Fire Protection Engineering What is It

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Fire Protection Engineering What is It?

• Insight for Undergraduate Students

Sponsored by
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Background

• Provide overview on the expanding field of Fire
  Protection Engineering, other engineering
  disciplines, supporting education and rewarding
  careers.

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Major Engineering Disciplines

• Aeronautical
• Aerospace
• Chemical
• Civil
• Computer
• Electrical

• Environmental
• Fire Protection
• Materials
• Mechanical
• Nuclear
• Transportation

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Relationship between Disciplines

• Complex Projects
• Transportation
• Civil
• Electrical
• Mechanical
• Computer
• Fire Protection

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Accomplished By Application

• Scientific Knowledge
• Mathematics
• Computers
• Research Results

• Judgment
• Creativeness Ingenuity
• Communicative Skills

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Fire Protection Engineering?

• Utilizes engineering scientific principles to
  recommend design solutions to protect
• People
• Homes
• Workplace
• Economy

• Prevent the devastating effects of fire
  explosions

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Path to an FPE Career

• Attend a college that offers FPE as an
  engineering curriculum
• Attend any college and take FPE courses offered
  locally or from other schools via distance
  learning as electives
• Obtain an engineering degree and get an entry
  level position involved in fire protection
  engineering follow up with distance learning
  courses or local class offerings

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Engineering Core Courses

• Calculus
• Chemistry
• Physics
• Fluid Dynamics
• Statics

• Mechanics of Materials
• Dynamics
• Heat Transfer
• Thermodynamics

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Engineering Discipline Courses

• Freshman Year - take general courses
• Sophomore-Junior Year - begin to decide chosen
  engineering discipline
• Junior-Senior Year - take chosen engineering
  discipline courses
• Follow individual interests
• Gain knowledge with Summer engineering assistant
  job

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FPE Specific Courses

• Structural Fire Protection
• Fire Protection Hazard Analysis
• Life Safety and Risk Analysis
• Fire Modeling

• Fire Dynamics
• Problem Synthesis and Design
• Fire Assessment Methods and Laboratory

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How FPEs Relate to Fire Protection Field

• Involved in initial design and planning phase
  with architects to make certain adequate fire
  protection is provided in accordance with
  occupancy
• Specify design parameters to comply with state
  and local codes, NFPA standards and insurance
  requirements

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FPE Relation (contd)

• Inspect, evaluate and recommend improvements in
  construction, fire protection and life safety in
  existing facilities

• Provide educational seminars for those involved
  in FPE (architects, builders, fire departments)

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FPE Relation (contd)

• Conduct fire origin and cause investigations to
  determine how a fire started and assess the
  overall damages
• Perform fire tests on products to evaluate
  compliance with codes and recommend changes to
  make products safer

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Fire Protection Career Fields

• Consulting Engineering Firms
• Education
• Entertainment Industry (movies, Disney World)

• Fire Departments (public and private)
• Fire Equipment and Systems Manufacturers
  (research, design sales)
• Government (Federal, State and Local)

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Fire Protection Career Fields (contd)

• Hospitality Firms
• Hospitals and Health Care Facilities
• Insurance Industry Manufacturing
• Petroleum and Petrochemical Industry
• Testing Certification Laboratories
• Transportation (i.e. FAA NASA)
• Universities and Colleges

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Fire Protection Career Outlook
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Colleges Universities

• University of Maryland (offers both a bachelors
  and a masters degree in fire protection
  engineering)
• Worcester Polytechnic Institute (offers a
  masters degree and a 5-year combined bachelors
  and masters degree in fire protection
  engineering)
• Oklahoma State University (offers a bachelors
  degree in fire protection and safety technology)
• University of California at Davis (offers a
  certificate in fire protection)
• University of New Haven (offers a bachelors
  degree in fire science)

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Finding out More

• Meet with your Guidance Counselor
• Request Information from Engineering Colleges
• Visit Colleges
• Speak with Experienced Engineers
• Contact your local chapter of the Society of Fire
  Protection Engineers
• Online Resources

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Thank You For Your Time

• Questions?

For More Information, Visit www.sfpe.org www.casc
adesfpe.org