I’m Darren Cassidy, a Principal Technical Consultant employed by Zeta Services. I am a qualified fire engineer and have worked in the fire industry for 17 years. In 2007, I joined the Quinn Group in Northern Ireland as a fire safety advisor and formed part of their internal health and safety department. During this time, I expanded on my education and completed a part time Post-Graduate Diploma in Fire Safety Practice (Buildings and Other Structures) at Trinity college, Dublin.
I joined Zeta Services in 2012 as a Fire Safety Consultant, progressing to Senior Fire Consultant, then Head of Fire Risk Management, and now serving as Principal Technical Consultant. I am a registered fire risk assessor (Life Safety) with the IFE, and I am also an approved reviewer / interviewer for applicants looking to join the IFE’s Fire Risk Register.
My role involves me supporting our senior leadership team in aspects of division growth, whether that is by upskilling our team of fire risk assessors, improving the commercial side of the business or client management.
On days when I’m site based, I assist Tier 1 contractors with risk assessments to ensure fire safety standards are maintained and construction activities are carried out safely. Considering that a large focus on the construction industry is competency, especially fire safety, third party registered fire risk assessors have been key in supporting this role. This is not only from a risk assessment viewpoint but through providing consultancy with gateway fire requirements which fall under the Building Safety Act.
No two days—or places—are ever the same in fire risk assessment. Recently, I’ve been assessing occupied prisons, which was a unique and valuable experience. The role offers the opportunity to evaluate a wide range of buildings, from those that test the limits of current guidance to iconic or listed structures that most people would pay to visit.
A positive working environment is essential—whether among colleagues or with clients, we all share a common goal of achieving the right outcomes with integrity and professionalism.
Professionally, I take great pride in seeing colleagues I’ve supported early in their careers grow into confident, capable fire safety professionals. With a recognised shortage of young fire risk assessors in the industry, I’ve focused on mentoring others—creating structured development plans with clear targets to help them progress. Watching them succeed has been immensely rewarding. Having spent 14 years with Zeta Services, I’m proud to see our fire team grow in strength and capacity, establishing a strong presence within the industry.
Once I completed a 2-year higher certificate course in construction studies, the natural progression was to become a civil engineer. However, this changed when a fire safety engineering course from Letterkenny Institute of Technology now known as Atlantic Technological University (ATU) offered me a career in fire safety design, risk assessing and management and changed the trajectory of my career.
I was made aware of IFE membership whilst I was a student – it was free and I had access to a wide range of CPD material which is available. I maintained my membership and upgraded to Associate (AIFireE) grade when taking up employment.
After discussions with colleagues about how the fire industry could demonstrate competency beyond training, knowledge, and experience, I decided to explore the IFE’s registration process, as I was already a member. Following the submission of my application, CPD record, and sample fire risk assessments, I attended an interview to demonstrate my competence. In 2015, I became a registered Fire Risk Assessor with the IFE—a milestone that has been rewarding for both me and my employer, reinforcing our commitment to providing clients with assured, professional advice.
Networking has been a positive attribute from being a member with the IFE. Attending local IFE CPD events has allowed me to connect with professionals from other organisations, including some who worked with colleague's instrumental in my own career development.
I am an approved reviewer for applicants looking to join the IFE’s Fire Risk Register where I would review their application, CPD record and examples of work, and then submit a summary to the interviewing panel on the candidate. I’m interested in joining and contributing to my local IFE branch when I am able to give more time to these activities.
Yes, I would encourage anyone looking to take their first steps in a career in fire safety to join the IFE. They offer encouragement, benefits and a wide network to enable you to grow as a fire professional.
I would encourage anyone who is employed as a fire risk assessor, to become a registered risk assessor with the IFE. It starts with completing an application form and ends with you becoming a trusted, registered fire risk assessor. In the various stages, you will be assisted by the IFE team who will provide supporting information and will keep you up to date with the process.