Membership of the Institution of Fire Engineers is normally conferred through an examination process. Individuals who achieve successful scores on the membership examinations of the Institution are admitted to the appropriate grades based upon the nature and content of the examinations passed. The Institution currently administers the following examinations through its branches:

• Preliminary Certificate
• Intermediate
• Graduate
• Member

The USA Branch is not currently administering the membership examinations of the Institution of Fire Engineers in America. As such, the branch can only nominate members to the grades of Student, Graduate, Associate, Affiliate (Organization), and Fellow at this time. The US Branch Membership Committee will provide the necessary endorsements to the application

Taken from "Routes to Membership" published by the Institution of Fire Engineers (Publications) Ltd.

Additionally, Affiliate membership is open to organizations who are interested in supporting the aims of the organization

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A pre-requisite for membership in the Institution is an involvement or employment in fire engineering.  Fire engineering is a broad discipline, difficult to describe comprehensively in a few words.  Applications for membership will be expected to demonstrate that their work has a clear relationship with fire prevention, fire extinction or fire engineering (referred to collectively as "fire engineering"). The various membership grades and requirements are discussed below:

Student
Every person for election into the grade of Student shall be a person who has established, to the satisfaction of the International Council, they meet the requirements below:

• Is engaged as a part time or full time student of fire engineering, (which may include vocational work place based training), or are in part time or full time employment in fire engineering.

Persons may remain in the Student grade for as long as they wish (subject to the rules of membership), however, the Institution would hope that students would progress through the various grades of membership.

Technician
Every person for election or transfer  into the grade of Technician shall be a person who has established, to the satisfaction of the International Council, they meet the requirements below:

• Hold the Institution's Intermediate examination, and
• Have two years of acceptable training and responsible experience in fire engineering, or
• Is registered as an Engineering Technician with the Engineering Council in the UK, or an International equivalent.

Graduate
Every person for election or transfer into the grade of Graduate shall be a person who has established, to the satisfaction of the International Council, they meet the requirements (a), (b), or (c) below:

• (a)
  • Hold the Graduateship examination or hold the UK Statutory Station Officers examination or have successfully completed a course (or courses) which has/have been accredited and continually validated by the Institution as having equivalency with the Graduateship examination, and
  • Have three yeas of acceptable training and responsible experience in fir engineering
• (b)
  • Hold a Higher National Certificate or Diploma, or equivalent in relevant subjects, or has qualified by examinations for membership at an appropriate level, of a professional body approved for this purpose by the international Council, and
  • Have three years of acceptable training and responsible experience in fire engineering
• (c)

  • Fire engineers without the formal academic qualifications necessary for the grade of Graduate may submit an application via the Mature Candidate Route.  Such applications will be required to demonstrate 12 years of increasing responsibility in fire engineering and, by submitting a technical paper, that they have achieved a standard of competence comparable to contemporaries who have achieved the Graduate grade by academic achievement.

Associate
Every person for election or transfer into the grade of Associate shall be a person who has established, to the satisfaction of the International Council, they meet the requirements (a) or (b) below:

• (a)
  • Are a Graduate member who has successfully completed the additional modules of study prescribed for transfer to Associate, and
  • Are able to demonstrate one year of continuing professional development, and
  • The application has the support of three corporate members of the Institution
• (b)
  • Have a relevant honors degree required to progress to membership in the grade of Fellow, but cannot fulfill the training and experience requirement for that grade, and
  • The application has the support of three corporate members of the Institution.

Member
Every person for election or transfer into the grade of Member shall be a person who has established, to the satisfaction of the International Council, they meet the requirements (a), (b) or (c) below:

• (a)
  • Hold the Membership examination or have successfully complete a course( or courses) which has/have been accredited and continuously validated by the Institution as having equivalency with the Membership examination, and
  • Have four years of acceptable training and responsible experience in fire engineering and are able to demonstrate two years of continuing professional development, and
  • The application has the support of three corporate members of the Institution.
• (b)
  • Hold a degree, or equivalent in relevant subjects, from a recognized university or other equivalent academic institution or have qualified by examination for membership at an appropriate level, or a professional body approved for this purpose by the International Council
  • Have four years of acceptable training and responsible experience in fire engineering and are able to demonstrate two years of continuing professional development
  • The application is supported by three corporate members of the Institution
• (c)
  • Fire engineers without the formal academic qualifications necessary for the grade of Graduate may submit an application via the Mature Candidate Route.  Such applications will be required to demonstrate 15 years of increasing responsibility in fire engineering and, by submitting a technical paper, that they have achieved a standard of competence comparable to contemporaries who have achieved the Graduate grade by academic achievement.
  • The application is supported by three corporate members of the Institution

Fellow
Every person for election or transfer into the grade of Fellow shall be a Member of at least three years standing who has established, to the satisfaction of the International Council, they meet the requirements (a), (b) or (c) below:

• (a)
  • Hold a recognized honors degree in fire engineering
  • Have four years of acceptable training and responsible experience in fire engineering and are able to demonstrate three years of continuing professional development
• (b)
  • Hold an honors degree, or equivalent in relevant subjects, from a recognized university or other equivalent academic institution or have qualified by examination for membership at an appropriate level, of a professional body approved for this purpose by the International Council
  • Have four years of acceptable training and responsible experience in fire engineering and are able to demonstrate three years of continuing professional development
• (c)
  • Members of three years standing without the formal academic qualifications necessary for the grade of Graduate may submit an application via the Mature Candidate Route.  Such applications will be required to demonstrate 15 years of increasing responsibility in fire engineering and, by submitting a technical paper, that they have achieved a standard of competence comparable to contemporaries who have achieved the Graduate grade by academic achievement.

Life Fellow
Life Fellow is the premier membership grade of the Institution. Access to this grade is by invitation of the Institution's International Council, who may elect, as a Life Fellow, a Fellow who has given outstanding service to the Institution for many years.  Life Fellows shall not normally be under the age of 60 years and at any one time the number of Life Fellows shall not exceed 6. The class of Life Fellow carries the same rights and privileges that of the class  of Fellow.

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The annual dues are less than $90.00 per year. For additional dues information, contact our Membership Committee chairman, Mr William W. Kehoe, MIFireE.

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Applications for membership of the Institution of Fire Engineers may be obtained by writing to the Branch Secretary or Chairman, Membership Committee. Membership applications will be considered by the branch membership committee, endorsed if necessary, and then forwarded to the Membership and Branches Committee of the Institution for final consideration. Candidates meeting the qualifications outlined above will be notified of their election by the Branch Membership Chairman and will then receive an invoice for annual subscription.

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Candidates elected to membership of the Institution in the grades of Graduate, Associate, Fellow, and Affiliate (Organization) receive diplomas recognizing their professional accomplishment. These diplomas are typically presented by the Branch president in a ceremony at the Annual General Meeting of the Branch.

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For a membership application and more information about the Institution of Fire Engineers, contact our Membership Committee chairman, Mr William W. Kehoe, MIFireE.

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