News from the European Director

All,

I hope this letter finds you and yours safety and healthy in this difficult time.

SFPE, as most of the companies, has instituted a mandatory telework policy for all staff to help prevent the further spread of the coronavirus, and our face-to-face educational events (Symposium in Rome and professional development seminars) have been postponed to a future date.

Nevertheless, we continue operations and are working even harder to better serve the interests of our community. I would like to tell you some positive news about SFPE in Europe:

I am glad to announce that the SFPE board of directors has approved the charter for the new SFPE German Chapter becoming the 105th Chapter. Other new chapters will be soon founded in countries like Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Iceland and Ireland. This will be a huge boost for our organization to better represent the Fire Protection Engineers Community in Europe.

In addition, some universities are working to found new European student chapters, like the Université de Poitiers. SFPE supports students in many different ways and student chapters have demonstrated they are very active organizing Continuing Professional Development seminars and courses, and in the promotion of our profession.

Regarding the educational events, during this period we continue offering webinars, we are already developing new products, and ways of delivering content to help us all come out stronger at the other end of this.

In longer perspective, SFPE is working to develop new master programs in Europe. Two new master programs will start next fall, one at the ETH in Zurich Switzerland and one in Italy.

We are also working to organize the 2021 SFPE Europe Fire Safety Conference which will be held on the 24-25 March 2021 in Berlin and we will be announcing our call for abstracts on April 17.

The Symposium on Fire Protection of Cultural and Heritage sites has been postponed to May or June 2021 (final date not confirmed yet). We will keep the outstanding program and hope the second date will be as well received as the first one.

One of our priorities in Europe is to achieve recognition of Fire Protection Engineers. Effort will continue during the next years to increase the level of awareness for fire protection engineering.

Should you have new ideas or projects, do not hesitate to contact your closest SFPE representative or me. SFPE is an association of fire protection engineers and practitioners and your help and support is welcome.

I finish this letter with my best wishes for safety and health for you, your families, and your colleagues. Take care the people around you, be safe, and smile.

Jose Luis Fernández
SFPE European Director