President’s Message

Justin McEntyre, President, Fire Protection Association of New Zealand (FPANZ), writes that in order to address current and future challenges we must encourage innovation, embrace new technologies, and take ownership of our role in safeguarding the public.

Firstly, I would like to pay mention of my long serving predecessor Chris Mak, now immediate past president. Chris has guided FPANZ and the Fire Protection industry for many years and I am very privileged to have the opportunity to work alongside Chris at an industry level. Chris continues to support and guide me on my journey with FPANZ.

Also a huge thankyou to Scott Lawson our CEO and Elaine Christy CFO for the diligent work you both do in running FPANZ and the annual task of delivering a world class Fire Protection conference and Expo here in New Zealand.

As I look back on my first year as President of the Fire Protection Association of New Zealand (FPANZ), I am struck by the immense responsibility and privilege that comes with being in a leadership role in this industry at a critical time.

The past year has brought both challenges and opportunities as we continue to safeguard our communities. It has been a year of learning, growth, and an increased awareness of the stakes at hand for our sector. Our industry is in the position of facing challenges and actions including Government review of Fire regulations, global implications from the fall out of Grenfell Tower disaster enquiry, emerging technologies, societal changes, and economic restrictions.

There is real opportunity for major impact from this. These opportunities only present every 10+ years and I encourage everyone to stay focused, stay engaged and contribute to the ongoing improvement of the Fire safety and Fire Protection industry.

The recent release of the Stage 2 report from the Grenfell Tower disaster in the UK serves as a sobering reminder of the consequences of failures in fire protection systems. The report highlights a cascade of lapses— from regulatory oversight to product certification and installation and sadly dishonest behaviour —that culminated in a tragedy on the greatest scale.

As we consider this report, it’s crucial to ask: how do we, in New Zealand, compare? Are we taking proactive steps to ensure our standards remain stringent and our systems robust? While we have made strides in certain areas, we cannot afford complacency. We must remain vigilant in our pursuit of fire safety and take lessons from Grenfell seriously, applying them to our own unique context. It would be foolish to assume that we are perfect here in NZ and ignore this chance for greater learnings and improvements across the sector.

The landscape of fire protection is constantly evolving, influenced by new technologies, design trends, societal changes, climate change, sustainable initiatives, and external pressures. These advances often outpace regulation and standard practice, requiring us to innovate just as quickly.

Throughout the history of Fire protection, the solutions to these external challenges have been solved from within our industry, be it new technologies, regulation, engineering, or education and training. Therefore, the solution to current and future challenges will also rest upon us from within the industry. We cannot simply react to change—we must lead it.

It is tempting, at times, to fall into a complicit mindset, relying on established norms or shielding ourselves with indemnity clauses, liability protections, and rigid compliance frameworks. However, this approach does little to advance the cause of fire safety or protect the public.

I challenge every member of this industry to reject complacency. We must be contributors to solutions, not bystanders who hide behind the legalities of indemnity and liability. The consequences of failure are too great, and our role is too important to take lightly.

Whether we are designing systems, approving products, or installing fire protection measures, we all have a part to play in raising the standard. We must encourage innovation, embrace new technologies, and take ownership of our role in safeguarding the public and remain a respected industry.

This year we have an international and domestic speaker list stacked with talent and brilliant insights so please take the time at FireNZ 2024 to consider, learn and think how & where you can implement positive changes to the Fire protection across NZ and ensure you are a part of the solution.