Reflecting on a year of IFE Presidency
Published
20th August • 2026
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Published
20th August • 2026
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Wintech is proud to recognise James Lane’s year as International President of the Institution of Fire Engineers. His reflections highlight a year shaped by professional progress, collaboration and a continued focus on public trust.
We are proud to support the wider fire engineering community and the continued advancement of a profession built on technical competence, shared knowledge and a commitment to creating safer, better-performing buildings.
Read James Lane’s full reflections here (originally published in the IFE’s journal, the International Fire Professional August issue):
“As my year as International President of the Institution of Fire Engineers draws to a close, it is a fitting moment to reflect on a year shaped by professional progress, collaboration and a continued focus on public trust. One of my key priorities was to support the ongoing recognition of fire engineering as a distinct and highly skilled profession. This included engagement around the registration of the title Fire Engineer and the publication of the Fire Engineers Advisory Panel’s Authoritative Statement, which sets out clear expectations for competence, responsibility and professional standards.”
“Throughout the year, I was pleased to represent the IFE at conferences, branch events and sector forums in the UK and overseas. From Malta and the Republic of Ireland to the Tall Buildings Conference in London and graduate lectures in Edinburgh, each event reinforced the breadth of expertise within our profession and the importance of sharing knowledge across disciplines.”
“A major highlight of my presidency was the International Presidents Technical Conference, held in June at the University of Wolverhampton. Revived by my predecessor, Trent Fearnley, the event provided an important platform for technical discussion, learning and collaboration across the fire sector and beyond. Bringing together experienced practitioners, emerging professionals, sponsors and exhibitors, the conference created the opportunity to explore shared challenges and fresh perspectives in a focused and constructive environment.”
“I am especially grateful to IFE Headquarters staff, Peter Wilkinson and Ciara Holland for their support in delivering the event, and I would like to thank Wintech, our Gold Sponsor, whose support was instrumental in securing the excellent venue at the University of Wolverhampton.”
“At the beginning of my tenure, I spoke about the challenges facing fire engineers and the importance of public trust. Engineers consistently rank highly in trust indices, and it is essential that fire engineers continue to build confidence within both the profession and the wider public. Over the past year, I have seen a deep commitment across our community to uphold standards, drive improvement, and do the right thing.”
“We should be proud to say: “trust me, I’m an engineer.”
“As I hand over to Mark Reilly, I do so with confidence in the future of the profession and pride in the commitment shown by fire engineers to uphold standards, build trust and do the right thing.”
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