Fire Safety Matters Podcast

Fire Safety Matters Podcast

Fire Safety Matters is the UK‘s leading B2B publication covering fire safety and evacuation. Every month the FSM editorial team of Brian Sims and Mark Sennett will analyse the latest news as well as getting a legal perspective from lawyer Warren Spencer who has prosecuted more than 150 cases under the Fire Safety Order. Brian and Mark will also interview guests each episode talking about the latest industry trends and to help share best practice. You can also see breaking daily news at www.fsmatters.com The FSM Podcast is sponsored by The Fire Safety Event, which takes place at NEC Birmingham on 8-10 April 2025. For more information or to register to attend for free visit https://www.firesafetyevent.com/

Episodes

January 26, 2026 54 mins

Episode 47 of the Fire Safety Matters Podcast includes detailed interviews with Richard Heaton (CEO) and Mike Lythgoe (sales director) from the Protec Fire and Security Group and also Stephen Marsh, head of sales at Cygnus (the developer of wireless fire detection and alarm systems).

Richard and Mike focus on several key areas, among them the immediate roadmap for the fire s...

Mark as Played

Episode 46 of the Fire Safety Matters Podcast features exclusive interviews with Derrick Hall (director of sales and marketing) and Kevin Mears (head of product management) at Kentec Electronics, while Brian also hears from Spike Armstrong (business development manager for Thermocable).

Derrick and Kevin concentrate on the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 (ie Mart...

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September 8, 2025 51 mins

Episode 45 of the Fire Safety Matters Podcast features two exclusive interviews. Brian hears from Darren Ellis, qualifications manager at FireQual, and Stephen Marsh (head of sales at wireless fire detection and alarm systems manufacturer Cygnus).

Darren focuses his attentions on FireQual as an organisation, the importance of competence in the sector and qualifications for f...

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Episode 44 of the Fire Safety Matters Podcast includes Mark interviewing Mike Sutton, business development manager at Apollo Fire Detectors. Mike’s a proud member of the Institute of Fire Safety Managers (IFSM) and the Institution of Fire Engineers in addition to being an associate member of the National Association of Healthcare Fire Officers.

On this occasion, Mike focuses...

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Episode 43 of the Fire Safety Matters Podcast sees Mark Sennett chatting with Warren Spencer about appealing Enforcement and Prohibition Notices.

Mark also sits down with Hochiki Europe's Martin Green and EA-RS Fire Enginering's Kevin Pullen to discuss key regulatory changes impacting fire safety system installations, the benefits of manufacturer-led training programs and much more.

In the news on this episode, Mark shares views pu...

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February 27, 2025 58 mins

Episode 42 of the Fire Safety Matters Podcast features Mark chatting with our regular guest Warren Spencer (managing director of Blackhurst Budd Solicitors) about a specific Case Study in the healthcare sector and also why fines apportioned in the fire sector tend to be lower than for prosecutions in the Health and Safety domain. Brian interviews Lee Nichols (technical director at Siderise). Lee concen...

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January 30, 2025 52 mins

Episode 41 of the Fire Safety Matters Podcast includes interviews with Mark Whiteley (sales director for the UK and Ireland at asecos), Tony Smith (managing director of Vox Ignis) and Mandy Bowden (fire systems manager for Comelit-PAC).

Mark Whiteley discusses the dangers posed by lithium-ion batteries, while Tony Smith concentrates on standards development and the future ro...

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November 13, 2024 63 mins

Episode 40 of the Fire Safety Matters Podcast features a trio of exclusive interviews with our guests Warren Spencer (managing director of Blackhurst Budd Solicitors), Craig Wells (sales director at Quelfire) and Phil Kirkham (engineering manager for applied technology at Elta Fans).

Warren Spencer chats with Mark about the Mock Trial held at Fire Safety Matters Live Manches...

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September 13, 2024 68 mins

Episode 39 of the Fire Safety Matters Podcast focuses on the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 2 final report. Mark and Brian take an in-depth look at the report and share comments from key stakeholders from across the UK fire sector.

This episode also contains two exclusive interviews featuring the opinions of Tom Brookes (managing director of Zzeus Training and chair of the Fir...

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Episode 38 of the Fire Safety Matters Podcast includes Mark chatting with James Pecz, head of global business development at Ramtech Electronics, the Nottingham-based developer of wireless electronic solutions.

James focuses his attentions on fire safety regulations in the UK, a comparison of standards on home shores versus the rest of the world, the overriding requirement f...

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Episode 37 of the Fire Safety Matters Podcast features exclusive interviews with three special guests: Richard Hull (Professor of Chemistry and Fire Science in the School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences at the University of Central Lancashire), Martin Green (commercial training and support manager at Hochiki Europe in the UK) and Paul Tilbury, divisional manager for fire systems at distributor Dynam...

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Episode 36 of the Fire Safety Matters Podcast features exclusive interviews with regular contributor Warren Spencer (managing director at Blackhurst Budd Solicitors), Terry Edge (independent expert and consultant on furniture fire safety) and David Fitzpatrick, general manager in the UK for SMAY Ventilation Systems.

In conversation with Mark Sennett (the CEO of Western Busin...

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December 4, 2023 69 mins

Episode 35 of the Fire Safety Matters Podcast includes Brian in conversation with Alasdair Perry (CEO at the British Automatic Fire Sprinkler Association) and Craig Wells, sales director at passive fire protection solutions specialist Quelfire.

Ali Perry began his career in the Fire and Rescue Service by serving for just shy of seven years with the Lothian and Borders Fire a...

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October 6, 2023 60 mins

Episode 34 of the Fire Safety Matters Podcast features Brian in discussion with a duo of sector specialists: Steve McGuirk (executive officer at the Fire Sector Federation) and Derrick Hall, sales and marketing director for life safety control systems developer Kentec Electronics.

A former Board director for the Institution of Fire Engineers, Steve was recognised for his con...

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Episode 33 of the Fire Safety Matters Podcast features Brian in discussion with special guest Judith Schulz, a director of – and the fire safety engineering team leader at – specialist consultant Arup.

The proud holder of qualifications from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, the University of Southampton and, indeed, the University of Cambridge, Judith has led the Fire Sk...

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Episode 32 of the Fire Safety Matters Podcast witnesses Western Business Media’s CEO Mark Sennett in conversation with regular guest Warren Spencer (managing director at Blackhurst Budd Solicitors). Warren reviews the two-hour webinar run jointly by Blackhurst Budd Solicitors and Fire Safety Matters on Friday 2 June, which concentrated on the ramifications of proposed Government amendments to the Regulat...

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Episode 31 of the Fire Safety Matters Podcast includes Mark Sennett (CEO at Western Business Media) interviewing regular guest Warren Spencer (managing director at Blackhurst Budd Solicitors). The duo chat about a special two-hour webinar focused on the ramifications of proposed Government amendments to the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order. The webinar, which is being run jointly by Blackhurst Budd ...

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February 7, 2023 71 mins

On Episode 30 of the Fire Safety Matters Podcast, Mark Sennett (CEO at Western Business Media) chats with Derrick Hall (director of sales for Kentec Electronics) and Craig Puddefoot, managing director at London-based fire safety systems installer Early Birds Fire Protection Ltd. During the interview, Derrick and Craig concentrate on two core issues pertaining to the fire sector: training and the installation of fire safety systems.

...

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January 9, 2023 44 mins

Episode 29 of the Fire Safety Matters Podcast includes Mark Sennett (CEO at Western Business Media and the founder of Fire Safety Matters) in conversation with Andrew Cooper, the managing director of Global HSE Solutions (and Global Technical Services), the company firmly focused on fire safety engineering and passive fire protection services. During the course of the interview, Andrew turns his attentions towards developments at t...

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December 9, 2022 53 mins

Episode 28 of the Fire Safety Matters Podcast features Mark Sennett (CEO at Western Business Media) once again chatting with our regular Fire Safety Matters Podcast guest Warren Spencer (managing director at Blackhurst Budd Solicitors). On this occasion, Warren outlines the new fire safety legislation being brought forward in 2023.

In addition, Mark hears from Colin Smith (field product manager for the UK life safety division at Ea...

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