ACER Knowledge Exchange Conference 2026

Our 26th annual conference on fire related research and developments, will be hosted at  Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Training and Safety Centre in Bury, Greater Manchester, United Kingdom on 24 February 2026.

This conference showcases evidence-based best practice, initiative and cutting-edge research.

You’ll hear from researchers and practitioners, with sessions focused on clear takeaways for policy, practice, training, prevention and partnership working.

Confirmed sessions are:

• Wildfire Readiness – building operational capability, tactics, scenario learning and multi-agency readiness.
• Built Environment & Emerging Tech Risks – batteries/BESS, high-rise evacuation messaging and strategy, modular construction implications.
• Smarter Operations: Demand, Deployment, Decision Support – reducing avoidable demand (e.g., false alarms), strengthening IRMP/coverage evidence, defensible decision-support.
• Prevention that Lands – behaviour change that works, reaching seldom-heard communities, safeguarding pathways, tri-service models that reduce repeat demand.
• People, Culture & Performance (Workforce of the Future) – psychological safety, inclusion, wellbeing through change, cognitive readiness and decision-making under pressure.

A draft agenda (subject to change) is now available here: https://nfcc.org.uk/event/nfcc-acer-conference-2026/

What you’ll leave with: practical actions, contacts, and shared learning you can translate into action.

Our conference attracts a wide audience from across the emergency services, the fire industry, research communities and other private or public sectors interested in the latest fire related issues, developments and concerns. Running through the whole event will be the thread of positive and effective relationships between fire and rescue services and academia. The conference will be an opportunity to show what successful collaborations look like, and the evidence informed impacts that they create.

Get your tickets here: https://nfcc.org.uk/event/nfcc-acer-conference-2026/

The Academic Collaboration, Evaluation and Research (ACER) Group is an independent forum, convened by NFCC, to help coordinate and maximise the benefits of academic research with relevance for fire and rescue services (FRS), to contribute to improved public and firefighter safety. It is chaired by Professor Rowena Hill from Nottingham Trent University and Stewart Nicholson, Deputy Chief Fire Officer at Tyne and Wear FRS, is the vice chair. You can read more about the group here: https://nfcc.org.uk/about/how-we-are-structured/organisational-learning/acer/