NASFMScience Advisory Committee

Survey on Fire Protection Engineers in

State Fire Marshal’s Offices

Anchorage, July 2003

NASFM FPE SURVEY

Electronic poll distributed fall 2002

69 % response (35/51)

FPE = Person with a B.S. or M.S. degree in Fire Protection Engineering

NASFM FPE SURVEY

1. Do you have an FPE on your staff?

YES: 40% (14/35)

NASFM FPE SURVEY

2. How does your office use the FPE?

Code enforcement (9)Fire investigation (4)Evaluation of performance-based fire safety submissions (10)In-house training (10)Other (5)

NASFM FPE SURVEY

2. How does your office use the FPE? (comments)

Plan review (3)Computer fire modelingSame as other engineers

NASFM FPE SURVEY3. Why does your office not have an

FPE?  

No need for this expertise in our office (1)Inadequate access to FPE educational opportunities in our area (4)Inadequate funding to support a staff FPE (17)Other (8)

NASFM FPE SURVEY3. Why does your office not have an

FPE?   (comments)

Not a present job description / office does not require that expertise

Lost position / transferred / could not pay competitive salary

NASFM FPE SURVEY

4. Do you perceive an increased need for FPEs in your office in the next 5 years?

YES: 85%

NASFM FPE SURVEY

5. Should NASFM, as an organization, have in-house access to a contracted FPE to assist with activities such as addressing technical issues of interest to NASFM or participation on technical committees of other organizations, e.g., UL, NFPA, SFPE, ASTM, ICC, etc.?

YES: 77%

NASFM FPE SURVEY

6. Would you be interested in a presentation at our next Annual Conference about FPEs in SFM offices and ideas on how to get funding/approval to hire them.?

YES: 84 %

MORE INFORMATION

Society of Fire Protection Engineers www.sfpe.orgProfessional SocietyEducation / careers / practice guides“Introduction to Fire Protection Engineering” (IFMA)

DISTANCE LEARNING

University of Maryland www.enfp.umd.edu

Worcester Polytechnic Institute www.wpi.edu/Academics/Depts/Fire