Employee Spotlight: Kevin Hastings

As a senior consultant at IEI, Kevin Hastings wears many hats. Besides overseeing various forensic and design projects, he’s an expert witness. Kevin joined IEI after graduating from California Polytechnic State University in 2003 with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering.

Kevin is a licensed Professional Engineer in 14 states and has 20 years of experience as an expert witness and mechanical design professional. Additionally, he is a Certified Fire Protection Specialist (CFPS) and Certified Carbon Monoxide and Combustion Analyst.

While in college, Kevin worked for the facilities engineering department where he gained valuable experience working with various types of air handlers, boilers and process-steam and refrigeration equipment.

Because of Kevin’s college work experience he was able to transition well into the workplace and eventually was attracted to IEI for its small and close-knit atmosphere.

“I wanted to work for a place where I could be part of a team and have a greater impact,” he says. “Also, the work sounded very challenging and engaging.”

In addition to serving as an expert witness at IEI, Kevin also provides design and forensic analysis services for HVAC, plumbing, fire protection and energy management systems. He also performs site inspections and cost estimating.

“Owners, contractors or their attorneys hire us to inspect and test plumbing HVAC and fire protection systems,” he says. “We determine what caused the problem and how to fix it.”

Kevin brings a unique perspective to IEI’s forensic investigations due to his curiosity and desire to be hands-on with all things mechanical.

“With this perspective, I’m able to understand causes of failure and find explanations that opposing experts might overlook,” he says.

While at IEI, he has seen an uptick in fire protection projects due to an overlap between building systems.

“There is an increasing overlap and coordination between fire protection systems and the mechanical and plumbing systems we have historically focused on,” Kevin explains. “In the past few years, I’ve performed consulting and forensic services on about 30 fire protection projects.”

Kevin and his wife Micki currently live in Ocean Beach with their two young children. He spends most of his free time traveling, camping and volunteering in the community.