Careers in fire protection go beyond firefighting. Unlike fighting a fire after it has occurred, fire protection engineers focus on prevention of these fires and fire spread. Fire protection engineers apply scientific and engineering principles to perform a wide range of roles such as designing building systems that detect fires, control the spread of fires, control the movement of smoke, and provide a safe means for building occupants to egress a building.
This panel presentation and Q&A opportunity is intended for students, career seekers and career advisors who wish to learn more about STEM careers in fire protection. This session will showcase diverse career options, highlight the growing use of technology in fire protection, and will describe how higher education institutions have partnered with companies to provide internships and further connect and expose their students to the field of fire protection engineering.
Fire protection engineers are employed internationally by private consulting firms, government agencies, corporations, fire departments, insurance firms, design firms, and local building code officials. Indeed, the demand for fire protection engineers outweighs their availability and for this reason they are amongst the most highly paid engineers. According to a survey conducted in 2012 by the Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE), the median US total compensation for fire protection engineers is $113,748. SFPE Engineering Program Manager, Chris Jelenewicz stated "With a career in fire protection engineering, you receive a stable salary and the satisfaction of keeping the world and its inhabitants safer from fire."