How I Stumbled Into Fire Protection Engineering VI: Leadership

Posted on Thursday, May 5th, 2011

Until this point, fire protection systems engineering was just beginning to be considered in the much larger field of fire protection. The systems engineering component was not widespread yet, so there were only a few practitioners of it. Bob was one of the few trying to advance the field. To further study the approach, he built some of his ideas into the project. For example, my partner and I figured out a way to evaluate a sprinkler system and calculate a mathematical probability of success for it....read the full article

How I Stumbled Into Fire Protection Engineering V: The Major Qualifying Project

Posted on Thursday, April 28th, 2011

The MQP, or Major Qualifying Project, was another one of those degree requirements that had to be done as a part of WPI’s PLAN for graduation. It had to be exactly related to your major field of study. By senior year, I had changed my major to mechanical engineering with a focus on fire protection. My advisor, Bob Fitzgerald, worked with me and the dean of the mechanical engineering department. Together, they developed a custom MQP for me and my project partner....read the full article

How I Stumbled Into Fire Protection Engineering IV: Mentorship

Posted on Thursday, April 21st, 2011

My new found interest in Fire Protection Engineering was perfectly timed. Bob Fitzgerald, my academic advisor from my IQP with the Worcester Fire Department, was developing expertise in applying systems engineering techniques for building fire safety problems. At the time, he referred to this as a goal oriented systems approach to fire protection engineering. He’s since written a books on it, which is publicly available. He was also the head of the Civil Engineering department at WPI and a PhD in Civil Engineering....read the full article

100th Anniversary of the Triangle Waist Co. Fire

Posted on Tuesday, April 19th, 2011

As one of the most tragic industrial fires in the last 100 years, the Triangle Waist Co. fire teaches the most basic fire lesson: fast fires kill; delayed egress kills; both at the same time kill many....read the full article

Origin & Cause Investigation begins for Hawaii Fireworks Storage Explosion that Killed 5 People

Posted on Tuesday, April 19th, 2011

According to media reports, an investigation is underway into the origin and cause of an explosion that occurred in a fireworks storage bunker in Waikele on Friday, April 8, 2011 at about 9:00 a.m. local time. Audrey McAvoy of Associated Press, in an article published by the Hawaii Tribune Herald, reported that five men died...read the full article