Nairobi: The Senate has drafted a Bill that seeks to regulate the operations of fire and rescue services in Kenya by establishing a Fire and Rescue Service Professionals Board. The Bill aims to provide a structured framework for examination, training, registration, and licensing of professionals in the fire and rescue services sector.
According to Kenya News Agency, the Board will include a chairman appointed by a Cabinet Secretary in the relevant ministry, Principal Secretaries from the Ministry responsible for fire prevention and disaster management, Treasury, and the Ministry for Internal Security. Additional members will include representatives from the Kenya Red Cross Society, the Council of County Governors, the Kenya National Fire Brigades Association, the Kenya Medical Association, and a registrar, who will serve as an ex-officio member without voting rights.
The Board, headquartered in Nairobi, will advise both National and County Governments on fire prevention and fire and rescue services matters. It will work collaboratively with training institutions, professional associations, fire brigade organizations, and other relevant bodies to ensure the training and professional development of fire and rescue services professionals. Furthermore, the Board will license and regulate fire and rescue services, register service providers in Kenya, and develop a professional code of conduct.
The Bill stipulates that individuals cannot practice as fire and rescue service consultants or professionals, nor operate a private fire brigade firm, without proper registration as per the Act’s provisions. Eligibility for registration requires a degree, diploma, or certificate in a fire and rescue course from a recognized institution in Kenya or equivalent qualifications from a recognized foreign institution.
Violations of the Bill’s provisions could result in fines ranging from 500,000 to 1 million shillings, imprisonment for up to five years, or both. Offenses include failing to adhere to standards of conduct, gross negligence, lack of competence, or making fraudulent representations for registration or licensing. Institutions offering training without Board recognition face fines up to two million shillings or imprisonment for a maximum of five years, or both.
The Bill also provides a mechanism for individuals dissatisfied with professional fire and rescue services to file complaints with the Board, which will investigate and allow the respondent a right of reply.
Fire disasters represent 20 percent of total disasters in Kenya, with 248 fire incidents reported in Nairobi from 2014 to 2022, including 30 in Gikomba Market. Despite adopting a multi-stakeholder approach, community involvement in disaster risk management in Kenya has been passive, as noted in an article published in the European Journal of Humanities and Social Services on February 16, 2023, titled “Strengthening Resilience to Fire Disasters through Community Participation.”