Many industrial projects end up bearing the burden of system repairs for years simply because they were not serious about selecting a fire protection consultant from the start.
In the oil and gas sector, for example, a fire suppression design that does not properly account for area classification can result in the system failing to activate when needed, or, conversely, triggering without reason and halting operations.
In the following discussion, you will learn how to choose a truly competent fire protection system consultant, not just the cheapest or fastest to submit documents. Read until the end!
Why is Fire Protection Consultant Selection Strategic?
Fire protection systems cannot be replaced every few years. Their infrastructure is embedded within the building structure, integrated with mechanical and electrical systems, and must function reliably throughout the facility’s operational life, which can reach 20-30 years.
According to data from the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), more than 40% of sprinkler system failures in fire incidents are caused by installations or designs that do not meet standards. This means the root of the problem lies in the planning stage.
Therefore, the right consultant will affect the overall system reliability, cost efficiency throughout the asset life cycle, and, of course, the safety of lives and the continuity of your business.
Main Criteria for Choosing a Fire Protection System Consultant
1. Engineering Competence and Industry Experience
Competent fire protection consultants should have an engineering background. So, they should be able to explain design methodology technically, not just mention the product brands they usually use.
Industry experience is very decisive here. For example, fire protection design for LNG storage facilities is significantly different from that of multi-story office buildings.
Likewise, consultants experienced in the petrochemical sector will better understand hazardous area classification, pool fire scenarios, and deluge system requirements that are not relevant in ordinary commercial building contexts.
During evaluation, request a specific project portfolio that includes the work they did and the final results.
2. Risk Engineering-Based Approach
Good consultants, on average, will start their work by asking questions about your facility’s risk profile.
A risk engineering-based approach involves identifying hazards, determining the consequences of various fire scenarios, and designing systems based on defined risk levels.
Let’s take a case example. For instance, for a warehouse facility storing flammable chemicals, a risk engineering-based consultant will question material characteristics, storage configuration, and worst-case fire scenarios before determining the appropriate type of suppression system.
3. Mastery of International Standards and Frameworks
Fire protection systems in Indonesia cannot be separated from internationally recognized global standards.
Therefore, competent consultants must master and apply NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) standards, FM Global standards, as well as local regulations, such as the Ministry of Public Works fire protection regulations.
What distinguishes good consultants is understanding when to apply certain standards and how to interpret those standards into specific field conditions.
For example, applying NFPA 30 for flammable liquid storage facilities requires an in-depth understanding of tank spacing, secondary containment, and foam system design. And this is not enough just by reading standard summaries.
4. System Integration Capability
Fire protection systems must be integrated with fire alarm systems, HVAC, emergency power, building management systems (BMS), and, in industrial contexts, also with process safety systems.
Consultants who focus solely on one subsystem without considering cross-disciplinary integration tend to produce problematic designs when the system is operational.
A fairly common issue in high-rise building projects is that the sprinkler system is not synchronized with the HVAC shutdown sequence, so smoke can spread to areas that should be safe.
Ask prospective consultants how they handle coordination with other disciplines, and who is responsible for interface engineering between systems.
5. Ability to Conduct Design Review and Gap Analysis
Consultants should be able to conduct critical reviews of existing designs, whether legacy designs from previous projects or initial designs being developed.
Gap analysis of applicable standards, actual facility conditions, and regulatory changes is an important part of this work.
In many brownfield projects or existing facility expansions, this capability is actually more important than the ability to design from scratch.
Consultants without experience identifying gaps in already-running systems are less suitable for this type of project.
Proper Consultant Selection Process
1. Pre-Qualification
Before opening a tender, conduct a pre-qualification process.
Ask consultants to submit documents demonstrating their competence, including a list of key personnel with their qualifications, relevant project references, and certifications or accreditations held by the company or individuals.
2. Technical Clarification Meeting
After pre-qualification, hold a technical clarification session before consultants prepare proposals.
Use this opportunity to explain project scope details, identify technical complexities they need to anticipate, and assess their initial understanding of existing challenges.
Pay attention to the quality of questions they ask in this session.
Experienced consultants will ask sharp questions about hazard profile, facility operations, and technical constraints.
Meanwhile, less competent consultants tend to immediately ask about the budget or timeline.
3. Proposal Evaluation
When evaluating proposals, evaluate the technical methodology they offer, scope completeness, approach to risk assessment, and composition of the assigned team.
Compare approaches between consultants. Significant differences in scope or methodology can indicate that consultants do not understand project complexity or are deliberately simplifying scope to make prices look competitive.
4. Final Technical Due Diligence
Before the final decision, conduct in-depth due diligence (audit/investigation) on shortlisted consultants. This can take the form of technical presentations, interviews with personnel to be assigned, and, if possible, direct reference verification with previous project clients.
Importantly, make sure again that the person presenting during the tender is the person who will work on the project.
Because there are many cases where consultants assign senior engineers in the selection phase but delegate to junior staff during the project.
Important Questions to Ask During the Tender Stage
The following questions can help assess consultant quality during the selection process.
- What risk assessment methodology do they use, and what standard is their reference?
- Is their design compliance-based or performance-based design? For high-complexity facilities, performance-based design is more appropriate and requires in-depth expertise from the consultant team.
- Have they ever handled facilities with a risk profile similar to your facility? Ask for specific details.
- What is their approach to worst-case scenarios in design? The answer to this question will show how deeply they understand fire dynamics and the consequences of system failure.
- Are they independent from certain system suppliers or vendors? Consultants tied to specific products may provide non-objective recommendations.
Signs of Fire Protection Consultants to Avoid
There are several patterns to watch out for when evaluating fire protection consultants.
- Consultants who overly prioritize price and cannot explain the engineering scope substantively. This shows they do not truly understand the complexity of the work, or are deliberately cutting scope to compete on price.
- Consultants who do not conduct detailed site assessments before preparing designs. Good fire protection design must be based on actual field conditions.
- Inability to explain the technical basis of hazard classification. Hazard classification determines almost all design parameters, from system type to component specifications.
- Absence of risk assessment documentation. Shows that the design does not have an analytical basis that can be audited or accounted for later.
- No cross-disciplinary coordination during the design process. Leads to isolated systems that may conflict with other systems in the same facility.
Fire Protection Consultants Are Strategic Partners, Not Just Service Providers!
The decision to choose a fire protection consultant is not about who is cheapest or fastest to complete documents.
Rather, who is most capable of understanding your facility’s risks and translating them into a reliable system for decades to come?
Therefore, consultant selection must be based on verified engineering competence, and evaluation must consider the long-term implications of every design decision.
Fire protection consultants must be partners who ensure the system operates in accordance with the most critical risk scenarios that may occur at your facility.
Now, if you are planning a fire protection system for a building or industrial facility, the Lumeshield consultant team provides fire protection system design services that include sprinkler system design, hydrants, fire pumps, foam, gas suppression, to fire alarms, all based on hydraulic calculations and in accordance with NFPA, FM Global, and SNI standards.
The process starts with hazard identification across the facility, then recommends the most appropriate system for actual field conditions.
Interested in discussing further?