Transportation
Rail, airplanes, ships, motorcoaches, and tunnels all have unique and specific challenges and regulations.
Furniture
Upholstered furniture remains one of the most important contributors to deadly fires in the home.
Consumer Product Regulation
In the past two decades there has been significant progress in product regulation to reduce fire losses.
Life Safety
The most important question is: can the building occupants escape before they are overcome by smoke inhalation?
Combustion Devices
Engines, boilers, furnaces, and incinerators obey the same rules as accidental fires. But here the engineer can design for performance and emissions.
Construction Materials
Whether they fail to perform as intended or are exposed to fire during construction (before fire protection is in place), construction materials are an important component of fire safety.
Ignition from Wildfires
There is increasing evidence that firebrands (embers) are a significant source of ignition in wildfires--sometimes over a kilometer from the fire front.
Cultural Heritage
Museums, art, and culturally significant objects present a unique challenge where a) dousing with water can destroy a priceless object, and b) they are often displayed in atria and other public spaces.
Laboratory Research
The design of laboratory experiments benefits from years of hands-on experience.