Mark’s first steps into ‘life safety’ started at the age of 14 then he qualified as an RLSS pool lifeguard. Over the next 2 years he became one of the first UK holders of the new vocational beach lifeguard qualification, and then progressed into Advance Lifeguarding, Advance Resuscitation and Lifeguarding Teaching.
After school he apprenticed in Electronics Engineering (obtaining an HND). Unfortunately this was a career that never satisfied his passion for ‘life safety’ so applied for, and joined the Fire Brigade as a ‘wholetime’ Professional Fire Fighter in 1984.
Serving over 30 years with Kent Fire and Rescue Service in the UK he was exposed to and managed a vast array of emergency Incidents, Including some notable major incident. As his experience grew he became more interested in what could be described as Higher risk premises fire fighting and started researching incidents involving large/Tall buildings and the development of Premise Risk Management (SSRI) and Pre-planned Tactical Guidance.
His extensive research and works on developing response to High-rise fires (following 2 serious, fatal incidents in 2001 in Kent, UK and 9/11 in USA) have been used and referenced across the UK and globally.
He was seconded the Fire Service College, to work on the High rise fire fighting element of the UK Buildings Disaster Assessment Group (BDAG) Project 2003.
Following a UK wide review of FRS procedures by the Health and Safety executive (generated by the enquiry into the tragic Harrow Court fire in 2003), Mark’s proposed tactical intervention approach, that he developed and wrote for Kent Fire and Rescue Service (called TB15) was deemed UK “best practice”
Mark has acted as technical advisor and consultant to various UK and Worldwide Fire and Rescue Services and the Fire Brigades Union.
Mark has designed and delivered various, wide ranging training programs within numerous UK FR services. Aimed at both Fire fighters and Incident Commander, taking them to various risk premisses and educating them in the risk identification and application of suitable containment, rescue and intervention tactics.
He is an invited expert speaker and commentator for a range of organisations and conference, including the BBC, the IFE and The Tall Buildings Fire Safety Network. He runs and maintains the educational website; highrisefirefighting.co.uk.
Since retirement from the Fire service he has taken the role of Chairman of the Tall Buildings fire safety network’s Firefighting committee.
He then took a role with a small Business resilience provider. Initially as a part time associate, eventually growing the contracts it had to becoming the Director of Operations in charge of delivering all Emergency Management, Response Plans and Business Continuity and Recovery to a diverse global client base. In 2022 he decided that the company was not providing the service that he believed clients and businesses needed, in the way they wanted then and they parted ways.
Very soon after this a colleague (whom Mark had worked with for nearly 40 years) also left the company. Following a conversation about ‘what could we do better’ they decided to set up Resilient and Ready Ltd to do things ‘the right way’ and at a reasonable cost.
Mark also has well developed IT and Data skills, being capable of both working in a hardware and software environment. He is highly fluent in all mainstream MS 365 office apps (and has been an approved teacher in these subjects). He frequently works with a range of specialist data and creativity tools including; Visio, Project, SharePoint, MSSQL, MySQL, Powerbase, PHP&HTML, Articulate360, Arduino and Visual Studio.
He relaxes by building Microcontroller projects and learning the intricacies of paddleboarding in the English Channel with his Grandchildren.