International Women’s Day: Women contributing to fire and life safety leadership
Iain Hoey
Share this content
International Women’s Day provides an opportunity to recognise the work of professionals across the fire and life safety sector.
Across engineering, standards development, operational leadership and personal protective equipment design, women continue to contribute knowledge and leadership that support safer buildings, workplaces and communities.
Over the past year, International Fire and Safety Journal (IFSJ) and Fire and Safety Journal Americas (FSJA) have published interviews and features with women working across different areas of the fire safety profession. These articles address topics including detection systems, regulatory standards, fire protection engineering, PPE development and firefighter health.
The following selection highlights several of those contributions.
Richelle Sinclair – The Fire Knight
Richelle Sinclair, Executive Representative to the CEO at The Fire Knight, discusses how fire protection strategies must adapt to changing fire behaviour linked to modern materials and faster incident growth.
Her article examines how legacy detection and suppression approaches may struggle to address emerging risks as construction materials and building environments evolve.
Read the full article:
https://internationalfireandsafetyjournal.com/smart-detect-firek-night/
Sarah Lawson – Advanced
Sarah Lawson, Operations Director at Advanced, provides insight into the company’s strategy for expanding in the United States fire safety market.
The interview discusses compliance requirements, intelligent fire alarm technology and the role of integrated systems in meeting regulatory expectations.
Read the full article:
https://internationalfireandsafetyjournal.com/ul-axis-advanced-us/
Rekha Agrawal – KiddeFenwal
Rekha Agrawal, CEO of KiddeFenwal, appears in two International Fire and Safety Journal interviews examining organisational change and fire protection challenges.
In the first article, Agrawal discusses how private equity investment can influence operational practice, governance structures and decision-making in fire protection organisations.
Read the article:
https://internationalfireandsafetyjournal.com/private-equity-kidde/
In a second interview, she reflects on KiddeFenwal’s first year as an independent business and discusses safety considerations across three high-risk global applications.
Read the article:
https://internationalfireandsafetyjournal.com/the-100-year-startup-kiddefenwal/
Sawsan Dahham – SIENA
Sawsan Dahham, CEO of SIENA, examines fire and life safety planning for large-scale developments across the Gulf Cooperation Council region.
Her article discusses the fire safety considerations associated with giga-projects, skyscrapers, rehabilitation work and complex engineering environments.
Read the full article:
https://internationalfireandsafetyjournal.com/fire-and-life-safety-sawsan-dahham-gcc/
Jo Garner – Bristol Uniforms
Jo Garner, General Manager at Bristol Uniforms, reflects on her first year leading the business and outlines product and service priorities within the firefighter PPE sector.
The article addresses product development, customer engagement and the operational considerations involved in supplying protective clothing for fire services.
Read the full article:
https://internationalfireandsafetyjournal.com/strength-in-stitching-how-msas-bristol-team-builds-firefighter-ready-ppe/
Nicola John – Fire Door Maintenance
Nicola John, Managing Director at Fire Door Maintenance, discusses the role of training and competence in fire door safety.
Her article focuses on how duty holders, maintenance teams and contractors can meet regulatory expectations through consistent inspection, maintenance and education programmes.
Read the full article:
https://internationalfireandsafetyjournal.com/rethinking-fire-door-safety-why-fire-door-maintenance-says-competence-still-needs-work/
Anne Hayes – BSI
Anne Hayes, Director of Sectors and Standards Development at BSI, discusses the update to BS 9991:2024 and its implications for residential fire safety.
The article considers how the revised standard may affect building design, fire engineering approaches and regulatory compliance for residential developments.
Read the full article:
https://internationalfireandsafetyjournal.com/rethinking-fire-door-safety-why-fire-door-maintenance-says-competence-still-needs-work/
Leah Kosolofski – Transport Canada
In Fire and Safety Journal Americas’ Women in Fire and Safety series, Leah Kosolofski, ARFF Specialist for Transport Canada, discusses occupational cancer risks in the fire service and the importance of awareness and education.
She reflects on her experiences in the industry and how they informed her advocacy for improved understanding of firefighter health risks.
Read the full article:
https://fireandsafetyjournalamericas.com/women-in-fire-and-safety-leah-kosolofski/
Kelly Franko – Seraphina Safety Apparel
Kelly Franko, Founder of Seraphina Safety Apparel, discusses the development of personal protective equipment designed specifically for women.
Her article also addresses the creation of the Alliance of Women’s Safety Apparel Manufacturers, a non-profit association supporting the development and availability of women’s PPE.
Read the full article:
https://fireandsafetyjournalamericas.com/women-in-fire-and-safety-kelly-franko/
Amy Roosa – The Safety Rack
Amy Roosa, Founder and Executive Director of The Safety Rack, discusses the “PPE paradox” and the need for protective equipment designed to fit women in the workplace.
The article also highlights her work to close the PPE equity gap through education, research and advocacy initiatives.
Read the full article:
https://fireandsafetyjournalamericas.com/women-in-fire-and-safety-amy-roosa/
Lauren Burke DeVere – Fire-Dex
Lauren Burke DeVere, President and CEO-elect of Fire-Dex, discusses leadership within the fire safety industry and her upcoming transition into the company’s top executive role.
She reflects on career progression, organisational priorities and balancing professional responsibilities with family life.
Read the full article:
https://fireandsafetyjournalamericas.com/women-in-fire-and-safety/
Recognising contributions across fire safety
The perspectives highlighted here address practical challenges facing the sector today. From adapting fire detection to modern materials and managing organisational change, to improving firefighter PPE design and updating residential safety standards, each article focuses on a specific issue affecting fire and life safety professionals.
Together, they provide insight into the work being carried out across engineering, manufacturing, regulatory development and frontline safety practice. The interviews and features also show how professionals across different regions and disciplines contribute to improving systems, standards and operational approaches.
International Women’s Day offers a moment to revisit these conversations and recognise the individuals contributing their knowledge, leadership and experience to the continued development of fire safety practice.