Video transcript: Structural failure and fire spread.

Martin’s fire safety career journey – from the Royal Navy to apprenticeship in the BSR

Mike: So, Martin, do you want to just give me your name and what you do?

Martin: Yeah, so I’m Martin Bottomley. I’m the apprentice for Planning Gateway One.

Mike: And what is your role in Planning Gateway One?

Martin: So I am a fire safety information assessor, so I, look at plans and applications for proposed buildings and alterations to buildings. I’m the apprentice, so that’s what I do.

Mike: So you were the apprentice.

Martin: I was the apprentice. Yeah.

Mike: Would you just tell us a bit about your background?

Martin: Yeah. So I grew up originally in Chester. My dad was in the army, so I moved around a lot. At the age of, sort of 16, 17, I realised I wanted to go into the military. And I dropped out of school, to be honest, I didn’t really try very hard.

So I joined the Royal Navy. I did 18 years in the Royal Navy as an aircraft handler working on flight decks of aircraft carriers. But I was also a firefighter.

So I kind of was part of the DFRMO Fire Rescue Service where we worked on air stations around the UK.

So, after that, over in 2023, I was medically discharged for a back injury. And that’s kind of where I am now.

I left the Navy, did a bit of HGV driving for a little bit, kind of work out where I wanted to go in life. Knew I wanted to get into fire safety. I was looking for a role in fire safety, and then that’s when I found Planning Gateway One.

Mike: So why did, why did you apply for the apprenticeship?

Martin: Like I say, it was, I was trying to find a way into fire safety, and I couldn’t get a way in. Because I didn’t have any qualifications. So every job I kind of looked at, it was, when I read through the requirements, I didn’t have what was needed.

And that’s when, like I say, I spotted Planning Gateway One, and it had everything I needed to get into the industry. Soon as I saw it, I knew it was the, you know, perfect opportunity for where I wanted to be.

Mike: So it was like an apprenticeship with a decent salary.

Martin: That’s it, that’s the good thing about the apprenticeship was that I was concerned when I left the military because I wanted to get into fire safety, but for me to do it, I would have had to go to college. I would have had to, you know, go to university, which would have meant taking time off work.

And obviously, I’ve already, with my time in the military, I had a house, and the car

and a life to pay for. So leaving full-time, a full-time work to go into full-time education just wasn’t an option.

So, yeah, the apprenticeship scheme was perfect for a full-time job, salary and learning on the job.

Mike: So you successfully fought your way through a field of 470…

Martin: That’s correct yeah.

Mike: …applicants to be the ultimate winner of the PGO apprenticeship. How did you feel when you got the news?

Martin: Oh, it was amazing. I was like, like I say I was I was working at HGV job and it was long, long hours. It was ‘graft’. And like I say, when I, when I got the phone call or the email, I was out training another person to work for the company. And I was just ecstatic when I got off.

Oh, my God, this is it. You know, I found my way out, into fire safety, I just couldn’t believe it was finally going to happen. So yeah, it was amazing.

Mike: And, what’s it been like being on the apprenticeship? So, how do you balance sort of working, learning?

Martin: Yeah. I mean, it’s been really, it’s been it’s been a lot easier than I thought it was going to be when I first, you know, when I read through the apprenticeship before. God, how am I going to manage all my coursework and my caseload and all my work on top of each other, but it’s actually been a breeze.

Part of that comes down to the fact that I’ve got such a great team. It’s, you know, line-management’s perfect. So, you know, they take into consideration that sometimes my apprenticeship might not be as much work going on. So they’ll give me a little bit more work from, you know, at casework.

But then, you know, if I have a lot of modules due or I’ve got a lot of revision to do.

The managers are brilliant. They take cases off me to give me time to work, on my apprenticeship. So yeah, it’s just been it’s just been a breeze, to be honest.

Mike: And what do you see about the future?

Martin: I think for me I want to stay within the Building Safety Regulator because I really enjoy the job. And it’s got that, it’s similar to the military that it’s got the job security, which is what I want. Like I say when I was a HGV driver, I mean, there was no job security, they could drop you at the drop of a hat.

So for me, I want to progress within Building Safety Regulator. So once I’ve finished my endpoint assessment now I’m going to look into doing my level five. And then eventually turning that into a degree.

So I’ve got a sort of six year plan that was built for me. Or, I kind of did through the apprenticeship. So yeah I’ve got, like I say, I’ve got the plan ready to go. It’s just I just need to get to where I want to be, you know? And like I say, eventually I see myself being in quite a high position within the BSR.