In Short: Appointing a Fire Marshal is not enough – they must be competent. Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, employers must ensure Fire Marshals receive appropriate training, practical experience and ongoing refresher training to effectively manage fire safety and emergency evacuations. Inadequately trained Fire Marshals can expose businesses to legal action, fines, insurance issues, reputational damage and, most importantly, increased risk of injury or loss of life. As workplaces evolve with hybrid working, EV charging points and lithium-ion battery risks, fire safety arrangements must be regularly reviewed. Competent Fire Marshals play a vital role in protecting people, property and business continuity.

Your workplace likely has a list of Fire Marshals displayed somewhere. But if someone raised the alarm, would they confidently lead the rest of you? Or would they be just as confused as everyone else?

Unfortunately, some workplaces treat fire safety as a tick-box exercise. Having the name of an employee written down… That’ll do, right?

WRONG.

Covering the basics with a willing volunteer is not enough. And not only is an untrained Fire Marshal pure administrative laziness – it’s a huge risk. 

In this blog, we explain why.

Appointed vs. Competent

Choosing a Fire Marshal is not as simple as picking someone you think fits the bill and adding their name to the list.

Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, the Responsible Person must appoint a sufficient number of competent people to manage fire safety in the workplace. And competence is the important word here.

Competence relies on a combination of proper training, up-to-date skills and sufficient experience to carry out the role effectively. This becomes even more critical in an emergency, when it’s important to remain calm and follow protocol. 

Appointed and competent are two very different things. If a fire starts and your Fire Marshals lack the proper training, rendering them incompetent, it’s the business owners and directors who will suffer the legal consequences. 

What's The Risk Of Incompetence?

Appointing someone without the right training weakens your fire safety plan and leaves your business vulnerable to the following issues.

Legal Consequences

Breaches of fire safety law can lead to HSE enforcement notices, unlimited fines, and even imprisonment for the Responsible Person/s in cases of severe negligence. 

Business Consequences

If safety protocols are not followed due to incompetence, insurance claims can be denied or heavily reduced. There’s also the risk of reputational damage and the potential loss of important, high-value contracts with clients who track their suppliers’ safety standards. (Not to mention the power of word of mouth!). 

Human Consequences

A failed or badly managed building evacuation can lead to trauma, injury or loss of life. And it’s not just the risk of trauma for the victims of the fire itself, but also for the appointed and untrained Fire Marshals who weren’t equipped to lead their colleagues to safety when the fire started. 

What Proper Fire Marshal Training Involves

Anyone given the title ‘Fire Marshal’ must undergo proper training to support their competence. And we don’t just mean slinging them a few YouTube videos and boring leaflets.

Effective Fire Marshal training, like the courses we offer at Envesca, is built on three core areas:

Theoretical Knowledge

Proper training covers current fire safety legislation, how fires start and spread, and the different suppression methods for different fuel sources. 

Practical Skills

Hands-on experience, such as using a real fire extinguisher in a controlled environment, builds confidence in the skills required to be a Fire Marshal. Effective training also covers how to speak clearly and competently with emergency services during chaos.

Scenario-Based Learning

Because real emergencies are unpredictable, proper Fire Marshal training includes mock evacuations and decision-making under pressure. What happens if someone refuses to leave the building? Practice is key. 

PRO TIP: Refresh training regularly Best practice is to provide refresher training every 12–24 months to maintain knowledge and confidence.

fire marshal

The Evolving Workplace And What That Means for Changing Risks

Your 2026 workplace may look very different from the one your first fire safety plan was built around. (If you’ve read our recent blog on Fire Risk Assessments, you’ll know just how quickly things can become outdated). 

Hybrid Working As The Norm

Hybrid working arrangements are far more common since Covid. This means your designated Fire Marshal may not always be on the rota, so you’ll need more than one to cover all the hours when people are physically present in the workplace. 

New Hazards

Many workplaces have also introduced new hazards that didn’t exist a decade ago:

  • EV charging points are common in staff car parks and present a huge fire risk
  • Lithium-ion devices, such as high-capacity power banks and e-bikes, are often found charging in modern buildings
  • Many workplaces have reconfigured their spaces by changing layouts or uses. 

The Most Common Competency Gaps We See

Don’t fall into these traps:

Lapsed Training

There is no legal requirement to retrain after a set period, but best practice suggests taking a refresher course every 12-24 months. So if your Fire Marshals haven’t stepped into a training room in the last 3 years, their confidence and knowledge need dusting off. 

No Practical Experience

Understanding the facts is one thing, but acting in an emergency is a whole other kettle of fish. Without hands-on training, many Fire Marshals will lack confidence in the event of a real fire. 

Unfamiliarity with Changes

Workplaces have evolved over the last decade, and training doesn’t always reflect that. As mentioned, think new layouts, new equipment and new risks. 

Wrong Number of Marshals

Having one or two named Fire Marshals isn’t enough if they aren’t always on site. The law requires a ‘sufficient’ number of marshals, which is deliberately vague because every building is different. But as a guide:

  • At least 2 trained marshals per floor or zone.
  • A good rule of thumb is 1 marshal for every 20 occupants.

The Right Profile

Choosing who should be named is important. Look for people who are generally present (not frequently out of office), calm under pressure and good communicators.

What Does Fire Marshal Training Include?

Envesca offers two levels of fire safety training to ensure the right level of competence is achieved for different roles.

Highfield Level 1: Fire Safety Awareness (Half-Day Course)

Employers have a legal obligation under fire safety legislation to provide all employees with essential fire safety knowledge.

This course is suitable for any employee who needs basic fire safety knowledge but doesn’t have specific fire safety responsibilities. It is therefore not suitable for Fire Wardens, Fire Marshals, managers, team leaders, or supervisors with fire safety responsibilities – they need Level 2.

What’s Covered

  • Basic fire safety principles
  • What to do in an emergency
  • Fire safety control principles
  • Fire extinguisher practical session (hands-on experience with real extinguishers)

What You’ll Gain

Participants will come away with an understanding of how to prevent fires and what to do if one breaks out, as well as the confidence to safely tackle a small fire using fire equipment.

Highfield Level 2: Principles of Fire Safety (Fire Marshal Course – Full Day)

Fire Marshal training is a legal requirement under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. The “responsible person” must ensure Fire Marshals are competent through specific training.

This course is designed for anyone responsible for fire safety in the workplace, including:

  • Fire Marshals
  • Fire Wardens
  • Managers
  • Team Leaders
  • Heads of Department
  • Supervisors.

What’s Covered

  • Common causes of fires
  • Characteristics of fire and smoke
  • The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005
  • Legal duties and penalties
  • Fire risk assessment
  • Control measures
  • Fire exits and means of escape
  • Fire detection and raising the alarm
  • Fire-fighting equipment
  • Emergency plans
  • Fire safety inspections
  • Fire Marshal roles and responsibilities
  • Fire extinguisher practical session

What You’ll Gain

Participants completing this course will leave with the skills, knowledge and confidence to manage fire safety effectively. They will be able to identify and report key fire safety issues, understand fire risk assessments, tackle small fires safely and carry out Fire Marshal duties confidently.

fire marshal

Why Competence Matters Beyond Compliance

Fire safety isn’t just about staying on the right side of the HSE. Ensuring your Fire Marshals are competent provides:

  • Business continuity: An effectively trained marshal is likely to stop a small fire before it grows and triggers a sprinkler system that could ruin your server room.
  • Staff confidence: Employees work better when they know their safety is taken seriously.
  • Insurance: Insurers look for evidence of ongoing training and a clear safety-first culture. 

Being Fire Ready

Are your Fire Marshals appointed, or are they competent? Is your coverage sufficient? Is your Fire Risk Assessment up-to-date?

Don’t wait for a real emergency to find out where the gaps are. Get in touch with Envesca today.