JETS Spotlight — Society of Fire Protection Engineers

What is Fire Protection Engineering?

Fire protection engineers use physics, math and chemistry to protect people, property and businesses from destructive fires. They analyze how buildings are used, how fires start, how fires grow, and how fire and smoke affect people, buildings and property.

Fire is a noteworthy problem. According to federal government statistics over 3,000 people die, 18,000 are injured and $10 billion in property damage occurs each year in the United States as a result of fire. In addition to these direct costs from fire, there are indirect costs such as the cost of business interruption. The One Meridian Plaza high-rise fire in Philadelphia that occurred in 1991 resulted in the building never being re-opened. In 1988, the fire in the Interstate Bank Building in Los Angeles resulted in the building being out of use for six months. Other fire costs include damage to the environment, fire insurance costs, and the cost of public fire protection (fire service).

"Because of these substantial losses, it is important that fire protection engineers continue to develop new methods and new products that keep our homes, schools and the workplace safe from fire," said Chris Jelenewicz, Engineering Program Manager with the Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE).

Fire protection engineers use the latest technologies to design systems that control fires, alert people to danger and provide means for escape. Additionally, fire protection engineers:

• Evaluate buildings to pinpoint the risks of fires and the means to prevent them;

• Conduct fire safety research on consumer products and construction materials;

• Investigate fires to discover how fire spreads, why protective measures failed, and how those measures could have been designed more effectively.

Fire protection engineers work with architects and other engineers, state and local building officials and local fire departments to build and maintain fire safe communities. They make recommendations for cost effective fire protection solutions to ensure that the structure, and the property and occupants contained within are adequately protected.

Careers in Fire Protection Engineering

Fire protection engineers seldom have trouble finding work. In fact, the demand for fire protection engineers far outpaces the number of people qualified to fill the positions. Even with an average starting salary of $55,000 and an industry-wide mean of $85,000, knowledgeable fire protection engineers are hard to come by. "There are simply not enough graduates to go around," said George Toth, Executive Vice President, RJA Group.

Furthermore, a career in fire protection engineering provides opportunities for world travel. "In my first job, I spent my first five years traveling internationally, so I got to see a lot of cool places," said Tony Caro, Fire Protection Engineer with the Fire Prevention Bureau & Investigation Division for City of Denver.

As a fire protection engineer there are also opportunities to work in a variety of environments. "I really like it because there are a lot of different areas to work in. Like consulting, working for a town or city government, or working for a code organization," said Amanda Moore, Fire Protection Engineer with Arup.

Fire protection engineers are present in nearly every facet of our society. They are employed by:

• Consulting firms
• Architectural/Engineering Firms
• Fire protection system manufacturers
• Fire marshal offices and code officials
• Military
• Corporations
• Fire departments
• Insurance firms
• Academia/Research
• Federal, state and local governments

Because fire protection engineers design ways to make us safe from fire, many find a sense of purpose knowing they have the opportunity to make a difference. "I feel there's a big reason why I go to work each morning. It gives me an incredible sense of purpose," said Stacey Welch, Fire Protection Engineer, Marriott International.

Great starting salaries that grow with experience also make fire protection engineering a career worth considering. The Society of Fire Protection Engineers regularly surveys its members to gather salary information. The latest figures are derived from the SFPE Profile of the Fire Protection Engineer Survey conducted in 2005, shows that:

• The average starting salary for a fire protection engineer is $55,000.
• The industry-wide mean among fire protection engineering professionals is $85,000, reflecting a broad range of years of experience in fire protection engineering.
• Slightly more than 25 percent earn $100,000 or more.

Colleges and Universities

The University of Maryland currently offers an ABET-accredited undergraduate fire protection engineering degree; and Oklahoma State University offers an accredited four-year Bachelor of Science degree in fire protection and safety engineering technology. The University of New Haven also offers an undergraduate program in fire protection engineering.

Many fire protection engineers begin by earning a bachelor's degree in civil, electrical, chemical, or mechanical engineering and then complete a M.S. degree in fire protection engineering. Many who chose this option earn their degree through a distance learning program. Both the University of Maryland and Worcester Polytechnic Institute offer resident and distance learning programs leading to masters degrees in fire protection engineering. "I believe that continuing education is critical," says Sam Dannaway, President with SS Dannaway Associates. "But I couldn't get specialized classes where I live in Hawaii. This program allows me to get the degree I've always wanted."

High school students should take courses that will prepare them for admission to a four?year college that offers an accredited engineering curriculum. Pre-engineering course work should include mathematics, chemistry, physics, and computer science. In college, students spend the first part of their education focusing on engineering fundamentals and their applications. In subsequent years they concentrate on fire protection engineering. This includes courses such as heat and mass transfer; fire risk assessment; fluid mechanics; fire dynamics; water based fire protection systems design; and design of other fire protection features such as smoke management, fire alarm, and exit systems.

For More Information

For more information contact the Society of Fire Protection Engineers, 7315 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 620E, Bethesda, MD 20814. Ask for the free SFPE Guide to Careers in Fire Protection Engineering. SFPE also has a Careers in Fire Protection Engineering Website that can be found here.