Dr Martin Cole along with Mr David Packham and Mr John Peterson won the 2017 NFPA DiNenno Prize. The DiNenno Prize recognises ground breaking innovations that have a significant impact in the building, fire and electrical fields worldwide.
The trio were recognised for their part in the development of the Very Early Smoke Detection Apparatus (VESDA) technology.
Mr Peter Johnson FTSE, another leading figure in fire safety said: “VESDA has transformed detection applications, changed codes & standards and positively impacted life-cycle maintenance and testing of many facilities”.
Melbourne based firm IEI Pty Ltd (founded by Dr Cole) took on the challenge of developing and commercialising the VESDA technology, which originated in CSIRO. IEI introduced its first product to overseas markets in 1983 and built increasingly sophisticated versions for the Australian and world market.
