Principles of Fire Protection Engineering

The Principles of Fire Protection Engineering seminar is open to all individuals interested in gaining or refreshing their basic to intermediate knowledge of the principles of fire protection engineering.  This seminar is intended for individuals that have design, enforcement, or advisory responsibilities, fire protection engineers, architects, fire prevention personnel and others concerned with fire protection. 

This seminar consists of 10 sessions over four days. 

1. Combustion and Ignition Phenomenon – Theories of diffusion flame combustion, fire dynamics, suppression theory, and suppression agents.
2. Fire Endurance Evaluation – Review of the development and application of standard and innovative fire endurance test procedures for building assemblies including doors, windows, walls, floors and ceilings.
3. Construction and Structural Features – Performance of basic construction materials in the fire environment.  The fire compartment involvement process and the concept of designing building compartmentalization.
4. Materials Applications – Evaluation procedures for flame spread, smoke production, and toxicity of interior finish, floor coverings and furnishings.
5. Fire Protection Design Evaluation – Procedures for the evaluation of fire safety.  Smoke management systems, design principles and evaluation techniques.
6. Life Risk Analysis – Human tenability limits.  Human behavior variables in fire incidents including convergence clusters, social inhibition-facilitation, altruistic, and non-adaptive actions.
7. Detection and Alarm Systems – Review of the types of detectors and laboratory evaluation test procedures.  Reliability and installation design characteristics.
8. Sprinkler System Developments – Characteristics of design and approval of the various types of sprinkler and water mist nozzles with application implications.
9. Design of Water Suppression Systems – Design of sprinkler and water mist systems with review of standard procedures and innovative research applications.
10. Egress and Exits – Basic theoretical code concepts with examination of egress components and design variables.

The course will be offered in three options:  Four day option covers all 10 subjects; Session I is a two-day option covers subjects 1-5; and Session II is a two-day option covers subjects 6 -10.