20 February 2025
We are receiving queries from some customers regarding the expulsion of Adam Kiziak of Tri Fire by the Institute of Fire Engineers (IFE) and the potential impact on EWS1 certificates.
As you may know, the EWS1 certificate was developed by RICS to assist the lending (mortgage) market following the identification of extensive issues with external walls in the aftermath of the Grenfell Tower fire.
Tri Fire is a widely used supplier in the industry for EWS1 certification, and Adam Kiziak is a signatory on a number of EWS1 documents produced by Tri Fire and held by FirstPort.
We understand that this expulsion will impact customers looking to sell or remortgage, as it has been widely reported that most mortgage providers will no longer accept EWS1 documents signed by Adam Kiziak or issued by Tri Fire.
There has been no official guidance on what action property managers and other affected parties should take following the suspension. However, as a priority, we have compiled a list of impacted properties and identified alternative suppliers for EWS1 certificate renewals. Work has already commenced where renewals are due.
EWS1 certificates held by FirstPort mostly date back to 2020 and 2021. As they need to be updated every five years, a large proportion of them needed to be reviewed this year regardless of the Tri Fire issue.
We are liaising with building freeholders and other clients, including RMCs, to agree our renewal programme for 2025, prioritising certificates signed by Tri Fire and those approaching their renewal date, considering that some lenders only accept certificates with at least six months of validity remaining. EWS1 renewals will be conducted in line with the current industry standard, PAS 9980.
We are separately looking at those certificates that have recently been renewed (i.e. not due for renewal in 2025) and been signed by Tri Fire.
We are working as quickly as possible and will do everything we can to support customers, prioritising those needing an urgent response. However, there are factors outside our control that may cause delays, including high demand for qualified engineers to carry out EWS1 inspections.
If your circumstances require an urgent response, please flag this with your Property Manager.
For the most up to date information on EWS1 certification, please visit The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) Cladding External Wall System (EWS) FAQs.
