Fire doesn’t care who you are. But too often, safety does. When people can’t afford safe housing, they inherit danger — old wiring, missing alarms, locked exits. In Canada, people living in low-income areas face twice the fatality rate of wealthier neighborhoods. Across the world, from Grenfell Tower in London to factories in Bangladesh, it’s the poor, the elderly, and the powerless who die first. We call them “accidents.” But they’re not. They’re the visible smoke of invisible neglect — the result of systems that value property over people. If we truly believe in equality, then fire safety must be recognized as a human right. Not a luxury. Not an upgrade. A promise. Because the right to wake up tomorrow should never depend on your zip code, your paycheck, or your passport. Fire safety is more than engineering — it’s social justice in practice. It’s the belief that every life deserves protection, not paperwork.

Blind to Fire Risk — Why “Meets Code” Can Still Kill Even the safest-looking buildings can hide deadly risks. In Episode 7 of the Fire Safety Philosophy Podcast, Fire Safety Engineer Pavlo Lapikov from Calgary, Alberta, Canada uncovers the truth behind the phrase “meets code” — and why it’s not always enough to save lives. This episode explores how psychology, routine, and blind trust in compliance make people overlook real fire dangers. Pavlo explains how biases like optimism bias, normalcy bias, and cognitive dissonance shape our perception of risk — and how “approved” systems can fail when human behavior is ignored. Through real stories from inspections, fieldwork, and investigations across Canada, the United States, Europe, and the UAE, Pavlo reveals how the culture of compliance often replaces the culture of care. Because in fire safety, comfort can kill, and paperwork never saved a single life. Key themes: Why “meets code” isn’t a guarantee of safety The psychology of risk and complacency How compliance culture creates blind spots Real-world examples of system failures Why safety must live beyond codes and checklists Fire safety is not just about systems and certificates — it’s about people, awareness, and the courage to go beyond minimums. 🎧 Listen now to Blind to Fire Risk — Why “Meets Code” Can Still Kill and discover how to turn compliance into culture. 📍 Recorded in: Calgary, Alberta, Canada 🌐 Learn more: www.FireHeartFSMA.com 🎙️ Podcast: Fire Safety Philosophy 👤 Host: Pavlo Lapikov, Fire Safety Engineer, Educator, and Fire Safety Philosopher

Episode 6: Who Profits When Fire Safety Stops at “Enough”? What does “safe enough” really mean — and who profits when it stops there? In this thought-provoking episode, Fire Safety Engineer Pavlo Lapikov takes you behind the walls of buildings, codes, and budgets to reveal an uncomfortable truth: fire safety is not only about systems. It’s about economics, culture, and conscience. With over 20 years of experience across nuclear plants, underground mines, high-rise towers, hospitals, schools, and factories, Pavlo has seen how systems fail, how codes succeed, and how culture decides who lives and who doesn’t. This episode exposes the hidden profit behind “acceptable risk” — how budgets, politics, and national philosophies shape the meaning of safety. Pavlo shares real stories from the field: inspections that looked perfect until disaster struck, sprinkler systems that failed from hidden corrosion, and reports marked “compliant” while smoke still rose from the ashes. You’ll learn: • Why “meets code” is not the same as “safe.” • Who benefits when fire safety stops at the bare minimum. • How corrosion, corruption, and cost-cutting quietly undermine protection. • Why national philosophies shape safety — from Sweden’s firefighting strategy and Japan’s prevention mindset to the UAE’s protection systems and North America’s rebuild culture. • Why education, training, and human awareness remain the strongest defense when systems fail. Safety isn’t paperwork. It’s not a number or a certificate. It’s a promise — to care about lives, not just projects. Listen to Episode 6 – Who Profits When Fire Safety Stops at “Enough”? and discover why real safety begins where the code ends.

What does “acceptable fire risk” really mean — and who decides it? In this episode, I am Pavlo Lapikov, a Fire Safety Engineer with over 20 years of experience across nuclear plants, mines, hospitals, and high-rises, asks the question few people dare to face: Who decides if your children, your parents, or your colleagues live or die in a fire? Codes and standards claim to protect us, but every line is a compromise — a decision about how much danger society is willing to accept. Pavlo takes you inside those hidden decisions, exploring the ethics behind fire safety, the failures of trust, and the human cost of calling something “safe enough.” You’ll hear real stories, lessons from history, and insight into how ethics, education, and culture define the difference between compliance and survival. Topics Covered: • What “acceptable fire risk” means in real life • Why codes are social compromises, not guarantees • How disasters like Grenfell changed global safety ethics • The moral duty to protect the most vulnerable • Why trust and culture matter more than paperwork Listen now and discover why fire safety is not just engineering — it’s philosophy.

Hello my friends, I’m Pavlo Lapikov, and welcome back to the Fire Safety Philosophy Podcast. I’ve spent over 20 years in fire safety — first as a firefighter and inspector, later as a teacher and engineer. I’ve run to alarms, walked through smoke, inspected workplaces with tens of thousands of employees, and seen the difference between rules on paper and culture in real life. What I’ve learned is simple: compliance keeps you legal, but culture keeps you alive. In this episode, we go deep into one of the most important truths in fire safety — the gap between compliance and culture. Too often we think an inspection, a checklist, or a neat evacuation plan means we’re safe. But when the alarm rings, paper doesn’t move people — culture does. What you’ll hear in Episode 4 🔥 Real stories from the field: supermarkets where rules failed, and a potash plant where culture saved the day 🔥 Why workers often follow safety only when watched — unless a true safety culture is built 🔥 How disasters like BP Texas City and Grenfell Tower prove that weak culture is deadlier than weak codes 🔥 Numbers and studies that reveal the cost of missing culture, from hospitals to industrial sites 🔥 Practical ways to teach kids, teens, and adults fire safety in ways they actually remember 🔥 The eight levers that build real fire safety culture in schools, workplaces, and communities This is not just another talk about codes. This is about people — how they think, act, and live safety every day. Key Insight Rules and inspections may build a factory, but only culture can save it. Fire safety is not a binder on a shelf — it’s a living philosophy that people carry into every decision. Why it matters for you If you’re a professional, an employer, a parent, or just someone who cares about safety, this episode will challenge how you think about fire codes, inspections, and training. You’ll discover why culture is the missing piece in most organizations — and how to build it before disaster strikes. About Fire Heart FSMA This podcast is powered by Fire Heart FSMA — the Fire Safety Marketing Agency. We help safety professionals, fire departments, and organizations turn messages into culture. Because saving lives isn’t just about systems — it’s about communication. Learn more at FireHeartFSMA.com 👉 Subscribe, share with a colleague, and leave a comment. Together, we can build a culture of fire safety that saves lives.

Episode 3 – The Illusion of Fire Safety: Limits vs. Reality! Fire Safety Philosophy Podcast Discover why building codes and compliance can create an illusion of safety in this powerful episode hosted by fire safety engineer Pavlo Lapikov. With over 20 years of experience across nuclear plants, mining sites, hospitals, and high-rise towers, Pavlo shares real stories where “safe on paper” failed in reality. Learn how fire safety codes, retrofits, inspections, and risk management often fall short without true culture and practice. This episode explores global building codes, the dangers of relying only on numbers, the risks of aging structures, and how AI and process-based fire safety standards can reshape the future. Whether you’re a fire protection engineer, inspector, safety manager, or building owner, this episode will challenge you to think beyond compliance and see why true fire safety is a living process, not just a checklist.

Welcome to Episode 2 of the Fire Safety Philosophy Podcast with Pavlo Lapikov. This isn’t just another engineering podcast. It’s about asking the big questions: What does safety really mean? Why do we settle for minimums? How can we think beyond compliance? In this episode, Pavlo shares stories from mining, nuclear, and high-rise projects that reveal why fire safety is more philosophy than engineering. From personal near-death experiences to lessons learned in the field, this conversation challenges the illusion that systems and codes alone can keep us safe. What you’ll hear in this episode: – Intro: Why fire safety is more than drawings and codes – The Big Idea: Asking questions before choosing systems – Engineering vs Thinking: Hands vs brains – Questions before systems: People, not paperwork – Stories from the field: Mining, nuclear, and high-rise lessons – Nuclear safety: Ten critical questions we always asked – Philosophy First: Why minimums are never enough – Closing reflection: Education and drills over hardware Subscribe for future episodes and join the conversation. Fire safety isn’t just about systems. It’s about people.

What does it mean to be safe from fire? In this very first episode, I ask a simple but powerful question: what does it really mean to be safe from fire? I’m Pavlo Lapikov, a Fire Safety Engineer and Investigator with over 20 years of experience in fire departments, architecture, mining, nuclear energy, and consulting. Twice in my life I came face to face with fire and nearly didn’t survive. Those moments shaped the way I see safety — not as paperwork or systems, but as controlled risk. In this episode you’ll hear: 🔥 Why codes are minimums, not guarantees 🔥 Why buildings can be “safe” on paper but deadly in reality 🔥 My personal survival story and lessons from the field 🔥 How prevention, culture, and behavior matter as much as systems 🔥 Why fire safety is more philosophy than engineering 💡 Key idea: Safety is never absolute. It is controlled risk. And how we control it defines not only how safe we are, but how happy we are. 👉 Watch until the end for my closing reflection: “When you say you feel safe — are you measuring the risk you control, or just leaning on hope?” If you’re an engineer, firefighter, policymaker, manager, or simply someone who wants your family safe — this podcast is for you. 🎧 Subscribe to join me weekly as we explore fire safety as culture, ethics, and philosophy.