WUI Working Group Initiative



Priority deadline to submit an application: June 30, 2022 (see below for more information)

Motivation & Purpose
Over the past three years, the Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE) has been developing a model to engage our community of researchers and practitioners in developing and implementing  engineering solutions, all of which are guided by answering the question: “What can fire engineers contribute to addressing the problem of fires in the WUI?” Now, we are moving forward with the WUI Working Group Initiative through the SFPE Foundation, a nonprofit affiliated with SFPE whose mission is to facilitate research and education that advances the scientific understanding of fire and its interaction with the natural and built environments. Initial planning meetings for this new initiative with participation from 20 global experts in the field were held in January and February 2022.

Approach
Moving forward, the WUI Working Group (WG) will convene to develop an outline of the areas where fire engineering can contribute to addressing the problem of fire and related hazards in the WUI. This draft “Table of Contents” for a theoretical WUI Fire Engineering Handbook will set out to define the scope and range of areas where fire engineering expertise can contribute globally. The WUI WG will consist primarily of engineers, and especially fire engineers, but it will also benefit from the inclusion of practitioners and members of the fire service who can help guide the group in identifying areas of greatest need for engineering-based solutions and support.

Members of the WUI WG will meet in their module teams approximately every 4-6 weeks from June – December 2022 and complete a template designed to guide the creation of an outline of the handbook content in their chosen topic area. The WUI WG will also work with SFPE Foundation staff to plan the program for a virtual WUI Symposium to be held January 25-26, 2023. At the WUI Symposium, module leads will present their progress to date for feedback from the broader community and external stakeholders.

WUI Working Group Initiative Co-Chairs: 
  • Alexander Maranghides, National Institute of Standards and Technology (USA)
  • Albert Simeoni, Worcester Polytechnic Institute (USA)
Module 1 (Individual Asset Protection) Co-Leads:
  • Pascale Vacca & Elsa Pastor, CERTEC (Spain)
  • Pedro Reszka, Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez (Chile)
Module 2 (Community Evacuation & Notification) Co-Leads:
  • George Braga, Fire Service (Brazil)
  • Max Kinateder, National Research Council (Canada)
Module 3 (Community Wildland Fire Protection) Co-Leads:
  • Domingos Viegas, University of Coimbra (Portugal)

  • Dee Withee, Colorado Springs Fire Department (USA)


WUI Working Group Application Portal Now Open
Want to join our WUI Working Group? Individuals can apply for priority consideration for the working group until June 30, 2022. Complete this short application to help us understand why you’re motivated to participate and where your areas of expertise are.