For Zach Ataiyan, fire protection runs in the family. The son of a civil-turned-fire-protection engineer, Zach studied mechanical engineering at South Dakota State University before completing a Master of Science in fire protection engineering at California Polytechnic State University in 2016.
“I like solving complex problems for clients when time and money are on the line,” he said, noting that the most rewarding element of the job can also be the most challenging.
As a PE with several years in the industry under his belt, Zach’s broad range of technical expertise includes building and fire code assessments, fire suppression design, life safety design, fire alarm design, fire risk assessments and egress modeling. He’s been involved with the SFPE since 2016, and currently serves as president of the Minnesota chapter, which he described as a fantastic way to network and get to know other fire protection experts in the area. Eager to bring his talents to Harrington Group, Zach hit the ground running when he joined the team as one of our newest fire protection engineers in late July.
Zach lives in the Minneapolis area with his wife and their three young children. The family loves spending time together outside, and being home more during the COVID-19 pandemic has given them the opportunity to expand and tend to their ever-growing backyard garden.