The Institution of Fire Engineers (IFE) has announced that Terry Johnson FIFireE has taken over as Regional President of its GCC UAE branch. He takes over the role from Peter Stephenson who stood down at a recent AGM to take a supporting role.

Johnson is currently engaged by Emirates National Oil Company (ENOC), Dubai, as Technical Manager for Emergency Response Coordination and Resilience. In this role his focus is on sustainable, environmental positive solutions which match compliant, competent protection for high-risk asset protection. 

He is also dedicated to firefighter wellbeing and is exploring realistic and innovative solutions to give enhanced assured tactical safe practices, whilst remaining focused on talented proficient, skilled and refined capability.

His long, decorated operational career has led him to a position of cultured leadership and structured mentoring at tactical and strategic levels, maintained by his willingness to be ‘always open’ to discuss or advise anyone interested or related to fire and life safety.  

Commenting on his appointment, Johnson said: “Being involved with the Institution of Fire Engineers and having the opportunity to support individuals or groups in UAE, along with coordinated integration across the GCC is something which I am enormously proud of and I will work tirelessly to engage within the region.

“With the fabulous support from the General Directorate of Civil Defence Dubai, I will be able to increase the IFE membership, support academic ambition, activate live debate and interaction on current fire safety issues and with the ambition to hand over the baton to a local member to build on a great foundation and over a century of courageous leadership and stewardship.”

About the IFE GCC UAE Branch

The GCC UAE branch was formally inaugurated on 28 November, 2016, attended by Steve Hamm representing the Board of Directors from the UK HQ. To organisation said that establishing a registered branch within the UAE proved to be a long but worthwhile process, with the journey beginning in 2014 with the establishment of a Founding Committee to satisfy the requirements of IFE (UK) governance.

Following extensive research into the most appropriate route to register a not-for-profit branch of an International Institution, such as the IFE, the Founding Committee chose to register through the Dubai Association Centre (DAC). The Dubai Chamber of Commerce & Industry is the licensing arm of DAC and the branch successfully obtained registration as the fourth association to be registered with licence number DAC-0004.

Peter Stephenson is currently a DAC Ambassador supporting the growth of international association membership which now totals over 70 member organisations. The Centre has been established by the Dubai Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing and the Dubai World Trade Centre. Together, all partners are committed to offer holistic assistance for the establishment of non-profit, apolitical and nonreligious professional associations and trade bodies in the Emirate of Dubai. As a result, associations are now able to benefit from economies of scale, experience in the association marketplace, flexibility and adaptability, buying power and centralised facilities of the Dubai Association Centre.

Dubai Civil Defence (DCD) have been supportive of the branch formation and supported the IFE Examinations at Al Awir Training Centre in 2014, prior to Tyco (Johnson Controls) Training Facility in Dubai providing ongoing support from 2016 to date.

The objectives of the Branch are:

• To engage GCC Nationals and ex-patriots in the region to share knowledge, experience and understanding under the umbrella of the IFE.
• To consolidate the IFE GCC UAE Headquarters in Dubai to serve all 7 Emirates and ultimately use Dubai as a platform to expand the IFE Branch Network into other GCC Countries by establishing and supporting local groups.
• To encourage and develop a Branch that will have GCC Nationals on future Committees.
• To grow membership in the region at all grades particularly at Affiliate level in the first 1-2 years of operation through Continued Professional Development (CPD), professional review and IFE examinations.
• To continue to provide a venue for IFE examinations in the region.
• Produce IFE material and publications in Arabic to further engage with GCC Nationals.
• Encourage and support membership retention of all current members.
• Encourage Engineering Council registration for EngTech, IEng and CEng.
• To establish working groups to encourage and support the development of International Best Practice in the Middle East.
• To work with and support our members and sponsors across the Middle East.

The IFE Committee lead by the regional president Terry Johnson believe the following are the key to success in the region, namely:

• Engaging with GCC Nationals and regional Civil Defence Authorities, particularly Dubai Civil Defence.
• Encourage diversity of membership.
• Retaining the established IFE brand identification.
• Offering enhanced sponsorship and advertising opportunities.
• Attaining an agreed increase in membership and encouraging diversity by promoting all sectors within the industry.
• Providing and building a successful conference programme within all GCC Countries and Internationally.
• To establish an agreed regional business process in line with IFE guidelines.
• Connecting and collaborating with other professional associations, particularly those looking to establish in the Middle East.
• Forming local Specialist Interest Groups.
• Establishing and supporting regional IFE Groups and providing administrative support.

The branch has said it looks forward to on-going regional success for members and supporting the wider fire safety goals of the community.