What You'll Do

  • Design fire detection equipment, alarm systems, and fire extinguishing devices and systems.
  • Inspect buildings or building designs to determine fire protection system requirements and potential problems in areas such as water supplies, exit locations, and construction materials.
  • Advise architects, builders, and other construction personnel on fire prevention equipment and techniques and on fire code and standard interpretation and compliance.
  • Determine causes of fires and ways in which they could have been prevented.
  • Consult with authorities to discuss safety regulations and to recommend changes as necessary.
  • Develop plans for the prevention of destruction by fire, wind, and water.
  • Study the relationships between ignition sources and materials to determine how fires start.
  • Attend workshops, seminars, or conferences to present or obtain information regarding fire prevention and protection.
  • Develop training materials and conduct training sessions on fire protection.
  • Evaluate fire department performance and the laws and regulations affecting fire prevention or fire safety.

Essential Skills

Critical Thinking 4.25/5
Reading Comprehension 4.0/5
Speaking 4.0/5
Complex Problem Solving 4.0/5
Judgment and Decision Making 4.0/5
Active Listening 3.88/5
Writing 3.88/5
Active Learning 3.88/5
Systems Analysis 3.88/5
Systems Evaluation 3.88/5
Operations Analysis 3.75/5
Science 3.62/5

Career Fit Overview

Use this summary to sense whether the day to day rhythm and focus of this path line up with what energizes you.

Top passions

  • Maker: Building and fixing energizes you. You like tangible results and practical tools.
  • Analyst: Investigating problems and finding patterns keeps you engaged.
  • Organizer: Bringing order to data and processes satisfies you.

Common styles

Integrity, Analytical Thinking, Attention to Detail, Dependability, Cooperation

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Key Abilities

This career demands strong capabilities in the following areas:

Problem Sensitivity 4.38/5
Deductive Reasoning 4.12/5
Inductive Reasoning 4.12/5
Oral Comprehension 4.0/5
Written Comprehension 4.0/5
Oral Expression 4.0/5
Written Expression 4.0/5
Near Vision 4.0/5

Technologies & Tools

A Large Outdoor Fire plume Trajectory model Flat Terrain ALOFT-FT Analysis of Smoke Control Systems ASCOS ANSYS simulation software Atria smoke management engineering tools ASMET Autodesk AutoCAD Autodesk Revit Available Safe Egress Time ASET Bentley MicroStation Berkeley Algorithm for Breaking Window Glass in a Compartment Fire BREAK1 Building Research Establishment BRE Jasmine CESARE Risk Computational Dynamics STAR-CD Computational fluid dynamics CFD software Computer aided design CAD software Consolidated compartment fire model CCFM Consolidated fire and smoke transport model CFAST Crows Dynamics Simulex Data acquisition software Detector Actuation Quasi Steady DETACT-QS Egress Allsafe

Work Environment & Style

Common Styles for This Career

  • Integrity (High importance: 4.58/5)
  • Analytical Thinking (High importance: 4.42/5)
  • Attention to Detail (High importance: 4.42/5)
  • Dependability (High importance: 4.19/5)
  • Cooperation (High importance: 4.15/5)

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How to Become One

Most employers require a bachelor's degree in a relevant field. Some positions may also require experience through internships, co-ops, or entry-level work to strengthen your candidacy.

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Also Known As

This career is known by many different job titles across industries. Here are all the variations:

Consulting Engineer Engineer Fire Prevention Research Engineer Fire Protection Commissioning Engineer Fire Protection Consultant Fire Protection Design Engineer Fire Protection Designer Fire Protection Engineer (FPE) Forensic Fire Protection Engineer Licensed Fire Protection Engineer Plumbing Designer Professional Fire Protection Engineer