Event round up: National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) AI Hothouse 2026
On Thursday 21 and Friday 22 May, the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC), in partnership with BT and techUK, delivered an event which brought together fire and rescue services, industry experts, and other key stakeholders to explore and develop practical approaches to three problem statements, supporting the NFCC’s ambition to leverage AI across its activities.
The event focused on three main challenge areas: creating a national, real-time repository for Residential Personal Escape and Evacuation Plan (RPEEP) information to support safer evacuations for vulnerable residents; exploring AI-enabled low-level fire safety audits for lower-risk premises to reduce operational pressure on Fire Safety Inspecting Officers; and considering a similar AI-driven remote audit model for non-domestic properties to improve consistency and free up capacity for higher-risk inspections.
Across the discussions, there was a clear focus on how AI tools could help fire and rescue services make better use of data, improve access to critical information, and support more consistent decision-making. Conversations highlighted the potential for AI to strengthen access to evacuation information for vulnerable residents, streamline lower-risk fire safety activity, and reduce the administrative burden on Fire Safety Inspecting Officers.
More broadly, the event really emphasised how these approaches could help the fire sector target limited resources more effectively, improve consistency across services, and create greater capacity to focus on higher-risk buildings, prevention, and frontline response.
Discussions also pointed to the wider impact these kinds of innovative tools and solutions could have on communities. By improving access to critical information, supporting more consistent fire safety activity, and helping services respond more effectively to risk, AI has the potential to contribute to safer evacuations, stronger prevention activity, and better protection for vulnerable people.
The event showed what’s possible when fire and rescue services, industry and partners focus on real operational challenges together. There was clear progress around how AI could help make better use of data, improve consistency and free up capacity for higher-risk work. We’re pleased to support the NFCC in exploring these approaches and look forward to continuing the collaboration to turn ideas into scalable, real-world solutions.
Sian Penny
Director for Public Safety and Justice, BT
techUK and our Justice and Emergency Services programme are committed to supporting these conversations by bringing together fire and rescue services, industry and academia to share insights, explore common challenges, and identify opportunities for collaboration.
If you would like to get involved in this work, please contact the JES team below!
Dave Evans
Head of Programme - Justice and Emergency Services and Economic Crime Lead, techUK
Dave Evans
Head of Programme - Justice and Emergency Services and Economic Crime Lead, techUK
Dave is a former senior police officer with the City of London Police, bringing extensive experience as a Detective and senior leader across frontline operations and multi-agency partnerships at regional and national levels.
He has led and supported responses to major national incidents, including mass casualty events, counter-terrorism operations and large-scale public disorder, working closely with partners across the criminal justice sector.
Alongside his public service, Dave has also held leadership roles in the private sector, managing projects focused on intellectual property and licensing. His combined experience across both sectors gives him a deep understanding of how collaboration between service providers and end users can strengthen resilience and trust.
Cinzia joined techUK in August 2023 as the Justice and Emergency Services (JES) Programme Manager.
The JES programme represents suppliers, championing their interests in the blue light and criminal justice markets, whether they are established entities or newcomers seeking to establish their presence.
Prior to joining techUK, Cinzia worked in the third and public sectors, managing projects related to international trade and social inclusion.
Junior Programme Manager - Justice and Emergency Services, techUK
Fran Richiusa
Junior Programme Manager - Justice and Emergency Services, techUK
Fran is the Junior Programme Manager for the Justice and Emergency Services (JES) Programme.
In this role she supports project delivery, stakeholder engagement, and policy development across portfolios including law enforcement, justice, and the fire sector.
Fran joined techUK in May 2025 as a Programme Team Assistant for the Public Sector Markets Programmes before progressing to her current role.
Prior to joining techUK, she gained experience working across local government and VAWG (Violence Against Women and Girls) charities, where she developed a deep understanding of public service and advocacy.
Justice and Emergency Services Programme activities
The techUK Justice and Emergency Services Programme represents tech firms operating in the public safety, criminal justice, and blue light markets. We create strong relationships between members and public sector customers, encouraging industry engagement, and unlocking innovation. Visit the programme page here.
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Head of Programme - Justice and Emergency Services and Economic Crime Lead, techUK
Dave Evans
Head of Programme - Justice and Emergency Services and Economic Crime Lead, techUK
Dave is a former senior police officer with the City of London Police, bringing extensive experience as a Detective and senior leader across frontline operations and multi-agency partnerships at regional and national levels.
He has led and supported responses to major national incidents, including mass casualty events, counter-terrorism operations and large-scale public disorder, working closely with partners across the criminal justice sector.
Alongside his public service, Dave has also held leadership roles in the private sector, managing projects focused on intellectual property and licensing. His combined experience across both sectors gives him a deep understanding of how collaboration between service providers and end users can strengthen resilience and trust.
Cinzia joined techUK in August 2023 as the Justice and Emergency Services (JES) Programme Manager.
The JES programme represents suppliers, championing their interests in the blue light and criminal justice markets, whether they are established entities or newcomers seeking to establish their presence.
Prior to joining techUK, Cinzia worked in the third and public sectors, managing projects related to international trade and social inclusion.
Junior Programme Manager - Justice and Emergency Services, techUK
Fran Richiusa
Junior Programme Manager - Justice and Emergency Services, techUK
Fran is the Junior Programme Manager for the Justice and Emergency Services (JES) Programme.
In this role she supports project delivery, stakeholder engagement, and policy development across portfolios including law enforcement, justice, and the fire sector.
Fran joined techUK in May 2025 as a Programme Team Assistant for the Public Sector Markets Programmes before progressing to her current role.
Prior to joining techUK, she gained experience working across local government and VAWG (Violence Against Women and Girls) charities, where she developed a deep understanding of public service and advocacy.
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