Fire Protection Podcast

Hosted by Inspect Point, Drew Slocum

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Jun 2026

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About the show

The Fire Protection Podcast dives deep into topics of the fire protection industry. Fire alarm, sprinkler, suppression, extinguishers and other life safety systems are discussed. Leaders from all over the world talk about new technologies and processes that are helping improve the fire safety community.

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June 3, 202637 min

From Fitter to Founder with Levi Rock of Red Seal Fire Protection

Levi Rock got laid off for three weeks when COVID hit, and it changed how he thought about job security. In 2020 he started Red Seal Fire Protection in Windsor, Ontario, and grew it to 17 employees in five years by keeping it simple: show up when you say you will, turn reports and deficiency quotes around within 48 hours, and get out of the way so customers never have to think about their fire protection. In this episode, Levi joins Drew Slocum to talk about building a service-first fire protection business. They cover the recurring-revenue membership model behind it, why he says no to most new-installation work, how Red Seal uses social media to educate property managers and recruit fitters, and how Inspect Point replaced their PDF forms with consistent, faster reporting. They also get into the gap between NFPA 25 and the Ontario Fire Code, why contractors and AHJs need to communicate more, and why human expertise still beats generic AI on fire code. Episode #95. The Fire Protection Podcast, powered by Inspect Point. Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 01:31 Welcome and why Levi's on the show 02:56 From sprinkler fitter to founder during COVID 07:50 The edge: speed, communication, 48-hour turnarounds 11:30 Moving off PDF forms to Inspect Point 13:35 Capturing asset data to power AI tools 15:42 The membership model and predictable budgets 20:02 Marketing fire protection and recruiting techs 23:32 The AI content problem and fire code accuracy 25:54 The fire protection education gap and training AHJs 28:34 NFPA 25 vs the Ontario Fire Code (and ULC 536/537) 33:11 Training the next generation 34:13 What's next for Red Seal 37:19 Wrap-up

May 20, 202641 min

Why Your Dry System Leaks More Than You Think

Ray Fremont Jr., president of General Air Products, joins Drew to talk about the air supply side of dry pipe sprinkler systems. General Air Products has been building air compressors for fire sprinkler systems since the 1960s, and the Fremont family has been in the compressed air business since the 1930s. Ray covers how dry system air supply has changed over the last century: plant air compressors and schedule 40 pipe, the shift to thin-wall steel, nitrogen generators, and a newer vapor corrosion inhibitor technology called Vapor Pipe Shield that creates a molecular barrier on the inside of the pipe. They also dig into some real problems: most dry systems leak well beyond what NFPA 25 allows, jurisdictions are a decade behind on code adoption, and air compressor maintenance still gets skipped. Ray previews a new digital monitoring device that tracks compressor cycling and flags system issues before they turn into failures. It's the kind of predictive data the sprinkler side has never had.

April 15, 202640 min

The Code Committee Insider: Fire Alarms, CO Detection & What’s Coming Next

Dr. Roger Reiswig, Industry Liaison at Johnson Controls, joins Drew for a conversation spanning nearly 40 years of fire alarm industry experience. Roger started as a Simplex technician in 1986 and now represents JCI across NFPA, UL, FM, and international organizations including the European Alarm Association (Uralarm). Topics include how countries outside the US often adopt NFPA codes faster than US states, the differences between European EN standards and NFPA/UL requirements, Europe's mandatory smoke detector replacement cycles, the new 40-foot ceiling allowance for smoke detectors in NFPA 72, remote and automated inspection technology and its UL listing challenges, how UL and NFPA standards push each other forward, the birth of NFPA 3 and NFPA 4 for integrated testing (now showing up in building codes), Canada's ULC certification model, and the history of carbon monoxide detection moving from NFPA 720 into NFPA 72. Timestamps: 0:00 - Cold open 0:27 - Episode intro 1:36 - Drew and Roger connect 2:14 - Global adoption of NFPA codes 3:39 - How aggressively other countries adopt new editions 5:03 - Why US states are slow to adopt 7:51 - Roger's career: Simplex technician to JCI liaison 10:15 - European standards (EN) vs NFPA 11:39 - Europe's smoke detector replacement requirements 14:15 - Smoke detector placement at 40-foot ceilings 17:08 - Remote and automated inspection technology 20:34 - UL listing challenges for remote testing 23:45 - Mass notification: UL 864 to UL 2572 24:34 - The 2010 NFPA 72 scope change 26:00 - NFPA 3 and NFPA 4 for integrated testing 29:49 - Canada's ULC standards vs US 32:13 - Carbon monoxide detection in NFPA 72 36:52 - How CO detectors are tested 39:11 - Wrap-up Learn more about Inspect Point: https://www.inspectpoint.com Request a demo: https://www.inspectpoint.com/get-a-demo LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/inspect-point YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@inspectpoint

March 25, 202643 min

Behind the Scenes with IoT Monitoring: What Homeowners Miss About Electrical Fires

Bob Marshall, CEO of Whisker Labs, joins Drew Slocum on Episode 92 to discuss Ting, the IoT sensor that monitors home electrical systems for arcing hazards before they become fires. In this episode: How Ting takes 30 million electrical measurements per second from a single outlet The on-device and cloud AI that detects electrical arcing using image recognition 26,000+ hazards identified (and growing at 30 per day) Real data from Hurricane Helene, the LA wildfires, and Winter Storm Fern Why outlets, extension cords, and holiday lights are the most common hazards How 35+ insurance partners provide Ting to homeowners for free The 1.3 million sensor network monitoring the entire U.S. utility grid What this means for the fire protection industry and commercial applications Bob also shares the personal story behind founding Whisker Labs and how their fire safety team works directly with homeowners and electricians to find and fix problems before they cause fires.

January 22, 202648 min

The Voice of the Sprinkler Trade: A Conversation with Chris Logan

0:00 - Paper documents, hydrant flow testing, and lost inspection data04:59 - Deficiencies are not a gotcha game8:47 - Ontario Fire Code limits and NFPA 25 enforcement gaps15:23 - Strategic planning and involving Al20:20 - 2025 highlights, consistency, and "what I'd do differently"24:05 - Current state of the fire protection industry40:27 - Notable fire incidents & what we learned from real sprinkler activations46:20 - Closing thoughts and Chris's podcast

December 18, 202539 min

2025 Fire & Life Safety Trends, Data, & What’s Next with John Mackey

Timestamps:00:00 Why 2025 fire protection data matters02:47 2025 fire protection industry report preview06:28 Why fire protection businesses need a tech stack08:42 Inspection dollars vs service proposals11:46 Deficiency approvals and compliance platforms17:05 Common fire inspection deficiencies24:53 NFPA questions and inspection data quality29:42 Growth of regional fire protection companies36:40 2026 outlook and Al in fire inspection

December 11, 202545 min

AI & Fire Codes in Practice with Scott Reynolds from UpCodes

In Episode 89, Drew Slocum welcomes Scott Reynolds, Co-Founder and CEO of UpCodes, for a deep dive into the future of building codes, AI-driven code research, and the growing need for accessible, reliable, and continually updated code information across the built environment. Scott shares the origin story of UpCodes, starting with his early career in architecture—working internationally in Hong Kong and later in New York City—where he experienced firsthand how difficult it is to navigate complex, fragmented, and frequently changing building and fire codes. That frustration eventually led Scott and his brother (a software engineer) to create UpCodes—a platform designed to unify, structure, and simplify access to codes and amendments across all 50 states and hundreds of local jurisdictions. Episode 89 provides an insightful look at how technology, transparency, and collaboration can reshape fire protection, design, and construction for the better.

November 20, 202536 min

Smarter Workflows with AI in Fire Protection

Timestamps:00:00 - Introducing today's guest01:57 - Launching the first Al agent04:19 - How AI adoption changes business processes06:58 - Code complexity in fire protection09:30 - Generative Al vs agentic Al explained12:10 - How data supports better decisions14:39 - FireCAD design assistant and design workflow gains18:56 - Passion, innovation, and industry growth19:49 - OEMs, contractors, and AI-enabled data flow25:24 - Using AI for simple tasks and avoiding hallucinations29:45 - The rapid shift toward AI in fire protection32:02- Favorite Al-themed films34:35 - Closing thoughts and future direction

October 23, 202535 min

Tragedy, Testing, & Change: How Data Drives Fire Safety Reform

In this episode of The Fire Protection Podcast, host Drew Slocum sits down with Grant Lobdell, President of Dyne Fire Protection Labs, to discuss one of the most pressing issues facing the fire protection industry today—sprinkler testing and system maintenance.Grant shares insights on Dyne’s acquisition by NFPA Global Solutions and how this new initiative supports NFPA’s life safety mission. The conversation takes a serious turn as Drew and Grant unpack the tragic Fall River, Massachusetts fire, where recalled O-ring sprinkler heads failed to activate—an incident underscoring the critical importance of regular inspection, testing, and maintenance under NFPA 25.They also dive into the new partnership between Inspect Point and Dyne, designed to streamline how contractors and building owners identify, test, and replace aging or defective sprinklers. The episode closes with updates from Dyne’s lab on the transition from fluorinated foams to fluorine-free alternatives, and what that means for contractors navigating environmental regulations and system performance. Timestamps00:00 Intro and Episode Overview02:21 Meet Grant Lobdell and Dyne Labs07:32 O-Ring Recalls and Failure Rates11:15 NFPA 25 Testing Requirements18:00 Simplifying Inspections Through Partnerships21:07 Testing Cycles and Code Changes23:42 Interpreting Results and Owner Duties27:21 Foam Systems and Regulatory Updates34:48 Closing Remarks

October 8, 202536 min

How JEM Systems is Powering the Next Generation of Fire Integrators

00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome02:15 Jason’s Background and GEM Systems03:40 Integrating Design, Engineering, and Distribution07:47 Navigating COVID-19 and Supply Chain Shifts12:06 Expanding into Sprinkler Design15:20 AI, Data Centers & Code Shifts17:44 Connectivity, Safety & Working Together22:17 Codes, Compliance, and Public Safety23:58 Efficiency, Software, and Real-Time Solutions26:22 From Soccer Fields to Fire Systems28:05 Business Growth, ERP, and Integration Challenges32:10 Training, Partnerships, and Future Initiatives34:25 Where to Find GEM Systems and Closing Remarks