Please introduce yourself and tell us about your career to date.
I’m a Senior Fire Engineer at OFR Consultants. Prior to that I graduated from the University of Edinburgh with a Master’s Degree with Honours in Structural and Fire Safety Engineering.
Describe your role or position within your current workplace and what a typical working day looks like.
My main role as a fire engineer is to support our clients in developing a building design that keeps people safe in the event of a fire and complying with the applicable fire safety legislation. I balance developing the fire strategy for a building and supporting the development of my junior colleagues, with meeting the client’s expectations for complex designs. This involves writing reports, attending multi-discipline meetings, solving technical queries, and presenting fire strategy concepts.
In addition to my main role as a fire engineer, I am part of an internal specialist team exploring fire safety during construction; a topic I became interested in during my time as a trainee site manager while in my fourth and fifth year of university which was also the topic of my Master’s thesis. I am also a trained mental health first aider, and work within the company to support the mental wellbeing of my colleagues, whilst doing my bit to reduce the stigma about talking about mental health.
Are there any particular challenges or unusual aspects to your role?
With a range of different projects that I’ve worked on, while no day is the same, I am constantly learning new things. It was quite difficult to recognise that I am always going to have questions about the fire engineering industry.
What do you find most enjoyable about your job?
I love the fact that my days are always different. I work on such a range of projects that I haven’t repeated a day yet! I enjoy problem solving, exploring different guidance documents, trying to understand what the fire engineering principles are that inform the recommendations in guidance, and learning from my colleagues on how they have utilised a fire engineering approach to solve similar issues. I learn something new every week, from projects, clients and colleagues!
Is there a great professional achievement or high-profile accomplishment that you would like to tell us about in a previous role or your current one?
In December 2024, I presented a research paper, ‘A Survey of Fire Loads on Private Residential Balconies in England’ at the International Tall Building Conference in London. I’m very proud of this as it was my first authored paper, and it won the SFPE Fire Research Project award in 2023. I’m also especially proud because I have suffered from anxiety for many years and was able to overcome it to present in front of around 200 people.
What inspired you to become an engineer or pointed you towards an engineering career?
I’ve always really liked creating and building things, the satisfaction of working on something, and getting a physical, tangible result. As a child, I remember watching a documentary on the demolition of the Sheffield cooling towers, and I decided I wanted to understand how buildings worked so I could do that one day. As I attended university open days during my A Levels, I learnt about fire engineering in Edinburgh, and decided that was the route I wanted to go down.
What contributed to your decision to gain IFE membership / become professionally registered?
I am currently working towards my chartership through the IFE, as I see professional registration as an important way to demonstrate both my competence and commitment to the fire engineering profession. It provides assurance to colleagues and design teams, especially those I may be meeting for the first time, that I work to recognised professional standards. In an sector where competence and ethics are critical, registration offers the most credible and widely recognised route to evidencing these qualities. It also supports my ongoing professional development and connects me to a community of practitioners, helping me to stay up to date and contribute to improving fire safety for the public.
How have you benefitted from being a member/registrant with the IFE (career, personally)?
Being a member of the IFE has already supported my professional development by providing a clear pathway towards chartership. Achieving this status will enable me to assume greater responsibility within OFR and provide stronger support to my colleagues. Because chartership is a widely recognised title within the construction sector, it also enhances my credibility when engaging with new clients, both during bids and throughout project delivery. Beyond the technical recognition, membership demonstrates that I uphold high ethical and sustainable standards, which is increasingly important in our sector. Personally, I value being part of a professional community that encourages continuous learning and helps me stay aligned with best practices.
Would you recommend joining the IFE to others? If so, why?
Yes, I would strongly recommend joining the IFE. Membership and registration provide a recognised and credible way to demonstrate competence within the fire engineering profession. It also offers valuable opportunities for professional growth through CPD, access to a network of like-minded professionals, and the chance to contribute to raising standards across the sector. For anyone serious about their career in fire engineering, I believe IFE membership is the most effective way to show their commitment and professionalism
Is there any advice you would pass on to someone considering professional registration / IFE membership?
As someone currently working on my chartership application, I’m finding it difficult to recognise my own achievements. I would recommend that people approach colleagues they’ve worked with, to help recognise what they’ve managed and achieved.