As a fire engineer, what I do stays behind the scenes and goes unnoticed by the public (quite rightly). Our mission is to quietly plan to ensure that tragedies like Grenfell are never repeated.

Fire science allows regulations to be met whilst allowing clients and architects to realise their creative aspirations. By conserving the delicate balance between competing demands of imagination, sustainability and fire performance, we’re protecting communities, assets and the environment.

During my career at WSP, I’ve had the opportunity to work on several high-profile projects including Crossrail, High Speed 2 and London Underground.

Working on the design and delivery of a fire strategy for a underground project was a memorable moment, and one of the most challenging.

We were challenged with integrating a new pressurised firefighting shaft including PRM (Persons with Reduced Mobility) evacuation lifts, and step-free access to the station. It was difficult because of the complex layout under London. We managed to do it because we are team determined to overcome every obstacle.

Personally, one of the biggest challenges I have faced was posed by the global pandemic. I was stranded in India, five hours ahead, and could only contact my team within a few precious hours each day, which left me feeling isolated at times.

I found my purpose by becoming the representative between the UK and India teams, and began to thrive in the unprecedented environment. Being central to the steady flow of knowledge and information, we found a way to transition to a new way of collaborating.

When future generations look back, I hope they will feel inspired and take courage from the world’s rapid response to Covid-19. It highlights the importance of international collaboration and shows that, together, we can change for a better tomorrow.