Ask the Expert – Fireco

Fireco’s Sasha Brigden gets the lowdown on fire doors from Fireco Engineer Martin Pearce. Martin explores fire door regulation, inspection and maintenance 

In 2019 the Fire Door Inspection Scheme carried out research which revealed that a shocking 76% of doors inspected were deemed unfit for purpose.  

Many of our products are either installed onto fire doors or are related to fire doors in some way. It concerned us to realise that we were potentially installing our products onto non-compliant doors. And through a lack of specialist fire door training, we couldn’t do much more than recommend customers book an inspection with another provider. 

With many customers already asking us whether we offered fire door services, we decided it was time to take action and start getting our team certified so that we could offer a range of fire door services!  

After launching the services in 2021, we’ve since introduced fire door inspections, measure up and supply, and supply and install. We’ve partnered with a range of certified door manufacturers so that we can offer compliant doorsets and our team has undergone rigorous training, achieving certification with BM TRADA and FDIS. 

With that in mind, we wanted to sit down with Martin Pearce, one of Fireco’s Engineers, to find out more about his journey into the world of fire doors and how he can help people keep theirs safe and compliant! 

Hi Martin! I thought we could start with you telling us a bit about your career background and how this has evolved into working with fire doors. 

My first job after leaving college was as a trainee manager with a timber importer. Since then I have held several different jobs, both employed and self-employed. Although I didn’t plan it, those jobs have all involved working with, within or alongside the timber industry. 

So you already had some knowledge that could be applied to working with fire doors! Tell us more about your journey into that fire door world. 

I joined Fireco as a Field Service Engineer, surveying, installing and servicing products used on fire doors and training others. It was an obvious step to take when I was offered the chance to be trained in fire door installation and inspection as I was already working with them. 

First and foremost, what are fire doors and why are they important? 

For most, and perhaps all of its life, a fire door will have the same purpose as a ‘normal’ door. It allows passage through the walls in a building. However, if there is a fire then, unlike a normal door, the fire door has to perform its primary and critical function of containing the fire, potentially suppressing the fire and protecting escape routes.  

People should think of a fire door as an ‘engineered life safety product’. It’s an essential part of the fire safety system in a building, protecting people as well as the contents and the fabric of the building. 

Rebecca Morpeth Spayne,
Editor, International Fire Buyer
Tel: +44 (0) 1622 823 922
Email: [email protected]