Sertus Live 2: Bridging Design and Firefighter Safety
More than 100 professionals from fire safety, M&E, architecture, and building services gathered at the Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service Training and Development Academy for Sertus Live 2: Smoke Control in Action a hands-on event dedicated to closing the gap between design intent and real-world firefighter experience.
Hosted by Sertus, a UK-based manufacturer of smoke ventilation products, the event showcased live smoke control demonstrations, CPD sessions, and open discussions that emphasized one crucial message: compliance alone isn’t enough. True building safety depends on competence, collaboration, and understanding how systems perform under real fire conditions.
Building Safety Beyond Compliance
A highlight of the event was the keynote speech by Dame Judith Hackitt DBE FREng, whose landmark Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety continues to shape the UK’s safety framework after Grenfell.
Her address, “Building Safety: Changing Thinking and Culture,” challenged attendees to move beyond tick-box compliance and embrace accountability and cross-discipline cooperation.
“Real change doesn’t come from legislation alone — it comes from mindset,” said Dame Judith Hackitt. “Every part of the supply chain has a responsibility to design, specify, and deliver with safety at its heart. Events like Sertus Live 2 help turn that principle into practice.”
Realistic Learning for Real-World Safety
Held at the Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service Training and Development Academy in Aintree, the venue is a state-of-the-art facility supporting the National Resilience Assurance Team (NRAT) and the UK International Search and Rescue Team (UKISAR). It allows firefighters to train for complex, high-rise, and urban fire scenarios in realistic environments.
Sertus supplied several smoke ventilation products used in the Academy’s construction — enabling accurate simulations of smoke movement and airflow.
Phil Byrne, Area Manager at Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service, highlighted the importance of collaboration:
“What’s designed on paper doesn’t always work in the heat of an incident. Sertus Live 2 gave people a chance to see that reality, to talk openly, and to close the gap between design and operational effectiveness.”
Connecting Design, Systems, and Firefighter Experience
Throughout the event, technical CPD sessions from Sertus and Quelfire explored topics such as “The Future of Smoke Control Shafts” and “Passive Fire Protection for Service Penetrations.” Both sessions emphasized that active and passive systems must work in harmony to ensure comprehensive protection.
The day concluded with a fireside panel discussion, uniting experts across manufacturing, design, regulation, and firefighting to share insights on building competence through open dialogue.
Driving Collaboration and Competence
Now in its second year, Sertus Live is emerging as a key industry event for knowledge sharing and practical learning within the fire safety community.
Shane White, Managing Director at Sertus, said:
“Our mission is simple — to safeguard lives and property through unequivocally compliant, expertly engineered smoke control products. Sertus Live brings that mission to life.”
Fraser Ruthven, Marketing Manager at Sertus, added:
“Hearing the firefighter perspective first-hand was eye-opening for many attendees. It’s not about blame; it’s about learning where systems fail and working together to fix them.”
For more information please visit sertus.uk website.
