Spotlight on… Jack Chard

Tell us a bit about your career and what brought you to CheckFire?

I started my career at CheckFire in the workshop, renovating CO2 cylinders and picking/packing in Caerphilly, before moving into the ‘Signs’ department and working in a small team. I eventually moved to Dyffryn Warehouse when it was built, and then took on the role as supervisor, which developed into my current role of warehouse manager. What brought me to CheckFire? I had just finished school and my neighbour, a former workshop supervisor, offered me the opportunity to work at CheckFire – and the rest is history.

What is your role at CheckFire and which service do you provide?

Warehouse manager. I coordinate and plan all warehouse staff and their workload to ensure KPIs are met while working in a safe, organised environment.

Talk us through a typical day in your role.

My day at CheckFire starts with planning the workload for the warehouse team before then completing a health and safety check, ensuring that all requirements are kept in place. During my day, I oversee the warehouse tasks while liaising with all departments to plan container delivery schedules, truck deliveries and van deliveries, for example. I work closely with Customer Services on planning order delivery dates and workload, as this is key for us to work effectively and efficiently. I also work closely with external parties on order volumes and coordinate all warehouse activity.

Which fire safety professionals do you regularly support?

We provide a service to the fire extinguisher engineers, regularly sending out custom orders to site. We support local engineers, with whom we have great customer relationships.

What advice would you give to landlords, property owners or business owners when it comes to ensuring the right fire safety measures are in place?

Have the property checked by a qualified engineer to ensure all safety measures are in place. Ensure fire safety checks are completed on a weekly basis – for example, ensuring all combustible equipment is stored appropriately, and ensuring all information is documented and easily accessible.

Which of CheckFire’s products are you most excited about at the minute?

The Commander Safety Box with Contact Alarm. With caravan parks opening back up, we have seen an increase in orders of this product. It is a great product and very easy to install.

What has been your most memorable moment with CheckFire?

It’s very hard to pick an exact moment. It’s a big eye opener where we are now as a team and company compared to when I first started. It’s a great achievement.

Why is your job so satisfying?

It is satisfying seeing the team pull together and we all have a very good working relationship with each other. When I need support, the staff are there. It is satisfying knowing that we are making progress as a company and looking forward to the future.

In which direction do you think the fire safety industry is headed?

Over the last few years, the spotlight has been on fire safety. I think the industry will evolve with new legislations but, as a whole, the industry is growing rapidly.