Rewiev of Chapter Annual Reports

SFPE Chapters serve as the organization's vital eyes and ears on the ground, playing an essential role in its success. The information in the Annual Chapter Report is critical to both Chapters and SFPE headquarters, enabling informed support for the growth and long-term sustainability of local Chapters and the Society as a whole.

The data submitted by Chapters lead to important decisions and actions on both sides—ensuring stronger collaboration and better outcomes for all.

Summary:

This briefing document summarizes key themes and notable achievements reported by various SFPE Chapters based on the Annual Activity Reports submitted in 2025. The reports highlight efforts to re-engage members post-COVID, increase student involvement, promote SFPE membership, host successful meetings, and provide continuing education opportunities. Recurring challenges include declining membership and engaging young professionals. Several chapters expressed a desire for more guidance and resources from SFPE regarding organizing meetings and effective communication tools.

1.   Member Engagement & Student Outreach Initiatives:

 The Snake River Valley Chapter sponsored a special award for the best application of fire protection principles at the 2024 Regional Future City Competition. The event attracted more students than the prior year.

 The South Africa Chapter successfully collaborated with the Stellenbosch Student Chapter.

 The NY Metro Chapter provides student membership free of charge.

 The Chesapeake Chapter continued its partnership with the University of Maryland Department of Fire Protection Engineering, including joint events with the UMD Student Chapter.

 The Central Ohio Chapter experienced a significant increase in membership.

 2.   Hosting successful events:

 China Chapter sponsored an event with over 500 attendees

 Minnesota Chapter’s biannual symposium was so well attended that the meeting space had to be doubled.

 Philadelphia-Delaware Valley Chapter hosts the trade show and seminar annually, which are very well attended by FPEs. The proceeds benefit scholarships for local fire protection college students.

 Southern California Chapter, together with the San Diego & Northern CA-NV chapters, organized a very successful virtual California-wide conference with more than 50 attendees.

Percentage of Professional members in chapters

Percentage of Emerging professional members in chapters

3.   Continuing education and professional development

 Florida Chapter hosted a training event with the Jacksonville Fire Department and taught them about fixed fire protection systems.

NY Empire Chapter organized a very successful multi-topic presentation (ranging from hazard classifications to design densities to hydraulic basics to fire pumps), with the majority of presenters being young professionals.

Tennessee Valley Chapter had an incredibly successful year and provided a total of 23 hours of professional development to local members.

 Chicago Chapter held a symposium on lithium batteries that attracted over 60 attendees – the best attendance post-Covid.

 UK Chapter organized a seminar on the changes to the new code of practice for the design of fire safety provisions. The event sold out within 2 hours of opening registration!

 Portugal Chapter held 12 educational events over the course of the past year.

4.   Fundraising & scholarships, community outreach

Central Ohio Chapter hosted a golf outing and donated $70,000 to local burn centers.

Greater St. Louis Chapter’s 2024 golf tournament brought record profits of $9,000, allowing the Chapter to fund more scholarships than ever before.

Tennessee Valley Chapter provided $23,000 in scholarships to local fire protection engineering students.

 Wisconsin Chapter contributed to the Professional Fire Fighters of Wisconsin Charitable Foundation for the Wisconsin Burn Camp.

 Southern California Chapter participated in “Fire Prevention in a box” week and donated educational materials to local fire departments.

Hawaii Chapter participated in fundraising activities that provided scholarships to STEM students affected by wildfires.

Overall chapter membership trend

Overall attendance at the chapter technical meetings

5.   Challenges and areas for improvement:

·       Many chapters report challenges recruiting young professionals for leadership positions.

·       Organizing in-person events across a large geographic area is a problem.

·       Providing adequate networking opportunities in the virtual world is a major challenge for most.