Thursday 19 November 2026
Guildhall 203 High St
Exeter EX4 3EB


£40 IHBC and £65 non member
Price includes lunch and refreshments

Save the Date: Booking Information To Be Confirmed

This day course, delivered in person, provides an introduction to, and awareness of the spread and growth of fire in traditional and historic buildings. It will include:

• An understanding of the spread and growth of fire
• Overview of fires in heritage buildings
• Weaknesses in heritage buildings and fire spread
• Historic fire testing and solutions
• Legislation and guides
• Fire Safety Order
• Fire risk assessments
• Ecclesiastical buildings, statistics, collapse of stone vaults, fire-fighting in cathedrals.
• The use of decision-making tools
• Fire resisting doors
• Fire testing of doors
• Typical failures of doors
• Building a new copy of a medieval door.

About Steve Emery
Steve Emery is a director of Heritage Fire Consultancy with over 50 years experience in fire safety, the last 35 years with heritage buildings. After 15 years of operational firefighting, Steve worked for 12 years as fire safety officer for the City of Bath, followed by 15 years with English Heritage and Historic England, 6 years for the University of Oxford and 2 years as a fire consultant.

As a consultant Steve has undertaken large fire safety projects with the National Trust, the Landmark Trust, The Royal Holloway University and undertaken the design and fire testing of replica medieval plank doors for Norwich Castle. He has lectured about fire safety in heritage buildings on university conservation courses, fire and rescue CPD courses and sits on the Challenge Panel for the renovation and restoration of the Palace of Westminster.

---

The SW IHBC Branch are hosting a training day on the 24th June in Totnes on the structural repair of historic buildings with Ian Hume – DIC, MIStructE,DiplConsAA, IHBC formerly Head of Conservation Engineering at English Heritage.

Further details for the schedule of the day are attached.

We are offering a limited number of student/low income/unwaged at £30
please contact Greg Venn at ihbcswtreas@gmail.com for further information on how to book.

Lunch will be provided including tea and coffee at breaks.

Please note this is a repeat talk of the session in Swindon held in December and to keep costs as low as possible for attendees the event will be in person only and not recorded.