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Safe and sustainable spaces

Meet Ryan! He makes sure that buildings are safe and sustainable to live, work and play in.

RC HS May 23 High Res Indoor Colour

Name: Ryan Collins

Job: Fire Engineer

Company: Trigon Fire Safety

 

Why did you choose to become an engineer?

I chose engineering because it combines problem-solving with tangible real world impacts. During my early civil engineering studies, I discovered fire safety’s critical role in protecting people's lives and property. I loved the complexity of fire dynamics and its overlap with sustainability. It made fire engineering a natural fit for my curiosity, and my desire to create safe spaces to live and work in.

 

What do you love about your job?

I love that fire engineering is both technical and collaborative. My role requires a good scientific understanding while working with architects and contractors to balance safety, aesthetics (how something looks), and buildability (how easy it is to build).

Every project is unique, and applying research driven thinking to real world challenges keeps the work interesting and meaningful.

 

How did you get started as an engineer?

My journey began with a civil engineering undergraduate degree at University College London, where a final year research project on fire-safe design of mass timber buildings sparked my interest.

After graduating, I joined Trigon Fire Safety, gaining hands-on experience across lots of projects. Later, I did a research-led full time Fire Engineering Science Master’s degree at the University of Edinburgh to improve technical knowledge before returning to consultancy.

 

How does your work make a difference to peoples’ lives?

Fire engineering keeps people safe by ensuring buildings are designed for safe to live and work in and can be evacuated in emergencies. It also makes sure that firefighting operations can take place properly if needed.

As well as making sure buildings meet these standards, my work influences sustainability and community well-being. I get to help create make sure  spaces are safe, functional, and environmentally responsible.

Fire safety engineering is about creating environments where people can live and work without fear.

 

What was the last exciting project you worked on?

I recently designed a new training search and rescue training facility, used to simulate real life emergency rescue situations.

The facility will have with a helicopter training module, climbing wall, state of the art wind and wave simulation machines and a training pool.

Because of how the facility will be used, I got to tackle very unique fire safety challenges. One challenge was making sure that people in the building could escape quickly and easily if there was a fire. This would take even longer than in usual buildings, because of the training activities they'll be doing.

The design solutions we developed required us to really think about both smoke movement and how people would evacuate the building safely.

 

What advice would you give a young person who was considering engineering as a future career?

Stay curious and keep learning. Engineering isn’t just about applying theories. It is about asking “why” and challenging assumptions.

I always encourage others to seek opportunities to combine what you learn in school or college with real life experience. You could do internships, research, or mentoring. And remember, communication and teamwork are just as important as the technical skills.

 

What skills and personal qualities are important for being an engineer?

A good engineer is a well-rounded engineer. I would say the most important qualities are:

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