Fire Systems, Inc
. has been in business for 33 years. As one of the original employees of the company, Vice President Geoff Z. carries out Fire Systems’ mission of integrity and dependability every day.
Owner Stan Lumsden set a vision for his company decades ago. The management team ensures this vision is carried out to this day. Fire Systems’ management team is one of the strongest pillars of the company thanks to employees like Geoff.
Duties & responsibilities
Geoff’s primary duty is overseeing the Engineered Installation Department. This department is responsible for 
designing various types of clean agent systems and both high and low pressure CO2 systems.
The layout design often entails visiting a job site to prepare a rough field drawing. Geoff explains the process: “Once the drawings are complete, I generate an initial flow calculation that will size piping. A point and point AutoCAD drawing and submittal package are produced next. The drawings and submittal package are sent to proper state and/or local approving authorities. Once the package is approved, it goes out to our installation crews for field installation.”
Rewarding work
Geoff is also involved in sales and quotation preparation. A duty that involves working with other members of the sale force and several of Fire Systems’ large corporate accounts.
In this role, Geoff has had the opportunity to work with large companies who need to maintain compliancy after completing major expansion projects. For example, a globally recognized packaging manufacturer based in Atlanta relied on Geoff and the Fire Systems team to complete three new installations at their Arizona facility. This plant expansion included a new building addition with several pieces of new equipment that required CO2 fire protection.
“Right now, I am in the very beginning stages of work on the expansion of this company’s operations in Rhinelander, Wisconsin,” explains Geoff. “About five years ago we were involved in several installations at the Rhinelander plant in Wisconsin and now they are expanding once again! We have gone all the way to Mexico to install engineered CO2 systems for this company.”
Geoff also notes a few years ago when he had the opportunity to do a huge project for Procter & Gamble in all of their plants across the United States. “I would classify that project and the many installations for the packing manufacturer plants across our county as the two of the most rewarding experiences of my career at Fire Systems, Inc.,” said Geoff.
Simply the best
A top quality of Fire Systems, Inc. is the attention to detail that larger companies simply cannot achieve. This 
level of competency is one that sets the company apart in many ways.
“We have a superior team from the bottom all the way to the top. It is the best organization of field and shop technicians, sales, office and design personnel, AutoCAD operators, management teams, and owners, anywhere in the country. When you couple that with our desire to make sure customers are always number one, we are absolutely the best!” explains Geoff.
Fire Systems has gained a great deal of respect in the CO2 aspect of the fire protection industry, and Geoff is humbled to have had the opportunity to be a small part of that.
“I enjoy working with our customers to help them meet the challenges of designing and installing CO2 fire systems for the protection of their assets and people,” says Geoff.
A lasting legacy
When asked about his future with the company, Geoff notes his wealth of design and applications experience in 
CO2 fire suppression systems that he’d like to pass on to the next generation of fire protection specialists.
In addition to his job at Fire Systems, Geoff is also the pastor at Smyrna Baptist Church near Thomaston, GA. Between Fire Systems and pastoring, there isn’t much time left, but he does enjoy a game of golf when time allows. He jokingly admits that “it has been almost 5 months since I’ve played and that makes it real hard to keep up my Phil Mickelson level of play!”
At the end of the day, Geoff is grateful for his years spent at Fire Systems.
“I am eternally grateful for every opportunity the Lord has given me while at Fire Systems. The other word of gratitude goes to our owner Stan Lumsden,” says Geoff. “Many years ago, Stan placed in me a high level of trust in the systems design of our business that has ever since been the inspiring drive behind my career here at Fire Systems.”
Geoff recognizes the ownership and employees he works side by side with every day, saying “Thank you to all of you for your hard work that makes us the best at what we do. It has truly been my privilege work beside you and with you these many years.”
