Fire & Rescue Agenda

Steve Apter QFSM, Fire & Life Safety Consultant | AESG

Discover how AI is transforming risk modelling, code compliance, and predictive safety systems to build smarter, safer urban environments

Moderator:
Ghaith Bakir, Senior Fire & Safety Specialist | UL Solutions

Panellists:

• Lt. Colonel Dr. Humaid ALAli, Chief Fire Officer - Deputy Director of Fire Affairs | General Command of Civil Defense, UAE
• Selenay Simsek, Principal Consultant - Fire & Life Safety | WSP
• David Black, Director | Joule Group
• Racha Ghazzawi, Senior Fire Protection Consultant | Siena

Nick Searle QFSM, Chief Fire Officer | Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service

• A brief overview of the challenges of Highrise fires and evacuations
• Opening the considerations for Crowd Management and Accessibility within the design phase
• Evacuation strategies and management
• Fire Service challenges
  

Moderator:
Robert Rea, Principal Operations | Design Confidence

Panellists:

• Bachar Kabalan, Head of Crowd Dynamics Engineering | Design Confidence
• Dania Al-Adhami, Head of Accessibility and Inclusivity | Design Confidence
• Steve Apter QFSM, Fire & Life Safety Consultant | AESG

As industrial operations expand across the GCC, dust explosion hazards are emerging as a critical focus area for safety and regulatory alignment. This fireside chat explores how proactive consultancy and standardization can move the region from awareness to meaningful action. Industry leaders will discuss practical pathways to strengthen enforcement and elevate design and engineering practices, covering key aspects such as risk assessment, hazard mitigation, and compliance with international benchmarks. Beyond technical excellence, the session also reflects a commitment to giving back to society by advancing collective knowledge and building safer workplaces. Through collaboration and shared accountability, the discussion aims to foster a prevention-driven culture that protects both people and assets across industries.

• Eng. Salma Humaid Saeed, Head of Drawings and Projects Section, Directorate General | Dubai Civil Defence
• Ihab Farag, Managing Director | Fike

Several fatal fires, combined with evolving construction methods, have prompted a critical reassessment of how we fight structure fires. The central question that emerged was: should the fire service adapt its operational approach to be more effective and to enhance firefighter safety?

This reflection led to the development of a new firefighting method: The Quadrant Model. The model introduces a fresh tactical perspective on structure fires, offering not only a new approach to firefighting operations but also a redefined view of incident command and leadership. With this model, the incident commander is equipped with a more versatile toolbox to make the right decisions.

Speaker:
Stephan Wevers, President, Chief Fire Officer |The Federation of European Fire Officers | Fire Service Twente

Seek Ying Yong, APAC Business Development Manager | FM Approvals

Project delivery in the Middle East typically involves project handovers of approved construction drawings, specifications, and reports by the Architect and Engineer of Record teams to the contractor and an FLS consulting team representing Civil Defense. These fast-moving project transitions require adaptability, technical skill, and urgency to respond effectively to aggressive delivery objectives within resource-constrained environments. The ability of the FLS consulting team to interpret the intent of performance-based design criteria, provide critical guidance to the site team, and perform construction monitoring to ensure material and systems installations are aligned with performance criteria are essential to ensure successful project delivery and public safety. These activities take place within the domain of construction surveillance.

Wail Almuharzi, Managing Director | Aman

As the UAE and GCC accelerate their transition toward large-scale renewable and battery energy storage, safety validation has emerged as a critical enabler of sustainable growth. This high-level panel unites leaders from Emirates Safety Lab, Dubai Civil Defense, DEWA, Fike, and regional consultants to explore the pioneering journey behind certifying one of the first BESS thermal management solutions in the Middle East. The session highlights rigorous testing, data-driven evaluation, and cross-sector collaboration that shaped this milestone. Participants will share insights on establishing new certification pathways, strengthening regional safety frameworks, and setting a benchmark for innovation and resilience across the GCC energy ecosystem.

• Joanne Awale, Technical Director | AESG
• Mohammed Al Saeefan, Fire Protection Engineering Specialist | Saudi Aramco 

• Awareness and current statistics on real-life EV fires
• Global approach and protection strategies
• Stakeholder obligations:
• EV manufacture – latest technologies, passive built-in fire safety measures
• Building fire strategy – fire safety design measures and authority requirements
• Operational fire safety - Facilities management emergency preparedness
• Look Ahead/Future Gazing – GCC approach and authority guidelines
  
  

Muhammad Talha, Associate – FLS Lead | WSP
Christopher Chennell, Technical Director | HKA

Capt Roslan Bin Aziz, Assistant Fire Commissioner | Malaysia Fire and Rescue Department, Malaysia

• Moving beyond code compliance to occupant-focused safety strategies
• Key principles for ensuring safe evacuation and emergency response readiness
• Collaborative design approaches that align architects, engineers, and safety specialists
• Innovative practices in smoke management, refuge planning, and system resilience

Vinay Deshpande, Founder, Managing Director | Vitruvius Fire Safety Consulting FZ LLC

• Community resource mapping, mobilization and deployment in emergency.
• Accessibility Audits of emergency shelters and evacuation routes
• Personalized emergency plans for PWDs
• Training of Emergency responders on disability awareness.
• Challenges of Community emergency response Plans

Francis Owiti, Airport Rescue Firefighter | Kenya Aiports Authority (KAA)

Mike Brunzell, VP Global Business Development | NFPA

• Jim Pauley, President and CEO | NFPA
• Lt. Col. Dr Essa Ahmed Al Mutawa, Assistant Commander for Smart Services & Chief AI Officer | Dubai Civil Defence

Moderator:
Dana Kamal, Director, International Development MENA | NFPA

Panellists:

• Major Eng. Ali Hassan Al Madfai, Head of Executive Affairs | Abu Dhabi Civil Defence Authority
• Eng. Salma Humaid Saeed, Head of Drawings and Projects Section, Directorate General | Dubai Civil Defence
• Major Mohamed Al Abbar, Head of the Inspection Division | Bahrain General Directorate of Civil Defence
• Abdurahman Al Ghanem, Mechanical & Fire and Safety Engineer | Qatar Civil Defence

Speakers:

• Ibrahim Lari, CEO | Sibca
• Richard Peason, Chief Product Officer | Omniconn

Speakers:

• Jim Pauley, President & CEO | NFPA
• Olga Caledonia, Director International Business Development | NFPA

Speaker & Moderator:
Sawsan Dahham, Founder & Chief Executive Officer | SIENA

Panellists:

• Mohammed Al Saeefan, Fire Protection Engineering Specialist | Saudi Aramco
• Khalid Al Mandil, Executive Director and Fire Commissioner | Red Sea Global
• Major Mohamed Al Hanaee, Fire Protection Engineer | Abu Dhabi Civil Defence Authority
• Ihab Al Bairam, AVP Community Management | Damac

Lorraine Carli, VP Outreach and Advocacy | NFPA

Moderator:
David Campbell, General Manager | Emirates Safety Laboratory

Panellists:

• Steve Hamm, CEO | IFE
• Maher AlAlam, Specification & BOQ Manager | SIENA
• Lieutenant Col Dr. Hamad Abdulkarim Al Maazmi, Director of the Protection and Safety Department | Sharjah Civil Defence Authority
• Eng. Mohamed Al Marzooqi, Engineer - Civil Protection Department | Abu Dhabi Civil Defence Authority

Panellists:

• Jazyah AlDossary, Fire Protection Engineer and Training Supervisor | Saudi Aramco
• Dr. Aissam Bouadjel, HSQ Manager | Fujairah Oil Industrial Zone
• Captain Eng. Salman Albuflasa, Protection & Safety Officer | General Directorate of Civil Defense - Kingdom of Bahrain
• Captain Mahdi Al Ahbabi, Officer of the Inspection and Licensing Section | General Directorate of Civil Defence in Qatar
• Capt. Eng Abdulrahman Alghanem, Mechanical, Fire &  Safety Engineer | Qatar Civil Defence 

Mike Brunzell, VP Global Business Development | NFPA

How the ASFP is creating thought leadership and producing tangible outputs in support of transforming the passive fire sector from a trade into a profession. From design through occupation, the entire design and construction chain can now formally evidence both organisational and individual competency via a comprehensive competency framework, coupled with reinforcing mechanisms such as third-party certification.

Mike Ward, Managing Director | ASFP

An Approach to the systematic handling of building risk condition requirements and how legal duty holders can work collaboratively to get to the appropriate system designs.

Paul Mcsoley, Design Specialist | ASFP

This session explores the relationship between Construction Product Regulations (CPR) and Building Regulations in the UK. It will clarify how construction products must demonstrate performance and compliance through CE or UKCA marking, and how these requirements align with broader regulatory frameworks governing building safety.

Andrew Taylor, Head of Technical | ASFP

At Intersec 2026 in Dubai, the Association for Specialist Fire Protection (ASFP) will lead a high-level panel discussion addressing how the built environment can enhance building safety through improved passive fire protection (PFP). The session, chaired by ASFP’s Head of Technical, Dr Andrew Taylor, and Paul McSoley, will focus on aligning design processes with construction practices and advancing the testing and certification of PFP products to better reflect real-world conditions.

Key themes include restoring confidence in certification systems, understanding global regulatory developments, exploring opportunities for harmonised standards, and strengthening competence across the full lifecycle—from specification to installation. Supported by leading industry partners such as Coopers, Fire Compliance Plus, Fire Door Inspectors, Jotun, Warrington, and CLM, the panel will deliver a technically robust discussion on the future of passive fire protection. This session is a critical opportunity to contribute to the development of safer, more resilient buildings worldwide.

• Andrew Taylor, Head of Technical | ASFP
• Paul Mcsoley, Design Specialist | ASFP

This session is targeted to stakeholders of the fire door safety management process, including those who are involved with building design, product and system specification, procurement of products and services, and installation and management of buildings throughout their life.

Hannah Mansell, Fire Door Specialist | ASFP

This session explores the essential role of competence in ensuring effective passive fire protection. It highlights the need for proper training, third-party certification, and a thorough understanding of design, installation, and maintenance practices. Attendees will gain insight into how competence at every stage, from specification to inspection, helps safeguard lives, property, and meet legal obligations in fire safety.

Kate Milford, Competence Specialist | ASFP

This panel session will explore how the built environment can rebuild trust in passive fire protection through greater rigour, accountability, and innovation.

Key topics include improving testing and certification processes to better reflect real-world conditions and restore credibility, examining global regulatory shifts and the potential for harmonised standards, and addressing competence across the entire lifecycle, from specification to installation. The session will also delve into the risks and opportunities posed by new materials and products, the role of digital tools in ensuring traceability and compliance, and how a culture of ethical leadership and accountability can drive meaningful change. Real-world failures, reforms, and success stories will provide a foundation for discussion and future action

• Hannah Mansell, Fire Door Specialist | ASFP
• Kate Milford, Competence Specialist | ASFP