Telgian Engineering names new Executive Vice President of Business Development

by People

Telgian Engineering & Consulting, LLC (TEC) is has announced the appointment of Steve Goyette CFPS, CET as Executive Vice President of Business Development.

He will be responsible for business development and sales, with a focus on fire protection, life safety, and security technologies, requirements, and trends. This includes solutions for a range of business sectors such as warehousing and distribution, government, commercial real estate, healthcare facilities, retail spaces, and education, among others.

Goyette brings over 35 years of industry experience and a wealth of knowledge in forecasting, data analysis, market intelligence, and team management. He has been with the company since 1991, most recently serving as Vice President at Telgian Fire Safety (TFS). At TFS, he was responsible for delivering growth through strategic corporate initiatives and directly engaging with clients to provide the best possible customer experience.

TEC president Leonard Ramo, commented: “It is great to welcome Steve back to Telgian Engineering & Consulting. As an exceptional leader and strategic thinker, Steve is passionate about advocating for our clients.

His true passion for developing answers for our clients, combined with in-depth technical expertise and legacy with Telgian, as well as a proven track record of delivering revenue growth make him a valuable addition to the TEC team.”

In addition, Goyette is a Certified Fire Protection Specialist (CFPS) and is Level III NICET certified in Automatic Sprinkler System Layout. His comprehensive knowledge and experience provide a unique perspective for customers. 

Dedicated to the industry, Goyette plays an active leadership role within several important fire and life safety organizations. He is a member of the NFPA 915 Technical Committee on Remote Inspections, as well as the NFPA 232 Technical Committee on the Standard for Protection of Records.  In addition, he is the Co-Chair of the newly created ConnexFM Retail Council and a member of the Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE) San Diego Chapter.

Two join SFPE Europe Board of Directors

by Featured NewsPeople

The Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE), the world’s leading professional society for fire protection and fire safety engineering, has announced that Kathrin Grewolls, PhD, and Luciano Nigro, PhD, have joined the SFPE Europe Board of Directors. 

Grewolls and Nigro were unanimously elected at the SFPE Europe General Assembly Meeting on 3 November 2022.  They join David Grossmann, Chair; Kees Both, Immediate Past Chair; Robert McNamee, Director; Beth Tubbs, SFPE 2022 President; and Wojciech Węgrzyński, Director, on the SFPE Europe Board of Directors. 

Kathrin Grewolls, PhD, is Professor at Ostbayerische Technische Hochschule Regensburg in Ulm, Germany, and specialises in modelling fire phenomena, evacuation process, fire protection simulation, and disaster control. 

Luciano Nigro, PhD, is Director at Jensen Hughes Italy in Milan and President of the SFPE Italy Chapter; he specialises in technical standardization, fire-fighting system design, and modeling the interaction between fire and fire control.

Under the expanded leadership, SFPE Europe will work with the Society in hosting the SFPE European Conference & Expo on Fire Safety Engineering in Berlin this coming March, plus additional to-be-determined educational activities to meet the needs of fire safety professionals throughout Europe. 

SFPE Europe also seeks to increase its collaboration with SFPE chapters, to represent SFPE on the European Committee for Standardization (CEN), to explore additional programs and partnerships, and to showcase the value of SFPE membership to fire safety engineers throughout Europe.

Headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, members of SFPE Europe include the Society’s 20 European chapters in Albania, Austria, Benelux, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Israel, Italy, Malta, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and United Kingdom, plus five student chapters at the Main School of Fire Service, Coimbra University, International Master of Science in Fire Safety Engineering, Imperial College/Greater London, and the University of Edinburgh. 

Telgian names Chris Higgins as Fire Safety President

by Featured NewsPeople

Telgian CEO James Tomes has announced the appointment of Chris Higgins as President, Telgian Fire Safety (TFS). In this position, Higgins will maintain strategic and operational responsibility for all TFS business operations.

Higgins brings over 30 years of successful experience leading high-impact, operational initiatives to the company. He is skilled in the development and implementation of operations strategy, continuous improvement, and performance metrics.

Higgins also specialises in team building of geographically dispersed teams, leadership development, and maximising the use of employee engagement strategies. His initiatives result in high performance teams, a strong organizational culture and exceptional customer service, driving customer satisfaction and employee standards of excellence to new levels.

A US Navy veteran, he earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree with Navy accredited courses from Texas Tech University. In addition to his position at Telgian Fire Safety, he is also a lifetime member of AMVETS Post IL 14.

Tomes said: “Chris is a strategic, results-oriented business leader with an impressive track record,. After joining the company in 2021 as Vice President of Customer Service, Chris quickly proved his business acumen and his innovative programs have made him a valuable leader. Additionally, his proven commitment to excellence dovetails with Telgian Fire Safety’s dedication to providing an exceptional customer experience.”  

IFE makes two new appointments

by Breaking NewsPeople

The Institution of Fire Engineers (IFE) is has announced it has increased its technical capacity with two new appointments.

Mark Chubb MPP CFPS FCMI MIoD FIFireE has been appointed as the new Technical Director, replacing Peter Wilkinson who has now moved into the role of International President.

Ian Bailey has also joined IFE to work alongside Paul Trew who leads the organisation on all matters relating to alternative fuels.

Over the past year, the technical team have played an instrumental role in raising the IFE’s profile and supporting the sector in a constantly changing world.

With Chubb overseeing the team’s activity and leading on strategic matters, Trew will continue his focus on alternative fuels whilst Bailey will take up the role of UK government liaison to lead our work with the Home Office, Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and the new building safety regulator.

Mark leads the IFE in technical matters following a 40-year career in senior, technical and executive positions in fire services in New Zealand and the United States. Upon his appointment, he said: “I am pleased to accept the role of Technical Director from Peter who has played a pivotal role over the last two years shaping the IFE’s technical resource and helping to advance our technical offering for the better of our members and wider society.

“I look forward to developing this resource further with the help of Paul and Ian and the support of our volunteers whose expertise we value so much.

“On behalf of the IFE I want to express my thanks to Peter for his time and commitment and I look forward to working with him in his new capacity as International President.”

Ian Bailey joins the IFE after serving many roles within the London Fire Brigade over the past 30 years. Upon joining the technical team, Ian commented: “I have gained a vast array of skills and experience throughout my career with London Fire Brigade.

“I believe the influential work that the IFE and its members carry out in the built environment, especially post Grenfell, is of such critical importance that I relish the challenge of being part of developing a safer built environment and representing the members to achieve that.”  

New Chief Fire Officer for Surrey Fire and Rescue Service

by Featured NewsPeople

Surrey Fire and Rescue Service have appointed Dan Quin as their new permanent Chief Fire Officer. Quin has been acting Chief Fire Officer since June 2022, prior to that he was the county’s Deputy Chief Fire Officer since October 2019.

He has served his whole career within Surrey Fire and Rescue Service since joining over 23 years ago in 1999 as a firefighter at Leatherhead Fire Station and takes on the role following a robust interview process.

Quin is also the Vice-Chair of the United Kingdom Rescue Organisation who are the industry leads in advancing professional rescue skills nationally.

Speaking of his new appointment, Dan said: “I am absolutely delighted to have been appointed as Surrey’s permanent Chief Fire Officer and very much looking forward to building on the plans I put in place during the last few months as Acting Chief.

“As someone who has been in the service for the whole of my career, I am aware of the many strengths as well as the areas we need to improve upon. I am dedicated to making Surrey one of the best fire and rescue services in the industry and I know we have the people to help see that through.”

Council Leader Tim Oliver said: “I’m pleased to welcome Dan as Chief Fire Officer. After a very positive spell leading Surrey Fire and Rescue Service on an interim basis, Dan was clearly a very strong candidate for the job. I’m confident he will be a great leader of the service – knowledgeable, experienced and approachable to staff and partners across Surrey. He will continue on the improvement journey that is well underway and I’m confident SFRS is in good hands to continue its journey to being an excellent service.”

Cabinet Member for Communities and Community Protection, Denise Turner-Stewart said: “Having worked with Dan before and very recently too, I am very pleased to hear that he has been made our Chief Fire Officer and am looking forward to continuing to work closely alongside him. Dan brings a wealth of experience from serving the residents of Surrey for over 20 years already and it gives me great confidence that Surrey Fire and Rescue Service and the safety of residents are in good hands.”

Laura Kavanagh sworn in as FDNY’s first woman commissioner in 157-year history

by Breaking NewsPeople

Laura Kavanagh was been sworn in as New York City’s first ever female fire commissioner, becoming the first woman to lead the FDNY in its 157-year history.

Mayor Eric Adams led the swearing in ceremony at Engine 33, Ladder 9 in Noho, a historic building where John J. Scannell, the city’s first fire commissioner, had his office.

Kavanagh has been serving as acting FDNY commissioner since February, having stood at the helm of the nation’s largest fire department since Daniel Nigro stepped down as commissioner. Nigro appointed Kavanagh as his second-in-command in 2017.

Kavanagh joined the agency in an external affairs role in 2014, quickly moving up through leadership positions. She became the acting commissioner in February, following the retirement of long-time chief Daniel Nigro.

Before joining the department, she worked on election campaigns for Mayor Bill de Blasio and President Barack Obama, among other management and consulting roles.

She will become the first female leader of the nation’s largest municipal fire department. Currently, more than three-quarters of firefighters are white men, and less than 1% are women, according to city data.

Local 2507, the union representing the FDNY’s EMTS, paramedics and fire inspectors, issued a statement about Kavanagh’s appointment saying, “We congratulate her. She’s a great candidate. She’s a champion who fought for EMS and will continue fighting for us.”

San Manuel Fire Department names new Fire Chief

by Featured NewsPeople

The San Manuel Band of Mission Indians has announced that Keith Alexander is the newly appointed Chief for the San Manuel Fire Department effective October 31, 2022.

Alexander’s 21 years of service to San Manuel began in 2001 when he joined the Tribe’s newly developed Emergency Services team. Instrumental in developing the San Manuel Fire Department into an 80-person fire and emergency medical services (EMS) team well respected throughout Indian Country and beyond, he will be responsible for all day-to-day leadership and operations of the fire and EMS teams.

Alexander joined San Manuel as the Training and Education Coordinator and was responsible for training employees of San Manuel and other organisations in fire, hazardous materials and public safety.

Since then, he has held roles of increasing responsibility including Battalion Chief, Division Chief and most recently, Deputy Fire Chief. As Deputy Fire Chief, Keith supported the Fire Chief in all activities and operations within the Department, in whose absence he would serve as the on-duty supervisor. 

Before joining San Manuel, Keith spent 14 years as a firefighter and later as a fire apparatus engineer for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CalFire).

He holds numerous certifications and has received multiple awards and recognition such as Firefighter of the Year, United States Senate Letter of Distinction – Barbara Boxer, US Senator, California State Assembly Certificate of Recognition – Assemblyman Kevin Jeffries and Spirit of Courage Award from the Inland Empire Burn Institute.

Michael Smith, Vice President of Emergency Services for San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, said: “Keith has been instrumental in building a world-class fire and emergency services team serving San Manuel Nation and the surrounding community.

“His leadership and expertise have led to exponential growth and development of the Tribe’s emergency services capabilities.” 

NFPA appoints Laura King as Regional Director for Canada

by Featured NewsPeople

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has announced the appointment of Laura King as Regional Director for Canada to champion building, fire, and life safety activities across the country. She will take over from Shayne Mintz who retired in 2021 after nearly 10 years representing NFPA in Canada.

King’s role will see her work with the fire and life safety community to advance safety in Canada by cultivating strong alliances, working with existing and new stakeholders, advocating for public education, and representing NFPA in local, provincial, and national circles.

She began representing NFPA in 2017 in public education and has worked with fire departments, associations, and First Nations groups from Vancouver Island to Newfoundland, and the northern territories, to develop community risk reduction programs, build fire-prevention and life-safety education strategies, and create and disseminate consistent and accurate fire and life safety messaging.

Lorraine Carli, vice president of Outreach and Advocacy for NFPA, commented: “Laura has the skill set and experience to collaborate with a broad range of professionals across Canada.

“Her experiences representing NFPA in public education, and her strong connection to the fire safety community in Canada, make her well suited for this important role.”

King, a native of Nova Scotia and resident of the Greater Toronto Area, was editor of Fire Fighting in Canada and Canadian Firefighter magazines for 10 years before representing NFPA in 2017. She was a reporter and editor for more than 20 years for newspapers and magazines across Canada and the United States. King has a degree from Carleton University in journalism, political science, and public administration. She is a certified fire- and life-safety educator and holds several other certifications. 

Institution of Fire Engineers installs new International President

by Featured NewsPeople

The Institution of Fire Engineers (IFE) has introduced the 2022 – 2023 International President, Dr Peter Wilkinson CSci MIScT CEng FIFireE.

Wilkinson was installed as International President at the IFE’s 99th AGM on Tuesday 18th October 2022. The handover was carried out by former 2020 – 2022 International President, Andrew Sharrad GradCert EngTech CFIFireE.

Wilkinson has been involved with the IFE for many years, representing the organisation on national and international professional forums, contributing to post-Grenfell initiatives in the UK and worldwide, driving the development and remit of the Technical Strategy Advisory Group and more recently leading the IFE in technical matters in the role of Technical Director.

He is a Chartered Engineer, a Chartered Scientist and a Registered Fire Risk Assessor and since 2012 has been leading the independent safety, fire and risk engineering practice he founded.

As International President, Wilkinson sits on the IFE Board of Trustee Directors. Through his work, he will support both the Board of Trustee Directors and our worldwide branches in our shared mission to illuminate a fire safe future.

On becoming International President, he commented: “It is truly an honour to be the IFE International President 2022-2023. My aim for the next year is to strengthen the ties between IFE’s international presence and as many of the other major bodies in fire safety as possible.”

Survitec names new CEO

by People

leading Survival Technology solutions partner, Survitec has announced the appointment of Robert Steen Kledal as the company’s new Chief Executive Officer (CEO). 

As CEO, Kledal will be responsible for setting Survitec’s strategic direction. He will lead the Survitec Executive team and sit on the Survitec Board.

A key focus for his will be Survitec’s workforce of over 3,000 professionals, ensuring they feel connected to the Survitec purpose, which is “We Exist to Protect Lives.”

Kledal has over 30 years of experience in executive level roles on a global scale. He previously served as CEO at Wrist Ship Supply, the world’s leading ship and offshore supplier of provisions & stores, for over nine years. He led the organisation and its 1,600 colleagues, through digital transformation, enabling substantial improvement to how the business engaged its customers.

His experience spans the maritime and defence industries. He has also held several senior positions, during his 21 years at Moeller-Maersk Group and served in the Danish Army as a Sergeant. In addition to his role as CEO of Survitec, he is also on the Board of Directors at Wrist Ship Supply and Blue Water Shipping, a global provider of tailor-made transport and logistics solutions.

When asked why he chose to join Survitec, Kledal commented: “Coming from the shipping industry, I was instantly attracted to the inspiring purpose of Survitec. I look forward to building on this great legacy and the achievements made to position Survitec as the global leader in Survival Technology for our customers worldwide. Not least to service our customers’ requirements effectively.”