Team Category: Sr Project Managers / SR Technical Advisors

Nick is a seasoned project manager with over a decade of experience in fire protection, life safety and accessibility code consulting services. Known for his deep understanding of local and international codes, he regularly coordinates with architects, developers, and regulatory authorities to integrate creative design strategies into a wide variety of architectural projects. His expertise spans several building types: high-rise, office, residential, academic, assembly, transportation, industrial, and mixed-use. His proactive approach allows him to identify code challenges early in the design process, which enables practical and cost-effective design solutions.

What do you love most about your job?

Nick is committed to enhancing the architectural design experience through innovative design solutions. He loves developing and integrating creative and defensible design strategies into projects to create a safe building environment without sacrificing the artistic integrity of the architectural design.

John Barrot, P.E. is a licensed Fire Protection Engineer and accomplished engineering executive with over 20 years of experience in code consulting, performance-based design, and fire protection. He is known for building and leading high-performing consulting teams, fostering multidisciplinary collaboration, and delivering practical, solution-oriented outcomes.

He has led projects across a broad range of sectors, including aviation, commercial real estate, cultural institutions, energy, industrial, hospitality, residential, science, and transportation. He is also a recognized expert on fire safety for modular construction, having contributed to some of the most innovative projects in this rapidly evolving field.

A past President of the Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE) Metro New York Chapter, John actively shapes building and fire codes. He serves on the NYC Construction Codes development committees, the International Code Council (ICC), and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). His contributions span numerous codes and standards, including the NYC Construction Codes, NFPA 101, NFPA 5000, ICC 1200/1205, CSA’s High-Rise Modular Construction standard, and the AIA Modular Construction Guide. John is licensed in New York and Connecticut.

What is something that colleagues and clients might not know about you?

Many people don’t know that I co-founded Stamford Rugby Club with my wife and a few close friends. We’ve grown it into a community program serving 135 kids, with scholarships for more than 20% of them, so no child is turned away. Coaching and supporting young athletes has been one of the most fulfilling parts of my life outside of work.

James (Jimmy) Lugar brings over two decades of experience in fire and life safety consulting, with a career spanning key markets including science and technology, healthcare, residential, assembly, and commercial office sectors. He has worked in Atlanta, Raleigh, and Baltimore, and also served on contract with the Pentagon Fire Marshal. Additionally, Jimmy held a role as a delegated Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) for the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), further deepening his regulatory and technical expertise.

In 2025, Jimmy returned to consulting with Code Red Consultants, where he brings a detail-oriented and collaborative approach to every project. His expertise includes building and fire code consulting, design of active and passive fire protection systems, fire alarm and mass notification systems, as well as inspection and commissioning services.

What do you love most about your job?

I enjoy problem solving: Being able to investigate and research an issue to determine a safe and beneficial solution.

Kim brings over twenty years of experience in the building design and construction industry, with a multidisciplinary background spanning fire protection engineering, code consulting, and civil/structural engineering. Her project experience spans site planning and structural design in wood, concrete, and steel, and now focuses on advancing Code Red Consultants’ capabilities in code consulting and the integration of fire protection systems throughout design and construction.

She is especially passionate about fire protection and code consulting because they intersect with all facets of building design, offering a unique opportunity to contribute to every project stage. This aligns seamlessly with her diverse educational and project background. She values gaining insight into the roles and perspectives of each team member and takes pride in helping clients ensure a coordinated, code-compliant approach that brings all disciplines together throughout design and construction.

What is something that colleagues and clients might not know about you?

My son and I have collaborated on writing, illustrating, and self-publishing a children’s book series called “Emma the Emperor Penguin”.  My son drew the illustration of the main character in Kindergarten when he was obsessed with all things penguins.  I’m currently working on a new STEM series with my younger daughter.

As a fire and life safety consultant for over 20 years, Dr. Ierardi has been helping project teams and AHJs achieve successful outcomes in all aspects of commercial real estate. His experience spans all market sectors with a particular focus on transit-oriented mixed-use developments and complex existing building renovations. Jay is a valued resource to Owners, Architects, Engineers, Contractors and Code Officials in the planning, design, permitting, construction, and occupancy phases and is known for his collaborative approach with all project stakeholders. Dr. Ierardi’s specialties include structural fire resistance, mass timber, and existing buildings. In past leadership roles, Jay has applied his passion for continuous improvement of people and processes to create and sustain high-performing consulting teams and is now focused on developing the next generation of best-in-class fire and life safety professionals at Code Red Consultants.

What is something that colleagues and clients may not know about you?

I’ve been playing the guitar since I was a teenager and enjoy writing and recording music in my free time.

Tom brings over thirty years of public and private sector experience in reviewing fire, engineering, and architecture in building permitting. He has served several fire marshals as their designee and reported directly to multiple building commissioners while serving in Boston. He also enjoyed collaborating with many talented plan reviewers and fire and building inspectors.

Tom has a results-oriented approach and hands-on experience focusing on consensus building that has a proven record of accomplishment of customer and constituent satisfaction. His public, private, and non-profit experience and insights brings added perspective to navigate external forces on rapidly changing development

In his role as Sr. technical advisor, Tom will assist CRC market sector leadership and their clients in increasing their capabilities for exceptional service delivery to complex development projects across the metro Boston region from inception to closeout.

What is something that colleagues and clients might not know about you?

George is a skilled professional with over 10 years’ experience in fire protection engineering and project management. In his role as a Sr Project Manager, George works with his team to develop automatic sprinkler and fire alarm system designs across various project types, ensuring compliance with relevant codes and regulations. Additionally, George is able to conduct thorough code reviews to ensure that all projects meet stringent life safety standards.

In previous positions, George demonstrated expertise as a Sr Fire Protection Engineer, focusing on code compliance, permitting, and the development of fire alarm and suppression systems for new and existing construction. George also has unique experience as a Lead Design Engineer for an installing contractor, where he specialized in designing code-compliant fire suppression systems, performing hydraulic calculations, and producing accurate permit and installation drawings.

Project experience includes system design and life safety consulting services for jobs in a broad range of fields including healthcare, higher education, unlimited-area mixed-use buildings, residential, storage warehouses, and government-owned facilities.

What is something that colleagues and clients might not know about you?

I am an FAA Part 107 certified commercial drone pilot. This allows me to conduct aerial surveys, gathering essential data for a wide range of projects along with capturing picture and videos from a unique vantage point.

As a licensed professional fire protection engineer, Ty is a Sr Project Manager at Code Red Consultants with a decade of experience solving complex fire and life safety code issues on buildings ranging from small scale office tenant improvements to high-rise hospital medical complexes. He has demonstrated this broad multi-project type and market sector Fire Protection and Life Safety Consulting experience in jurisdictions across the country from California to Massachusetts.

Through his dedication, creative problem-solving skills, and outside-the-box thinking, it is Ty’s mission and commitment to work closely with the design team to enable and achieve the team’s vision for the project, while keeping life safety as a priority. Ty’s expertise includes building and fire code consulting, fire protection and fire alarm systems consulting (suppression, alarm & smoke control), accessibility, and performance-based design.

Outside of work, Ty considers himself a loving father and an aspiring expert outdoorsman. When not enjoying time with his family at the beach or local park, you are likely to find Ty shooting his bow at the local archery club or getting some reps in at the gym.

What is something that colleagues and clients might not know about you?

I am a PADI Certified Rescue Scuba Diver.

Josh Apolenis is a professional fire protection engineer and is a Sr. Project Manager with Code Red Consultants. Josh has a decade of experience in Fire Protection and Life Safety Consulting. His project work has spanned across the country from California to Washington, DC, with broad experience across project types and market sectors.

Josh is a proactive communicator who will work tirelessly to achieve the vision for the design team, while maintaining a building environment that integrates life safety at the core of its design. Josh’s expertise includes building and fire code consulting, hazardous material analysis and planning, fire protection systems design and consulting (suppression, alarm & smoke control), accessibility consulting, and performance-based design.

What is the most rewarding part of your job?

I enjoy working with all different types of people. Some days, I’m leveraging my skill set to help facilitate unique design elements and experiences within a building for an architect. Others, I’m discussing the constructability of an architectural detail and writing an engineering judgment for a contractor. The next day, I’m talking with an AHJ and proposing an alternate means and methods to save a developer or owner money. Each stakeholder has a different value proposition for our services as a fire protection engineers. I love getting the opportunity to view projects from each viewpoint to and finding the RIGHT solution for our clients.

Andrew has significant experience in a wide variety of consulting services including performance-based design, hazardous material analysis and process safety, fire and egress modeling, probabilistic risk assessments, building code compliance, and fire hazard analysis.

Andrew has had considerable project involvement in the residential, higher education, mixed-use, business, healthcare, and hazardous material markets. Andrew also has extensive experience in consulting efforts relating to large, international infrastructure projects in aviation and rail, as well as the re-use of historical buildings for residential or commercial purposes. He enjoys tackling complex engineering problems requiring singular, performance-based fire protection solutions and is continually looking to expand the application of fire protection engineering services using the latest industry software, tools, and analysis.

What is something that colleagues and clients might not know about you?

I’m an avid reader and enjoy a variety of genres from American history to literary fiction to long form journalism.

What do you love most about your job?

Working on complex issues that don’t have an obvious precedent. I like to draw on my knowledge and experience to solve a problem that doesn’t have an easy solution.