From apprentice engineer to Operations Director, Jamie Groom’s career in fire and security has come full circle.
Jamie first joined TP Fire & Security as an apprentice in 1998, learning the industry from the ground up before going on to build almost three decades of experience across fire engineering and operations. In 2024, he returned to where it all began, this time to help lead operational delivery across the business.
We caught up with Jamie to talk about how the industry has changed since those early days, what his engineering background brings to his role today, developing the next generation of engineers and why, after nearly 30 years, he’s still learning.
You originally joined TP Fire & Security as an apprentice in 1998. What do you remember about those early days in the industry?
I remember it being very hands-on. You learnt by getting involved, working alongside experienced engineers and listening to people who had been doing the job for years.
Technology was obviously very different then, but the fundamentals were the same – understand the system, understand why it has been designed that way and make sure the customer is left with something that works properly.
As an apprentice, I probably didn’t appreciate at the time just how much I was learning. A lot of those early lessons have stayed with me throughout my career.
Did you ever imagine back then that you’d eventually return to TP Fire & Security as Operations Director?
Not at all.
When you’re an apprentice, you’re concentrating on learning the job and becoming a competent engineer. You’re certainly not thinking nearly 30 years ahead and imagining yourself coming back as Operations Director.
That is probably what makes it quite special for me. I started here learning the industry from the ground up, so returning and now having the opportunity to help shape the business is something I’m very proud of.
You spent a number of years gaining experience elsewhere before returning in 2024. What made you want to come back to TP Fire & Security?
There was always a connection with TP because it was where my career started.
I’d gained a huge amount of experience elsewhere, both technically and operationally, and when the opportunity came up to return I felt I could bring that experience back into the business.
TP had also grown considerably, but still had the feel of a business where people could make a difference. That was important to me.
I liked the opportunity to help develop the operational side of the company, improve processes and support the next stage of its growth.
How has the business, and the industry, changed since you first started your career?
Massively.
Technically, systems are far more sophisticated. We now have large networked systems, intelligent devices, graphical interfaces, remote monitoring and integrations with numerous other building systems.
The compliance side of the industry has also developed considerably. There is much more emphasis on competency, evidence, documentation, traceability and demonstrating that work has been completed correctly.
Customers quite rightly expect much more information too. It isn’t enough just to say a system has been serviced. They want accurate asset information, detailed reports, visibility of defects and clear recommendations.
Technology has also completely changed the way we run an operation. Scheduling, reporting, job management and communication can now happen almost instantly.
Having progressed from an apprentice engineer to Operations Director, how does your engineering background influence the way you lead operations today?
It influences almost everything I do.
I’ve been the engineer receiving the job from the office, turning up on site, trying to understand the problem and dealing directly with the customer.
That means when we’re developing processes or making operational decisions, I always try to think about how they will actually work in the real world.
It also means I can challenge things technically. If something doesn’t sound right, I generally understand enough about the engineering behind it to ask the right questions.
At the same time, I’ve learnt that good operations is about finding the balance between what the customer needs, what the business needs and giving engineers the right support to do their jobs properly.
What does your role as Operations Director involve on a typical week?
There probably isn’t a typical week!
My role covers operational performance across the business, supporting our Branch Managers and operational teams, looking at customer performance, resource levels, engineering capacity, service delivery and any major issues that need escalating.
A lot of time is spent looking ahead as well – where we need additional engineers, where workloads are increasing, whether our processes are working properly and where technology can help us become more efficient.
There is also a big customer-facing element. With larger contracts, you need to understand what is happening operationally and make sure we’re delivering what we’ve committed to.
And inevitably there is still the occasional technical conversation where I can’t resist getting involved.
You’re responsible for operational delivery nationwide. What are the biggest considerations when it comes to maintaining consistent standards across different teams and locations?
Consistency is one of the biggest challenges in any growing service business.
Customers should receive the same standard whether an engineer is attending a site in London, Birmingham, Cambridge or anywhere else.
For me, that comes down to clear processes, good training, good communication and strong local management.
You also need good information. If you’re measuring response times, completion rates, outstanding jobs, first-time fix, quote turnaround and customer feedback, you can quickly identify where something is beginning to drift.
But you can’t manage everything from a spreadsheet. You still need to speak to engineers, managers and customers and understand what is actually happening on the ground.
Compliance is obviously a huge part of the fire industry. How do you make sure high standards remain part of the everyday culture rather than simply a box to tick?
Compliance has to become part of how you naturally do the job.
If people only think about compliance when an audit is coming up, then you’ve already got a problem.
It starts with explaining why things are important. Engineers need to understand why accurate reports matter, why assets need verifying, why procedures exist and what the potential consequences are if something is missed.
We also have to make sure we’re giving people the right training and support.
I’d much rather someone stopped and asked a question than carried on because they were worried about admitting they weren’t sure.
You’ve worked with a huge range of fire system technologies over the years. Is there a particular area of fire engineering that still really interests you?
Fire alarm systems have always been the area that interests me most, particularly larger addressable systems and systems where there is a lot of integration with other equipment.
I’ve always enjoyed fault finding as well.
There’s something satisfying about arriving at a complicated problem, understanding what the system is doing and gradually working through it until you find the cause.
You’ve mentioned on your LinkedIn about having a particular passion for complex cause-and-effect systems and large multi-panel networks. What is it about that side of the job that you enjoy?
I like understanding the logic behind the system.
On a large site, a fire alarm isn’t simply detecting a fire and sounding alarms anymore. It can be controlling lifts, smoke control, doors, access control, plant shutdowns, dampers and numerous other systems.
When you’ve got multiple panels and complicated cause-and-effect programming, you really have to understand how the whole building is supposed to respond.
I enjoy that problem-solving side of engineering.
When you finally understand why something isn’t behaving as expected and get the system operating correctly, there is still a lot of satisfaction in that.
How important is it for engineers today to understand the wider system rather than simply the individual piece of equipment they’re working on?
Extremely important.
One of the things I always encourage engineers to do is understand what is connected to what they’re working on.
Changing or testing one device can have consequences elsewhere within a building.
A good engineer shouldn’t just ask, “Does this detector work?”
They should be thinking, “What happens when this detector operates? What should the system do? What other systems should respond?”
That wider understanding is what separates fault finding from simply replacing components.
Having started as an apprentice yourself, what do you think makes a good environment for apprentices and younger engineers to develop?
They need exposure, support and the freedom to ask questions.
An apprentice can spend years doing basic tasks without really developing if nobody takes the time to explain why they’re doing them.
The best engineers I worked with when I was younger would explain what they were looking for and why.
We also need to allow younger engineers to make decisions as their competence develops.
You can’t expect someone to become confident if they’re never given responsibility.
Is there anything from your own apprenticeship that has stayed with you throughout your career?
Probably the importance of understanding the basics properly.
Technology changes constantly, but electrical principles, good fault finding and understanding how a system should operate don’t really change.
I was also taught to take pride in the job.
Don’t just get something working and walk away. Leave the installation or system in a condition you’d be happy putting your own name against.
What do you try to instill in the teams you lead today?
Take ownership.
If you see a problem, don’t assume somebody else will deal with it.
That applies whether you’re an engineer, coordinator, manager or director.
I also want people to communicate. A lot of operational problems become much bigger simply because nobody picked up the phone or raised an issue early enough.
And above everything else, look after the customer and look after each other.
You’re also a Mental Health First Aider. Why was that something you wanted to get involved with?
The industry can be demanding.
Engineers spend a lot of time travelling and working alone, managers are dealing with constant operational pressure and people obviously have things happening outside work as well.
Sometimes just having somebody who will listen without immediately judging or trying to fix everything can make a difference.
I’m not pretending to be a counsellor, but I think managers have a responsibility to recognise when somebody might be struggling and know how to support them or point them towards the right help.
You’re someone who tends to get involved in TP Fire & Security initiatives outside your day-to-day role too – including the skydive for The Benjamin Foundation. What made you agree to jump out of a plane for charity?!
I’m still asking myself that! It seemed like a great idea when I agreed to it.
The Benjamin Foundation does some fantastic work supporting young people, so if jumping out of a perfectly good aeroplane helps raise some money and awareness for them, then it’s worth doing.
I’m fairly sure I’ll regret saying that when I’m strapped to my tandem skydiver awaiting the drop.
What are you most proud of since returning to TP Fire & Security?
Probably seeing the operational teams develop.
We’ve grown considerably and taken on some demanding contracts, so maintaining service levels while continuing to improve the way we operate isn’t easy.
I’m also proud of some of the technology and process improvements we’ve introduced.
There’s still plenty we can improve, and I’m probably always going to look at the things we haven’t fixed yet rather than congratulate ourselves too much, but we’ve made significant progress.
What would you like to achieve next with the operations side of the business?
The next step for me is making the operation increasingly proactive rather than reactive.
We hold a huge amount of operational data, and I want us to use that information far more intelligently.
That means better forecasting of engineering resources, smarter scheduling, identifying recurring problems, improving first-time fixes and giving our teams better information before they arrive on site.
Automation and AI will inevitably play a part in that, but only where they genuinely improve the operation.
Technology should remove unnecessary administration and give people more time to concentrate on customers and engineering.
After nearly three decades in the fire industry, what still keeps you interested in it?
No two days are really the same.
The technology continues to change, regulations evolve and there is always another problem to solve.
But ultimately, it’s an industry that matters.
The systems we’re installing and maintaining are there to protect people and buildings.
When you’ve spent almost your entire working life in the industry, you also build relationships with a lot of people along the way.
I started as an apprentice nearly three decades ago and I’m still learning things today. I think that’s probably why I’ve never lost interest in it.
Jamie’s journey is a great example of just how far a career in the fire and security industry can take you. Despite the changes in technology, systems and the way operations are managed, some things have remained constant: understanding the fundamentals, taking pride in the job and never stopping learning.
Want to find out more about the people behind TP Fire & Security? Keep an eye on our News & Insights for more interviews, company updates and stories from across the team.
