Speakers for 2026
Marla Friebe
Deputy Chief,
Toronto Fire Services
Steve Wilson
Division Chief,
Toronto Fire Services
Laura King
Regional Director,
Canada, NFPA
Ryan Duggan
Director of Safety & Compliance,
City of Toronto
Ehsan Emrani, P.Eng.
Business Development Director,
InControl Systems Inc.
Tess Espejo
Program Manager, Codes and Regulatory Services,
UL Solutions
Adam Gillies, P.Eng.
Associate,
LRI Engineering
Derek Gruchy
Program Coordinator,
Seneca Polytechnic
Ghassan Marjaba, PhD, P.Eng., PMP
Principal Engineer & Researcher, Engineers in Motion Inc.
Honggang Wang, PhD
Associate Research Officer, National Research Council Canada
Marla Friebe
Deputy Chief, Toronto Fire Services
Marla is currently the Acting Deputy Chief within the Community Risk Reduction Division, bringing over 35 years of extensive leadership experience in fire prevention, public education, professional development, and emergency management. Throughout her career, she has led strategic initiatives focused on reducing community risk, advancing fire safety through data-driven public education campaigns, and strengthening partnerships across municipal agencies to address complex public safety challenges. Marla has provided leadership on high-profile initiatives involving vulnerable populations, high-risk residential properties, and city-wide fire safety strategies, balancing enforcement, collaboration, and public education. She is passionate about sharing practical lessons that help organizations improve safety outcomes and build resilient communities.
Steve Wilson
Division Chief, Toronto Fire Services
Steve brings over 37 years of distinguished experience in community safety, spanning law enforcement, fire services, and emergency management. He dedicated 31 years to policing, rising to the rank of Acting Inspector, where he led key portfolios including criminal investigations, forensic identification, and court services. Following that, he was appointed Assistant Deputy Fire Marshal for the Province, overseeing provincial fire investigations and managing critical emergency response programs. Since joining Toronto Fire Services in 2021, Steve has lead fire investigations, quality assurance, legal, and engineering functions. Steve also has a passion for education, serving concurrently as an adjunct professor at Georgian College, where he delivered higher education for over 7 years. Steve’s multidisciplinary background and leadership across sectors make him a respected voice in advancing integrated approaches to public safety.
Laura King
Regional Director, Canada, NFPA
Laura King is the NFPA regional director for Canada. Laura promotes and supports the use of NFPA tools and resources, including NFPA codes and standards, training, certification, and public education initiatives such as Fire Prevention Week. Laura joined NFPA in 2017 after 10 years as editor of Fire Fighting in Canada and Canadian Firefighter magazines. Laura was a reporter and editor for more than 25 years for newspapers and magazines in Canada and the United States including The American Lawyer and The Daily Deal, a business newspaper in New York. Laura holds several fire-services certifications, has taught myriad courses, and represents NFPA on many lithium-ion and wildfire committees and working groups. Laura is a proud Cape Bretoner; she has lived and worked in Sydney, Halifax, Ottawa, Edmonton and the Greater Toronto Area.
Ryan Duggan
Director of Safety & Compliance, City of Toronto
Ryan Duggan is the Director of Safety & Compliance for The City of Toronto. Ryan has developed a comprehensive Fire & Life Safety Program Office that consolidates all Fire and Life Safety matters for 65 million square feet of City owned buildings, spaces and critical infrastructure. Ryan has published the City's first Master Fire Program which identifies roles & responsibilities for fire and life safety and outlines a hybrid model for conducting ITM where internal staff conduct monthly ITM and contracted service partners conduct semi-annual+. Prior to joining the City in 2019, Ryan was the Manager of Fire Safety at the TTC for over 13 years where he implemented an industry leading fire safety program that provides oversight of all fire protection maintenance, code compliance and fire safety training for both employees and Toronto Fire Service related to firefighting in transit systems. Ryan is a graduate from the Fire Protection Engineering Technology program at Seneca College.
Ehsan Emrani, P.Eng.
Business Development Director, InControl Systems Inc.
As the business development manager, Ehsan is a professional Engineer that specializes in Fire Alarm, Flame & Gas Detection and Fire Fighting Systems & Equipment with more than 9 years of practice in the industry; His responsibility includes engineering, marketing & sales in commercial & industrial fields.
Tess Espejo
Program Manager, Codes and Regulatory Services, UL Solutions
Tess Espejo is a Program Manager for Codes and Regulatory Services at UL Solutions Canada (ULC), bringing over 20 years of experience in the development and implementation of standards, codes, regulations, and certification programs. Tess has played a key role in advancing fire and life safety through her previous work with technical committees spanning fire alarm systems, integrated life safety systems testing, energy storage technologies, and emerging risk sectors.
An active contributor to Canada’s National Building and Fire Codes since 2006, Tess also participates in international standards development, including ISO, IEC, and UL/ULC joint committees. She led the development of multiple international agreements addressing safety and security in high-growth sectors. Tess brings a unique perspective at the intersection of innovation, certification, and fire protection engineering.
Adam Gillies, P.Eng.
Associate, LRI Engineering
Adam Gillies, P.Eng., is an Associate at LRI Engineering specializing in code consulting and fire engineering for complex buildings. He has contributed to a wide range of projects, including arenas, stadiums, residential developments, and industrial facilities. Adam has extensive experience in smoke control design, including the application of NFPA 92, performance-based analysis, and CFD modelling to support smoke-controlled egress strategies.
He is an accomplished presenter, known for clearly communicating complex technical concepts to diverse audiences. His expertise includes egress analysis, alternative solutions, and the application of building and fire codes, including NFPA standards, to deliver practical and effective life safety solutions.
Derek Gruchy
Program Coordinator, Seneca Polytechnic
Derek Gruchy is the Program Coordinator for the School of Fire Protection Engineering Technology at Seneca Polytechnic. He has previously worked as a Code Consultant. Derek studied at Carleton University and obtained his B.Eng in Mechanical Engineering and a M.A.Sc. in Fire and Life Safety. He specializes in Human Behaviour During Fire Emergencies and Fire Dynamics.
Outside of work, Derek is a Past President for the Southern Ontario Chapter of the SFPE. He is the author of Chapter 2-1 from the NFPA Fire Protection Handbook (21st Ed). Derek also sits on the Technical Committee for CSA N293 and CSA N393. Derek was recognized, by OACETT, with the 2023 Outstanding Educator Award and designation of Fellow, in 2024. He was also recognized by SFPE International with the 2024 Spotlight Award.
.avif)
Ghassan Marjaba, PhD, P.Eng., PMP
Principal Engineer & Researcher, Engineers in Motion Inc.
Ghassan is a professional engineer and researcher specializing in building codes, structural design, energy efficiency, sustainable performance, accessibility, and fire safety of the built environment. As a Principal Engineer and Researcher at Engineers in Motion Inc., he leads national projects advancing building codes and standards, building designs, sustainability, accessibility, and building performance standards in collaboration with private and public sector partners.
With over 20 years of multidisciplinary experience in structural engineering, building science, and code development, Ghassan’s work bridges research and practice in design, investigations, and code development.
Honggang Wang, PhD
Associate Research Officer, National Research Council Canada
Dr. Honggang Wang is a Research Officer at the National Research Council Canada (NRC) and holds a PhD in Fire Protection Engineering. His research focuses on quantitative fire-risk assessment and modeling, including wildland–urban interface (WUI) fires, post-earthquake fire networks, and building fire dynamics. His work emphasizes the development of analytical tools and risk-informed methodologies to support fire safety engineering decision-making.