Fire marshal training online free vs paid: what it costs

How fire marshal training works, free or paid

In England and Wales, workplace fire safety is covered by the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, which gov.uk calls the Fire Safety Order. You are the "responsible person" if you are the employer, owner, landlord or occupier, or anyone else with control of the premises. Gov.uk says the responsible person must "provide staff information, fire safety instruction and training", and that "You need to train new staff when they start work and tell all employees about any new fire risks." It also says "You should carry out at least one fire drill per year and record the results." Scotland and Northern Ireland have different rules, which gov.uk links to separately.

The Home Office guide for people with duties under the Fire Safety Order (September 2023) adds the detail for marshals and wardens:

• "In staffed premises, you must also nominate a sufficient number of competent people to implement the fire procedures." Other than in small premises, the guide says this will usually mean appointing fire wardens.
• If people are nominated to use extinguishers, "you must provide those employees with suitable training."
• Staff training is given at induction and "must be provided during working hours". There is no fixed frequency in law, but "recognised practice is that this should be no less frequent than annually".
• Training must be "suitable and sufficient" and provided "in a manner appropriate to risks identified in your fire risk assessment".

The titles fire marshal and fire warden are often used for the same role. Our guide to fire marshal vs fire warden explains the difference where there is one.

Online training and the practical side

Neither gov.uk nor the Home Office guide says marshal training must be online or in a classroom. It has to be suitable for the risks in your fire risk assessment, and your employer decides what that means. An online course covers the knowledge: how fire spreads, checks, alarms, evacuation, roll call and extinguisher types. The practical elements happen at work: a walk-through of your own alarm, escape routes and assembly point, the yearly fire drill and, if you are nominated to use extinguishers, hands-on practice. High Speed Training's own fire warden page advises adding practical extinguisher training to its online course.

Free options for fire marshal and fire safety training

Gov.uk fire safety guidance. The gov.uk guide "Fire safety in the workplace" sets out who is responsible, the five steps of a fire risk assessment, and drills and training. It is free to read.

Home Office fire safety risk assessment guides. Gov.uk has free guides for different premises, including offices and shops, factories and warehouses, sleeping accommodation, residential care, educational premises and healthcare premises. The offices and shops guide is a 146-page PDF for England, last updated 12 September 2023. These help the responsible person plan; they are not courses with a test.

Free courses with a certificate. Alison offers a free Fire Safety Awareness course of 1.5 to 3 hours with a "CPD-accredited Alison Certificate". Its page does not mention fire marshal duties or the Fire Safety Order, and it does not show the certificate price.

Employer-funded training. Training staff is the responsible person's duty, so if you have been nominated as a fire marshal at work, ask your employer which course they provide before you pay yourself.

Fire marshal training cost: free and paid options compared

Here is what each provider shows on its own fire marshal or fire warden course page, checked 26 October 2026, with prices exactly as shown.

"Check provider" means the provider's page did not show that detail when we checked.

So what does paying add?

Free and paid routes both rely on your employer for the practical side. Paying adds the parts around the knowledge:

• The marshal's full role. The free course we found covers general fire safety. The paid courses in our table cover the marshal or warden duties: checks, sweeping, evacuation and roll call.
• UK law. Check that a course explains the Fire Safety Order, or the rules in Scotland or Northern Ireland if you work there.
• A test and a certificate in your name. Paid courses end with a test and a certificate you can give your employer as a training record.
• A set price. Paid courses with a per-learner price cost £24 + VAT to £35 + VAT in our table.
• Refreshers. Providers recommend anything from 1 to 3 years. Check what a refresher costs.

What you get with Lift College

The Lift College Fire Marshal Training covers the role in full across 6 modules: the fire marshal's role, how fire behaves, proactive checks, signs, equipment and systems, reactive duties when the alarm sounds (sweeping, Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans, refuges and roll call), and fighting a fire safely. It explains the fire safety law for England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

• £19.99, pay once. One payment for one learner, no subscription.
• 2 hours of learning in 6 short modules, each with a knowledge check, then a final test: 80% to pass, unlimited free retakes.
• CPD certificate issued by Lift College the same day, naming Fire Marshal Training, with 2 hours of learning, your completion date, a refresh date 3 years on, a unique number and a verification link.
• Free refresher every 3 years. Lift College recommends a fire drill at least once a year in between.
• 14-day money back. Ask within 14 days of paying for a full refund.

Not a nominated marshal? Fire Safety Training is the course for every worker: 2 hours in 5 modules on how fires start, prevention, the law, raising the alarm and extinguishers, £19.99, pay once, with a free refresher every 12 months. Training a team? Both courses are £16.99 a place on a free organisation account, with the first place free.

Which should you choose?

Take the free route if your employer provides marshal training, or you are the responsible person for a small, low-risk workplace and want to read the gov.uk guidance before you choose a course.

Pay for a course if you have been nominated as a fire marshal or fire warden and need a training record, your employer has asked you to find a course, or your marshal training is due a refresh. Then ask your employer for the walk-through of your own building.

Where to go next

• Comparing paid courses? Read our guide to fire marshal training online in the UK.
• Training all staff? See our guide to fire safety training online in the UK.
• Not sure which title applies? Read fire marshal vs fire warden, or browse all health and safety courses.

Ready to start? Take the Lift College fire marshal training course online for £19.99, pay once.