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Fire coordinator training prepares the person who leads a workplace’s fire response. That person keeps the emergency plan current, organises fire fighters and evacuation marshals, runs drills and liaises with emergency services. BOTI does not run a dedicated fire safety or fire coordinator course. The closest BOTI options sit in our health and safety training courses, such as the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Course and Health and Safety Representative training.
Fire safety training equips staff to prevent, identify and respond to workplace fires, and to evacuate safely under pressure. For South African employers it is part of the legal duty under the Occupational Health and Safety Act to provide a safe workplace. It is also a practical safeguard for people, premises and business continuity.
If you are an HR or L&D lead, business owner or operations manager responsible for a workforce, this guide covers four things:
- what fire safety and fire coordinator training should cover;
- who on your site needs it;
- what to ask a supplier before you book;
- how BOTI’s related health and safety courses fit into your wider compliance plan.
The business problem fire safety training solves
A single fire incident can halt operations, destroy stock and equipment, trigger insurance disputes and, most seriously, injure or kill staff. Beyond the human cost, untrained teams expose the business to OHS Act liability, failed inspections and reputational damage.
The OHS Act and the Environmental Regulations for Workplaces require employers to provide and maintain a working environment that is safe and without risk to health. In practice that means three things:
- enough trained fire fighters and evacuation marshals on every site;
- equipment that people know how to use;
- drills that work.
Fire safety training closes the gap between having extinguishers on the wall and having a team that can act quickly and calmly when an alarm sounds.
Common triggers for booking fire safety training include:
- A new or renovated premises that needs an emergency plan and trained marshals.
- An OHS audit, insurer requirement or client safety questionnaire flagging gaps.
- Staff turnover that has left a site without designated fire fighters or evacuation wardens.
- A near-miss or incident that exposed how unprepared the team was.
What a fire coordinator does
Many organisations appoint one person per site, or per building, to coordinate fire safety. The title varies: fire coordinator, chief fire marshal or emergency coordinator. Typical responsibilities include:
- Keeping the emergency evacuation plan, floor plans and assembly points up to date.
- Making sure there are enough trained fire fighters and marshals on every shift and floor.
- Arranging inspection and servicing of extinguishers, hose reels, alarms and signage.
- Planning and running evacuation drills, then recording what went well and what must change.
- Briefing the emergency services on arrival and reporting incidents to management and the health and safety committee.
Because the coordinator works closely with the health and safety representatives and the managers appointed under the OHS Act, the role needs a sound grasp of OHS duties as well as fire-specific skills.
Who needs fire safety training
Fire safety training is usually bought by employers for their staff and teams. On a typical site it is needed by:
- Designated fire fighters and emergency teams who must operate extinguishers and hose reels.
- Evacuation marshals and floor wardens responsible for clearing and accounting for people.
- General staff in offices, factories, warehouses, retail, hospitality, healthcare and labs who need basic awareness.
- Safety reps, SHE officers and facilities managers building or maintaining the site emergency plan.
- HR and L&D teams sourcing compliant training across multiple branches.
Content should be pitched to the audience in the room. That ranges from broad fire awareness for all staff through to hands-on suppression for nominated responders.
What fire safety training should cover
A sound fire safety and evacuation programme blends classroom theory with supervised practice. A typical outline includes:
| Module | Focus |
|---|---|
| Fire science basics | The fire triangle, classes of fire (A to F), and how fires start and spread |
| Hazard identification | Spotting and reducing fire risks specific to your workplace |
| Fire prevention | Housekeeping, electrical safety, flammable storage, hot-work controls |
| Firefighting equipment | Selecting and using extinguishers, hose reels and fire blankets safely |
| Practical fire fighting | Live or simulated extinguisher use under supervision |
| Evacuation procedures | Routes, assembly points, roll call and the role of marshals |
| Emergency planning | Building and testing an emergency evacuation plan |
| Roles and communication | Alarms, signage, liaison with emergency services, special-needs evacuation |
| Drills and review | Running effective drills and learning from each one |
Good programmes are tailored to the sector and risk profile. Examples include flammable-liquid handling for manufacturing, kitchen-fire response for hospitality, and oxygen and chemical risks for healthcare and laboratories. The content should also follow your own emergency plan and floor layouts.
Questions to ask a fire safety training supplier
- Does the course include supervised practical use of extinguishers, and where does that practice take place?
- Will the facilitator work from your own emergency plan, floor layouts and assembly points?
- Is the content split between awareness for all staff and deeper training for nominated responders?
- What record do delegates receive, and is the training accredited or a certificate of attendance?
- How often does the supplier recommend refresher training and drills for your risk level?
Where BOTI fits into your fire readiness plan
Fire safety sits within a broader health and safety picture. BOTI’s related courses help the people who carry OHS responsibility on your site.
- The Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Course (2 days) gives managers, supervisors and safety staff a grounding in workplace health and safety.
- Health and Safety Representative (SHE Rep) Training (2 days) prepares appointed representatives for their inspection and reporting role.
- Incident and Accident Investigation Training (1 day) helps teams investigate near-misses and incidents, including fires, and act on the findings.
- OHS Act Legal Liability for Section 16.2 Appointees and Managers (1 day) explains the legal accountability of the managers who sign off emergency arrangements.
- The Crisis Management Course: Workplace Violence and Threats (1 day) covers planning for other workplace emergencies.
Many employers pair fire marshals with first aid training for a complete emergency-response capability. The practical fire-fighting component itself should be arranged with a specialist fire safety supplier.
Certification
Ask any supplier what delegates receive at the end of fire safety training, and keep that record in your OHS compliance file as evidence of the training delivered and attended. Delegates on BOTI’s health and safety short courses receive a BOTI certificate of attendance. If you need accredited training in other areas, see BOTI’s accredited programmes. BOTI is a QCTO-accredited Skills Development Provider.
Funding the training: the skills levy and B-BBEE
Health and safety training is a legitimate use of your training budget. Here is how the skills levy and the B-BBEE scorecard relate to it.
- Skills Development Levy (SDL): employers pay the SDL at 1% of the leviable amount (total remuneration)[1]. Employers whose leviable amount over the next 12 months will not exceed R500,000 are exempt[1]. Planned training should appear in the Workplace Skills Plan and Annual Training Report you submit to your SETA. Read more in our guide to the skills development levy.
- B-BBEE skills development element: on the amended generic scorecard, the overall skills development target is 6% of the leviable amount, not 6% of payroll. It is made up of 3.5% on learning programmes for black people and 2.5% on bursaries for black students at higher education institutions, plus 0.3% for black employees with disabilities[2]. Sector codes may differ. Whether a particular training spend is recognised depends on the Codes and your verification agency. See understanding B-BBEE skills development.
- Budget planning: closed in-house sessions train a whole team together, which makes it easier to plan against your annual training budget.
Funding and scorecard outcomes depend on your circumstances, so treat this as general guidance. Confirm the specifics with your SETA, skills development facilitator or B-BBEE verification agency.
Why choose BOTI for health and safety training
- Established provider: a South African corporate training company with more than 450 courses, a QCTO-accredited Skills Development Provider and a Level 1 B-BBEE contributor.
- Trusted by large employers: clients include Sasol, Glencore and the City of Johannesburg.
- Practical and relevant: training built around your workplace, risks and responsibilities, not a generic slide deck.
- Flexible delivery: in-house at your premises, at BOTI’s venue in Sunningdale, Johannesburg, or live online.
To review your current emergency readiness before you train, ask BOTI to help you identify the health and safety skills gaps on your site, then request a quote.
Frequently asked questions
What is fire coordinator training?
Fire coordinator training prepares the person who leads a site’s fire response. It covers keeping the emergency evacuation plan current, organising fire fighters and evacuation marshals, running and reviewing drills, arranging equipment inspections and briefing emergency services during an incident.
How many staff need fire safety training?
There is no single fixed ratio. The OHS Act expects the employer to keep the workplace safe, which in practice means enough trained fire fighters and evacuation marshals to cover every shift and floor. Base the number on your headcount, layout and risk assessment.
How often should fire safety training be refreshed?
Good practice is to refresh responder training and run evacuation drills regularly, commonly once a year. Refresh sooner after layout changes, new hazards or staff turnover.
Which BOTI course is closest to fire safety training?
The closest BOTI course is the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Course, a 2-day course for managers, supervisors and safety staff. BOTI also offers Health and Safety Representative (SHE Rep) Training and Incident and Accident Investigation Training. The practical fire-fighting component should be arranged with a specialist fire safety supplier.
Is BOTI’s OHS course accredited?
No. The Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Course is a non-accredited professional skills programme, and delegates receive a BOTI certificate of attendance that can be filed as evidence of training.
For the OHS knowledge that underpins a sound fire and emergency plan, book the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Course. Training runs in-house at your premises, at BOTI’s venue in Sunningdale, Johannesburg, or live online. This course is not accredited. It is delivered as a professional skills programme, and delegates receive a BOTI certificate of attendance. Call BOTI on 011 882 8853 or email [email protected], or request a quote.
Sources
- Skills Development Levy – South African Revenue Service (SARS), 2026.
- Codes of Good Practice on B-BBEE: Code Series 300, Statement 300 – Skills Development (Government Gazette 42496) – Department of Trade and Industry, 31 May 2019.