FireQA at Fire Australia 2026: Great Conversations, Big Ideas, and Strong Industry Momentum
The FireQA team headed to beautiful Melbourne for the Fire Australia Conference 2026, and it proved to be another excellent event for the fire protection industry.
Held alongside the stunning Yarra River, the conference combined impressive presentations, valuable networking, and plenty of opportunities to reconnect with familiar faces from across Australia and beyond.
A Strong Start to the Event
One of the standout moments from the opening was the Welcome to Country, which was both thoughtful and genuinely entertaining. It set a warm, positive tone for the conference and was a memorable way to begin the event.
Throughout the conference there were a wide range of engaging talks and discussions, with strong attendance across the sessions and exhibition areas.
Fire Engineers Responding to Smarter Inspection Tools
We spent a lot of time speaking with fire engineers, and FireQA really resonated with many of them.
One thing that continues to surprise us is how many engineering teams are still relying on:
Pen and paper inspections
Manual note-taking
Photos stored separately
Excel spreadsheets and Word documents to build reports later
For many teams, this creates unnecessary duplication, admin, and inefficiency. Being able to show engineers a system where inspections, photos, plans, and reporting are all connected in one workflow immediately clicked.
The response to FireQA’s inspection and reporting capabilities was incredibly positive, especially from teams looking to modernise their processes without adding complexity.
Bushfire, Data Centres and Lithium Battery Risks Remain Key Topics
We also had some great conversations with staff from Fire Rescue Victoria, with bushfire protection and lithium battery risks continuing to be major discussion points across the event.
It’s clear these areas will remain a major focus for the industry moving forward, particularly as regulations, building design considerations, and risk management requirements continue to evolve.
Data centres were also a major topic throughout the conference. FireQA works closely with many passive fire teams involved in data centre construction, so it was interesting to see how many exhibitors were showcasing products and solutions specifically designed for this rapidly growing sector. With the scale, complexity, and compliance requirements involved in these projects, there is a strong focus on quality assurance, traceability, and getting installations right the first time.
Innovation That Stood Out
One product that really caught our attention was the HaloFire fire extinguisher. It’s exciting to see innovation entering an industry where many products and processes have remained largely unchanged for years.
Events like Fire Australia are always valuable because they showcase not just compliance and regulation, but also fresh thinking and practical innovation across the sector.
The Competition Events Were a Highlight
The conference races and interactive challenges were another standout part of the event. It’s always entertaining watching highly skilled professionals compete under pressure - especially when there’s a crowd and a timer involved.
Tasks that are second nature day-to-day suddenly become much harder when everyone is watching.
Industry Connections from Across Australia
One of the best parts of Fire Australia is seeing just how far people travel to attend. We caught up with teams from all over the country, including visitors from Tasmania and clients who had travelled down from Cairns.
These events continue to reinforce how connected and collaborative the fire protection industry is, despite the huge geographic spread across Australia and New Zealand.
And, importantly - the coffee was top notch.
Looking Ahead to the Gold Coast
Fire Australia 2026 was another fantastic event, and we’re already looking forward to catching up with everyone again on the Gold Coast next year.
Conferences like these are incredibly valuable for staying connected to the real challenges facing fire engineers, passive fire contractors, and inspection teams - and for continuing to improve FireQA to support the industry moving forward.
