach is often more effective than hiring a single employee, especially for small organizations. As a result, when choosing a fire safety specialist, it is important to focus not only on formal documents, but also on practical skills, experience and willingness to take responsibility for the safety of the facility. Only an integrated approach to selection will make it possible to be sure that in a critical situation the protection system will work smoothly, and people and property will be reliably protected.