Fire Protection Podcast

Drew brings two of Inspect Point's own onto the show this time: John Ryan, a senior solution engineer who came up through the product and engineering side, and Jimmy Snowden, who leads the support team and spent years as a technician and inspection manager before joining the company. If you've caught their monthly customer session, "Coffee with Jimmy and John," this is the same back and forth, now...

Shawn Mahoney of NFPA's Technical Services team joins Drew for his fourth time on The Fire Protection Podcast, and this one covers a lot of ground before landing on a problem the industry keeps stepping over: construction-site fires. You've seen the headlines. A light wood-frame building goes up mid-construction, and the whole thing is gone, like the Denver complex that took a 238-unit building wi...

Levi Rock got laid off for three weeks when COVID hit, and it changed how he thought about job security. In 2020 he started Red Seal Fire Protection in Windsor, Ontario, and grew it to 17 employees in five years by keeping it simple: show up when you say you will, turn reports and deficiency quotes around within 48 hours, and get out of the way so customers never have to think about their fire pro...

Ray Fremont Jr., president of General Air Products, joins Drew to talk about the air supply side of dry pipe sprinkler systems. General Air Products has been building air compressors for fire sprinkler systems since the 1960s, and the Fremont family has been in the compressed air business since the 1930s. Ray covers how dry system air supply has changed over the last century: plant air compressors...

Dr. Roger Reiswig, Industry Liaison at Johnson Controls, joins Drew for a conversation spanning nearly 40 years of fire alarm industry experience. Roger started as a Simplex technician in 1986 and now represents JCI across NFPA, UL, FM, and international organizations including the European Alarm Association (Uralarm). Topics include how countries outside the US often adopt NFPA codes faster than...

Bob Marshall, CEO of Whisker Labs, joins Drew Slocum on Episode 92 to discuss Ting, the IoT sensor that monitors home electrical systems for arcing hazards before they become fires. In this episode: How Ting takes 30 million electrical measurements per second from a single outlet The on-device and cloud AI that detects electrical arcing using image recognition 26,000+ hazards identified (and growi...

0:00 - Paper documents, hydrant flow testing, and lost inspection data 04:59 - Deficiencies are not a gotcha game 8:47 - Ontario Fire Code limits and NFPA 25 enforcement gaps 15:23 - Strategic planning and involving Al 20:20 - 2025 highlights, consistency, and "what I'd do differently" 24:05 - Current state of the fire protection industry 40:27 - Notable fire incidents & what we learned from real...

Timestamps: 00:00 Why 2025 fire protection data matters 02:47 2025 fire protection industry report preview 06:28 Why fire protection businesses need a tech stack 08:42 Inspection dollars vs service proposals 11:46 Deficiency approvals and compliance platforms 17:05 Common fire inspection deficiencies 24:53 NFPA questions and inspection data quality 29:42 Growth of regional fire protection companie...

In Episode 89, Drew Slocum welcomes Scott Reynolds, Co-Founder and CEO of UpCodes, for a deep dive into the future of building codes, AI-driven code research, and the growing need for accessible, reliable, and continually updated code information across the built environment. Scott shares the origin story of UpCodes, starting with his early career in architecture—working internationally in Hong Ko...

Timestamps: 00:00 - Introducing today's guest 01:57 - Launching the first Al agent 04:19 - How AI adoption changes business processes 06:58 - Code complexity in fire protection 09:30 - Generative Al vs agentic Al explained 12:10 - How data supports better decisions 14:39 - FireCAD design assistant and design workflow gains 18:56 - Passion, innovation, and industry growth 19:49 - OEMs, contractors,...

In this episode of The Fire Protection Podcast, host Drew Slocum sits down with Grant Lobdell, President of Dyne Fire Protection Labs, to discuss one of the most pressing issues facing the fire protection industry today—sprinkler testing and system maintenance. Grant shares insights on Dyne’s acquisition by NFPA Global Solutions and how this new initiative supports NFPA’s life safety mission. The...

00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome 02:15 Jason’s Background and GEM Systems 03:40 Integrating Design, Engineering, and Distribution 07:47 Navigating COVID-19 and Supply Chain Shifts 12:06 Expanding into Sprinkler Design 15:20 AI, Data Centers & Code Shifts 17:44 Connectivity, Safety & Working Together 22:17 Codes, Compliance, and Public Safety 23:58 Efficiency, Software, and Real-Time Solutions...

00:00 Introduction & Conference Recap 03:50 Jim's Background, NFPA's History and Mission 10:49 Public Awareness & "Code for Every Moment" Campaign 14:15 NFPA's Fire & Life Safety Ecosystem 16:18 Reverse Renovations with Jonathan Scott 18:23 Real-World Code Application & Lessons from Tragedies 21:54 How Codes and Standards Are Written 24:43 Code Update Cycles and Politics 28:58 Making Codes Approac...

Timestamps 00:00 Welcome & Introduction 02:35 Karsten’s Journey into Fire Protection 07:26 Why Recurring Revenue Matters 09:32 Turning Installs into Service Contracts 11:13 Customer Service as a Growth Driver 13:09 AHJ Compliance Platforms & Industry Shifts 14:28 Navigating Local Jurisdiction Challenges 18:18 Risk Management and System Types 19:33 Karsten’s Favorite Systems to Work On 24:45 Suppre...

Timestamps 00:00 Introducing Rob Stewart and Fire Tech 02:51 Real-World Fire Protection Stories 06:36 Rob’s Background and Industry Goals 09:10 Fire Protection Training Needs & Demographics 11:48 Cross-Training Between Sprinkler & Alarm Disciplines 14:35 Documentation Challenges & The Role of the Back Office 20:00 Evolving Codes, Jurisdictional Differences, and AHJ Influence 22:24 Updating Trainin...

00:00 From Technician to Entrepreneur 02:20 Dakota’s Background & Apprenticeship Path 04:34 Motivation to Start a Business 06:30 Identifying a Niche in the Fire Industry 08:39 Learning Design and Troubleshooting 09:35 Teaching Himself FireCAD + Early Wins 14:33 Balancing Install, Design & Multiple Projects 18:02 Favorite Systems & What Works Best 21:05 The Problem with Proprietary Equipment 22:26...

Drew chats with Glen Tipton, Director of Solution Engineering at BuildOps, about bridging the gap between install and service in the fire protection world. They dive into how BuildOps’ new partnership with Inspect Point is helping contractors streamline project management, inspections, and compliance. Packed with insights on recurring revenue, workforce challenges, and real-world tech adoption, th...

Join host Drew Slocum as he sits down with Kyle Jarvenpaa, VP of Business Development at Space Age Electronics, a company specializing in fire and life safety system components since 1963. Kyle pulls back the curtain on Space Age's unique "niche within a niche," discussing their role in supporting OEMs, contractors, and engineers through complementary products and a focus on efficiency. Dive deep...

Host Drew Slocum sits down with August and Tony Conte of FireCAD to discuss the recent acquisition by Inspect Point and what it means for the future of the industry. Hear directly from August about his incredible 60-year journey in fire alarm and how FireCAD was born out of a need for better, faster design tools. Tony dives into how FireCAD is revolutionizing fire alarm system design, saving compa...

In this engaging podcast episode, host Drew Slocum welcomes fire protection expert Lee Kaiser from ORR Protection for an in-depth conversation covering a wide array of industry topics. From the cultural buzz around the Kentucky Derby to the critical importance of data center fire safety and the evolving challenges of lithium-ion battery protection, Lee shares his expertise and insights. Lee and Dr...

Shawn Mahoney from NFPA joins The Fire Protection Podcast in this episode to discuss the challenges and solutions surrounding fire doors and dampers. The episode explores why these critical elements of passive fire protection sometimes get overlooked in favor of active systems like sprinklers and fire alarms. Shawn explains the code requirements (NFPA 80 and 105), the inspection process, and the c...

Join host Drew Slocum as he chats with Jeff Pirro, a volunteer firefighter and sales professional at Inspect Point, on this episode of The Fire Protection Podcast! Jeff shares his unique perspective, growing up with a firefighter father and now serving his community as a volunteer. They discuss the critical role of fire safety and prevention, emphasizing the importance of residential fire sprinkle...

On this episode of The Fire Protection Podcast, host Drew Slocum talks with Jason Webb, a fire protection expert and recovering AHJ, about the intricacies of fire protection codes and standards. Jason discusses his career journey from firefighter paramedic to his role in the National Fire Sprinkler Association (NFSA) and his work with Potter. Tune in to hear a discussion on the differences between...

In this episode of the Fire Protection Podcast, host Drew Slocum talks with Ben Pitts and Jamie Knowles of Amerex, the world's leading fire extinguisher manufacturer, about lithium-ion battery fires and the challenges of putting them out. They discuss the importance of using the right fire extinguisher for the job and highlight some of the latest trends in fire protection, including the growing po...

In this episode of the Fire Protection Podcast, powered by Inspect Point, host Drew Slocum interviews Victor Stagnaro, the CEO of the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation. The episode is being released on Giving Tuesday, and for every demo booked in December, Inspect Point will donate $100 to the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation.   Victor describes the work of the National Fallen Firefig...