John McGrath– Business Development Manager – ACEDES Autonomous Fire Prevention
What does fire safety mean to you?
Safety is about more than just the best equipment or extinguishing a flame. It’s about confidence. True safety means the people working under our systems feel so secure that they can actually relax and focus on their own jobs. When people feel protected, they are more productive and can deliver their best service.
What has been your most embarrassing moment professionally?
The one that instantly springs to mind is pretty recent. I was conducting a routine check on our PYROsmart system at a client’s tipping room floor. I used a hot plate to simulate a heat source, and the system did exactly what it was designed to do: it sounded the alarm and activated the fire monitor at the “threat”.
I moved the hot plate aside to keep it from getting wet, but while I wasn’t looking, the system resumed scanning, found the new location where I had “hidden” the plate, and retargeted it. Just as I bent down to pick it back up, the monitor fired. I got hit square in the side of the head and was completely soaked—and yes, it was all caught on video. It was a damp reminder that our FalconEx system is always working.
What is your most important fire safety tip?
Awareness. Fires happen because of unplanned events or because procedures aren’t being followed. By staying aware of our surroundings, we can spot maintenance needs or broken protocols before they turn into emergencies.
Spotting these and taking action requires us to be constantly aware and that is not always easy, but it is a habit that we can, and must, develop.
What do you consider to be your greatest success, either professionally or outside of work?
I spent ten years helping build a small tech company from the ground up, expanding it internationally, before we eventually sold it. For me, the success wasn’t the sale itself—it was the challenge of navigating those “startup” hurdles with a great team. I feel like I’ve come full circle at ACEDES. We have a fantastic local team in North America, backed by the expertise of two leading German firms, and I plan on making this the project I’m most proud of.
Are there any particular trends you are seeing in the industry today?
The one that stands out would be the growing adoption of automation over the last 10 years and this is being successfully applied to more processes. This improves our overall efficiency as well as letting our staff be more productive. There are still new technologies out there that will help us refine and streamline further both in the processing and fire protection/prevention industries.
If you didn’t work in the industry, what do you think you would be doing?
If I weren’t in this industry, I’d like to think that I could cut it as a professional furniture maker as it’s a big hobby of mine, though it can be a bit lonely as a full-time job. For now, I’m happy saving that for retirement.
If you could be part of any fictional universe, book, film or TV, what would it be?
I’m a huge Star Wars fan so there is no doubt that I’d be right there with the Resistance fighting the good fight!
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