Our People & Values
At OFR, our people are the driving force behind everything we do.
Unlike many multi disciplinary businesses in our sector, we focus solely on fire engineering – and we are one of the few consultancies to directly employ such a large team of specialist fire engineers. This expertise allows us to help clients deliver viable, environmentally responsible and sustainable buildings without ever compromising on safety.
Our work is shaped by committed professionals who use their knowledge and experience to bring architectural vision to life, safely and creatively. But the strength of OFR lies not only in what we deliver, but in how we support the people who deliver it.
We invest heavily in knowledge, health and wellbeing to ensure every colleague can thrive. Every member of the team has access to professional development – from training courses and seminars to regular internal knowledge‑sharing sessions led by our own experts and respected voices from across the fire engineering community. Our company‑wide events and the OFR Wiki provide further opportunities to learn, connect and collaborate.
Since our earliest days, we’ve embraced flexibility and trusted our colleagues to work in ways that support their personal circumstances, ambitions and wellbeing. Our approach includes initiatives that give paid time away to undertake charitable or community work, alongside a wellbeing agenda that offers mental health support, health insurance and funded fitness sessions.
Joining OFR means becoming part of a supportive, curious and ambitious community – one that nurtures personal development, champions individual strengths and shares a collective passion for advancing our industry. As we continue to grow, our values remain rooted in the same principles: expertise, integrity, collaboration and a genuine commitment to the people who make OFR what it is.
Our Mission:
We continually explore the challenges that fire creates for our clients and society so that we can apply the best research, experience and diligence for effective tailored solutions.
To do this we employ the brightest and best people and invest in their development.
Our Values:
Independent
OFR is the UK’s biggest independent fire engineering consultancy and that independence means we can react effectively to our clients needs and we are passionate about finding the right solutions. We have an unrivalled reputation for innovation and collaborative research, effectively working alongside others to ‘give back’.
Trusted
The trust shown by our clients over a number of years is due to the long-standing and successful relationships we’ve built in the industry. This is a result of the respect we hold for one another as individuals and how we work together effectively, in an honest and open environment. Empowerment of individuals has been key to that success and we continue to provide all our colleagues with a safe space to develop and be heard.
Specialised
Our commitment to research means that we’re continually advancing our knowledge and, by investing effectively in our people, we’re able to nurture the next generation of talent. We are not multi-disciplinary, we are highly specialised by choice. Our ethos is to share our research and development with the wider industry to benefit and enhance the safety and protection of people, property and the planet.
Experienced
The depth of our experience is achieved through ensuring the diversification of our talent and our capacity for fresh, bold thinking to further advance our offering to our clients, partners and the wider engineering community. We foster a culture of openness and champion diversity, inclusion and representation within our industry.
Our People
Our colleagues make OFR the great business that it is today and that’s why we invest in, and nurture, our team. Below are some of the things we have in place that reflect our culture.
Regularly donate to charity and support community causes
Employee Owned
Paid memberships to local gyms
Extensive learning and development opportunities
Profit share scheme
Employer pension contributions
Comprehensive private health insurance cover
Life insurance – 4 x salary
Flexible working
Option to purchase additional annual leave
Generous monthly social budget for team activities
Cycle to work scheme
Electric car scheme
Transport season ticket loans
Paid leave for charitable work
Early finish on the last Friday of the month
Social Responsibility
We believe in using our expertise and resources to make a meaningful difference beyond the built environment, in the community around us.
Our commitment to social responsibility is embedded in our culture, with dedicated Environmental and Charity Committees leading initiatives that support both people and the planet.
These committees empower our team to take action, whether that’s through fundraising events, volunteering, or driving sustainability efforts across our offices.
We proudly support a range of charities, both nationally and locally, through regular campaigns and staff-led initiatives. From sponsored challenges to bake sales and donation drives, our people are passionate about giving back. In addition, we offer pro-bono fire engineering services to community projects and charitable organisations that might not otherwise have access to specialist support. This work allows us to contribute our skills to causes that align with our values, helping to create safer, more inclusive spaces for everyone.
Below are some of the organisations we’ve supported over the years.
Pro-Bono Work – The Alistair Henderson legacy
One of the first people to join OFR was Alistair Henderson. Al was a superb fire engineer with a passion for getting things right and training new staff.
Sadly we lost Al to cancer in 2020, but in his memory we provide pro-bono support to a wide range of projects which are either charitable in nature or create positive local social impact.
Embassy Village is a new community built in Manchester that provides much needed wrap-around support for the city’s homeless and vulnerable men.
A national pedal powered passenger and cargo service wanting to change the face of our cities.
Sale based Brooklands Sports Club run local sports clubs for youngsters and also have successful tennis, hockey and cricket teams.
