Looking down into the atrium of the Andrew N. Liveris Building, The University of Queensland
In-house session

No such thing
as bad news.Only bad timing.

A 60-minute session for project and development managers on when to bring in fire engineering, and the early decisions that affect floor area and program.

Andrew N. Liveris Building, The University of Queensland. Image: Christopher Frederick Jones

Training for project teams

Fire safety, explained for the people who run projects.

The Fire Safety First Method

Illustrative
FeasibilityConceptDA / CDCDesign developmentCCConstruction
Cost of a fire-driven changeAbility to shape the designWhere most start (CC)

What the session covers

  1. 01

    Where fire engineering fits

  2. 02

    Deemed-to-Satisfy or Performance Solution

  3. 03

    How people respond to a fire

  4. 04

    The brigade and the certifier

  5. 05

    When to bring in a fire engineer

The Fire Safety First Method

Five principles for every Performance Solution.

S

Safe

  • Simple
  • Integrated
  • Compliant
A

Architectural

  • Purpose
  • Performance
  • Beauty
F

Future-focused

  • Flexible
  • Well documented
  • Manageable
E

Effective

  • Efficient
  • Cost-effective
  • Buildable
T

Transparent

  • Technical
  • Pragmatic
  • Best practice

How we deliver it

Six stages, from feasibility to handover.

Where we start

01

Where we start

Feasibility and due diligence

A fire safety strategy you can sign off

02

Where we start

Concept and planning

Fire safety input for the DA or complying development

03

Fire engineering brief

A brief consulted on with FRNSW or QFR

04

Report and approval

A fire engineering report, peer reviewed where asked

05

Construction

Quick RFI answers and inspections

06

Handover

An inspection report and the maintenance needs for the annual fire safety statement

Modelling done in-house

Smoke and evacuation, modelled by the engineers who write the report.

Our smoke model of a fire in the retail podium at Parkline Place, 20 minutes in
Our evacuation model of a government office floor in Sydney

Smoke (FDS): a podium fire at Parkline Place, 20 minutes in.

Evacuation (Pathfinder): a government office floor in Sydney.

On real projects

A selection of recent work.

Parkline Place, looking up the tower
11floors over a metro station

Parkline Place

Workplace · NSW · 2025

Dairy Farmers' Corner, artist's impression
31storeys

Dairy Farmers' Corner

Residential · NSW · 2026

Moorebank Intermodal Precinct West from the air
3warehouses

Moorebank Intermodal Precinct West

Industrial · NSW · 2025

The stage in the new hall at Katoomba High School
726people

Katoomba High School hall

Education · NSW · built 2024

Darling Park towers at dusk
8projects

Darling Park Tower 1

Workplace · NSW · 2025

Nine sectors

  • Education
  • Commercial workplace
  • Industrial
  • Residential
  • Mission critical
  • Healthcare and science
  • Public buildings
  • Sports and entertainment
  • Retail
Eliot Reeves
Eliot ReevesDirector · Presents the session

How it works

One hour. Your team.
Your projects.

01

Pick a time

Lunch, breakfast or a learning and development slot.

02

Send us your projects

We build the examples around your team's current work.

03

We come to you

In person at your office, presented by a director.

Your presenter

Eliot has worked in fire safety engineering since 2007, in Australia, the UK, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Asia, including eight years at Norman Disney & Young. He founded Minerva Group and leads its Sydney office.

  • RegistrationRegistered certifier – fire safety (NSW)
  • CharteredCPEng, National Engineering Register
  • QualifiedMSc (Eng) Fire and Explosion Engineering