Leadership Bios

Laura Poole - President

Laura Poole is the founder and President of Poole Fire Protection, Inc. Ms. Poole is responsible for setting the overall direction and service strategy for the company. She leads all business aspects of the company including contract negotiations and plays an active role in business development.

A graduate of Purdue University her financial background and business acumen strengthens Poole Fire Protection’s ability to stay competitive in an ever-changing economy.

Ms. Poole also leads the development of the company's technology and infrastructure. Her leadership in this area advanced the company's productivity and streamlined day-to day business operations. As a result the management team has real time information on company performance and resource allocation.

Everyday offers a new opportunity for growth and expansion. Ms. Poole and the executive management team work together to develop sound business plans for the growth of the company and its employees. They are committed to creating a company culture and work environment that builds highly effective teams at every level of the organization and anticipates the future needs of their clients.

Jack Poole, PE - Principal

Jack Poole earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in Fire Protection Engineering from the University of Maryland, College Park, in 1986. He is a Registered Fire Protection Engineer in 41 states including Guam and has 25 years of experience. As Principal of Poole Fire Protection, his expertise includes fire suppression and detection system design; fire hazards analyses, fire risk assessments; construction management; and fire protection water distribution system evaluations. He has also provided legal testimony for fire investigations, code analyses, life safety and fire protection system design testing and Maintenance.

He has served as project manager, project engineer and lead fire protection engineer on projects for public and private sector clients. His responsibilities have included serving as a primary contact between clients, planning design schedules, scheduling manpower and staffing, meeting the confines of the budget, and coordinating the fire protection engineering tasks to assure a complete and correct fire protection design.

Mr. Poole is a member of the Society of Fire Protection Engineers, National Fire Protection Association, NFPA Technical Committee on Airport Facilities, NFPA Technical Committee on Helicopter Facilities, NFPA Technical Committee on Subterranean Spaces, NFPA Technical Committee on National Fire Alarm Code, National SFPE Education Committee, International Code Council, Building Official and Code Administrators International, National Society of Professional Engineers and Kansas Society of Professional Engineers.

Jack is a featured presenter at conferences throughout the US and in international markets. He is viewed as a leading expert in Fire Protection and is seen as a great asset for owners, contractors and the federal government.

Few folks know that he served as a Fire Marshall and can relate to all aspects of the need for safety.

Steve Dryden, PE, CSP - Director of Engineering

Mr. Dryden earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Fire Protection Engineering from the University of Maryland, College Park, in 1988.  He secured his Masters of Business Administration from Baker University in 2001.  He is a Registered Fire Protection Engineer in three states.

Mr. Dryden is responsible for providing fire protection design services, facility assessments and code consulting.  His 21 years of experience includes fire suppression and detection system design; fire protection facility assessments, life safety analyses; construction management; and emergency planning.

He has an extensive experience with flammable liquids and their associated fire hazards.