What does the future hold for the fire protection and life safety industry? Although no one can say for sure, International Fire Safety Journal recently polled top leaders at the forefront of shaping the fire protection and life safety industry, including Telgian Executive Chairman and NFPA Chair Russ Leavitt.

According to Leavitt, the fire and life safety industry will certainly face challenges in the year ahead. At the top of Leavitt’s list? Current economic challenges. “The fire and life safety industry will continue to grow, albeit more slowly than it has over the past decade,” he says.

Leavitt also points to the effects of climate change on the urban wildland interface as both a challenge and an opportunity for the industry. “In my role as the chair of NFPA, I have witnessed firsthand the increased demand for resources to fight wildland fires and for information on how communities and individuals can keep the risk of fire loss to a minimum,” he explains.

Finally, Leavitt cites the lack of skilled engineers and technicians needed to design, install, and maintain fire and life safety systems as especially concerning in an industry where we save lives and protect property.

To read Leavitt’s insights, as well as those from other top leaders in the fire safety industry, please visit International Fire and Safety Journal.

For media inquiries and interviews with Russ Leavitt, please contact Susan McNeill, smcneill@telgian.com.