Matt Graham has been on both sides of fire protection: first as a firefighter, and now as a fire protection consultant for Harrington Group. A local career center where he grew up in Ohio offered a fire academy program to high school students, so when he graduated in 2011, he also received firefighting and EMT certifications. He went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering while working as a firefighter, and it wasn’t until 2018 that he learned about fire protection engineering, the perfect convergence of his professional interests.
“When I saw the job post for a fire protection consultant, it seemed like it would be a really great fit, since I already had a background as a firefighter,” Matt said. “I realized if I could make it safer for the people going into buildings that are already on fire, I can hopefully send home some of my friends that might not otherwise make it back.”
Now one of Harrington Group’s newest fire protection consultants, Matt is completing a master’s in fire protection engineering at the University of Maryland and plans to take the P.E. in the fall. A few weeks into his new role, he’s staying busy with site visits and taking advantage of learning opportunities with his colleagues.
“The way HGI treats their employees is refreshing, and I’m excited to work with so many people who have so much information and can walk me through new things,” he said. “I really just want to absorb as much information as I can to become a good fire protection engineer and see where that leads me.”
When he isn’t working or studying, Matt enjoys rock climbing, kayaking, weightlifting, and playing video games.