O2 Fire and Risk celebrated the launch of their company in Christchurch recently at an event that was attended by many from Christchurch’s construction industry, and which coincided with the International Symposium on Fire Safety Science at the University of Canterbury.
The new fire engineering consultancy is a joint venture between New Zealand’s OnFire Consulting and Australia’s Olsson Fire & Risk Consulting Engineers.
O2 fire and risk director Per Olsson is confident the fire safety engineers will do well, especially in Christchurch, and has relocated his family to the city from Melbourne. His wife Nicola is from Christchurch and is happy to be home.
“There are just so many great opportunities in Christchurch, and we felt it was really important to have a presence here in the city. We are really looking forward to getting underway,” Mr Olsson says.
Addressing major shortage of fire engineers
The new company hopes to address the major shortage of fire engineers not only in Christchurch but other parts of New Zealand. Mr Olsson says that recently the shortages have led to many projects being delayed.
The company has the capacity to draw not only on its sound local knowledge, but the additional capacity that partnering with a large Australian company brings.
Director Debbie Scott, originally from Christchurch, is “excited to be helping the city rebuild”. Ms Scott is an independent expert for the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE), and has had considerable input into the Protection from Fire framework as part of New Zealand’s new Building Code.
The company’s Wellington office is led by Nick Saunders, a former building standards senior advisor at the MBIE.
Olsson Fire & Risk is one of the largest fire engineering firms in Asia Pacific, and has experience in airports, civil defence, commercial, education, fire station, healthcare, high rise, hotels, industrial, office buildings, rail tunnels, residential, retail and shopping malls.
OnFire Consulting Ltd is a boutique fire engineering consultancy that works on a variety of large and small projects throughout New Zealand and the Pacific.
