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/
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 safety sector and the ongoing impact of the Internet of Things.
Returning guest Stephen Marsh addresses the unique set of challenges presented by heritage premises when it comes to the installation and management of fire safety systems.
Brian and Mark review the latest fire sector news. Stories covered on this occasion include the Building Safety Regulator reporting record year-end Gateway 2 determinations, the Authoritative Statement recently issued by the Fire Engineers Advisory Panel, the creation of the PV Fire Intelligence Network and the Fire Protection Association’s partnership with FireQual on fire risk assessment qualifications.
17 Oct 2025
Fire Safety Matters Podcast - Episode 46
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 Martyn’s Law) in relation to the fire safety sector and the impact it will exert on product development. There’s also a focus on the statutory guidance being produced by the Government.
A member of the Halma plc Catalyst Programme, Spike Armstrong discusses linear heat detection cable and its use in tandem with solar panel arrays, in turn outlining the key findings of Thermocable’s own research in this area.
As always, Brian and Mark analyse the latest fire sector news.Subjects covered include the Fire and Security Matters Awards 2026, the Women in Fire Safety Awards (which have just been acquired by Western Business Media) and the recent launch of the Fire Protection Association’s 2025 Policy Manifesto.
There’s also detail (courtesy of the London Fire Brigade) on the number of e-bike fires in the capital and news about the introduction of a mental health-focused pack for passive fire protection practitioners developed and issued by the Association for Specialist Fire Protection.
8 Sept 2025
Fire Safety Matters Podcast - Episode 45
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 fire risk assessors, while Stephen explains why school holidays are an ideal time for education sector trusts and academies alike to evaluate their fire detection and alarm systems.
In addition, Brian and Mark review the latest fire sector news.Subjects covered include the most recent set of statistics on building safety remediation issued by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and an e-Learning programme on fire safety introduced for high-rise building managers.
There’s also detail on the news that Warringtonfire has just invested circa £4 million on two furnaces designed to increase the testing capacity at its Birchwood Park facility and an overview of BS 8674 (the recently published British Standard for fire risk assessors).
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Spotify
5.0 / 5
2 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 25 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
18
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
81
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