Fire Protection Engineering


Fire protection engineering (also known as fire engineering or fire safety engineering) is the application of science and engineering principles to protect people and their environments from the destructive effects of fire and smoke.

The discipline of fire protection engineering includes, but is not exclusive to:

  • Active fire protection - fire suppression systems, and fire alarm
  • Passive fire protection - fire and smoke barriers, space separation
  • Smoke control and management
  • Building design, layout, and space planning
  • Fire prevention programs
  • Fire dynamics and modeling
  • Human behavior during fire events
  • Risk analysis, including economic factors

In practice, fire protection engineers typically identify risks and design safeguards that aid in preventing, controlling, and mitigating the effects of fires. Fire protection engineers assist architects in evaluating buildings' life safety and property protection goals. FPES are also employed as fire investigators, including such very large-scale cases as the analysis of the collapse of the World Trade Centers. NASA uses fire protection engineers in its space program to help improve safety.