Meet the team – Ben Parry

We catch up with Ben, one of Star's Senior Fire Technicians

Q. What’s the most rewarding part of your job?

“The best part of my job is knowing that the equipment I’ve serviced or repaired could literally save lives at sea. I get a lot of satisfaction from finding and fixing faulty systems or equipment, and these days I really enjoy passing on what I’ve learned to new technicians.”

Q: What’s the most challenging job you’ve worked on recently?

“We had this job recently where a vessel needed their CO2 fire suppression system refilled urgently. We’re talking about more than 160 cylinders, each weighing over 120kg – that’s some serious weight to handle. The whole team had just one week to get them all out, refilled, and back in place.

“Everything had to be planned down to the last detail. You can’t just rush in with cylinders that size – each one needs proper handling and careful checks. Plus, we had to work around the ship’s schedule to avoid causing delays. The pressure testing alone was a massive job, but we got it done. When that vessel sailed out with a fully working fire system, that was a good week’s work.”

Q: What inspired you to work in this field?

“The opportunity to travel a lot and meet people from all walks of life. I love that every job is different. One day I might be in the engine room of a cargo ship, the next I could be working on a passenger ferry. And there’s always something new to learn. After 14 years, I still find myself tackling new challenges, which keeps the job interesting.”

Q: How do you describe your job to your friends and family?

“I usually keep it simple: that I inspect, service and maintain fire safety systems and equipment (things like fire suppression systems, and breathing apparatus) and life-saving apparatus (LSA) – all that vital stuff that nobody thinks about until they need it. It’s my job to make sure it’s all working perfectly, just in case.”