By Chris Jelenewicz, P.E., FSFPE, Chief Executive Office of the Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE)

Advancing performance-based fire safety and fire risk assessment design methodologies continues to play an essential role in the fire safety engineering profession.

As such, SFPE remains the leader in providing the technical tools that assist the fire safety engineer in delivering the best engineering solutions for all stakeholders for a given design project.

For example, in early 2025, SFPE will publish the 6^th Edition of the SFPE Handbook of Fire Protection Engineering, which is considered the body of knowledge in our profession.

The increased use of performance-based design, fire risk assessment methods, computer models, and the increasing complexity of fire protection systems have increased the engineering rigor required to practice in our profession.

Also, as our profession becomes more complex, the public’s understanding of how fire safety engineering is practiced decreases.

Unfortunately, the qualifications for those practicing in our profession are inconsistent globally.

Some countries have elaborate licensure/certification systems that establish competence as an engineer.

At the same time, many countries do not have a means of establishing the competence of their fire protection engineering workforce.

Without an effective way of measuring competence, protecting the public’s health, safety, and welfare is difficult.

For example, an important recommendation from the Report of the Public Inquiry into the Fire at Grenfell Tower on 14 June 2017, Phase 2, released in September 2024, focused on the increasing need for competency in the fire safety engineering profession.

Part of this recommendation stated, “Designing buildings that are safe in the event of a fire requires particular skill.

It is a skill that can be acquired only by specialized education and experience worthy of formal recognition…..

The circumstances surrounding the Grenfell Tower fire show that an effective contribution from a fire engineer could have prevented the disaster by alerting the client and the principal contractor to the dangers of using aluminum composite panels with unmodified polyethylene cores and combustible insulation in the external wall of the building.”

SFPE is working on increasing the competency of the fire safety engineering workforce in various ways.

For example, SFPE has published the Recommended Minimum Technical Core Competencies for the Practice of Fire Protection Engineering.

This document establishes a framework for understanding the technical basis for this specialized engineering discipline that can be used throughout the globe.

In addition, in the United States of America, SFPE works with NCEES to develop the PE Exam in Fire Protection.

This exam is essential to the licensure of engineers in the United States.

Moving forward, SFPE will continue its work to ensure a competent workforce exists that will work tirelessly to reduce the risk of fire in our communities.

About the IFSJ Influencer

Chris Jelenewicz, CEO of the Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE), has 35 years of experience as a licensed fire protection engineer.

He is a graduate of the University of Maryland Department of Fire Protection Engineering and is an SFPE Fellow.

He also is a retired volunteer fire chief.

IFSJ Influencers Edition 2024

The 2024 Influencers Special Edition of International Fire and Safety Journal is a collection of some of the most influential voices across the fire and safety industry, representing a collective following of 4.2 million.

Together, they provide a comprehensive overview of the latest developments, challenges, and forward-looking insights shaping the global fire and safety sector.

Read all 30 influencer articles in the digital magazine now.

This article was originally published in the December 2024 issue of International Fire & Safety Journal.

To read your FREE digital copy, click here.