Rob Thomas is the Managing Director of FireMate, an Australian software-as-a-service solutions provider to the fire protection industry. 
 
Rob has been part of the fire protection industry since his teenage years. He started ‘on the tools’ as an electrician, which enabled him to understand the challenges that on-site teams face every day. 

While founding FireMate, Rob quickly recognised the need to make Australian Standards more accessible across the fire industry. In 2022, Rob was recognised with the Standards Australia Innovation Award.
 
What role have standards played in your career?  
The fire protection industry is built on standards both in terms of how systems are installed and how they are maintained. As a young fire technician on the tools, it was drummed into me that my work directly impacted the safety of every person in every building. We needed to get it right, and the Australian Standards were the benchmark for all installations and maintenance. Later in my career, when I was managing teams of technicians, I likewise used the standards as a way of training new fire technicians. 

At FireMate, Australian Standards have been foundational from 'day one' to how our fire protection maintenance software was developed. By automating industry best practice workflows and applying relevant standards, we can increase the productivity of fire technicians and the office teams that support them. The integration with Australian Standards that was launched in 2021 boosted this productivity to the next level by presenting technicians with the correct information from the standards just when they needed it. This 'just-in-time' application of the standards eliminates search time inside a standard document, reduces the chance of errors and improves compliance against the relevant standards.

What is key to being an innovator?
I consider the keys to being an innovator to include a disciplined approach to understanding market needs and having a can-do attitude. FireMate’s software is built by fire industry professionals for the fire industry. This means we can put ourselves in the position of fire techs, office teams and business managers. The discipline of innovation starts by consistently engaging with clients and industry colleagues and listening to their needs and problems. Asking "what if…?", "how important is that?", and "how can we do better?".

You've been awarded Standards Australia's Innovation Award, what does this recognition mean for you?
Firstly, I’m very grateful for this award. 
 
I see the award as recognition of work done by a broad team that includes the whole FireMate team, Standards Australia, our clients and industry colleagues I’ve worked with over the past 20 years. Australian Standards have been part of my work day since the mid 90s as a young fire technician. It’s very satisfying to know that a solution we’ve developed is helping fire technicians and others in the industry access standards, ensuring compliance and ultimately making people and places safer.