Sarah Forbes wins Diversity Champion Award as DFC receives a Commended recognition for Inclusive Company.

Design Fire Consultants (DFC) is proud to celebrate two achievements at this year’s Women in Fire Safety Awards. Sarah Forbes won Diversity Champion, while DFC received a Commended recognition in the Inclusive Company Award category.

Recognising the People Behind a More Inclusive Industry

Sarah has been a finalist in the Women in Fire Safety Awards for three consecutive years, so seeing her take home the Diversity Champion award this year is particularly special. The award recognises her commitment to championing diversity and inclusion and helping make our industry a place where people feel welcome, valued and able to thrive. Huge congratulations, Sarah. It’s brilliant to see your efforts recognised.

Building a More Inclusive Fire Engineering Profession

We’re also pleased that DFC has been commended in the Inclusive Company category. Building an inclusive workplace takes more than policies or statements; it depends on the everyday culture we create, the opportunities we offer and how we support people to develop throughout their careers.

Creating an inclusive workplace isn’t something that happens overnight and it certainly isn’t just about policies or statements. It’s about how we work together, how we support one another and whether people feel they can be themselves and develop their careers.

As fire engineers, we work in a technical profession where experience, knowledge and different perspectives all matter. We believe the industry is stronger when it attracts talented people from all backgrounds and gives them the opportunity to grow.

Our support for the Women in Fire Safety Awards reflects a commitment we’ve maintained over several years. From having colleagues recognised in the awards in 2023 and 2024, to sponsoring the Excellence in Fire Engineering (Fire Engineer) award in 2025 and the Fire Safety Excellence (Fire Engineer) award in 2026, we’ve continued to support the initiative and the wider conversation around representation and inclusion in our industry.

For us, this year’s recognition is another encouraging step along that journey. There’s always more to do but we’re pleased to be part of a community that’s working to make positive changes.

Congratulations to Sarah and to all the winners, finalists and organisations recognised this year.

We’re proud to play our part in supporting a more inclusive future for fire safety.