Company Overview
PPE Software Australia was established to address a growing challenge in fire services: how to effectively manage protective equipment as safety risks, compliance requirements, and operational complexity continue to increase.The company brings together frontline experience and strategic expertise, combining deep operational understanding of firefighting environments with decades of experience in systems, compliance, and program delivery.
Many fire services still rely on manual processes, spreadsheets, and fragmented systems. While once sufficient, these approaches no longer provide the visibility or accountability required to manage modern risks — particularly those related to contamination exposure and long-term health outcomes.
Our platform was developed specifically for fire services to provide a structured, auditable way to manage PPE and PPC across its full lifecycle. From asset tracking and inspections to decontamination and compliance reporting, it brings critical data into one place — enabling better decisions, stronger compliance, and improved protection for frontline personnel.We work closely with fire service professionals and industry specialists to ensure our approach reflects operational reality and evolving international standards, including NFPA 1850 and ISO 23616.
While our primary focus is PPE/PPC lifecycle management and safety, the platform can also support broader asset management across fire service operations through dedicated asset registers.
Mission & Vision
Vision
To set the standard for how firefighter PPE and PPC are managed — where every organisation has the visibility, systems, and confidence to ensure their people are fully protected.
We envision a future where preventable exposure risks are reduced through better data, clearer processes, and the consistent application of best practice standards.
Mission
Our mission is driven by a clear understanding of the risks firefighters face — particularly the long-term health impacts of contamination exposure — and the gaps that exist in current systems.
We aim to:
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Reduce preventable exposure through better tracking and visibility
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Support the adoption of evolving standards such as NFPA 1850 and ISO 23616
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Replace manual, inconsistent processes with reliable, auditable systems
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Enable fire services to make informed, defensible decisions about their equipment and operations
Team
Leadership
Our leadership combines frontline emergency services experience with decades of expertise in organisational systems, compliance, and program delivery — ensuring our platform is both operationally practical and strategically sound.
Mark Costello - Technical Director
A 35 year NSW RFS and SES volunteer, Mark leads firefighter safety on the NSW RFS Association Cancer Workgroup. Mark applies his ISO 23616 and NFPA 1850 expertise to decontamination tools. Bridging frontline experience with regulatory knowledge he earns trust with leaders as an authority on reducing firefighter cancer risk.
Mark has been a volunteer Fire Fighter with the NSW RFS for over 35 years and previous SES Rescue Officer. With a keen interest in Fire Fighter safety, Mark is a member of a NSW RFS Association Cancer workgroup. He now represents PPE Software Australia along with his business partner. Mark has studied and completed training in NFPA 1850, the standard now mandated in some US states for Fire Fighter PPE Decontamination. He has also studied the ISO 23161 standard and has insights into how these standards can be successfully implement in Australia to aid in cancer reduction.
John Hagerty - Commercial Director
Founder of a mid-tier consulting firm, John has spent 27 years transforming SMEs, multinationals and NGOs through analysis, securing resources and instilling programs that grow with the organisation. A former Army Reserve volunteer with family ties to the NSW Rural Fire Service, he blends strategic insight and empathy to champion firefighter
PPE and PPC decontamination standards.
Our Approach
Our approach is grounded in three core principles:
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Clarity — making complex standards and processes easier to understand and apply
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Accountability — ensuring every action is recorded, traceable, and defensible
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Practicality — designing solutions that work in real operational environments