Luminite appoints Laura Grainge as new director

by Featured NewsPeople

Luminite has appointed Laura Grainger as Director of Sales and Marketing. Laura has earned a promotion from within the company after she joined nine years ago and has played a key role in building relationships with distributors and end users, contributing to the wider growth of the business.

Graham Creek MD said “Laura is a vital member of the team and has proven to be a strategic Sales and Marketing Manager. Our future plans for growth with the addition and development of our wireless security range will entail a larger team which Laura will head and oversee.”

Commenting on the new appointment, Laura said “This opportunity comes at an exciting time for Luminite. Our increasingly diverse product range is opening up new and challenging avenues for the Company and I look forward to driving our sales and marketing plans forward.

Luminite manufactures PIR detection, wireless switching, IP connectivity and wireless alert systems. The North London based company has been around for more than 37 years operating in both the security and home automation markets.

Christopher Garrigues joins Vacaville Fire Department, California

by Americas - Featured NewsFeatured NewsPeople

Christopher Garrigues has joined the Vacaville Fire Department after serving more than nine years at the Georgetown Fire Protection District, in Georgetown, California. Garrigues was one of 41 GEOFire Family members that comprised of career and volunteer firefighters.

Garrigues joined the GEOFire Family in 2012 as a volunteer and over the last nine years became an integral part of the department’s daily operations. The GEOFire Family has wished Garrigues the best as he has taken a position with the Vacaville Fire Department.

Garrigues has worked full-time for the department for the last year as a firefighter / paramedic. Garrigues assisted the department in several different ways, the Georgetown unit said in a press statement. His quick wit, honesty, professionalism, listening ear and true ability to care for others were an inspiration to everyone at the station, the news release added.

MAF Associates makes three key appointments

by Featured NewsPeople

Fire risk assessment and consultancy specialist MAF Associates has unveiled three key appointments, strengthening its office and technical teams. The firm claims its gearing up for demand for its services expected to grow as enforcement of the Fire Safety Act 2021 begins, PAS9980 is unveiled, and the Building Safety Bill passes into law.

The frontline team has been boosted with the hiring of Mark Wells as facade project manager and Ben Mason as fire risk assessment manager, while Trudy Pickard joins the team at MAF Associates’ Leicestershire head office as client services coordinator.

Mike Fox, founder, and managing director of MAF Associates said: “…2021 was a relatively quiet year as we waited for legislation to be passed and guidance to be published, we can expect 2022 to be a busy one, which is why we wanted to ensure we had the right people in place to meet demand. With new legislation coming into force and rapidly evolving government policy on the issue of defective cladding, our surveying and fire risk assessment teams are going to be very busy, so it was vital to find people with the appropriate skills and experience.

Trudy Pickard.

“One thing that has become clear since Grenfell is that the UK does not have enough professionals to meet demand for all of the inspections and surveys that are required, especially when it comes to external inspections and cladding in particular. We take pride in being one of the few companies that can offer a full range of internal and external fire risk assessments, and the latest additions will further enhance that capability.”

Wells, an industry veteran, has joined the company after spending a decade in the Middle East. He said: “After working in the Middle East for a decade, and subsequently on projects as diverse as the Abu Dhabi F1 Circuit and the Walkie Talkie in the City of London, I have found my skills to be in unprecedented demand over the last five years. I am pleased to be joining the MAF Associates team, where there is a clear mission to support bringing all UK buildings up to the proper fire safety standards, while also offering the training and support to bring more people into the industry.”

Fox launched MAF Associates in 2010, initially focusing on the provision of expert witness services for insurers and construction companies. Before founding MAF Associates, he had worked for three decades in the construction sector, including posts with roofing, cladding and building products companies.

Ben Mason.

From UFC fighter to US firefighter, who is Stipe Miocic?

by Americas - Breaking NewsBreaking NewsPeople

Former UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic has been sworn in as a full-time firefighter. Miocic has devoted the last 12 years to an American fire station where he works as a firefighter.

The 39-year-old has been made fulltime firefighter after being put through several rounds of tests and checks. He now serves at the Westlake Fire Department in Ohio.

City mayor Dennis M. Clough described the occasion as a “a historic day for the city of Westlake.”

He previously worked part-time for Valley View Fire Department where he cleaned the toilets the morning after his fights.

Miocic last fought in March 2021, where he squared off against Francis Ngannou, which ended in a victory for the later. The loss also meant Miocic lost his heavyweight honours.

Telgian Fire Safety appoints Ryan Smith as Senior Vice President of Sales

by People

Telgian Fire Safety recently announced the promotion of Ryan Smith to Senior Vice President of Sales. In this position, Smith will align the sales organisation’s objectives with business strategy through strategic planning, sales strategy development, forecasting, resource planning and budgeting. Smith will also develop sales strategies with operations and account executives to ensure successful onboarding of new accounts, implement marketing programs to increase brand awareness, and improve the customer’s experience.

Smith’s career spans more than 25 years as an effective corporate executive. His extensive knowledge of management, business development and operations includes forecasting, market intelligence, data analysis, operations and team management.

In his 17-year career at Telgian, he has been a vital contributor to the company’s strategic planning and corporate initiatives. This includes developing fire protection and life safety solutions for a wide range of business sectors such as commercial real estate, retail and grocery, warehousing and distribution, government, healthcare facilities, and education, among others.

Smith’s professional accreditations include a Certified Fire Protection Specialist (CFPS) designation from National Fire Protection Association, a Facility Management Professional (FMP) designation from International Facility Management Association and a Certified Product Owner (CPO) certification from the Scrum Alliance, as well as licenses for Property and Casualty Insurance and Life and Health Insurance License, both from the State of California.

In addition, he plays an integral role in international codes and standards training programs and is a member of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), as well as the International Facility Management Association (IFMA).

Smith conducted his Fire Sprinkler Inspector Training at Oklahoma State University. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Economics from the University of California, Santa Barbara, as well as an MBA from Arizona State University’s W.P. Carey School of Business.

www.telgian.com/

Chevron Phillips Chemical names Justine Smith senior vice president, petrochemicals

by People

Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LLC (CPChem) announced that Justine Smith has joined the company as senior vice president, petrochemicals. Smith replaces Ron Corn, who will retire after more than 40 years with CPChem and Chevron Corporation.

“Ron’s leadership has helped put CPChem on a path for sustainable growth in our business and in how we view diversity and inclusion, people development and safety,” said Mark Lashier, president and CEO. “He was instrumental in the inception, development, construction and safe startup of our U.S. Gulf Coast Petrochemicals Project assets in Baytown and Old Ocean, Texas. His efforts to enhance safety performance through respect and collaboration at all levels of the workforce and advance the company’s focus on developing a diverse talent pipeline leave a lasting impact on our future.”

Smith joins the company from BASF Corporation where she was vice president of intermediates, amines and specialties. During her tenure with BASF, she held numerous roles of increasing responsibility including vice president of global oilfield solutions; vice president of regional business management plastics additives in Asia Pacific; and head of strategic marketing and projects in Asia Pacific. Smith began her career with Air Products, where she served in various engineering and commercial operations roles. She holds a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Pennsylvania State University and a master’s degree in chemical engineering from Villanova University.

“Justine brings to CPChem her deep industry knowledge, demonstrated strategic business acumen and extensive leadership experience in the U.S. and abroad,” said Lashier. “She has a proven track record of driving business results and fostering people development and organizational growth, both of which will help CPChem as we grow and work to achieve our vision to be the employer, supplier, neighbour and investment of choice in our industry.”

https://www.cpchem.com/

CertAlarm announces new Chair of Technical Advisory Group

by People

CertAlarm, an organisation offering a pan-European quality mark in the fire protection and security systems industry, has appointed Dr. Benoît Stockbroeckx as new Chair of its Technical Advisory Group (TAG). The TAG is CertAlarm’s organ to provide technical guidance on issues such as the interpretation of the respective standards or on the monitoring of the competence and integrity of the participating certification bodies and test laboratories.

Dr. Benoît Stockbroeckx, who is Technical Manager of Euralarm, the European trade association representing the fire and security Industry, was until recently Head of Division Laboratory at ANPI, a Belgian association in the field of fire and theft prevention in which all industrial federations and professional associations as well as the government are represented. He is also an expert in several working groups within CENELEC TC79 and has a long experience within CEN TC72.

“I have always been convinced that a pan-European certification based on mutual recognition can benefit the whole fire and security market and I look forward to contributing further to this objective”, says Dr. Benoît Stockbroeckx.

“Dr. Stockbroeckx has many years of experience in the field of fire protection and security system products certification. He is also a proven expert in the field of alarm transmission systems. We are therefore delighted to be able to build on his experience in the future”, adds Anja Kinsky, General Manager of CertAlarm.

https://certalarm.org/

BAFE and FireQual announce management appointments

by People

BAFE FireQual Ltd are pleased to announce that they have appointed Nic Preston as the FireQual Qualifications Manager from 1st September 2020.

Nic has over 14 years of experience in the training and development sector with a proven ability in quality assurance demonstrated in several roles influencing training environments within the UK. His most recent roles have been developing and implementing growth strategies as Chief Executive of SFEDI Awards, the Awarding Organisation for enterprise development. Alongside this he has also been responsible for their compliance with regulatory systems across the UK and was the Responsible Officer for their systems for learners and training centres.

Nic said “Introducing a range of high quality nationally recognised qualifications for the betterment of fire protection services and staff within the fire safety industry will be a rewarding task. FireQual has huge potential to make the industry safer and demonstrably more competent and I look forward to the challenge this offers. Although FireQual is a new venture, it builds on the vast array of knowledge and expertise within the sector both within BAFE and through our valued external partners who continue to support this new endeavour as we move forward. I welcome the opportunity to work with a range of excellent industry partners, training organisations and their candidates to build new relationships and opportunities as we move forward.”

Stephen Adams, Chief Executive – BAFE, added “We believe FireQual is being entrusted in very good hands with Nic. His experience will be invaluable in the development of this Awarding Organisation. This is a big opportunity to develop individual skills to ensure that competence remains at the forefront of the fire safety industry. We are pursuing this because we know that it is the right thing to do in the interest of life safety.”

The BAFE Fire Safety Register is delighted to announce that Chris Auger, currently the BAFE Head of Schemes, has been promoted to Director of Schemes, with responsibility for the organisation and development of existing and new schemes, together with our quality assurance and complaints management. He will have the vital day to day support role with BAFE licensed Certification Bodies.

Chris continues to do a first class job with his work on the Hackitt Working Groups and other stakeholders, especially to promote the value of Third Party Certification and competence, which is now gaining much stronger traction, with the support of UKAS. He has brought a much stronger profile for BAFE amongst a wide range of influencers across the construction sector.

Chris commented: “The BAFE Competence schemes continue to grow and develop, with registrations rising even during the lock down period. We are grateful to Companies and Certification Bodies for continuing to recognise the importance of Third Party Certification and finding new methods to ensure compliance. We have a number of new initiatives to support the industry, specifiers and end users and I am delighted to be taking on this role. With the development of FireQual there will also be a genuine prospect to include accredited technician competence into more of our Company schemes, which will be considered by our dedicated Scheme Monitoring Groups. This will consider all appropriate training and qualifications available, not just FireQual. Organisational competency and evidence of individual expertise remains the forefront of this discussion.”

www.bafe.org.uk/

Larry Lacefield named Telgian Fire Safety President

by Americas - Featured NewsPeople

Telgian Fire Safety (TFS) recently announced the appointment of Larry L. Lacefield as President. In this position, Lacefield will maintain strategic and operational responsibility for all TFS business operations.

Lacefield is a dynamic and proven business leader with more than 20 years of successful experience leading high-impact, operational initiatives. As an innovative and growth-focused executive, he has an extensive background in guiding cross-functional teams and in the effective delivery of program objectives and quality service.

“Highly skilled in the development and implementation of strategy, operational capacity, risk management, and performance metrics, Larry’s leadership will ensure Telgian Fire Safety’s ongoing commitment to quality service,” says Telgian CEO James Tomes.

A retired U.S. Navy Master Chief, his military career in the Special Warfare Command included various global operational roles. In addition, he completed combat tours in the Middle East, Asia and many other areas around the world. Lacefield is the recipient of numerous military awards, including Meritorious Service Medals, Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medals and multiple combat operational award medals. As a keynote speaker for civilian and military organisations, he continues to demonstrate a strong commitment to our country and community.

In addition, he is a member of the Medical Science Liaison Society, as well as the American College of Healthcare Executives. Lacefield also holds the designation of Project Management Professional (PMP), is a Lean 6 Sigma Green Belt and holds Top Secret Clearance SCI.

Lacefield earned a Bachelor of Science from Touro TUI University and graduated from the US Naval War College with a degree in Executive Leadership and Organizational Leadership. Additionally, he holds a Master’s Degree in Global Business Leadership from the University of San Diego and completed the Management Development Program at the Harvard Business School San Diego Alumni Association.

www.telgian.com/

New Chair for National Fire Chiefs Council announced

by People

Mr Mark Hardingham will become chair of the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) from 1 April 2021, succeeding Roy Wilsher, who has held the post since April 2017 and the NFCC’s formation.

In a press release, the FCC stated that Mr Hardingham – currently chief fire officer for Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service, and chair of NFCC’s protection and business safety committee – will take over as chair in April next year for an ‘initial two-year period’. He will succeed Mr Wilsher, who has been chair since the NFCC was formed in April 2017.

NFCC board of trustees chair Teresa Budworth stated: ‘Firstly, I would like to thank Roy for his dedication and hard work for NFCC. Under his leadership, NFCC has achieved so much in a relatively short period of time. It is testament to Roy that NFCC has established a pivotal role in advising government and supporting fire and rescue services [FRSs] across the UK, while implementing national policy and delivering critical national workstreams.

‘NFCC was formed only two-and-a-half months before the tragic Grenfell Tower fire. Roy offered the sector and government outstanding help and guidance, during a very demanding period. His membership on the government’s expert panel and now as chair of the protection board has been pivotal in making change for the better.

‘It is a credit to his leadership that the NFCC is in the strong position it is today ensuring fire is on the front foot and able to continue to protect our communities with excellence.  I would like to give him my sincere thanks. I would also like to welcome Mark to the role of NFCC chair. He brings with him a wealth of experience, especially with his protection role and his tireless work on a new building safety framework.

‘I am sure NFCC will continue to go from strength-to-strength under his leadership.’

Mr Wilsher added: ‘It has been an honour to serve as NFCC’s inaugural chair since 2017 and I will continue to do my best for the council over the coming months. I have always said a key success factor for my tenure would be the appointment of a second NFCC chair. NFCC is now an influential organisation, based on our technical expertise, professional knowledge and relationships. It is well-established and respected, and I have set sound policy and financial foundations for the future.

‘I will continue to move NFCC forward on its journey until Mark takes on the role in April 2021. We have seen big changes since NFCC was introduced and I am proud of these achievements. To lead the fire sector through – at times — a profoundly difficult time and to be instrumental in implementing changes for the better, has been a privilege.

‘I would like to wish Mark the very best for when he takes on the role of NFCC chair. I am in no doubt he will build on what is already in place and NFCC will continue on its journey and achieve many more successes.’

Mr Hardingham commented: ‘I am delighted and excited to be taking on the role of NFCC chair in 2021. I have worked closely with Roy throughout his tenure and seen first-hand his commitment and dedication to establishing the NFCC as the trusted and respected professional voice of UK FRSs.I look forward to working with my chief fire officer colleagues and the wider NFCC membership and staff as we approach the challenges and opportunities throughout my term.’

www.nationalfirechiefs.org.uk/