The SFPE Board of Directors appoints committee members for a three-year term. Members can request to be appointed for additional terms. The Chair and the staff liaison review requests. The Board makes decisions on a rolling basis. To apply to join a standing committee or subcommittee, log in to your member profile, click here, and go to "Committee Request" under "Forms."
Committee Chair: Greg Baker
Staff Liaison: Chris Jelenewicz
The Standing Committee on Research, Tools, and Methods (RTM) identifies, develops, and oversees SFPE’s technical products and research work, monitors innovative trends, and helps to establish the research agenda for the fire protection and safety engineering profession.
Standards Oversight (SCSO) Subcommittee
Subcommittee Chair: Steve Wolin
Staff Liaison: Chris Jelenewicz
The Subcommittee for Standards Oversight (SCSO) comprises members with experience serving on SFPE Standards and Guidelines Committees. This subcommittee is charged with assuring balance on committees, adjudicating issues, and undertaking related oversight activities as required by the ANSI process.
Standards-Making Committees
Calculating Fire Exposures to Structures
Standards Committee Chair: Craig Beyler
Staff Liaison: Chris Jelenewicz
This committee is responsible for developing and updating the SFPE Standard on Calculating Fire Exposures to Structures (S.01). This standard provides methodologies to predict thermal boundary conditions for fully developed fires to a structure over time.
Design Fire Scenarios
Standards Committee Chair: Charley Fleischmann
Staff Liaison: Chris Jelenewicz
This standards committee is responsible for developing a new SFPE Standard on Design Fire Scenarios (S.03), which will determine the explicit design fire scenarios to be used to evaluate the fire safety performance of a building using a performance-based design framework.
Performance-Based Design (PBD)
Subcommittee Chair: Greg Baker
Staff Liaison: Ryan Tunkel
This standards committee is creating a new SFPE Standard on Performance-Based Design for Fire Protection (S.04). The standard will define the process for implementing a performance-based approach in the design and/or assessment of building fire safety within both prescriptive and performance-based code systems. The standard is intended to develop alternate or equivalent means of protection to the prescriptive code requirements, especially in cases where no specific building and fire regulations apply. It is also intended to be used where protection features are intended or desired to exceed the applicable building and fire regulations. The new standard will provide a framework for preparing a performance-based design for use in the regulatory process, including required technical documentation, design submittals, and future reviews of existing conditions subject to the authority having jurisdiction. The standard will have appendices that provide practical information to assist design professionals in preparing and authorities having jurisdiction to review a performance-based design.
Engineering Guide Task Groups
Existing Building Fire Safety
TG Chair: Warren Bonisch
Staff Liaison: Ryan Tunkel
The SFPE Engineering Guide for Assessments of Existing Building Fire Safety provides a methodology for assessing an existing facility’s current fire safety condition. The guide describes a framework for conducting and documenting assessments that evaluate fire safety through interviews, document reviews, and field observations. The framework guides establishing the assessment objectives and tailoring the scope., It also identifies and prioritizes further action, evaluation criteria, data collection process, and required documentation to fulfill the objectives. Assessments prepared using this guide may focus on a single topic, several topics, or be comprehensive. The results can demonstrate if a facility provides adequate fire safety; establish a safety baseline that supports remodeling, renovation, or repurposing plans; or identify desired enhancements to improve facility safety.
Risk Assessment
TG Chair: Francisco Joglar
Staff Liaison: Chris Jelenewicz
This committee is responsible for developing and updating the SFPE Engineering Guide to Fire Risk Assessment, which provides guidance in the development, selection, and use of fire risk assessment methodologies for the design, construction, and operation of buildings, facilities, or processes.
Computer Modeling
TG Chair: Craig Hofmeister
Staff Liaison: Chris Jelenewicz
Codes and Standards Liaison (SCCSL) Subcommittee
Subcommittee Chair: Joshua Greene
Staff Liaison: Chris Jelenewicz
The Subcommittee for Codes and Standards Liaison (SCCSL) is comprised of members interested in promoting the use of fire safety engineering data, tools, and methods within building codes and standards. The SCCSL is responsible for facilitating the adoption of SFPE standards and guides into building regulations, codes and standards. The Board of Directors may appoint SCCSL members to represent the Society in specific codes, standards development, and liaison activities. Currently, the SCCSL has three working groups, NFPA, ICC, and CEN - working to ensure SFPE's engineering standards and guidelines are referenced in NFPA, ICC, and CEN codes and standards.
NFPA Working Group
WG Chair: Brian McLaughlin
Staff Liaison: Ryan Tunkel
ICC Working Group
WG Chair: Joseph Plati
Staff Liaison: Ryan Tunkel
CEN Working Group
WG Chair: Kees Both
Staff Liaison: Chris Jelenewicz
Research & Innovation Subcommittee
Subcommittee Chair: Bryan Hoskins
Staff Liaison: Ryan Tunkel