October Issue 2025

The October edition of International Fire Buyer examines how fire protection is shifting from traditional system procurement to evidence-led resilience planning. 

We open with Alan Brinson of the European Fire Sprinkler Network, who challenges the commercial logic that still treats suppression as a regulatory expense rather than a strategic safeguard. His insight exposes the financial pressures shaping system choice in urban developments. 

In our Innovator feature, Dirk Sprakel of FOGTEC and the International Water Mist Association outlines how water mist has moved beyond niche deployment. With growing demand from energy storage, heritage protection and commercial sectors, mist systems are being measured on ESG performance, adaptability and lifecycle value. 

Our Cover Story for this issue features Lakeland Fire + Safety’s Barry Phillips, Doug Dafler, and Kevin Wiltbank who discuss true head-to-toe protection.

This issue also tracks the evolution of firefighting equipment, where pumps are no longer just mechanical units but integrated infrastructure connected to data, proportioning accuracy and logistics. 

Our wildfire analysis highlights how mobility, intelligence and continuous water supply now define frontline effectiveness, replacing reactive tactics with coordinated, system-led response. 

We conclude with a technical review of fluorine-free foam, where success depends on calibration, delivery hardware and verified field performance rather than chemistry alone.