Welcome

A Message from the SFPE Europe Chair

Dear Members of the SFPE Europe,

It goes without saying that providing fire safety for all has become more complex over the years. When I embraced this career two decades ago, I thought designing buildings was all of it.  I never imagined we would be dealing with battery fires in vehicles and storage, photovoltaics, or living walls. I had no idea why I would need to know anything about wildfires or wind engineering. Back then, I trained for the role of a Fire Safety Engineer dealing with building design fires, compartmentation, fire resistance and automation. Yet, the needs for my role have changed so much.

I write this from a privileged position. In the end, I did receive a full formal education as a Fire Safety Engineer. Even if not complete in all caveats of fire science (is any education ever complete?), it was sufficient to embark on the journey I am still enjoying so much. During those years, I learned that this is a profession of continuous learning. How would I cope today without the foundation I received at university?

With the challenges around us, we seem to be too few. Nearly every engineering company I speak to stresses how difficult it is to recruit people—those with formal FSE education, but also those pivoting into our profession from other worlds. We need more of them, from both groups. At the same time, we must ensure that their competencies and credentials are robust and reliable.

I have been looking for a theme to guide my presidency at SFPE Europe. I now believe this should be a time to strengthen professional recognition, embrace the scientific foundations of fire engineering, and ensure that fire safety professionals are equipped with a rigorous basis for design. I will work hard on this together with my colleagues on the SFPE Europe Board, as well as Chapter Leaders and members across our Chapters.

I hope this is something you also resonate with, and that you will lend me your support. Only together can we ensure our profession thrives—it is our shared responsibility.

Wojciech Węgrzyński
SFPE Europe Chair