Matthew Trudeau has been in the fire service for 23 years, the past 11 years with Vancouver Fire Rescue Services as a firefighter, fire prevention inspector, and captain of public information. He has a diploma in fire protection technology from Seneca College, a degree in fire science and emergency management from the University of Cincinnati, and a master’s in mechanical engineering with a graduate diploma in fire science from the University of Waterloo. He continues to write and speak on fire and life safety topics and has been published in Fire Engineering on various topics.

Robert Heikkila provides building code and fire protection consulting services on various projects throughout Canada and Certified Professional services in participating municipalities. He has been involved in all aspects of building and fire code consulting and fire protection engineering, including code reviews, specialized analyses, computer fire modeling, inspections, systems review and approvals, and client relations. Robert Heikkila has extensive experience with a wide variety of projects over his career, including multi-tower mixed-use high-rise developments, industrial facilities, hospitals, major residential developments, and institutional facilities such as schools and penitentiaries.

Kieran Ager is an internationally trained and experienced fire engineer and code consultant with more than 17 years in the fire industry and leads the LMDG Calgary office. He has the unique distinction of attaining undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in fire engineering and fire and explosion engineering. He has led the development of numerous iconic and notable projects in Canada, the United Kingdom, Myanmar, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States. The projects cross multiple sectors including low, medium, and high-rise residential, hotels, stadia, offices, industrial, assembly/educational buildings, transit, and multi-use developments. Kieran’s focus on technical excellence, research, and innovative integrated design solutions has been recognized through membership in multiple performance-based design committees, publications, and presentations. Kieran specializes in developing solutions for emerging challenges within the built environment, such as high-rise construction and integration, promoting and using sustainable materials (mass timber), and embracing and advancing emerging technologies that influence industry and society. He has extensive experience using, applying, and training multiple fire engineering tools, including CFD modelling, zone models, evacuation modelling, thermal radiation assessments, probabilistic risk analysis, and structural fire engineering packages.

Isabella Li is the Assistant Fire Chief overseeing Community Safety and Technology at New Westminster Fire & Rescue Services (NWFRS). She has been with NWFRS since 2017. She works with a team of fire inspectors and investigators in collaboration with other City departments and agencies to carry out a range of tasks for promoting fire safety in the community. Prior to joining NWFRS, Isabella worked at a private consulting firm for 11 years as a Fire Protection Engineer focused on building code and fire code compliance. Using her industry experience and expertise, Isabella often facilitates the communication of technical issues between parties with a range of understanding.

Jamie Harte is a graduate of the Edinburgh College of Art and the University of Edinburgh, with professional experience in Ireland before moving to BC in 2011. Demonstrating an early interest in residential building, he focused his thesis work on multi-unit housing and inventive social spaces. Since graduating, Jamie has been involved in all aspects of residential architecture including close client engagement, programming, detailed design, and consultation with local municipalities. Highly invested in energy efficiency and low-carbon materials, he is a Certified Passive House Designer with the Passive House Institute in Germany. Thorough, methodical, and detail oriented, Jamie leads with a particular gift for untangling complex problems.
Jamie worked on the first Passive House standard multi-unit project in Squamish and was the Project Architect for Skeena Residence at UBC Okanagan, the first Passive House residence on a Canadian campus. He is now working on Vienna House, a project that takes on a number of complex issues – the climate crisis, the housing crisis, and creating economic opportunities.