REPowerEU is a European Commission proposal launched in May 2022 that “plan to make Europe independent from Russian fossil fuels well before 2030, in light of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.” A recently completed PhD thesis at the University of Edinburgh…
Emerging technology and fire-protection considerations for the aviation industry
I have spent more than 15 years in the fire service, the majority of that being within the aviation industry. The last four years have brought more significant changes to the industry than any of the preceding. These changes have…
Women in Fire Safety
When approached by Duncan J. White, MDM’s Group Editor, to write to the IFP Comment for the December issue I reflected on how I could use my voice to inspire and support others. As soon as Duncan informed me that I would be…
Reaction to fire: the FireMark Project – an update
How do we harness the power of resident and consumer action when considering fire safety? As members of the fire-safety/engineering community we can often regard fire-safety issues through the lens of legislation, fire science or risk management. The outcome of…
Modern built-environment fire-safety strategy
It is sad to read about the global fire incidents again and again on the news media, like a never-ending story. It saddens even more that many fire incidents occur repeatedly in the same building category where life safety mattered…
Competence vital to Building Fire Safety
The Fire Sector Federation’s recently published Approved Code of Practice for Fire Risk Assessors Competency will play a key role in public reassurance of fire safety in high risk buildings across the UK. The code puts third party accreditation and…
Using education to improve fire safety
All of the countries in the Gulf Region share a goal to be world-class across many aspects of life, and the built environment plays a big role in that. They want world-class amenities housed in world-class buildings. This expansion and…
Emerging technology and standards for In-Building Auxiliary Radio Communication (ARC) Systems
Vaughan Ontario is one of the fastest growing communities in Canada. Our population is expected to increase 33% over the next 10 years, with commensurate growth in new construction projects. As more than 100,000 new residents are finding a home…
Programme for Change, ensuring the Fire Sector keeps pace
The Institution of Fire Engineers (IFE) has been a key player in the global fire sector for more than 100 years. We work on an international level to make the world safer from fire, enabling our membership (10,000 strong and…
A call to action
Like many in our industry, my view of the current state of fire protection is largely biased towards the geographic area where I practice my profession. I have always seen the world through the lens of my experience in the…
Change is afoot in international fire detection and it’s positive
Change is afoot in international fire detection and it’s positive There is no question that the fire sector is about to go through a period of significant change, and I firmly believe that this represents a great opportunity for both…
Utilize technology to streamline BIM workflows
BIM (Building Information Modeling) is not a new concept in the Fire Protection industry. Over the past 6 years BIM has become a key term in the preconstruction process, driving trends toward 3D modeling, structured coordination and increased information sharing.…
The fire protection conundrum
Recent events involving high-rise structures around the world, and the inevitable questions these have raised about building regulations, fire testing of materials, materials specification and the installation of partitions, cladding systems, fire doors and several other matters to do with…
Research is the key to success
Almost 20 years ago I was employed as a research scientist at ‘SP Fire Technology’, a department at the Swedish governmental owned research Institute SP. In 2010 we merged with the Norwegian/SINTEF fire laboratory to become ‘SP Fire Research’ and…
Innovation holds the key to the future
‘We can keep on doing things the same as we’ve always done or we can learn from past experiences both good and bad and innovate for future success’ Much has happened within the past few months within the fire sector…
Seeing the whole picture
The Grenfell Tower fire continues as a major focus for all in the fire safety and construction sectors in the UK, as the investigations into the fire and its ramifications seem certain to result in a change in culture in…
What the industry needs now, is qualifications
Everyone seems to be talking about Brexit right now. With the elections coming up on June 8th, and local elections happening as I type (a vote for every key strike), it’s only natural that we are all wondering what will happen…
Building Fire Safety – an Opinion
Being part of and working within the UK fire safety sector is a privilege. It is certainly enjoyable. Meetings and interchanges are measured and polite. Rarely are voices raised; we wait for others to have their say, and listen respectfully;…
Inherent responsibility
The reports and reviews of cladding fires around the world have highlighted, not only that there is a combustible cladding problem but that there also appears to be a systematic breakdown of the construction process and the regulatory approval process.…