Society of Fire Protection Engineers Blog

The 2009 SFPE Annual Meeting, Professional Development Conference and Exposition to Commence on Sunday, October 18, 2009

2009-10-16T13:46:00.003-04:00

The 2009 Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE) Annual Meeting, Professional Development Conference and Exposition will be held on October 18-23, 2009. This event will be held at the Doubletree Paradise Valley Resort in Scottsdale, Arizona.

The following is the schedule of events:

Sunday, October 18

1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. -- Senate Meeting featuring the Chapter Excellence Awards
3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. -- SFPE Annual Business Meeting featuring the Hat’s Off Award Presentations

Monday, October 19

8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. -- SFPE Engineering Technology Conference
12:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. -- SFPE Awards and Honors Luncheon
5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. -- SFPE Fellows Reception

Tuesday, October 20

8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. -- SFPE Engineering Technology Conference
10:15 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. -- Exhibitor “Tech Talks”
12:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. -- SFPE 7th Annual Engineering Technology Exposition

National Fire Protection Association President and CEO to be Named Society of Fire Protection Engineers Person of the Year for 2009

2009-10-13T12:11:00.005-04:00

At its Annual Awards Luncheon, the Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE) will recognize James M. Shannon as SFPE Person of the Year for 2009. Shannon is the president and CEO with the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). The Awards Luncheon will be held on Monday, October, 19, 2009 at the SFPE Professional Development Conference and Exposition in Scottsdale, Arizona.

The SFPE Person of the Year Award was created in 1973 to recognize significant achievement in fire protection. The award winner must come from beyond the membership of SFPE.

“Shannon has shown great leadership in the development of coalitions and initiatives that are focused on protecting people, property and the environment from fire,” said SFPE Engineering Program Manager Chris Jelenewicz.

Shannon organized the Coalition for Fire-Safe Cigarettes, which is a national group committed to saving lives and preventing injuries by reducing the threat of cigarette-ignited fires. As a result of their efforts 99.8% of the U.S population is now or soon will be better protected from cigarette fires.
He also established the Fire Sprinkler Initiative as a means to provide resources for the fire service and other sprinkler advocates who want to demonstrate the need for home fire sprinklers in their communities.

“These efforts, in addition to NFPA’s standards and education efforts have made
significant contribution to improving fire safety throughout the world,” said Jelenewicz.

Past SFPE Persons of the Year include: Movie & Television Star Dick Van Dyke, University of Maryland’s Dr. John L. Bryan, Former FDNY Fire Chief Daniel A. Nigro and former Director/Under Secretary for the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency R. David Paulison.

Rolf Jensen & Associates to Receive the Society of Fire Protection Engineers 2009 David A. Lucht Lamp of Knowledge Award

2009-10-12T12:02:00.004-04:00

Rolf Jensen and Associates (RJA) will be awarded the Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE) David A. Lucht Lamp of Knowledge Award at its Annual Awards Luncheon on Monday, October, 19, 2009 at the SFPE Professional Development Conference and Exposition in Scottsdale, Arizona.

The Lucht award honors an organization, company or individual that has contributed substantially to increasing the opportunities for higher education in fire protection engineering. The award is named for David A. Lucht in recognition of his 25 years of leadership and dedication to the Worcester Polytechnic Institute Center for Firesafety Studies and his tireless efforts on behalf of the fire protection engineering profession.

“Since 1985, RJA has been substantially contributing to increasing the opportunities for higher education in fire protection engineering by providing support for scholarships and the scientific laboratory facilities at the University of Maryland,” said Chris Jelenewicz, SFPE Engineering Program Manager. “Most recently, RJA has pledged $100,000 toward a state of the art fire sciences laboratory at the Worcester Polytechnic Institute.“

To find out more about the SFPE Professional Development Conference and Exposition go to http://www.sfpe.org/Education/2009TheAnnualMeetingProfessionalDevelopmentConferenceandExpo.aspx.

Archibald Tewarson to Make Invited Guise Medal Lecture at the SFPE Professional Development Conference and Exposition

2009-10-09T11:13:00.006-04:00

Dr. Archibald Tewarson who is a research scientist with FM Global (FM) will be awarded the Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE) Arthur B. Guise Medal on Tuesday, October 20, 2009 at the SFPE Professional Development Conference and Exposition in Scottsdale, Arizona.

The Arthur B. Guise Medal recognizes eminent achievement in the advancement of the science and technology of fire protection engineering and is named in memory of the achievements of Arthur Guise, who singularly developed dry chemicals for use as fire extinguishing agents.

"Tewarson has advanced the science of fire protection engineering through his studies on the flammability of materials and the development of measurement methods and
apparatus for generating engineering data on a wide range of materials,” said SFPE Engineering Program Manager Chris Jelenewicz.

Tewarson has been a research scientist with FM for over 40 years. He has published more than 140 papers on topics ranging from the flammability and smoke generation of plastics to fire safety in mines to the fire hazards of electrical cables to examining the fire properties of materials used in ships, aircraft and automobiles. One of his more popular publications is his chapter in the SFPE Handbook of Fire Protection Engineering, “Generation of Heat and Gaseous, Liquid and Solid Products in Fires,” He has updated this chapter for each of the four editions of the handbook.

SFPE Chapters are Invited to Support the SFPE Educational & Scientific Foundation

2009-10-07T09:56:00.011-04:00

The SFPE Annual Meeting and Professional Development Conference is approaching. Every year at the Annual Business Meeting, Chapters are invited to demonstrate their support for the SFPE Educational & Scientific Foundation (E&SF) by making a financial contribution.

The mission of the E&SF is, "To advance the science and practice of Fire Protection Engineering internationally, by advocating and supporting engineering research, technology transfer and education."

The Educational & Scientific Foundation serves to protect the heritage of the fire protection engineering profession and to enhance the legacy of our generation of fire protection engineers to future generations. The Foundation is currently involved in several projects that serve both the heritage and legacy of the profession.

If your Chapter plans to make a contribution to the Foundation at please contact Allan Freedman at SFPE Headquarters. Each Chapter that is making a contribution will present its donation at the SFPE Annual Business Meeting on Sunday, October 18, 2009 at 3 p.m. at the Doubletree Paradise Valley Resort in Scottsdale, Arizona.

UL to Sponsor Symposium on Designing Fire Safety into Residential Construction

2009-10-05T08:32:00.004-04:00

Underwriters Laboratories (UL) and the Phoenix Fire Department are hosting a two-day educational symposium in Phoenix, AZ on December 2nd and 3rd, 2009. The symposium's goal is to share ideas and foster discussion among interested parties who want to learn more and share ideas about designing fire safety into residential buildings in North America.

Topics covered in this symposium include:

Overview of today’s residential fire environment

Benefits of lightweight construction materials within residential building designs

Scientific fire research results of testing lightweight construction materials

Protection methods for lightweight construction materials used in home building

Smoke characterization research and advances in smoke alarm technology

Fire resistant building materials: properties and benefits

The experience of selling and installing residential sprinklers

Industry comparisons of safety initiatives

The realtors’ perspective on fire safety solutions in the home

Perspective of builders on home fire safety

Additional topics related to home fire safety, including insurance and fire prevention

To find out more go to http://www.uluniversity.us/catalog/display.resource.aspx?resourceid=228281.

Professor James A. Milke to Receive the SFPE John L. Bryan Mentoring Award

2009-10-02T09:20:00.006-04:00

At its Annual Awards Luncheon, Professor James A. Milke will receive the Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE) John L. Bryan Mentoring Award. The SFPE Awards Luncheon will be held on October 19, 2009 during the SFPE Professional Development Conference and Exposition in Scottsdale, Arizona

The award is named after John L. Bryan who established the University of Maryland Department of Fire Protection Engineering and served as the as the Department Chair from its establishment in 1956 until his retirement in 1993. The award is given for recognition of commitment to mentoring that enhances the practice of fire protection engineering.

Milke, a faculty member of the University of Maryland Department of Fire Protection Engineering since 1977, currently serves as associate chair of the department, director of undergraduate studies, and co-director of the online Professional Master of Engineering Program. Since he began his teaching career at Maryland, more than 650 undergraduate students have graduated with degrees in Fire Protection Engineering.

“He is an outstanding teacher and a truly exceptional mentor and advisor for our undergraduate students, said Professor Marino di Marzo, Chair of the University Of Maryland Department Of Fire Protection Engineering. “I have heard expressions of esteem, gratitude and affection from countless alumni who see Jim as a major national and international reference point in our field.”

Milke’s research interests include smoke management and analyzing the response of materials exposed to fire conditions. His leadership and commitment to education in these areas has resulted in a chapter on smoke movement in the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Handbook and a chapter on determining the fire resistance of steel in the Society of Fire Protection Engineering (SFPE) Handbook of Fire Protection Engineering. He also serves as a Vice President with SFPE.

SFPE President Visits the Central Savannah River Area Chapter

2009-09-23T12:23:00.007-04:00

On September 15, 2009 Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE) President Richard Davis made a visit to the Central Savannah River Area (CSRA) SFPE Chapter. During his visit he made a presentation on "Combustibility of Building Materials.”

Pictured above (Left to Right) are Tom Allison, CSRA Treasurer; Ralph Foster, CSRA Vice President; Richard Davis, SFPE President; Tom Maciaszek, CSRA Secretary; and Steve Jenkins, CSRA President.

The Virginia Tech Student Chapter of the Society of Fire Protection Engineers receives its Chapter Charter

2009-09-21T13:05:00.004-04:00

On September 9, 2009 SFPE Membership Manager Elle Andracsek presented the Chapter Charter to Virginia Tech Student Chapter President Emily Fogle at its first general meeting. This is the newest SFPE student chapter. To find out more about the Virginia Tech Student Chapter go to http://www.sfpe.org.vt.edu/.

Worcester Polytechnic Institute SFPE Student Chapter Hosts Recruitment Event

2009-09-16T10:49:00.010-04:00

In September, 2009 the Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) SFPE Student Chapter hosted a recruitment event for undecided majors. The event included a presentation about the fire protection engineering profession and a demonstration in the WPI fire lab. About 25 students attended this event.

The WPI Student Chapter of SFPE provides a place for collaboration between FPE students, opportunities to hear from guest speakers, and educational seminars and field trips for both undergraduate and graduate students interested in the fire protection engineering field.

September 24th is the Last Day to Get Advanced Registration for the 2009 SFPE Professional Development Conference and Exposition

2009-09-11T07:58:00.012-04:00

The Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE) Professional Development Conference and Exposition will be held on October 18-23, 2009 at the Doubletree Paradise Valley Resort in Scottsdale, Arizona. This event will feature the two-day Engineering Technology Conference highlighting advanced and cutting-edge presentations on practices in fire protection engineering that are used to protect people, property and the environment from fire.

The Engineering Technology Conference creates a unique educational experience that is designed to keep you a step ahead of the rest. Keynote presentations are:

"A Short History of Heat Release Rate Testing," Vytenis (Vyto) Babrauskas
"What's New in NFPA 13 - 2010 Edition," Kenneth E. Isman
"Wind Driven Fires in Buildings," Daniel Madrzykowski
"Innovations in Building Evacuation," Steven Gwynne
"Harmonization and Prediction of Fire Resistance Tests," Ulf Wickstrom

Following the two-day Technology Conference is the SFPE 7th Annual Engineering Technology Exposition and a series of seminars being taught by the profession's leaders.

September 24, 2009 is the final day for advanced registration. Click HERE to find out more or to register.

SFPE President Meets with NFPA President

2009-09-09T12:30:00.008-04:00

The 2009 President of the Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE), Richard Davis, meet with National Fire Protection Association's (NFPA) President, Jim Shannon, on Tuesday, September 8, 2009. The two leaders discussed ways to expand partnership opportunities between the two groups. One area under consideration is offering SFPE’s seminars during NFPA’s Professional Development Week programs, contract seminars or prior to the NFPA Conference. This would expand NFPA's portfolio of educational programming while bringing SFPE's seminars to new audiences. This builds upon SFPE and NFPA's partnerships including our joint publishing program for the SFPE Handbook of Fire Protection Engineering.

Results of SFPE Annual Public Opinion Survey Highlighted in Fire Engineering

2009-09-04T08:31:00.003-04:00

Fire Engineering Magazine has posted an article about the Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE) Annual Public Opinion Survey. Click HERE to see this article.

The survey revealed that more people believe fire is the event that will most likely cause harm to them or their family when compared to lighting strikes, hurricanes, earthquakes and floods. Forty-five percent of the survey respondents selected fire. At the same time, only 18 percent of the respondents said they worry about the dangers of fire more than once a year.

Each year SFPE conducts a public opinion survey to find out the public's perceptions to the dangers of fire. The results of this survey and surveys from previous years can be found at http://www.sfpe.org/SFPETools/MediaPress/Survey.aspx.

Exhibit Space is Still Available for the 7th Annual SFPE Engineering Technology Exposition

2009-08-31T09:14:00.004-04:00

The Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE) will hold its 7th Annual Engineering Technology on Tuesday, October 20, 2009 at the DoubleTree Paradise Valley Resort in Scottsdale, Arizona. The exposition is part of the 2009 Annual Meeting and Professional Development Conference.

The Exposition offers you a unique opportunity for Exhibitors to promote their products and services with a diverse group of fire protection engineers.

Exhibitors will have their company profile listed on the SFPE website for further international visibility throughout the calendar year.

Exhibit space is still available. For more information click HERE or contact elle@sfpe.org.

Careers in Fire Protection Engineering Page on Facebook Has Over 500 Fans!

2009-08-26T09:27:00.002-04:00

The Careers in Fire Protection Engineering Page on Facebook now has over 500 fans. SFPE would like to thank everyone who contributed to making this a successful Facebook Page.

The purpose of this page is to promote the profession of fire protection engineering and show that fire protection engineering is an exciting and rewarding career.

To become a fan go to www.facebook.com/careers.sfpe.org.

FSSA Educational Foundation Scholarships

2009-08-24T11:11:00.008-04:00

The Fire Suppression Systems Association (FSSA) Educational Foundation awards scholarships annually to talented and worthy young people within the fire suppression industry.

Eligibility... Any student or college bound individual is eligible to apply who is an employee or related to an employee of an FSSA member firm or a group affiliated with the fire suppression industry.

Scholarship candidates must have graduated from high school or its equivalent before July 1st of the year in which they will use the scholarship. Scholarships will only be awarded to students who will be participating in the fire protection program at either the University of Maryland or Oklahoma State University. Students already enrolled in one of these colleges are also eligible to apply.

There are no restrictions based upon the employment status or the sex, race, creed or nationality of the candidate.

For more information click here.

Society of Fire Protection Engineers Attends National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying Annual Meeting

2009-08-19T11:26:00.004-04:00

On August 12-15, 2009, the Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE) attended the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) 2009 Annual Meeting. The meeting was held in Louisville, Kentucky.

NCEES is a national non-profit organization composed of engineering and surveying licensing boards representing all states and U.S. territories. NCEES develops, scores, and administers the examinations used for engineering and surveying licensure throughout the United States.

During this meeting, NCEES approved the following motions that will have an impact on the profession of fire protection engineering:

NCEES will further develop a national clearinghouse that will carry out the activities associated with implementing the master’s or equivalent education requirement for engineering licensure.

NCEES will continue to analyze the economic, regulatory and other potential impacts of computer-based testing.

The NCEES Executive Director was authorized to negotiate a contract to offer the NCEES examinations (including the fire protection PE Exam) with the Saudi Council of Engineers. As a result of this action, the fire protection PE Exam will eventually be offered in Saudi Arabia.

The Society of Fire Protection Engineers encourages individuals engaged in the engineering profession to strive for professional recognition by enhancing their individual credentials through licensure (Society of Fire Protection Engineers Position Statement P-04-06, Professional Licensure, June 23, 2006).

“In addition to the United States, the fire protection PE Exam is now offered in Japan, Korea and Egypt,” said SFPE Engineering Program Manager Chris Jelenewicz. “By offering the fire protection engineering PE Exam in Saudi Arabia, more fire protection engineers will have the opportunity to advance their professional recognition internationally.”

For more information about licensure visit the SFPE Licensure Page.

SFPE Position Statement Highlighted in Plumbing Engineer Article

2009-08-14T20:49:00.003-04:00

An article by Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE) Past President Sam Dannaway was recently published in the August, 2009 issue of Plumbing Engineer Magazine. The article discusses fire sprinkler design and the SFPE, National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE), and National Institute for Certification In Engineering Technologies (NICET) joint position statement entitled “The Engineer and the Engineering Technician — Designing Fire Protection Systems. To see this article go to http://www.plumbingengineer.com/aug_09/fire.php.

Careers in Fire Protection Engineering Multi-Media Presentation Now Available

2009-08-11T19:01:00.008-04:00

The SFPE Public Awareness Committee has developed a multi-media careers presentation that can be used by SFPE members to make presentations at high-schools, colleges and career fairs. It includes embedded videos and is narrated by SFPE Fellow Dean Wilson.

“The purpose of this multi-media presentation is to show that fire protection engineering is an exciting and rewarding career,” said SFPE Engineering Program Manager Chris Jelenewicz. “It is a great vehicle to get our career messages out to people who are interested in becoming fire protection engineers.”

The presentation is available on DVD. To obtain a free copy, please contact chris@sfpe.org.

SFPE New England Chapter to Host First Annual Golf Tournament to Benefit Scholarship Fund

2009-08-06T13:16:00.005-04:00

The New England Chapter (NEC) of the Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE) will be kicking off the 2009-2010 chapter year in a big way with its first annual NEC-SFPE Golf Tournament. This event will be held on Friday, September 11, 2009 at the Blackstone National Golf Club in Sutton, MA.

All proceeds from this event will go to the A.L. Brown scholarship, which is awarded annually to New England students working on an undergraduate or graduate degree in an engineering discipline who are interested in pursuing a career in fire protection engineering. Over the past three years, $21,500 has been awarded in scholarships from this fund. Click here to find out more details about this event.

International Master of Science in Fire Safety Engineering to Start in 2010

2009-07-31T12:39:00.001-04:00

The Universities of Edinburgh (UK), Ghent (Belgium) and Lund (Sweden) submitted a winning proposal for an Erasmus Mundus Master Course in Fire Safety Engineering. The initiative is carried by Prof. Bart Merci (Ghent University, coordinator), Prof. Jose Torero (University of Edinburgh) and Profs. Robert Jonsson (Lund University).

The curriculum concerns a two-year program. The first semester, covering basic topics in fire safety engineering, is taught in Ghent and Edinburgh. All students spend the second semester in Lund, with emphasis on enclosure fire dynamics risk analysis and human behaviour. The third semester is again taught in Ghent (for ‘general FSE’) and Edinburgh (with focus on structural engineering in the context of FSE). The fourth semester is devoted to the master’s thesis, hosted by one or more of the three institutes.

The program will start in September, 2010. For more information, click here.

High School Teachers Applaud the Chemistry of Fire

2009-07-29T15:33:00.000-04:00

An article about the Chemistry of Fire Program can be found in Fire Engineering Magazine. To see this article go to: http://www.fireengineering.com/display_article/366900/25/ONART/none/HLTHS/High-School-Teachers-Applaud-the-Chemistry-of-Fire?dcmp=rss.

SFPE Member Starts Scholarship Program at Purdue University

2009-07-28T07:50:00.000-04:00

SFPE member Roger Bassett has started a scholarship for engineering students interested in fire protection engineering. The scholarship is named the Roger and Carol Bassett Scholarship for Fire Protection Engineering.

“The scholarship program started in the School of Mechanical Engineering and will expand to the other basic engineering schools as the funds grow,” said Roger Bassett. “Our goal is the have at least four or five scholarships available.”

The scholarship is for juniors or seniors. A student must show some interest in the fire protection field to be considered for the scholarship. The amount will vary at this time due to the annual income on the funded scholarship.

If you are interested in applying for this scholarship contact E. Daniel Hirleman, Professor and William E. and Florence E. Perry Head of Mechanical Engineering at Purdue University. For more information about the Purdue School of Mechanical Engineering go to https://engineering.purdue.edu/ME.

SFPE Central Savannah River Area Chapter Receives Citizenship Award

2009-07-24T09:56:00.000-04:00

The Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE) Central Savannah River Area (CSRA) Chapter received the Citizenship Award at the South Carolina State Firefighter's Association Convention in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina on July 18, 2009.

The Chapter received this award for installing residential fire sprinkler systems in four Habitat for Humanity Homes located in Beaufort, South Carolina.

In his letter of congratulations Lt. Daniel Byrne of the Beaufort Fire Department said, “Not only do I want you all to be recognized, this is a chance to tell our story and spread the word about the need for residential fire sprinklers.”

Pictured from left to right are CSRA Chapter members Thomas Allison, Steve Jenkins, Stan Maciaszek, Gene Roe, Bernie Till, Lt. Daniel Byrne (Beaufort Fire Dept.), and Bill Farmer. Also receiving this award but not in picture was John Travis, Mark LeGrand, Kent Gilbreath, and Steve Miller.

Fire Chief Magazine Talks About Demand for Fire Protection Engineers

2009-07-22T11:50:00.000-04:00

An article on career opportunities for fire protection engineers can be found in Fire Chief Magazine. To see this article go to http://firechief.com/leadership/ar/fire-protection-engineers-shortage-20090609/.