Posts in category: People

Deputy Chief Fire Officer, Steve Healey, of Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service, has been appointed NFCC Lead for On-call, following Chief Fire Officers Rob MacDougall and Jon Pryce stepping away to lead the People Programme.

Healey will be assisted in this role by Assistant Chief Fire Officer Andy Cole from Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service. Both Healey and Cole bring decades of experience of working with On-Call firefighters and said they are looking forward to sharing their expertise and passion, supporting the vital role that On-call firefighters undertake across the UK on a daily basis.  

Healey and Cole take over the role with immediate effect and will be scoping the required work. Future work is likely to incorporate findings from the Working Patterns project, in addition to completing research and data studies in to the productivity, efficiency and sustainability of the on-call duty system.  

Commenting on the news, Healey said: “I’m delighted to be leading on On-call for NFCC and for UK FRS. It’s a huge privilege to be able to influence what On-call looks like for the fire and rescue sector.

“I’m confident that together with fire and rescue services, we can strengthen our On-call offering for our existing On-call Firefighters and those who are yet to join us.

“One of our first tasks is to establish robust governance arrangements and ensure the practitioners forum is re-established, in order to share all of the good practice that is already out there.

“I’m delighted to say that Area Manager Gary Ball from West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service has volunteered to lead the practitioners forum and plans are underway to host a strategic and practitioner workshop in May, where existing research will be shared and future work plans agreed”.

RECOM Solutions has unveiled a new management team for its passive fire protection division, the group’s fastest-growing arm of the group.

RECOM Passive Fire Protection has doubled the size of its team of directly-employed installers to 40 over the past 12 months. Revenues for the division are on track to exceed £4.5m in the 12 months to April, up from £2.6m, following a series of contract wins which has seen it expand into a nationwide operation.

The team has undertaken projects at locations including NHS Trusts and hospitals, schools and universities, government offices, social housing schemes, apartment blocks and office buildings.

The management team

Sarah Leadbetter has been promoted to the newly-created role of head of the division, which will see her lead on the delivery of its commercial targets, focus on client retention and expansion, and support RECOM’s directors with their growth plans for the group.

Jay Newby has been promoted from contracts manager to the new role of operations manager for RECOM Passive Fire Protection. His new position sees him working closely with contracts managers and leading on all site operations and project delivery.

Gvidas Teresas has been promoted from supervisor to contracts manager and he will support Jay on service delivery.

Richard Green has joined RECOM Passive Fire Protection as a contracts manager from Bell Group bringing expertise in fire doors, with more than 10 years’ experience in this specialist field.

Keron Jackson has been recruited as a contracts manager for the Midlands and is based in Birmingham as a result of the division’s geographical expansion.

Nurturing talent

Jason McKnight, one of the company’s Directors said the creation of a dedicated management team for RECOM Passive Fire Protection will provide an excellent platform for further strong growth for the division: ““The market is growing rapidly amid greater awareness of the need for risk assessments, remediation work, building upgrades and ongoing maintenance in the new-build sector as well as at existing sites.

“Only recently, new fire safety regulations have come into force as the government seeks to improve fire safety in high-rise apartment blocks by implementing recommendations made by the Grenfell Tower Inquiry. This once again demonstrates how seriously the issue of fire safety and protection needs to be taken throughout the property and construction sectors.

“We have a highly-skilled and committed team and I am proud of their achievements to date. Our investment in new staff working alongside the new management team will give us the ability to take the division to the next level.

“We are continuing to expand the team by recruiting additional supervisors and contracts managers to reflect the growth we are seeing across the UK. At the same time, we are placing a lot of emphasis on nurturing talent from within, and five RECOM trainees have recently gained diplomas to qualify as passive fire installers.”

About RECOM

RECOM, which has its headquarters on the Waters Edge Business Park in Salford Quays, is an approved contractor under the UK’s Fire Accreditation Scheme (FIRAS) for its fire protection services, which include passive fire protection installation, fire door surveys and installations, repairs and upgrades, fire strategy reviews, compartmentation surveying, advice and guidance, training, development and support.

The company, which was founded in 2015 by directors Jason McKnight and Joseph Dillon, also undertakes construction project management and main contracting work across sectors including healthcare, education, retail and leisure, commercial and residential. It also provides consultancy services to assist in the design and delivery of health and safety, sustainability and cladding projects.

Telgian Engineering & Consulting, LLC (TEC) has announced the addition of Philip Pope, GSP as Regional Practice Leader, Fire Protection Engineering, Texas. Pope will be responsible for the implementation of fire protection solutions and strategies serving TEC clients.

Pope brings more than 18 years of experience with a specialty in fire protection engineering for the oil and gas sectors, with a focus in crucial safety and risk programs. His experience will enable him to anticipate, recognise and rapidly respond to the needs of customers with expert solutions.

Previously he served as a Senior Risk Engineer Consultant, Energy Casualty for Zurich North America Insurance, providing industry expert risk improvement services to customers and risk assessment services to underwriting partners.

Pope is a Board-Certified Graduate Safety Practitioner and earned a Bachelor of Science in Fire Protection & Safety Engineering Technologies from Oklahoma State University.

Additionally, he received a Certificate of Completion from Texas A&M for Formation Evaluation and Analysis of Reservoir Performance, Petroleum Development Strategy, and Drilling Engineering.   

He is also a member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers, the American Society of Safety Professionals and the American Association of Drilling Engineers, as well as a former volunteer firefighter.

TEC Executive Vice President Dan Vandergriff said that Pope has a proven track record of success creating innovative, client focused solutions, as well as leading a multi-disciplinary team: “This leadership is essential as he will oversee our rapidly growing fire protection engineering practice throughout the South.”

Vallfirest, manufacturer of equipment, tools and solutions for wildland firefighting, has announced the appointment of Esa Shukor as the new Area Manager in Asia Pacific. 

Shukor brings over 20 years in the fire industry in this market, holding leadership positions through his career with multinational companies.

Commenting on his appointment, Shukor said: “My core competencies include a deep knowledge of how business is done in Asia Pacific. The relationships and customer values that drive business, channel management, emotional intelligence, creativity, and team building.

I am very excited to explore Asia Pacific market together with Vallfirest. What gets me out of the bed in the morning is not letting people down, progress the agenda, exceed commitments and have some fun whilst doing it.”

Alaska Department of Public Safety Commissioner James Cockrell has appointed Lloyd Nakano as the new State Fire Marshal and Director of the Division of Fire and Life Safety.

State Fire Marshal Nakano has been with the Department of Public Safety since September 2005 and has been the Assistant State Fire Marshal since December 2012.

Fire Marshal Nakano started with the state as a Deputy Fire Marshal I in 2005, promoting to Deputy Fire Marshal II in 2007. He helped lead the State Fire Marshal’s Office as the Assistant State Fire Marshal, starting in 2012, and has been the Acting State Fire Marshal since August 2022. Fire Marshal Nakano has an associate degree in Fire Science and seven fire safety certifications.

 Alaska Department of Public Safety Commissioner James Cockrell said: “The Division of Fire and Life Safety serves a critical mission across urban and rural Alaska by investigating fatal structure fires, reviewing commercial building plans, and providing firefighter education across the state.

“I know Lloyd will continue to deliver the excellence, customer service, and emergency response capabilities that the State Fire Marshal’s Office is known for.”  

Nakano commented: “I am humbled and honoured to have the opportunity to lead the Division of Fire and Life Safety and to support the amazing men and women who drive this mission across the state every day,”

“As Fire and Life Safety begins its 69th year of service to Alaska, I know our division will help protect Alaskans by continuing our efforts to prevent the loss of life and property from fire and explosion.”

Fire Marshal Nakano’s appointment is effective February 7, 2023. The Fire and Life Safety division is made up of 29 Deputy Fire Marshals and professional staff.

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has announced the appointment of Tim McClintock as a regional electrical specialist.

In his new role, McClintock will provide technical outreach and safety-focused advocacy in the electrical world and support use of the National Electrical Code (NEC) alongside NFPA’s regional directors.

He will continue to serve in his current position as executive secretary to NFPA’s Electrical Inspection Section, a membership section devoted to electrical inspectors.

McClintock brings over 35 years in the electrical industry as an electrician, electrical inspector, chief building official and electrical safety advocate. He first worked at NFPA for eight years as a regional electrical code specialist.

He was also a principal contributor on multiple editions of the NEC Summary of Changes documents and co-authored multiple editions of the NFPA Pocket Guides to Electrical Installations.

Lorraine Carli, vice president of Outreach and Advocacy for NFPA, said: “It’s a pleasure to have Tim working at NFPA once again. His extensive experience with the NEC and the electrical industry will be invaluable as he engages with electrical inspectors across the country and supports their use of the electrical code.

“In addition to his long-standing support among electrical inspectors throughout the U.S. and his guidance on many state and local issues, we also look forward to his work in expanding NEC support globally.”

Prior to working at NFPA, McClintock served on several NEC Code Making Panels (1, 12 and 16) and as chair of the NFPA Technical Committee on Electrical Equipment Evaluation. 

For the past three-plus years, McClintock has been a senior technical field representative for the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA), promoting the use of the NEC among NEMA members and monitoring regional development of importance to the electrical industry.  He is certified in Ohio as an electrical inspector, electrical plan examiner, building official, residential building official, and building inspector.