Steve McGuirk, Executive Director of the Fire Sector Confederation, explains the organisation’s new structure, charitable status and efforts to improve collaboration across the safety landscape

The Fire Sector Federation recently announced its transition to the Fire Sector Confederation, accompanied by its registration as a UK charity.

At the heart of this shift is a strategic move to strengthen impartiality, build wider collaboration and support fire safety improvements across the UK.

Steve McGuirk served in Fire and Rescue Services for 39 years, including as Chief Fire Officer in three services and President of the Chief Fire Officers Association.

He remained active in the fire sector, focusing on culture change following the Grenfell Tower fire.

In 2022, he joined the Fire Sector Federation during a leadership transition.

His experience during the Grenfell Inquiry, particularly the sector’s fragmentation, motivated him to support efforts toward a more unified and collaborative approach to fire safety.

Now the Executive Director for the Confederation, Steve McGuirk sat down with  IFSJ Editor Iain Hoey to discuss the reasons behind the transition, what charitable status means for the organisation’s future role and how the newly introduced Fire Chain model will shape the way stakeholders work together.

What was the regulatory climate that led to the formation of the Fire Sector Federation?

The origins of the Fire Sector Federation go back to the years of austerity, particularly following the formation of the coalition government.

At that time, there was a strong emphasis on cutting public expenditure and reducing the size of government, underpinned by a wider political shift towards deregulation and market-led solutions.

However, I wouldn’t describe what happened as outright deregulation.

It was more about a shift away from direct control towards a belief that the market would naturally regulate itself.

In the case of fire safety, it contributed to fragmentation across the sector.

The idea behind the Federation was to respond to that fragmentation.

There was recognition from several key organisations – including the Fire Protection Association and the ASFP – that the fire sector lacked cohesion.

The Federation was set up to create some form of coordination across the landscape, to give the sector a collective voice and help influence reform.

What prompted questions about the Federation’s future direction in 2022?

When I became involved in 2022, the question was raised about the future of the Federation.

I’ve been in this space a long time and when people asked me who’s in the fire sector, I could name 20 or 30 familiar organisations.

But, I also knew from my experience after Grenfell that many more organisations played a role in fire safety.

So, I developed a simple conceptual model called the Fire Chain.

It’s a way to visualise the links between different actors involved in managing fire safety in the built environment.

We’ve now identified around 190 organisations that are part of that chain.

These are institutions, professional bodies and trade associations.

This led to an important conclusion: what we’re dealing with isn’t really a “sector” at all.

It’s a complex system – and within that system, fire safety is what’s known as a “wicked problem”.

That means there’s no single solution and no single point of accountability.

How does the Confederation aim to simplify or clarify this regulatory complexity?

We came to a realisation: If we can’t simplify this landscape, we can at least help map it.

Just like Google Maps, we know the picture will never be perfect or complete, but it can still help people get from A to B with a good level of reliability.

What we’re trying to create now is a framework for understanding how all these organisations relate to each other and where alignment is possible.

We’re calling these areas of alignment Special Interest Networks.

These could be built around specific contexts, such as heritage buildings, sports venues, or healthcare premises.

The idea is to bring together those with overlapping concerns in a focused but connected way.

This kind of brokering role – enabling others to work together more effectively – is something we see as critical.

But we also recognised that in order to do it properly, we needed to be perceived as impartial and trusted.

That was one of the key drivers behind our transition to becoming a registered charity.

Why can’t government alone fulfil the role of sector coordinator?

It’s not that the government couldn’t take this on.

But the reality is that government is pulled in many directions.

There’s always another crisis, another priority.

Political attention shifts quickly, even when the intention is genuine.

The day after Grenfell, fire safety was rightly a national priority.

But that focus inevitably fades.

That’s why there’s value in a non-governmental organisation stepping into a coordinating role.

And to fulfil that role credibly, we had to look different to others in the sector.

Becoming a charity allows us to position ourselves clearly as a neutral facilitator.

In short, we’re putting in place a structure that reflects the complexity of the fire safety landscape, supports meaningful collaboration and provides a shared space where different parts of the system can connect.

Looking ahead, what are the Confederation’s main priorities and how do you plan to keep engaging with government and industry?

We have three main priorities as we move forward.

The first is to put in place the practical infrastructure that will support the Confederation’s long-term function.

Since we’re a virtual, agile organisation with no central office, the most critical tool we have is our digital presence.

We’re not just launching a website – we’re building a digital hub that will serve as the backbone of everything we do.

The hub is currently under development and will go live in the next few months.

But even at launch, it will be a starting point.

It will evolve over time and become increasingly sophisticated, integrating technologies like artificial intelligence to streamline engagement and coordination.

Our second priority is more strategic and community-focused.

We’re in the process of establishing several Special Interest Networks.

These networks will reflect shared challenges or risk profiles among specific sectors.

We’re also setting up what we’re calling the Fire Congress.

This will be a regular forum that brings together all the key players to engage in structured discussion about shared challenges.

The third and final priority is membership.

At the moment, we have around 70 to 80 members.

Our goal is to grow that number substantially.

To do that, we’re reviewing our entire membership structure: costs, entitlements and the reasons why people and organisations might want to join us.

We recognise that value means different things to different people.

For a sole trader or small consultancy, membership fees can be a major consideration.

By contrast, we want the Confederation’s membership model to be inclusive and accessible.

We’re working to ensure that cost isn’t a barrier.

So, we’re looking again at fees, to try to ensure that we can accommodate the whole range of stakeholders from big organisations to  smaller organisations and individuals.

And crucially, we’re not trying to compete with institutions like the FIA or IFE on professional credentials.

We don’t want to be seen as a retail membership organisation where people ask, “What do I get for my money?” Instead, we want members to feel they’re contributing to something that matters – something that needs to exist.

What kind of people and organisations should consider joining – and why?

If you believe it’s important that someone facilitates collaboration across the fire and construction sectors, helps reduce fragmentation and supports informed, joined-up thinking, then we’re the organisation doing that.

And by becoming a member, you’re helping to ensure that work continues.

There will be tangible benefits too: access to networks, forums, newsletters and shared resources.

But the main reason to join should be because you believe this kind of coordination matters.

One of our biggest communication challenges going forward will be getting that message across.

We’re not selling a product.

We’re building a platform that supports the public good.

That’s why, towards the end of the year, we’ll begin a wider membership campaign.

We’ll be reaching out to individuals and organisations of all sizes, encouraging them to join us – not as consumers, but as contributors to something essential.

This was originally published in the July 2025 Edition of International Fire & Safety Journal. To read your FREE copy, click here.