In my first episode, I mentioned that I'm doing this podcast to preserve some amazing conversations and share them with a larger audience, as sometimes it is a huge waste of interesting thoughts that remain just between the few people participating in a talk. This part of the podcast mission is what I'm trying to achieve with today's episode. I had the privilege to be a part of an amazing discussion between fire science giants Steve Gwynne from Movement Strategies and Mike Spearpoint from OFR, who also happen to be amazing amateur philosophers. I throw them some difficult questions on why the industry is driven to do science. How is the industry doing science? Does it differ from the world of academia? What are the metrics the industry would measure the value of research? And they give me simply amazing answers, based on their very long practical experience.

This is a little different episode than the usual fire science, but it shows a lot of 'why' we do fire science. I think understanding how and why we do science is as important as the science itself, and some of the thoughts in the episode such as that the biggest impact is entering the building code with your research or the scrutiny and reputation related to research, are just profound. I think it is critical to understand how the world of science works if we are to trust the research that comes from that world. I'm aware this episode is not for every fire engineer, but I hope that those who find it interesting will find a lot of value within it. Just as I did.

This episode is also historical, as it is the first episode created in partnership with OFR Consultants, who are the diamond sponsor of the podcast for the year 2023. Please allow me to introduce OFR to you. And you can learn more and connect with them at their website. 

OFR Consultants is a multi-award-winning independent consultancy dedicated to addressing fire safety challenges. OFR is the UK’s leading fire risk consultancy. Its globally established team has developed a reputation for pre-eminent fire engineering expertise, with colleagues working across the world to help protect people, property, and the planet. 

 Established in the UK in 2016 as a start-up business of two highly experienced fire engineering consultants, the business has grown phenomenally in just six years with offices across the country in seven locations – from Edinburgh to Bath. Colleagues are on a mission to continually explore the challenges that fire creates for clients and society, applying the best research, experience and diligence for effective tailored solutions.

Thank you to the SFPE for recognizing me with the 2025 SFPE Fire Safety Engineering Award! Huge thanks to YOU for being a part of this, and big thanks to the OFR for supporting me over the years.

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The Fire Science Show is produced by the Fire Science Media in collaboration with OFR Consultants. Thank you to the podcast sponsor for their continuous support towards our mission.