SFPE develops materials and provides resources that can be used to help students learn about fire protection engineering. SFPE and our members volunteer with student outreach programs such as the annual Future City Competition (as team mentors and/or competition judges) and exhibit at the annual USA Engineering and Science Festival. Materials and resources for these programs are gathered and disseminated to middle school, high school, and college students.
Fire protection engineering (FPE) is one of engineering's best-kept secrets. For those who have never heard of FPE, it is the application of science and engineering principles to protect people and the environment from the dangers of fire. FPE is one of the hottest career choices available for students interested in engineering and making the world a safer place. It's a rewarding and fulfilling career and we need more students entering the field to meet the global demand. We work everywhere: in big and small cities, urban areas and rural communities, even remote wilderness areas. Some FPEs work in business offices or classrooms, others in factories or research labs, and still others at onsite locations.
It's can also be a lucrative career. FPEs enjoy high salaries and great job security, as there is a high demand for their expertise. Fire protection engineers have significantly higher starting salaries than college graduates with bachelor’s degrees in many other fields. The latest SFPE report shows that the global mean salary for a FPE is $119,822 in base salary and $137,875 for U.S. based FPE's.
STEM Resource Guides:
Created by the members of the Student Outreach Subcommittee, these downloadable PowerPoint presentations are intended to be used by SFPE members when sharing information about fire protection engineering with students of various ages.
Future Cities Competition
Future City is a hands-on cross-curricular educational program that brings STEM to life for students in grades 6 through 12. Using the Engineering Design Process (EDP) and project management skills, students showcase their solutions to a citywide sustainability issue. SFPE awards the "Best Application of Fire Protection Engineering Principles in City Design" which is intended to bring the idea of fire protection and prevention to young minds when considering cities and buildings of tomorrow.
Specifically, program participants consider how fire protection engineers use science and technology to make our communities safe from fire. Fire protection engineering features may include structural fire resistance, detection and notification systems, suppression systems, egress systems, and smoke management systems. The fire protection engineer ensures that these features all work together to protect people, property, and the environment from fire. Design that best incorporates an innovative approach for fire protection, to protect the public, property, and environment. Learn more about Future City here.
Join Us
The Student Outreach Subcommittee of SFPE welcomes new members at anytime. Current members can request to join here or please contact Ben Fogel, bfogel@sfpe.org for more information or to express interest.
Additional Resources
“Pathways to Becoming a Fire Protection Engineer” (2012 Careers Issue, Fire Protection Engineering Magazine)
“What is a Fire Protection Engineer”