Over the years, our founder, Jeff Harrington, wrote a series called “How I Stumbled Into Fire Protection Engineering.”
And “stumbled” is actually the right word.
Jeff originally started out studying electrical engineering, but something about it never fully clicked. It felt abstract and disconnected from the real world. That changed when he became involved in a project with the Worcester Fire Department while attending Worcester Polytechnic Institute (“WPI”).
For the first time, engineering felt tangible.
The work was practical, hands-on, and rooted in something that mattered: protecting people and property. That experience ultimately shifted the trajectory of Jeff’s career and introduced him to the emerging field of fire protection engineering. As his career progressed, he began to see a pattern within the industry. Many fire protection solutions were highly prescriptive and often failed to fully align with the actual risks or operational realities clients faced. That realization shaped a different philosophy. One centered on understanding the problem first and then developing the right solution.
That mindset ultimately became part of the foundation of Harrington Group, Inc.
Today, 40 years after the company was founded, that same approach still guides how we work. While the tools, technologies, and projects have evolved over the decades, the core philosophy has remained consistent: Understand the problem. Evaluate the risk. Develop the right solution.
As we celebrate 40 years of HGI, it felt like the right time to revisit where it all started.
If you’re interested in reading the original series, you can find the first post here.