About Us
Cherokey Fire Protection offers a full suite of best-in-class fire protection services.
Cherokey Fire Protection has cultivated a strong employee base bound by a strong culture, providing you with outstanding service and questions answered.
OUTSTANDING SERVICE
TOP-NOTCH STAFF
HIGHLY EXPERIENCED
KNOWLEDGEABLE
OUR BACKGROUND
Cherokey Fire Protection has been honing its expertise in automatic fire sprinkler design and installation since 1981, and is proud to be responsible for the installation of the first apartment based system in the State of Texas. The increasing adaptation of automatic sprinkler based fire protection systems throughout the 1980s, allowed Cherokey to be pioneers in the industry.
Founded by Carloyn Lightfoot, Cherokey Fire Protection is a woman-owned business and is HUB certified with the State of Texas, as well as being certified by the Houston Women’s Business Council. Her business acumen, and the firm’s deep fire protection knowledge, helped them establish a foundation from which Cherokey has grown into a regional leader in fire protection systems.
With a seasoned staff of excellent designers, installation experts and top-notch maintenance staff, Cherokey has built that ability to execute projects across a range of building types including apartments, hotels, student housing, assisted living, and a wide range of commercial buildings.
Expertise and experience are why Cherokey Fire Protection can offer a full suite of best-in-class fire protection services.
WHAT WE DO
Cherokey Fire Protection has a deep portfolio of system design and installation across multi-family residential apartments, high rise condominiums, lofts, assisted living facilities, hotels, motels, and student housing facilities. This experience has been leveraged to expand its market to include large commercial and public projects such as office buildings, public schools, and hospitals.
Currently operating in Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi, Cherokey Fire Protection has completed a range of design, installation and retrofit projects in Arizona, Georgia, Tennessee for its customers.
As a full service provider of fire safety solutions, the Cherokey Service and Inspection Department is staffed by experienced and fully licensed professionals capable of addressing the needs of existing commercial and multi-family systems, as well as being able service portable fire extinguishers and coordinate fire alarm services. Inspection, repair and maintenance services are currently available across the greater Houston Metro Area.
If you have a question about the best fire prevention solutions, Cherokey Fire Protection has the answers.
OUR TEAM
Cherokey Fire Protection has cultivated a strong employee base over its 40 years of operations, and is proud to be a drug-free environment with an active testing program. Bounded by a strong culture focused on providing the best fire safety solutions for each unique customer need, the whole Cherokey team stands behind every project, and is committed to providing its customers the best possible services and systems.
Led by founder Carolyn Lightfoot, the Cherokey management team draws on its more than one hundred and eight years of industry experience and sixty years of professional management experience, including four-year degrees, to assure excellence at every turn.
CAROLYN LIGHTFOOT
President
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Carolyn developed a passion for saving lives and property during her successful career as Realtor/Broker, when her grandparent’s home burned to the ground. She started Cherokey Fire Protection in 1981, and pioneered the market for automatic fire sprinklers with the installation of the first apartment based system in Texas at Pirates Landing Apartments in Clear Lake. Over the last 40 years, she has overseen the completion of hundreds of various types of projects from Tennessee to Arizona and built an extensive collection of happy customers.
Her entrepreneurial acumen, and depth of business knowledge in areas ranging from accounting to HR to customer service has established a foundation from which the firm has grown into a regional leader in fire protection systems.
She has overseen the development of an experienced and professional team capable of offering customers a full suite of fire protection services from design, installation, inspections, service, repairs and retrofits for apartments, condos, high rise office buildings, assisted living facilities and many other types of facilities. Her continued leadership helps to reinforce the culture of excellence at Cherokey Fire Protection as it proudly enters its fifth decade of operations.
BEN BELLINGER
General Manager
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Ben, a seasoned and experienced fire and life safety professional, joined Cherokey Fire Protection in December 2022. Prior to joining us, Ben has gained over 20 years of experience; first with SRI in New York. He has steadily advanced from design into project management through TYCO, Western States Fire Protection, and Firetrol Protection Systems before joining Cherokey.
Ben is excited to be using his strong design/engineering and project management background to grow and cement Cherokey Fire Protection’s already strong market position for new multifamily and commercial building fire systems.
As General Manager, Ben will work closely with all the different departments to assure that there are smooth internal processes in place for fire protection design, installation, service and inspections. We are sure our customers will benefit from Ben’s industry experience and his ability to create and maintain smooth project flows.
Ben holds his NICET Level III Sprinkler Systems, his RME-G License, TWIC and OSHA 30.
BEVERLY HILBERT
Vice President
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Beverly gained first hand knowledge and a deep understanding of the importance of fire protection systems in saving lives and minimizing property damage, during her service as Regional Apartment Manager at a national company. She joined Cherokey in 2007, with a commitment to educate the public in fire safety awareness and promote the installation of well-designed automatic fire sprinkler systems.
Beginning with educating her customers in the multi-family sector, about maintaining fire protection systems to the highest level, she has expanded her services to student housing, office buildings, medical facilities, retail centers, hotels, motels, assisted living, historical building renovations and high rises. She has been instrumental in providing services ranging from design and installation of new systems to retrofitting previously installed systems for a range of clients, as well setting up all important inspection and maintenance services. Her depth of experience allows her to proffer solutions that fit the specific fire safety needs of a project.
Beverly also is committed to increasing awareness of fire safety through a non-profit organization by offering education and training to the public at large.
SHAWNA PEREZ
Accountant
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Shawna Perez is a seasoned accountant with over 26 years of experience in the hospitality industry. Shawna’s responsibilities include the oversight of all aspects of the Company’s accounting and finance functions.
Cherokey Fire Protection is pleased to have a team member with her many years of experience and her drive, and enthusiasm for organization. Her dynamic personality and her multilingual communications skills are sure to benefit our customers, vendors, and staff.
ANDRES QUINTERO
sERVICE MANAGER
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Andres Quintero is Cherokey Fire Protection’s Service Manager. Andres is a driving force behind our Inspection and Service departments, expertly managing scheduling, quoting, and overseeing day-to-day operations. He’s also a skilled inspector, ensuring our customers receive quality service.
Andres is passionate about being part of an industry that makes a real difference and saves lives. He believes that when you love what you do, it doesn’t feel like a job, but a fulfilling career.
ROBERT HAMM
DESIGN MANAGER
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Robert Hamm is the Design Manager at Cherokey Fire Protection. Robert’s decade-long journey at Cherokey Fire Protection has been remarkable, from starting as a helper to becoming a licensed expert in fire protection. He now spearheads fire systems design, ensuring seamless compliance with codes and regulations while facilitating collaboration with jurisdictions, interpreting contract documents, and partnering with General Contractors to deliver comprehensive fire protection solutions. Robert’s passion for fire protection shines through in his work. He finds fulfillment in designing systems that save lives and values the family-like atmosphere at Cherokey Fire Protection.