As a kid, Tony Cole, ’93, never imagined his dream of becoming a firefighter would lead him to Eastern Kentucky University (EKU), then across the world meeting foreign dignitaries as a fire protection engineer for Saudi Aramco, and now operating a fire protection firm in Lexington.
When Cole graduated high school in the late 1980s, he became a firefighter, igniting his interest in fire engineering. However, fire engineering degree programs were limited and hard to find.
Fortunately, Cole’s hometown was not far from one of the few fire engineering programs in the country, and he enrolled in the fire protection and safety engineering technology program at EKU.
“I’m originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, so going down to Richmond was an easy drive,” he said. “When I came down here, I learned more about what it meant to be a fire protection engineer. It introduced me to new things and new people. It showed me there’s a whole other world out there. It also let me know that there are companies out there and businesses that do what we do.”
During his time at EKU, Cole got involved with the Association of Fire Science Technicians. He credits this organization, as well as other networking opportunities on campus, for much of the success he has seen in his professional career—many of which he never expected.
The connections Cole made on campus opened doors for his career to take him across the world. “I didn’t expect to go to school there and run into people from Kuwait, Saudi and Dubai,” he added.
After graduating from EKU, Cole worked overseas as a fire protection engineer for Saudi Aramco, the national oil company of Saudi Arabia, where he discovered more unexpected connections.
“I ended up doing some high-level work for the board of directors for the oil company because of my position, and it involved working with executive management and the oil minister of Saudi Arabia,” he said. “Along the same lines, I was there during the 75th anniversary of the company, and I was selected to meet the king of Saudi Arabia. I never thought that someone from Fairfield, just outside Cincinnati, who came down to EKU and went to school here with a fire protection degree would end up meeting the oil minister and the king of Saudi Arabia.”
Throughout his professional career, Cole has remained involved with EKU. Over the years, he has served with the International Alumni Association and on the technical advisory board for the fire engineering program, and he spent several years as a professor.
After working with Saudi Aramco, Cole moved back to Kentucky, where he’s now the vice president of U.S. operations for SenezCo, a fire protection firm in Lexington. In his current role, he still looks for ways to stay involved with the EKU Fire Engineering program and its students.
“I’m counting on EKU for fire protection engineering graduates so I can hire them, get them in, get them licensed and send them out into the world,” he said.
Cole’s testimony was instrumental in the recent passage and enactment of House Bill 306, removing a long-standing rule that had kept EKU Fire Protection and Safety Engineering Technology graduates from pursuing professional engineering (PE) licensure in Kentucky.
Looking back on his career, Cole credits his time at EKU for putting him in the position to get to where he is today.
“The old saying used to be, go here, go anywhere. That is true,” he said. “I did not expect to go to EKU and end up in Saudi Arabia, working for the world’s largest oil company as their senior fire protection advisor. The world is your oyster. You can go anywhere you want.”
EKU’s Fire Protection and Safety Engineering Technology program is one of only three ABET accredited programs in the country. With more than 100 students and significant growth in recent years, the program prepares graduates to design fire detection and suppression systems, assess risks and ensure buildings meet life safety codes. The possibilities for EKU’s fire safety students are endless, with graduates serving in roles around the world, and at home, in Kentucky.
By Ethan Sirles
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