Ben Timmons – Owner, Director. Designer
I’m a fire protection consultant with 18+ years in the industry across Australia, moving from drafting and site coordination into full-scope design and project leadership. I design and coordinate sprinklers, hydrants, detection/alarms and pumps aligned to The National Construction Code and AS 2118.1 / 2419.1 / 1670.1 / 2941, taking projects from concept and hydraulic calculations through BIM (Revit/Navisworks) clash resolution, shop drawings and construction support. My background spans new builds and refurbishments in commercial, industrial and residential sectors, plus a four-year stint in product management for fire/CAD software—experience that sharpened my focus on buildability, data quality and workflow efficiency. I prioritise early decisions on water-supply strategy, hazard classification, spatial allowances and maintainability so approvals are predictable and rework is minimal from design development through to installation and commissioning.
Compliance first. Rework last
FAQs
Q1) What fire systems do you design?
Sprinklers, hydrants, hose reels, detection/alarms (EWIS where required) and fire pumps—coordinated in BIM and aligned to NCC 2022 (BCA) and AS 2118.1 / AS 2419.1 / AS 1670.1 / AS 2941.
Q2) When should we engage you?
At concept or early design. Locking in hazard classification, water-supply strategy, plant space and egress interfaces early prevents downstream redesign and cost surprises.
Q3) Do you design to Deemed-to-Satisfy (DtS) or Performance Solutions?
Both. DtS is our default; where DtS is impractical, we scope a Performance Solution in collaboration with a Fire Safety Engineer and the building certifier.
Q4) What information do you need to start?
Current architectural plans (DWG/Revit), building classification/uses, floor heights, services risers, occupancy loads, façade/tenancy plans, recent hydrant pressure/flow test (or authority data), and any client standards.
Q5) How do you determine sprinkler hazard classes?
By assessing use, fuel load, storage height/configuration and processes, then applying AS 2118.1 hazard groups (e.g., Light Hazard, Ordinary Hazard). We confirm assumptions with the project team before sizing mains, pumps and tanks.
Q6) Town main isn’t enough—what then?
We size a tank and pump set to AS 2941 and configure hydrant/sprinkler supplies (combined or separate) to meet the worst-case demand while satisfying AS 2419.1 and AS 2118.1.
Q7) Do small rooms ever omit sprinklers or detectors?
Sometimes—very specific, size/material/usage-dependent exclusions exist. Applicability is project-specific and must be verified against AS 2118.1 and the agreed fire strategy.
Q8) How do you coordinate with other services?
We run clash detection (Revit/Navisworks), issue coordination reports with actions/owners, and fix routing/elevations to maintain clearances, access and maintainability—so the install team isn’t solving problems on site.
Q9) What deliverables do we receive?
Design drawings and schedules, hydraulic calculations, pump/tank sizing, specifications, Navisworks/IFC coordination models, and a Basis-of-Design summary suitable for approvals and procurement.
Q10) Can you review contractor/shop drawings?
Yes. We provide shop-drawing/RFI reviews and hold-point inspections to ensure the build matches the approved design intent.
Q11) How long does design take?
Concept 1–3 weeks; detailed design typically 4–12 weeks depending on building size/complexity and the quality/timeliness of inputs. Fast-track options are available if information is complete and available.
Q12) What causes most rework—and how do you avoid it?
Late space planning for pump rooms/boosters, unverified water data, and uncoordinated ceilings/ducts. We front-load these decisions and run structured coordination to de-risk redesign.
Q13) Do you handle approvals and authority liaison?
We prepare compliant documentation and support the certifier/authority process. Formal certification/issuing is by the relevant building surveyor/certifier; we assist as the fire systems designer.
Q14) Do you work on refurbishments and fit-outs?
Yes—existing buildings often need careful interface with legacy systems. We survey, verify capacities and propose compliant, buildable upgrades with minimal disruption.
Q15) How are fees structured?
Fixed-fee by stage for well-defined scopes; hourly rates for investigations/variations. Disbursements (e.g., travel, authority fees) are at cost + a small admin percentage.
Alternativly, we can work within an existing team on hourly rates to assist in completing designs as a joint venture.
Q16) What are your payment terms?
Invoices are issued monthly or at milestones and are payable within 14 days of the invoice date.
Q17) What insurances do you carry?
Professional Indemnity, Public Liability and Workers Compensation (current certificates available on request).
Q18) Can you join our Common Data Environment (ACC/Procore/etc.)?
Yes. We work within client CDEs for document control, RFIs and transmittals, and can tailor BIM execution to your BEP.
Q19) Do you provide maintenance or testing services?
We’re a design and advisory practice. We can specify maintenance requirements and introduce qualified maintenance contractors where needed.
Q20) What’s your background?
17+ years across design, coordination and construction support in commercial, industrial and residential projects, plus four years in product management for fire/CAD software—so our designs are practical, data-driven and buildable.