Trusted Across the UK

About Us

At JRA Fire Safety Advisors, we are passionate about improving fire safety and protecting people, property, and businesses. Our experienced consultants work closely with clients throughout the UK, delivering trusted advice, technical expertise, and tailored solutions that help ensure compliance and peace of mind.

Built on Experience. Trusted Every Day.

Founded in 2005 by former senior officers of the West Midlands Fire Service. JRA has grown into a leading independent fire safety consultancy, supporting organisations across the UK with practical, proportionate and experience-led service.

JRA Fire Safety Advisors was established in 2005 by John Bates and Ron Field, two highly respected former senior officers of the West Midlands Fire Service. Having dedicated their careers to operational firefighting, fire safety enforcement, training, and leadership, they founded JRA with a clear vision: to provide practical, experience-led fire safety advice that helps organisations protect people, property, and businesses through sensible and proportionate solutions.

Their journey began many years earlier at Smethwick Fire Station on Rolfe Street, where both served together as operational firefighters on the same watch. As their careers progressed, they moved into increasingly senior fire safety and leadership roles. Ron Field transitioned from frontline firefighting into Fire Safety before becoming a senior leader within the Fire Service Training School, where he was responsible for the development and training of firefighters across the Service. He later served as Deputy Divisional Commander of D Division. John Bates followed a similar path, progressing through operational and fire safety roles, including leading Fire Safety departments and serving as Divisional Fire Prevention Officer, Chief Staff Officer, and ultimately Divisional Commander of D Division. Together, they brought decades of operational, technical, enforcement, training, and leadership experience, forming the foundations of a consultancy built upon credibility, professionalism, and real-world understanding.

What started as a small consultancy quickly established a reputation for delivering trusted advice and practical solutions. Through long-standing client relationships, referrals, and an unwavering commitment to quality, JRA steadily expanded beyond its local roots to become a nationwide fire safety consultancy supporting organisations across a diverse range of sectors throughout the United Kingdom.

Today, under the leadership of Managing Director Alex Bates, JRA continues to build upon the foundations established by its founders whilst embracing the evolving challenges of modern fire and building safety. The company provides specialist fire risk assessment, fire engineering, fire strategy, building safety, and compliance consultancy services through a multidisciplinary team of highly qualified professionals. This includes experienced Fire Risk Assessors holding professional memberships such as MIFSM (Member of the Institute of Fire Safety Managers) and MIFireE (Member of the Institution of Fire Engineers), many of whom are listed on nationally recognised competency registers. The team is further supported by Fire Engineers holding qualifications including BEng, MEng, Chartered Engineer (CEng) status, and specialist Higher-Risk Building competencies, providing clients with access to a broad range of technical expertise across the built environment.

Over the years, JRA has been proud to support a number of high-profile organisations and nationally significant projects. Our experience includes acting as fire safety consultants to Stagecoach during the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games and maintaining a long-standing relationship with West Bromwich Albion Football Club for over ten years. Alongside our professional achievements, we firmly believe in giving back to the communities we serve. Through our ongoing support of Birmingham Children’s Hospital, including helping to create magical Christmas experiences for children and families through festive charitable initiatives, we aim to make a meaningful contribution beyond our day-to-day consultancy work. This commitment to community support reflects the values on which JRA was founded and remains an important part of who we are today.

Whilst the company has grown significantly since its formation, the principles upon which it was founded remain unchanged. JRA continues to believe that effective fire safety advice should be practical, proportionate, technically robust, and tailored to the specific needs of each client. This philosophy remains central to every project undertaken, whether supporting a single building owner, a national organisation, or a complex higher-risk development.

The continued success of JRA has only been possible through the trust and support of its clients. Many relationships span years, and in some cases decades, reflecting a shared commitment to safety, professionalism, and collaboration. We remain genuinely grateful for the confidence placed in our team and recognise that without our clients, JRA would not be the organisation it is today. Their trust continues to inspire us to improve, innovate, and uphold the standards that have defined the company for more than twenty years.

Today, JRA remains guided by four core values: Integrity First, Experience-Led, Client-Focused, and Practical & Proportionate Compliance. These principles underpin every decision, every recommendation, and every service we deliver, ensuring that clients receive trusted advice from a team committed to achieving safer buildings, safer organisations, and better outcomes.

Two Decades of Trusted. Independent Fire Safety Expertise Across the UK.

Core Values

At JRA Fire Safety Advisors, our core values are founded on experience, pragmatism, and competence. We believe in providing clear, independent, and proportionate fire safety advice that is grounded in real-world understanding and regulatory knowledge.

Integrity First

Integrity is fundamental to how we operate at JRA Fire Safety Advisors. We provide independent, objective fire safety advice and act with honesty and accountability in all our work. This ensures that safety-critical decisions are made in the best interests of protecting people and achieving compliant, robust outcomes.

Every project we undertake is treated with care, diligence, and professional responsibility. We recognise that no two buildings or organisations are the same, and we take the time to understand the specific risks, constraints, and objectives of each project.
Protecting people is central to our work. We uphold the highest standards of fire safety and do not compromise on safety-critical matters or adopt shortcuts.

Our Commitment to You

A message from Alex, Managing Director, on the values and standards behind our work at JRA Fire Safety Advisors.

JRA Fire Safety Advisors was founded over 20 years ago by my grandfather, John, and his business partner Ron, both former West Midlands Fire Officers. The business was originally established as a small consultancy to allow two experienced professionals to remain active following retirement. From the outset, however, it was underpinned by a strong commitment to protecting people and providing practical, well-judged fire safety advice. That ethos continues to define the company today.

I joined JRA in June 2017 and recognised the opportunity to build upon these solid foundations. Since that time, the business has followed a structured and considered approach to development, supported by clear objectives and measured growth. Throughout this period, quality, consistency, and client care have remained central to how we operate. Our clients are a fundamental part of JRA’s success. The trust placed in us, and the long-term relationships we have developed, have played a key role in shaping the business and enabling it to grow into what it is today.

Our work is guided by four core principles: integrity, experience-led advice, client focus, and practical, proportionate compliance. These principles inform every project we undertake and shape how our advice is delivered. We approach our work with care, diligence, and a clear sense of professional responsibility, regardless of scale or complexity. As Managing Director, my commitment is to continue developing JRA while maintaining the values on which it was founded, ensuring that our clients receive high-quality, dependable fire safety advice delivered with a personal and considered approach.

A.Bates
Managing Director

Alex’s Fire Safety Updates

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