Last reviewed 13 November 2026 against the sources linked in this post.
Fire and rescue services in England attended 13,679 fires in buildings other than houses and flats in the year to March 2026, and that category includes offices, shops, factories and warehouses, as well as hotels and care homes. Fire warden training is what lets the warden in the high-vis vest lead people out of any of them when the alarm sounds.
This is a list of 7 ready-made courses for facilities managers, appointed fire wardens and first aiders. They are free refreshers and drill kits that sit beside any accredited certificate you already hold, and do not replace one. The list runs from fire response to first aid, then hazards and induction. Each group ends with an Our pick.
All 7 courses at a glance
| Course | What it covers | Length | US rule behind the topic |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fire safety, fire wardens and emergency evacuation | Warden duties, sweeps, head counts and evacuation | 40 min | None cited here |
| Fire extinguisher awareness (classroom portion) | Extinguisher classes, PASS and fight-or-flight | 25 min | 29 CFR 1910.157(g) |
| Emergency action & fire prevention plans | Alarms, exits, wardens and fire prevention | 30 min | 29 CFR 1910.38 |
| Workplace first aid, CPR and AED | Scene safety, CPR, AED, choking and bleeding | 40 min | None cited here |
| Hazard communication & GHS | Reading labels and safety data sheets | 40 min | 29 CFR 1910.1200 |
| Safety induction and annual refresher | Site rules, hazards and reporting for new starters | 40 min | None cited here |
| Safety law, committees, management systems and audits | Duties, committees, inspections and audits | 40 min | None cited here |
Fire response
Three courses for the people who run the evacuation.
Fire safety, fire wardens and emergency evacuation
This 40-minute course has six lessons: the fire triangle and common causes, prevention rules for housekeeping, hot work and storage, choosing and using an extinguisher, raising the alarm and assembly points, the warden role, and drills and records. It opens at a plant after the afternoon break and has learners put evacuation steps in order. Its scenario about a colleague who is in the toilet when the alarm sounds is worth talking through at your next drill. The course says wardens should refresh yearly and after every drill.
Fire extinguisher awareness (classroom portion)
OSHA's rule says that where extinguishers are provided for employee use, the employer must provide an educational program to familiarize employees with the general principles of fire extinguisher use and the hazards involved with incipient stage fire fighting, on initial employment and at least annually thereafter. This 25-minute course has seven lessons, from the fire triangle and extinguisher classes to a fight-or-flight decision, the PASS technique and a 10-question final check with an 80 percent pass mark. It is the classroom portion, so add hands-on practice on site.
Emergency action & fire prevention plans
OSHA's rule says that where a standard requires an emergency action plan, it must cover procedures for emergency evacuation, including type of evacuation and exit route assignments, and that the employer must designate and train employees to assist in a safe and orderly evacuation of other employees. This 30-minute course has seven lessons on raising the alarm, getting out, staying or sheltering, preventing fires and the role of evacuation wardens, then a 10-question final check. Use it to walk wardens through your own written plan.
Our pick: Fire safety, fire wardens and emergency evacuation. It is the only course built around the warden's job on the day, so it is the one to run before the next drill.
First aid
One course for whoever reaches the casualty first.
Workplace first aid, CPR and AED
This 40-minute course has six lessons covering the knowledge half of first aid: scene safety, calling for help and the recovery position, adult CPR and using an AED, choking, bleeding and shock, burns and fractures, and medical emergencies such as heart attack and stroke. It ends with recording the incident and restocking the kit. It is a refresher, so it does not replace a practical certificate. Ask first aiders to do the CPR and AED practice in lesson 2 with a trainer beside them.
Our pick: Workplace first aid, CPR and AED. It is the only first aid course on this list, and it keeps the knowledge fresh between certificate renewals.
Hazards and induction
Three courses that stop a warden finding out about a hazard mid-incident.
Hazard communication & GHS
Some chemicals make a fire worse or the smoke toxic, and labels and sheets show which. OSHA's rule says employers must provide employees with effective information and training on hazardous chemicals in their work area. This 40-minute course has eight lessons: why this matters, knowing the hazards in your work area, reading a GHS label, using the safety data sheet, and a 12-question final check. Hand out a real label from your store and ask what each pictogram means.
Safety induction and annual refresher
Wardens brief new staff and visitors on alarms and assembly points, and this course gives them the script. It has six lessons on rights and duties, site rules, the hazards you will meet, emergency arrangements and reporting near misses, and it takes 40 minutes. It opens with a first morning at a depot, so swap in your own gate.
Safety law, committees, management systems and audits
This 40-minute course explains why law requires a safety system in many places, who owes what (employer, manager and worker), how a joint safety committee runs, and how inspections and audits work. It shows wardens how law, committees and audits make drills and checks part of the system. It is a global course, so add the law that applies where you work.
Our pick: Safety induction and annual refresher. Every new starter and visitor passes through it, so it is where the alarm and the assembly point first make sense.
How to roll the plan out
Start with the courses tied to a US rule, where it applies to you: the emergency action plan, extinguisher awareness and hazard communication, plus induction before anyone's first shift. Then schedule annual refreshers for wardens and first aiders, and add role depth such as first aid and the safety law course. Add any state or country rule for your location. For more talk ideas, see our workplace safety topics.
Anchor every session to the same fact: 13,679 fires in buildings other than houses and flats in England in a single year.
Ways to run these courses on AhaSlides
AhaSlides is an all-in-one engagement platform for teams and classrooms, and you can offer all 7 courses in three formats:
- Self-paced courses. Use the AhaSlides course creator to send each new warden a course before their first drill.
- A live session deck. Each course comes with a deck to run after it, in the room or online, with audience Q&A.
- Surveys. Use the post-course survey and 30-day check-in that come with each template, so you know whether the training is used on the job.
Four slide types do most of the work:
- Pick Answer. Ask: "Which of these fires would you tackle with an extinguisher?" Show the split before you reveal the answer.
- Word Cloud. Ask: "What would stop you leaving your desk when the alarm sounds?" The biggest words show where your wardens need to nudge people.
- Rating Scale. Ask, before and after: "How confident are you leading a sweep of your floor?" Rate from 1 to 5 and compare the averages.
- Open Ended. Ask: "Which exit would be hardest to use right now?" Answers can be anonymous, so people say what they think.
FAQ
What training does a fire warden need?
Fire wardens usually need training on evacuation, alarms, extinguishers and the site's emergency plan. In the US, OSHA's rule says that where a standard requires an emergency action plan, the employer must designate and train employees to assist in a safe and orderly evacuation of other employees. Some employers or insurers may also ask for an accredited certificate.
How often should fire warden training be refreshed?
At least once a year in the US for extinguisher education, so check the rules that apply to you. OSHA's rule says upon initial employment and at least annually thereafter, and for employees designated to use fire fighting equipment as part of an emergency action plan, upon initial assignment to the designated group of employees and at least annually thereafter.
How many fire wardens does a workplace need?
It depends on size, layout and risk, and your risk assessment should decide. Cover every floor and shift, and name a deputy for each warden.
Can fire warden training be done online?
The knowledge part often can, and these courses are self-paced and online. Practical drills and extinguisher practice are best done on site.
This post is general information, not legal advice. For a decision about your own workplace, speak to a qualified lawyer or the regulator.
