Jets - The Pre-Engineering Times

Fire prevention engineering combines science and technology to help protect people, property, and the environment from fires. About 3,000 people die in the United States each year due to fires. Additionally there are billions of dollars in property damage. Fire prevention engineers work in many areas from helping to develop better building codes, fire prevention systems, and sprinklers to fire safety for consumer products and items such as children's sleepwear to reduce fires and save lives.

Fire investigation is the forensic side of fire protection engineering. These professionals investigate the cause of fires. In addition to ruling out arson, they want to learn how a fire started and how it spread. They collect data to find out where fire is occurring so that fire prevention programs or technologies to focus on these specific problems can be developed. For example, because we know that cooking is the #1 source of fire within a home, it's important to educate people so they know not to put water on a grease or electrical fire. Investigating fires was traditionally the realm of the fire department. Because engineers are learning more and more about the science and physics of fire-how it burns, how it spreads, and how smoke affects people-it's now become an important field of engineering.

Sometimes fire investigation engineers recreate fires in the lab to gain a better understanding of what happened or to test theories of how a particular fire developed and spread. They also use computer models to predict how a fire will develop and spread based on materials in a room and the room's size and shape. And most importantly, they are developing a body of knowledge that will help prevent fires in the future.

There have been many recent breakthroughs in the field to increase our understanding of fires. These include the development of computer models that more accurately predict how fires develop and spread, and faster smoke detectors.

Currently, there are a handful of schools in the United States that offer degrees in fire prevention engineering or a related field. These include: the University of Maryland (bachelor's and master's degrees), Wooster Polytechnic University (master's and doctorate degrees), Oklahoma State University (engineering technical programs), University of North Carolina—Charlotte, Eastern Kentucky University, and the University of New Haven in Connecticut. Many fire prevention engineers start with bachelor's degrees in mechanical, electrical, or structural engineering before taking specialty courses or enrolling in a graduate program in fire prevention engineering.

Because there is a greater need for fire investigation engineers and fire protection engineers than there are qualified applicants, the salaries are higher for this specialty and new graduates quickly find jobs.

Most importantly, fire investigation engineers help keep people safe by passing on the knowledge they gain from investigating fires, and they make sure that arson, when it occurs, is caught and prosecuted.

Based on an interview with Chris Jelenewicz, Engineering Program Manager with the Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE). For more information on this field of engineering, visit www.careersinfireprotectionengineering.com.