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The Ideal Learning Environment for Tackling the UK ’ s Fire Door Maintenance Challenges
The Locksmith Journal team attended the official open day of the Fire Door Maintenance ( FDM ) Training Centre in Bury , Greater Manchester , held on the 8th February . We were not only blown away by the amount of investment made into the first fire door training facility of its kind , but also the time and organisation that went into the event , which delivered a perfect launch day for the new centre .
» THE FDM CENTRE WAS OFFICIALLY opened by the Cllr Sandra Walmsley , Mayor of Bury ; representatives from the trade media attended , along with industry professionals and suppliers - many of whom were involved in providing products for the training centre . There was a wonderful display of balloons and no minor detail was left untouched , as we all raised a glass of the finest fizz , or drink of choice , for the ribbon cutting .
The FDM centre will run accredited training courses on the latest fire safety regulations , in response to the Hackit report ’ s recommendations following the heartbreaking Grenfell Tower tragedy in 2017 . The enquiry has taken a long time , and now we have a dedicated training centre , at this scale , everyone in the room could feel the energy ; the importance and magnitude of opportunity that the centre offers , as well as delight from suppliers at seeing all the efforts come together . The centre represents an excellent opportunity for locksmiths who are interested in ‘ upskilling ’ by learning about the changes to fire door regulations , how to carryout mandatory fire door inspections , and perform necessary maintenance work .
The facility was part of a £ 750,000 investment by UAP and forms part of the new headquarters in Dumers Lane . Headed up by Nicola John , Managing Director , who has over 20 years ’ experience in the construction and door industry . We would like to thank
David Jennings , CEO of UAP , Kamila Kasperowicz , Marketing Director of UAP , and Nicola John , for their kind hospitality . The wonderful tanks of tropical fish on display at the centre were an excellent touch to ‘ tackle ’ a serious challenge in a relaxed learning environment .
What does it mean for locksmiths ?
Purpose built , the 3,000ft ² training academy has been launched to raise fire safety standards across the industry . The FDM centre offers a variety of courses , including : a fire door inspection course ; and a complete fire door maintenance
GQA-accredited course . Describing the centre firsthand , there were designated rooms for students to learn how to identify and fix potential issues on different fire doors and components . The design of the centre resembled a floor of a high-rise building and behind each ‘ flat door ’ is a room . It has flat and cross corridor doors , including stairwell and riser doors , for practical training and assessment .
The facility provides a dedicated space for hands-on training plus theory-based learning , delivered by fire industry specialists with practical experience of fire safety , many of whom are exfirefighters , that can give real-life insight
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FEBRUARY 2024
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