Congratulations to our
Fire Protection Industry Award Winners for 2026!
Congratulations to our
Fire Protection Industry Award Winners for 2026!
The Fire Protection Industry Awards Gala Dinner, held as part of Fire Australia 2026, brought together leaders, innovators and professionals from across the sector to celebrate excellence in fire protection.
These awards recognise the outstanding individuals, teams and organisations whose dedication, expertise and innovation continue to strengthen industry standards, improve community safety and advance the future of fire protection across Australia.
We congratulate all award winners and finalists for their exceptional achievements and contributions to the industry. Their commitment to professionalism, leadership and continuous improvement reflects the very best of the fire protection community.
Below, we proudly highlight each award category, along with a summary of the recipient’s achievements and contributions that led to their recognition at this year’s awards celebration.
Celebrating Excellence in Fire Protection at #FA26
Congratulations to our Fire Protection Industry Awards Winners for 2026:
Carmelo Scaffidi
The Meritorious Service Award is presented at the discretion of the FPA Australia Board of Directors and recognises individuals who have made a meaningful and lasting contribution to both the Association and the broader fire protection industry. This honour is awarded not for length of service alone, but for the impact an individual has made through leadership, technical expertise, industry involvement, and their commitment to advancing better fire protection outcomes across Australia.
This year’s recipient, Carmelo Scaffidi, brings more than 35 years of experience across product design, compliance, and installation, providing deep technical and practical insight into the challenges facing the industry. Since 2008, Carmelo has been an active contributor to FPA Australia’s Technical Advisory Committee for detection and alarm systems and has served as Chair of TAC/2 since 2014, helping guide technical discussions and industry collaboration for more than a decade. He has also represented FPA Australia on Standards Australia’s FP-002 committee, contributing to the development and improvement of key national standards for fire detection and alarm systems. His long-standing commitment, expertise, and willingness to support the industry make him a highly deserving recipient of this recognition.
John Lynch
For more than 25 years, John Lynch has made an outstanding contribution to the Australian fire protection industry through his technical expertise, leadership, and dedication to improving industry practice. As Chair of FPA Australia’s Technical Advisory Committee for maintenance and a representative on Standards Australia’s FP-001 committee, John has played a significant role in the ongoing development and evolution of AS 1851 — one of the industry’s most important standards for the routine service of fire protection systems and equipment. His work has helped strengthen industry understanding, consistency, and best practice across the sector.
John is widely respected for his collaborative leadership style and his commitment to achieving positive safety outcomes for the broader community. Through his work with regulators, fire services, and industry stakeholders, he has been a passionate advocate for the importance of maintenance and the effective application of AS 1851 to ensure fire protection systems perform as intended. In recognition of his exceptional contribution and lasting impact on the industry, FPA Australia is proud to present the A.V. Viscogliosi Award to John Lynch.
These awards highlight the core values of FPA Australia: professionalism, integrity, and commitment to community safety. We thank John and Carmello for their exceptional service, and we are proud to celebrate their achievements as part of our ongoing mission to support a world-class fire protection industry.
DIS Fire Systems
DIS Fire Systems has been recognised with the 2026 Outstanding Ozone Practice Award for its leadership in reducing emissions and supporting the transition to cleaner alternatives across the fire protection industry. Presented by the Fire Protection Industry Board in collaboration with the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, the award acknowledges organisations demonstrating practical action and measurable outcomes in moving away from scheduled extinguishing agents.
Through a proactive and solutions-focused approach, DIS Fire Systems has worked with clients across Australia to promote environmentally preferable alternatives, including inert gas systems and fluorine-free foam, while continuing to deliver strong fire protection outcomes. To date, the company has completed 44 replacement projects across approximately 60 systems nationwide, removing around 7,200 kilograms of HFC-227ea from active service — equivalent to an estimated 23,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions avoided. Their work demonstrates how practical industry decisions can create meaningful environmental impact while supporting safer and more sustainable fire protection practices.
The Fire Protection Industry Awards recognise and award businesses and individuals who lead the professional standard of commitment, excellence, innovation and leadership in the fire protection industry.
Sponsored by Wormald Australia
Rodney Rolfe, Wormald
The Barry Lee Technical Excellence Award recognises outstanding technical contribution to the fire protection industry and honours individuals who have advanced capability, standards, and professional practice across Australia. The 2026 award has been presented to Rodney Rolfe in recognition of a remarkable career spanning more than five decades of service and leadership within the industry.
Throughout his career, Rodney has played a significant role in shaping the technical capability of the Australian fire protection sector through his contributions to national qualifications, technical training programs, and professional development pathways that continue to support the industry today. A long-standing contributor to Standards Australia committees, he has helped guide the development of fire detection and alarm system standards now embedded within the National Construction Code. His work in technical guidance, training frameworks, and industry best practice has influenced how fire protection systems are designed, assessed, and maintained across Australia, leaving a lasting legacy across the profession.
Stuart McMonnies, Building Code & Bushfire Hazard Solutions
Indicium Dynamics
The Innovative Product, Technology & Solutions Award recognises innovation that addresses real-world challenges in fire protection through practical, scalable solutions that improve the way fire risk is detected, managed, and responded to. The 2026 award has been presented to Indicium Dynamics for the development of an advanced AI-enabled bushfire detection and intelligence platform designed to operate across vast and remote landscapes throughout Australia.
The platform combines camera networks, environmental sensors, satellite data, and artificial intelligence into a single real-time monitoring system, providing fire managers with earlier visibility of potential fire events and improved situational awareness. A key innovation is the integration of lightning detection data, allowing the system to identify high-risk ignition zones and automatically reposition cameras to actively monitor those areas for emerging fire activity. By moving beyond traditional static monitoring to a more proactive and intelligent approach, the technology is helping improve the speed and effectiveness of bushfire detection and response across Australia.
Tasmanian Integrated Fire Camera Network, Indicium Dynamics / Fire Foresight
The Fire Protection Project of the Year Award recognises excellence in the delivery of fire protection projects, celebrating innovation, collaboration, and real-world impact across the industry. This year’s winning project is one of the most ambitious bushfire detection initiatives undertaken in Australia, bringing together artificial intelligence, remote sensing, and real-time data into a single integrated platform designed to detect fires earlier and support faster emergency response.
The system delivers continuous statewide monitoring through AI-enabled cameras that identify fire events across vast distances and provide real-time intelligence directly to fire agencies. During the 2024–25 fire season alone, it detected more than 550 fires, with over 120 escalated for direct operational response. Beyond the technology, the project stands as a powerful example of collaboration between government, industry, and emergency services, setting a new benchmark for innovation in disaster resilience and fire management across Australia.
Charles Boyce – Jensen Hughes
The Young Achiever of the Year Award recognises an emerging professional demonstrating outstanding performance, initiative, and leadership potential within the fire protection industry. This year’s recipient is widely regarded as a rising leader in passive fire protection, combining strong technical expertise with hands-on construction experience developed across more than a decade in both design and site environments.
Charles has built a reputation for bridging the gap between fire safety requirements and practical project delivery, helping teams move from reactive compliance to proactive fire safety planning. His work has contributed to improving the understanding and implementation of passive fire protection across major healthcare, infrastructure, and complex heritage projects, while also supporting the industry’s transition to Modern Methods of Construction, including modular and mass timber systems. Beyond his project contributions, he is an active mentor and educator, regularly leading teams, presenting to industry, and sharing knowledge across the sector—representing the next generation of leadership in fire protection.
Walker Fire Protection
The Harry Marryatt Fire Protection Company of the Year Award recognises an organisation demonstrating excellence across all aspects of the fire protection industry, from capability and innovation through to leadership, people development, and community impact. This year’s recipient has built a strong reputation as an industry leader, consistently delivering high-quality outcomes while investing heavily in developing the next generation of fire protection professionals.
Walker Fire Protection’s commitment to training spans apprenticeships, graduate pathways, and leadership development programs, ensuring a strong and sustainable talent pipeline for the future. Alongside this, they continue to advance technical capability through innovation in areas such as electric vehicle fire protection, asset lifecycle management, and immersive training solutions including virtual reality. Their impact extends across hospitals, universities, major public venues, and commercial buildings, as well as active contributions to industry standards and professional development. Balancing technical excellence with a strong people-first culture, they represent a modern benchmark for leadership in the fire protection sector.
Halo Fire
All Purpose Pumps
FIREFLY
Chubb Fire & Security
Wormald Australia
Johnson Controls
FlameStop Australia
Alan Wilson Insurance Brokers
We would like to thank this year’s judging panel for their time and support of the awards process:
Yvonne Pengilly, Director, Myown Constructions
Elvira Nigido, Group Sustainability Compliance Manager, A-Gas International
Brett Staines, Special Hazards Fire Protection
Chris Orr, Orr Partners Fire Safety & Bushfire Consultants
Sincere thanks go out to all the participating companies and people who sent in their nominations this year, for without these the awards would not have been possible.
And of course, congratulations to all the winners and finalists for their outstanding contributions to the industry.
