NFCC ACER Conference 2026

NFCC ACER Conference 
Tuesday 24th February 2026

We are delighted to confirm that the ACER Conference will take place on Tuesday 24th February 2026 at the Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Training and Safety Centre, Bury.

The event will begin with registration and breakfast from 08.45. The conference will end by 5.30pm.

Confirmed sessions are:

• People, Culture, and Performance
• Built environment & emerging tech risks
• Wildfire readiness
• Smarter operations
• Prevention that lands

Preliminary agenda with further details can be found here: ACER Draft Agenda

The day will include a keynote talk from Chris Neal. Chris Neal joins us from the United States where he has been a board member of the Congressional Fire Services Institute Board of Directors, and served as Director of Fire Protection Publications at Oklahoma State University, as well as former Chief of Claremore and Stillwater, Oklahoma, Fire Departments. He will be sharing his expertise, including his experiences incorporating new knowledge into FRS practice.

The Call for Papers is now CLOSED.

The conference is aimed at academic researchers, fire and rescue practitioners, and anyone with an interest in the sector. The conference seeks to bring together academics and those working in the FRS sector to share learning and knowledge, make new connections, and ultimately to improve public and firefighter safety. If you know of people in your organisation who would benefit from attendance, please pass the information on.”

About ACER 

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. For more information, you can visit the ACER webpage: Academic Collaboration, Evaluation and Research (ACER) Group – NFCC 

Important Booking Information:  

Booking Details: Please note that tickets will only be available for the conference itself, we will not be offering accommodation.  Delegates will be responsible for sourcing their own accommodation.

Please do not book tickets that state ‘Bookable by NFCC Staff only’ – these tickets are for speakers and can only be booked by the NFCC events team. If you book this option you may be charged an additional admin fee to correct the booking. 

Bookings can be made via credit card or invoice with a PO number. If you have any queries please do not hesitate to contact acer@nfcc.org.uk. 

Cancellation 

Delegates – within 7 working days of the event no refunds can be provided.