Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Fire Warden

🎯 Role Definition

The Fire Warden (also known as Fire Marshal) is responsible for maintaining and promoting fire safety across the site, ensuring all occupants can evacuate safely during an incident, and managing prevention, preparedness and immediate response to fire-related emergencies. This role combines proactive inspection and maintenance of fire safety systems with reactive leadership during drills and real emergencies. Strong knowledge of fire safety legislation, hands-on competence with firefighting equipment, and the ability to train and lead colleagues are essential.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Security Officer or Security Supervisor with basic fire marshal training
Facilities Assistant / Facilities Coordinator involved in building safety
Health & Safety Assistant or administrative reception roles with emergency response duties

Advancement To:

Fire Safety Officer / Senior Fire Marshal
Health & Safety Coordinator or Safety Advisor
Facilities Manager or Site Operations Manager
Emergency Planning Officer or Business Continuity Manager

Lateral Moves:

Building Warden / Emergency Warden
Security Supervisor / Shift Manager
Environmental Health Technician

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Conduct regular, documented fire risk assessments of assigned areas — identify hazards, evaluate means of escape, recommend remediation actions and produce clear, prioritized risk registers.
Lead and coordinate building evacuations and emergency responses, ensuring designated evacuation routes, muster points and procedures are followed and that occupants (including visitors and contractors) are accounted for.
Plan, organise and run scheduled and unscheduled fire drills and evacuation exercises, measure performance against KPIs, create after-action reports and implement corrective measures to improve response times and adherence to procedures.
Inspect, test and monitor fire detection and alarm systems, liaising with maintenance teams or external service providers to ensure alarms, smoke detectors and call points function reliably and are tested to schedule.
Maintain and oversee the integrity and signage of means of escape, fire doors, emergency lighting and escape route clearances; record and drive corrective actions to closure.
Inspect, maintain and manage portable firefighting equipment (fire extinguishers, hose reels, fire blankets), ensuring correct types/capacities are in place, tags and service records are up to date and defective items are removed and replaced.
Lead induction and refresher fire safety training for staff, contractors and visitors—covering evacuation procedures, use of firefighting equipment, personal responsibilities and building-specific hazards.
Prepare and maintain comprehensive fire safety documentation including the fire register, evacuation maps, training logs, incident logs, inspection checklists and statutory compliance records.
Act as primary liaison with external emergency services (fire brigade, police, ambulance) during incidents and planned exercises; provide site plans, access instructions and relevant hazard information when required.
Investigate and produce detailed reports following fire-related incidents, false alarms or near-misses; identify root causes, propose practical corrective actions and follow through to implementation.
Coordinate with contractors and third-party service providers to ensure hot work permits, fire prevention controls and contractor supervision meet site fire safety standards.
Monitor and control ignition sources and combustible materials by enforcing storage rules, good housekeeping, hot work permits and safe systems of work to reduce fire risks across facilities.
Maintain and operate emergency equipment such as evacuation chairs, automatic door releases, sprinkler control valves and fire doors during drills and incidents; ensure users are trained and equipment is serviced.
Ensure compliance with applicable fire safety legislation, building codes and insurance requirements; prepare for regulatory inspections and audits and implement required remediation actions.
Manage and maintain personal protective equipment (PPE) inventories relevant to emergency roles; ensure wardens and responders are trained and supplied with torches, hi-vis vests, radios and first aid kits.
Supervise and mentor floor wardens / deputy fire wardens: assign duties, maintain contact lists, schedule rotations and ensure all marshals are confident and competent in their roles.
Develop, review and update site-specific emergency response plans (ERP), contingency plans, and business continuity inputs to align fire safety arrangements with organizational needs.
Coordinate periodic testing and servicing of fixed fire suppression systems (sprinklers, fire pumps, clean-agent systems), ensuring maintenance logs and test certificates are current.
Maintain accurate occupancy and visitor records during shift handovers; ensure up-to-date contact details and emergency contact information for critical staff and contractors.
Control and review alarm management processes to reduce false alarms, including environmental causes, system configuration and user behaviour; implement training and remedial actions where patterns are identified.
Deliver targeted briefing sessions for high-risk departments (kitchens, plant rooms, laboratories, workshops) on specific control measures, permit-to-work procedures and emergency precautions.
Support procurement decisions for fire safety equipment and services by preparing technical specifications, reviewing vendor proposals and ensuring regulatory compliance.
Review and update evacuation signage, floor plans and wayfinding materials to ensure clarity for visitors and new staff, including accessible evacuation arrangements for people with disabilities.
Monitor performance indicators related to fire safety (drill completion rates, training uptake, defect closure times) and present regular management reports with actionable recommendations.

Secondary Functions

Support internal and external fire safety audits and regulatory inspections, collating evidence, demonstrating compliance and following up on audit findings.
Manage and update the digital fire safety records system or site safety management software to ensure data quality and audit readiness.
Work cross-functionally with HR, Facilities, Security and Operations to incorporate fire safety requirements into induction, contractor management and permit-to-work processes.
Help develop and promote fire safety communications campaigns (posters, intranet pages, toolbox talks) to maintain awareness and positive fire-safe behaviours across the workforce.
Assist in budget planning for fire safety improvements, maintenance contracts and training programs by providing cost estimates and priority recommendations.
Provide advice and support during building works or refurbishments to ensure temporary arrangements maintain compliant fire safety measures.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Fire risk assessment techniques and preparation of risk registers — able to identify hazards, evaluate likelihood and severity, and recommend mitigation measures.
Knowledge of fire safety legislation and standards (e.g., local building codes, Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order, NFPA, BS 9999/BS 5839 where applicable) and ability to apply them to operational settings.
Practical competence with fire detection and alarm systems testing, emergency lighting checks and interpreting system fault logs.
Proficiency in inspection and maintenance oversight for portable fire extinguishers, hose reels, sprinkler systems and other suppression systems.
Ability to design, implement and evaluate evacuation procedures, muster point strategies and assisted evacuation plans for vulnerable occupants.
Experience preparing statutory documentation: fire safety policy, fire safety plan, evacuation maps, training records and incident reports.
Use of safety management and compliance software, Excel-based logs and digital incident reporting tools to maintain accurate records and KPIs.
Training delivery skills: creating lesson plans, delivering practical demonstrations on extinguisher use and assessing trainee competency.
Familiarity with hot work permit systems, contractor management and construction-phase fire safety controls.
First-response incident management and basic first aid awareness; knowledge of good practice in emergency communications and liaison with emergency services.
Basic understanding of building services and HVAC interactions with smoke management and compartmentation integrity.

Soft Skills

Clear and authoritative communication — able to brief mixed audiences, write concise reports and present findings to managers and emergency services.
Leadership and presence under pressure — calm decision-making during drills and incidents, with the authority to direct occupant behaviour.
Strong observational ability and attention to detail when inspecting building fabric, signage and equipment for fire safety defects.
Teaching and coaching — patient, practical and engaging approach to training staff and onboarding deputy wardens.
Problem-solving and pragmatic risk prioritisation — able to identify cost-effective, operationally viable remediation steps.
Collaboration and stakeholder management — works effectively with Facilities, Security, HR, suppliers and contractors.
Reliability and integrity — strong record keeping, confidentiality where necessary and ownership of follow-up actions.
Adaptability and resilience in dynamic environments (multiple sites, shift work or mixed-use buildings).
Time management and organisational skills — plans inspections, trainings and drills with minimal disruption to operations.
Conflict resolution and assertiveness — enforce fire safety rules diplomatically but firmly when behaviours or contractors put safety at risk.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

High school diploma / GED or equivalent; evidence of relevant on-the-job fire marshal training.

Preferred Education:

NVQ/SVQ or City & Guilds qualification in Fire Safety, or accredited Fire Warden / Fire Marshal certificate.
NEBOSH General Certificate or IOSH Managing Safely (preferred for progression into H&S roles).
Formal training in first aid, fire extinguisher use and emergency evacuation planning.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Occupational Health & Safety
Fire Engineering / Fire Science
Facilities Management
Building Services Engineering
Environmental Health

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 1–5 years of relevant experience in a facilities, security, maintenance or health & safety role with documented fire safety responsibilities.

Preferred: 2+ years as a Fire Warden/Fire Marshal, demonstrable experience running fire drills, conducting fire risk assessments, maintaining fire safety records and liaising with emergency services. Experience across multi-site operations, high-occupancy buildings or industrial environments is advantageous.