Tower Fire is part of
FSG Logo

Fire Marshal Course

Home » Fire Marshal Course

Tower Fire delivers BAFE-accredited, RRFSO-compliant assessments and fire safety consultancy. Our team brings over 30 years of professional fire service experience. Request your free quote today.

Speak to an expert

Fire Marshal Course:
On-Site Training from Tower Fire

Tower Fire delivers on site fire marshal training for businesses, care homes, schools, and organisations across the UK. Every session is led by an active or retired professional firefighter, conducted at your premises, and tailored to your building layout, evacuation strategy, and specific risk profile.

Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, the responsible person must appoint a sufficient number of competent persons to assist with fire safety measures, and ensure those persons receive adequate, role-specific training. A fire marshal course from Tower Fire fulfils that legal obligation and gives your nominated marshals the knowledge, practical skills, and confidence to carry out their duties in both routine fire prevention and a live emergency.

Fire Marshal Course: On-Site Training from Tower Fire
What Is a Fire Marshal?

What Is a Fire Marshal?

In the UK, fire marshal and fire warden are legally interchangeable terms. The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 does not differentiate between them. Both refer to a nominated member of staff trained to assist the responsible person with fire prevention and emergency evacuation. What the legislation requires is competence, not a specific job title.

Some larger organisations choose to distinguish the two roles operationally: fire wardens manage floor-level evacuation and ensure areas are cleared, while fire marshals coordinate at the assembly point and account for all occupants. This is a practical organisational choice. It is not a legal requirement, and Tower Fire’s fire marshal training covers the full range of duties regardless of which title your organisation uses.

Is a Fire Marshal Course a Legal Requirement?

Yes. Article 18 of the RRFSO 2005 requires the responsible person to appoint one or more competent persons to assist in undertaking the preventive and protective fire safety measures. Article 21 requires that those persons receive adequate training appropriate to their role. The legislation does not mandate the specific title of fire marshal, but it does require that anyone with fire safety responsibilities is properly trained to carry them out.

The fire marshal certificate issued following Tower Fire’s course is valid for three years. Refresher training is required at the end of that period to demonstrate continued competence. Earlier refreshers are recommended following significant changes to the premises, occupancy, or personnel.

What Our Fire Marshal Course Covers

Every Tower Fire fire marshal course is delivered on-site and structured around your building, your risks, and your evacuation procedures. Sessions cover:

The legal framework: RRFSO 2005 Articles 18 and 21, the role of the responsible person, and the fire marshal’s position within the fire safety management system
Fire science: causes and development of fire, the fire triangle, how fire spreads, and the role of compartmentation in limiting spread
Fire prevention: identifying and reporting hazards, keeping escape routes clear, and carrying out routine pre-evacuation inspections
Evacuation procedures: activating or confirming alarm activation, directing occupants, checking zones, and confirming clearance at the assembly point
Assisting vulnerable occupants: personal emergency evacuation plans (PEEPs), evacuation chairs, and refuge area management
Liaising with the fire service: providing accurate building information, known hazards, and updates on persons unaccounted for on arrival
Practical extinguisher training: correct identification and safe use of extinguishers across the fire classes relevant to the premises
Record keeping: fire safety logbooks, drill documentation, warden inspection checklists, and certificate records
Fire Marshal Duties:

What Your Fire Marshal Is Responsible For

Understanding the full scope of the fire marshal role is one of the core outcomes of Tower Fire’s course. The role covers three distinct phases:

  • Before an emergency: routine fire safety checks, hazard identification and reporting, fire door inspections, and pre-evacuation walkthroughs
  • During an emergency: activating or confirming the alarm, directing and assisting occupants to evacuate, checking all designated areas, and managing the assembly point
  • After an emergency: accounting for all occupants, providing information to the fire service, and completing incident records in the fire safety logbook

Ongoing: supporting the responsible person in maintaining compliance, participating in drills, refreshing training at the three-year point, and keeping records current

How Many Fire Marshals Does Your Organisation Need?

The RRFSO 2005 does not set a fixed statutory ratio. It requires the number to be adequate for the size of the premises and the specific hazards involved. As a general industry guide, one fire marshal per 20 to 50 people is commonly used, with at least one marshal per floor in multi-storey buildings. High-risk environments, premises with non-ambulant occupants, and buildings with complex evacuation arrangements require more coverage, not less.

As part of every fire marshal training UK session Tower Fire delivers, our trainers will assess your premises and advise on the appropriate number and positioning of marshals for your building.

Why Choose Tower Fire for Evacuation Training?

Why Choose Tower Fire for Your Fire Marshal Course?

Our trainers are not classroom instructors with a certificate. Every member of our team is an active or retired professional firefighter who has managed real evacuations and responded to live fires. That operational experience is built into every fire marshal course we deliver.

Training is conducted on your premises using smoke machines and realistic recreations of fire events. Your marshals will not just understand their role in theory. They will have practised it under conditions that replicate a real emergency. Our on site fire marshal training approach means every delegate leaves with skills rooted in your building, your escape routes, and your specific risks.
  • On-site delivery, tailored to your building layout and evacuation strategy
  • Scenario-based training using smoke machines and realistic recreations
  • Delivered by active or retired professional firefighters
  • Results in a fire marshal certificate valid for three years
  • Covers all RRFSO 2005 requirements under Articles 18 and 21
FIRE SAFETY FAQ
Still have questions? Send us an email and we’ll get
back to you as soon as possible!

Send Email

FIRE SAFETY FAQ

In the UK, there is no legal difference. The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 does not distinguish between the two terms. Both refer to a nominated member of staff trained to assist with fire safety and emergency evacuation. Some larger organisations choose to separate the roles operationally, but this is not a legal requirement.

The fire marshal certificate is valid for three years. After this period, a refresher course or a full fire marshal course is required to renew it. Earlier renewal is recommended following significant changes to premises, occupancy, or personnel.

The RRFSO 2005 requires the number to be adequate for the premises. Industry guidance suggests one per 20 to 50 people, with at least one per floor in multi-storey buildings. Tower Fire will advise on the appropriate number as part of the course.

Yes. All our fire marshal courses are delivered on-site, tailored to your building, evacuation strategy, and specific risks. We bring the training materials and conduct practical exercises at your premises.