Posts in category: People

IOSH is pleased to announce the appointment of Lesley Kavanagh CMIOSH to its Board of Trustees, for a three-year term of office. Lesley’s 30-year career in health and safety, risk management and sustainability roles has taken in a range of industries.

In 2003 she joined NIKE, Inc., where she currently leads the global Partner Responsibility team within the Responsible Sourcing and Manufacturing function. Lesley and her team drive sustainability performance with contract manufacturing suppliers across areas such as health and safety, human resource management, waste, water, carbon and chemistry.

Prior to this role, Lesley led NIKE, Inc.’s footwear manufacturing operations in South America. Having lived and worked in six countries across Europe, the Americas and Asia, she has gained a wealth of international experience which she uses in bringing cultural awareness to the teams she leads. She champions diversity, equality and inclusion.

On hearing of her appointment, Lesley said: “I’m really honoured to be appointed to the Board of Trustees, and I’m looking forward to working with the Board, Council and Senior Leadership Team on the evolution of the WORK 2022 strategy and the vision for the next five years. I hope my international experience will bring a new perspective, and together we can continue to drive positive impact to health and safety in the global workplace.”

Lesley has been a Chartered member of IOSH since 2005, and a member for 25 years. She studied Applied Chemistry at Liverpool Polytechnic while working in the local chemical industry. She realised early on the importance of a strong health and safety culture and team. Throughout her career she has been concerned to make positive impacts on the environment and the lives of people working in global supply chains.

IOSH’s Board of Trustees is appointed by IOSH Council – the representative body of the Institution’s members. The Board of Trustees consists of five IOSH members and five others who, along with the Chairman, are non-members. It is legally accountable for all IOSH activities, assets and results, ensuring compliance with the charity’s objects and governing documents. The Board sets and oversees the implementation of the Institution’s strategy. It ensures effective governance and management of IOSH through the Chief Executive and Senior Leadership Team.

RapidDeploy, a cloud-aided dispatch (CAD) and analytics platform for 9-1-1 emergency response have announced the appointment of Marni Burger as the company’s new vice president of marketing. Marni will lead marketing strategy for the company and manage all external communications. Her hiring follows RapidDeploy’s recent Series B round of funding of $40 million.

“Data-driven PSAPs start with open, cloud-native solutions that integrate with the newest technologies for improved situational awareness,” RapidDeploy CEO Steve Raucher said. “In Marni Burger, we have identified an executive with experience marketing B2B SaaS solutions to enterprise customers and understands the benefits and concerns that come with the transformation.”

Marni comes to RapidDeploy from a variety of Austin-based B2B software and SaaS companies. She most recently worked at Gotransverse, where she rose through the product marketing ranks to lead the marketing organisation. Prior to that she worked at Spiceworks, a cloud-based IT products company, and National Instruments, where she worked for more than 10 years. With her product marketing background and engineering degree from the University of Texas, she enjoys both the creative and analytical sides of marketing.

“RapidDeploy’s mission to modernise emergency response for every 9-1-1 center really resonates with me,” Marni said. “There is an urgency to get this transformative technology into the hands of PSAPs as soon as possible, and I’m excited to be part of the team to make that happen.”

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has announced that Lauri Volkert, fire inspector for the Windsor (Conn.) Fire Marshal’s Office, has been named the 2021 Fire and Life Safety Educator of the Year. Each year, the award is bestowed upon an individual who works for a local fire department or fire marshal’s office in North America, consistently uses NFPA materials in creative, educational ways, and demonstrates excellence and innovation in reaching out to the community.

Over the past 12 years as a staff member of the Windsor Fire Marshal’s Office, Volkert has created partnerships with the town’s social and senior services division to reach its most vulnerable residents, using the NFPA Remembering When™ program to reach approximately 200 households, many of which are located in public housing communities. She has also re-imagined and strengthened the town’s fire and life safety educational program, reaching 2,500 students in grades Pre-K through sixth grade through coordinated fire prevention programs in support of Fire Prevention Week each October. In addition, Volkert has established a strong social media presence across multiple platforms to communicate fire and life safety messages to broader audiences within the community.

“Creating and implementing an effective fire prevention program is critical to increased safety, but that’s often a lot easier said than done given today’s stretched budgets and staffing, among other challenges,” said Lorraine Carli, vice president of Outreach & Advocacy at NFPA. “Lauri Volkert’s passion, creativity, and hard work have generated measurable, impactful results for the Town of Windsor. We’re proud to recognise and celebrate her impressive efforts and continued commitment to safety.”

The cumulative impact of Volkert’s efforts is reflected in a 50 percent reduction in structural fire calls to the Windsor Fire Department since 2015, along with a 15 percent decline in reported false alarms and a 27 percent drop in reported cooking fires for the same time period.

Additionally, Volkert played a major role in creating coordinated, effective internal and external communications during the COVID-19 pandemic, finding new ways to promote safety messages in the absence of traditional in-person programming. She has also been a participant of an NFPA Community Risk Assessment pilot program with plans to create a multi-disciplinary approach for future community risk reduction strategies.

As the recipient of the NFPA Fire and Life Safety Educator of the Year award, Volkert will receive a $1,000 honorarium, compensated travel to NFPA Conference & Expo in Boston next June, and an engraved Sparky statue. In addition, the Windsor Fire Marshal’s Office will receive a $1,000 donation to support their public education activities.

All nominations for the NFPA Fire and Life Safety Educator award are submitted to NFPA’s public education division, which reviews all submissions and selects the most qualified recipient.

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Fire Authority have appointed a new chair and vice chair at their first meeting since the latest round of council elections.

Councillor Edna Murphy has been appointed the new chair of the authority, with Councillor Mohammed Jamil appointed vice chair. Liberal Democrat councillor Murphy, who has recently joined the authority, is the first woman chair in the authority’s history. She takes over from Councillor Kevin Reynolds, who remains on the authority after chairing it for the last four years.  

New vice chair Councillor Jamil, from Peterborough City Council, has served on the authority for almost a decade. The Labour councillor has been involved in a number of committees, as well as the Service’s Inclusion Steering Group. 

Councillor Murphy said: “I am delighted to have been voted in as Chair of the Authority and am very proud to be the first woman ever to hold the position. The Service is demonstrating that it is a progressive and inclusive organisation, which are features I am keen to continue to build on.

“It is a very challenging time for the Service as we work to come out of the pandemic. But I am confident that with the strong team in place it will continue to provide an excellent service to the people of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.

“I would like to express my gratitude to Cllr Reynolds for his hard work and dedication to the Service, and add my voice to the thanks offered to him by all members of the Fire Authority at the meeting.” 

Councillor Mohammed Jamil added: “I am very pleased to be appointed as vice chair of the authority. Having served on the authority for a number of years, I am proud to take on the role and look forward to working with the new chair to ensure we continue to be a welcoming and inclusive organisation.”

Chief Fire Officer Chris Strickland said: “We welcome councillors Murphy and Jamil to their new roles on the authority and I am looking forward to working with them and the rest of the authority.”

The appointments were confirmed at the Fire Authority meeting, which took place on Wednesday June 23. Footage of the meeting is available below:

During the recent virtual annual meeting of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) earlier this week, the organisation has announced the completion of its election of its current slate of directors, including one new member.

Amy Acton, a burn survivor, former burn nurse and nurse manager, and CEO of the Phoenix Society for Burn Survivors, is serving her second year of a two-year term as chair. Acton became the second female chair of the NFPA Board in the organization’s 125-year history last year.

The affirmed slate of officers includes Russell Leavitt as first vice chair, R. David Paulison as second vice chair, John Bonney as secretary, Donald Cook and Kwame Cooper as assistant secretaries, Roger Montembeault as treasurer, Michael Wallace as assistant treasurer, and Keith Williams as immediate past chair.

Raj Arora was elected as a new director on the NFPA Board. Arora has more than 20 years’ experience working in all facets of fire protection. He is the CEO of Jensen Hughes – a safety, security, and risk-based engineering, and consulting firm based in Baltimore, Maryland, a role he has held since 2019. Before that, Arora served as the consultancy’s president of strategy and business development, leading the company’s software innovation, business development, marketing, communications, strategy, and mergers and acquisitions operations.

His first professional role upon graduating college was at Tyco International, a firm he returned to (now Johnson Controls) five years prior to joining Jensen Hughes, where he ultimately rose to vice president and general manager of fire detection and special hazards products. Arora also spent 10 years as executive vice president of Arora Engineers and Arora Systems Group, overseeing profit and loss operations, quality assurance and control, and business development.

A University of Maryland graduate, Arora has been recognized with multiple awards during his years in the fire protection industry, including Johnson Controls’ Chairman’s Award for Accountability in 2016, the company’s highest employee honor. Arora has also been honored with the University of Maryland Clark School of Engineering’s Early Career Award, the Tyco CEO Award for Teamwork, Consulting-Specifying Engineer Magazine’s Top 40 under 40, and The Engineers Club of Philadelphia Young Engineer of the Year award in 2008.

Arora joins NFPA Board of Directors members Brion Callori, Reginald Freeman, William Fries, and Lou Paulson, who were elected to their second three-year terms.

The Association for Specialist Fire Protection (ASFP) has expanded its team as part of a structural reorganisation which aims to provide improved member, technical and training services, while further raising the profile of the Association throughout the construction supply chain. The Association has enlarged its technical and marketing teams in order to support and augment its rapid growth and further develop the services it offers.

Ex-CEO Niall Rowan will provide additional technical support as the ASFP’s new Regulatory and Technical Officer. With his extensive knowledge of passive fire protection products, standards and building regulations, he will help to guide the Association’s response to the Government’s legislative agenda, provide technical support to ASFP members and work with construction industry bodies in the development of the new competency framework.  

The ASFP’s marketing team has also been boosted with the appointment of Reece Goodman as Marketing Executive, supported by Max Joyce as Production/Digital Content Executive. Reece has a first-class degree in Business and Marketing from Birmingham City University. He joins the ASFP after two years with escape room company, Escape Live, where he was the Marketing Coordinator, overseeing the company’s mailing and social media campaigns and providing website design and maintenance. Max brings extensive photography, videography and content creation experience having started his own freelance business at the age of 16 and having worked with a variety of creative individuals and businesses.  

Commenting on the growing team, ASFP CEO Steve Davies declared: “The ASFP already has an enviable reputation as a leading authority on passive fire protection but needs to raise its profile in the wider construction industry with a focus on the three key areas of influence, competency and compliance.

“By building a stronger ASFP team, the Association can offer greater support to its members, while continuing to develop its training and technical services and broadening its reach and influence to establish it as  a trusted authority, offering professional advice, education and appropriate qualifications to the wider fire, design and construction sectors.”

For further information on the ASFP and passive fire protection advice, visit www.asfp.org.uk

Leading life-safety-systems manufacturer, C-TEC, has appointed Andy Turner as its new Business Development Manager for System Sales.

With over 25 years’ experience in the fire industry including nine years as one of C-TEC’s Technical Fire Account Managers, Andy has a wealth of experience and is set to play a key role in identifying new business opportunities and assisting the company’s transition into a complete systems solutions provider.

Andy’s primary objective in the newly-created role will be to increase the specification and sales of the companys new state-of-the-art “CAST protocol powered” fire alarm systems including Hush, its revolutionary new BS 5839-6 Grade C domestic fire alarm solution and its EVAC-ALERT BS 8629 compliant evacuation alert system.

Said Andy: “C-TEC is going from strength to strength and this is a fantastic opportunity. I love meeting people and am excited by the prospect of creating new relationships with consultants, specifiers and end users and contributing to our future success and growth by raising awareness of C-TEC’s revolutionary new CAST systems.”
 


Said Charlotte Manley, C-TEC’s Sales Director: “Andy is dynamic, knowledgeable and perfectly qualified for this important position. He has an excellent reputation in the industry and a strong technical sales background. I am confident he will be a success in this new role and am delighted to announce this appointment”.
 

Andy’s new role has resulted in the restructuring of C-TEC’s technical fire account team which is headed up by UK Sales Manager, Brian Foster. Jeff Pankhurst is now responsible for servicing all fire alarm specialist accounts in the Southern region, Craig Swift for the Midlands and Simon Griffiths for the North. All three will be supported by Andy in his new role.

Rosenbauer America have announced that Laurie Rengel will be joining their team as the new Vice President of Customer Service & Aftersales.

Rengel joins Rosenbauer America with extensive global customer service leadership experience from Polaris Industries, Thermo King and other industry-leading organisations. Rengel specialises in leading teams to create a best-in-class, comprehensive customer experience that includes all facets of engagement.

“We are excited to have Laurie join our team of dedicated employees,” said John Slawson, CEO of Rosenbauer America. “Laurie’s experience spans cross-functional leadership with engineering, manufacturing, sales, marketing, dealers and customers directly.”

Rengel expertise and approach includes all-encompassing solutions that leverage teamwork and creativity. She has demonstrated capabilities to build winning teams that exceed customer expectations, including response time, parts, training, documentation, diagnostics, repair and a 360-view of Rosenbauer’s core customer – first responders.

“I am absolutely thrilled to be joining the world’s leading manufacturer of firefighting technology and resources,” said Rengel. “I’m looking forward to working with the valued customers, dealers and talented employees at Rosenbauer America.”

Joining Rosenbauer allows Laurie to bring together her professional and personal core beliefs. Laurie is a longtime supporter of Firefighters for Healing, as well as a number of other fire industry nonprofit organisations.

Following a meeting of the Supervisory Board of Rosenbauer International AG, it has been announced that the contract of CEO Dieter Siegel will be extended early, ensuring that his term will continue for at least the next five years.

Throughout his tenure as CEO, Dieter Siegel has brought the Group successful strategic realignment through measures such as establishing a market-centric area organisation and making a move into the electric mobility market, which is equipping the Group to deal with the challenges that lie ahead.

The Group’s revenues hit the €1 billion mark for the first time ever last year. Dieter Siegel has been working for the Rosenbauer Group since 2009, and assumed the top job as CEO in 2011. 

Looking to the future

It has been a productive start to the year for Rosenbauer. In March they announced the opening of a new customer center in Asten, Austria. They also fought off competition from across Europe to win through as preferred bidder for two major tenders in Germany.

With the future of its leadership now confirmed, Rosenbauer International AG will look to build on its revenues of € 206.2 million that the company registered in the first quarter of 2021 (1-3/2020: € 232.9 million).

Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service have paid tribute to Chief Fire Officer Paul Fuller who passed away peacefully on Monday morning after a short illness.

Fuller served as Chief Fire Officer for Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service for 19 years. Paul was awarded the Queens Fire Service Medal, made a Freeman of the City of London in 2012, and made Commander of the British Empire by her Majesty in the 2016 New Year’s Honours.

The Chair of the Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Authority, Cllr John Chatterley, commented: “I was devastated to learn that Paul had passed away this morning. His leadership and sound advice during the past 19 years as Chief Fire Officer was exemplary, and I know I speak for the whole Fire & Rescue Authority that his loss will be felt by all of us.

“It is particularly sad as Paul was due to retire at the end of June. I know Paul also invested a lot of his time fundraising for a range of charities including the Firefighters Charity, the Children’s Burns Trust and even achieved the incredible feat of climbing Kilimanjaro in 2019. Our thoughts are with his family at this very sad time”.

Bedfordshire’s Deputy Chief Fire Officer, Andy Hopkinson said:“We are still coming to terms with the loss of our beloved Chief, an incredibly well respected man whose outstanding leadership of Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service during almost 2 decades made such a positive difference to our staff, our partners and our communities. There are undoubtedly people walking the streets of Bedfordshire today thanks to Paul’s dedication and devotion to the Fire and Rescue Service.”

“He was an outstanding man with a big character, admired by so many people and whose reputation and influence amongst the fire service community means his loss will be felt not just within Bedfordshire and the UK but around the world. Paul was a personal friend of mine and a great mentor to me during my time here in Bedfordshire and I will personally miss him dearly. This will be an incredibly difficult time for Paul’s family, friends and colleagues, past and present, and our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with them all”.

Paul joined the Fire Service in 1978 and became Chief Fire Officer in Bedfordshire in 2002, having worked in West Midlands, West Sussex, Staffordshire and Wiltshire, as well as a secondment to Warwickshire.

He served on a number of national bodies including President of the Chief Fire Officers Association (CFOA), Chair of CFOA Services Limited, Chair of the Fire Sector Federation, Chair of The Children’s Burns Trust, Chair of Trustees of the Fire Fighters Charity, Chair of Fire Sport UK, represented the UK as part of the UK delegation to the Annual United States Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Conference as well as being a committee member for the Fire Service Parliamentary Scheme.

Paul’s contribution to the UK fire and rescue service was recognised in 2008 when he was awarded the Queens Fire Service Medal, made a Freeman of the City of London in 2012, and made Commander of the British Empire by her Majesty in the 2016 New Year’s Honours. He was appointed Deputy Lieutenant of Bedfordshire in 2017 and made Member of the Order of St John in 2018.