Fire engineering position at CERTEC‐UPC‐BarcelonaTech

Fire engineering position at CERTEC‐UPC‐BarcelonaTech

FDS modeller for EU‐funded project WUIVIEW

Wildland‐Urban Interface Virtual Essays Workbench

 

The  WUIVIEW  Project  is  an  Action  funded  by  European  Commission’s  Union  Civil  Protection  Mechanism  (Prevention  Projects  in  Civil  Protection)  2018  Call  ‐  ECHO  (Agreement  Nº  ECHO/2018/826522).  (www.wuiview.org)  WUIVIEW  is  developed  by  the  Consortium  led  by  the  Technical  University  of  Catalonia  (UPC)  with  the  participation of Association for the Development of Industrial Aerodynamics (ADAI ‐ Portugal), Laboratory of  Industrial  Environment  Engineering  (ARMINES  ‐  France),  Pau  Costa  Foundation  (PCF  ‐  Spain),  Research  Institutes of Sweden (RISE ‐ Sweden) and University of Bologna (UNIBO ‐ Italy).

The main aim of WUIVIEW project is to design, setup, test and operate a virtual workbench service for the  performance‐based  analysis  of  fire  environments  in  the  surroundings  of  buildings  at  the  wildland‐urban  interface.  In  line  with  the  objectives  of  the  Union’s  Civil  Protection  Mechanism  and  the  present  Call  for  proposals,  the  WUIVIEW  action  will  develop  and  innovative  risk  management  tool  that  will  help  WUI  communities  adapting  to  face  the  new  generation  of  forest  fires  that  have  already  arisen  due  to  climate  change. Once implemented, WUIVIEW will  become a  powerful  platform  to  perform essays and  simulation  studies dealing with structures survivability, sheltering assessment, building subsystems hazard testing and  fire  protection  systems  evaluation.  The  development  of  the  system  will  improve  knowledge  base  on  microscale  fuels  fire  hazards and  on  building  systems and materials vulnerability, which will  be  of  help  to  develop better policies and standards to prevent WUI disasters.

Position Summary  The successful candidate will be responsible of analysing building systems survivability exposed to a WUI fire  environment using FDS software. Main tasks will be designing, setting and analysing fire impact on building  systems from burning residential fuels. Fire safety will be assessed following a performance‐based approach.  Guidelines, performance criteria and scenarios should be defined within the WUIVIEW working program.

Required qualifications 

University Degree in Fire Protection, Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering,  Architecture, Physics or other related technology discipline. Master’s Degree within the field of fire  engineering and PhD will be acknowledged.

Demonstrated ability with FDS fire simulation tool.    Demonstrated ability with engineering/scientific programming platforms (e.g. Matlab, Python, etc.).   Demonstrated ability to maintain engineering based academic and applied knowledge and skills.   Ability to collaborate with peers, and work directly with Research Engineers, Scientists and other team  members.   Excellent verbal and written English communication skills. Spanish will be also acknowledged.   Self‐starter, quick learner, and eager to be hands‐on.     European citizenship  Starting date and salary  The candidate is offered a 2 years full‐time position. Salary depending on applicant profile (graduate, master  or PhD). Immediate hiring.  Host research Centre: CERTEC at UPC‐BarcelonaTech  The Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya∙ BarcelonaTech (UPC) www.upc.edu is a public institution dedicated  to higher education and research, specialised in the fields of engineering, architecture and science. The activity  that goes on at UPC campuses and schools has made the University a benchmark institution. The University  harnesses  the potential of basic and applied research, and  transfers  technology and knowledge  to society.  These  actions  make  the  UPC—in  partnership  with  industry—an  agent  and  driver  of  economic  and  social  change.  The  UPC  puts  its  scientific  and  technological  infrastructure  at  the  service  of  research  groups  and  centres, researchers and students, professionals, companies and institutions.  The  successful  candidate  will  work  at  CERTEC  (Center  for  Technological  Risk  Studies,  www.certec.upc.es)  located at the brand‐new Diagonal Besòs Campus at Barcelona. The group exists of an enthusiastic, diverse  and  creative  team,  including  scientific  tenured  staff  members  (full  and  associate  professors),  Post‐Doc  Research scientists, PhD and MS candidates and undergraduate students.

Contact 

Those interested please, send a letter of application and a CV to:  Prof. Elsa Pastor (elsa.pastor@upc.edu) and Prof. Eulàlia Planas (eulalia.planas@upc.edu)

https://wuiview.webs.upc.edu/download/Job_offer_WUIVIEW.pdf

Professor in Fire Dynamics at Ghent University, Belgium

ABOUT GHENT UNIVERSITY

 

Ghent University is one of the most important education and research institutions in the Low Countries. On a daily basis, over 9,000 staff members and 41,000 students implement its motto “Dare to Think”. Ghent University’s mission statement is characterised by qualitative education, internationally renowned research and a pluralistic social responsibility.

 

 

ASSIGNMENT

The faculty of Engineering and Architecture has a vacancy for a professorship, starting from October 1, 2019. It concerns a full-time position as Professor in the rank of Assistant Professor (docent, Tenure Track) or Associate Professor (hoofddocent) in the Department of Structural Engineering, charged with academic teaching, scientific research and carrying out scientific duties in the field of Fire Dynamics.

 

Academic education

You lecture various course units in the discipline of Fire Dynamics, more specifically in the Fire Safety Engineering programmes (a.o. ‘Fire Dynamics’, ‘Fluid Mechanics Applications in Fire’, ‘Active Fire Protection: Smoke and Heat Control’).

 

Academic Research

You conduct research in the discipline of Fire Dynamics, more specifically numerical modelling of enclosure fire dynamics in the built environment, with specific focus on multi-phase aspects (such as the interaction of water sprays with smoke and flames, as well as smoke production and transport).

 

Academic services

You take part in the internal and external service provision of the department of Structural Engineering.

 

PROFILE

Experience

  • You have already conducted eminent academic research in the given discipline, which is clearly reflected in publications in high-quality academic journals and peer-reviewed books.
  • You are didactically skilled to teach university students to develop academic competences.
  • Recommended are:
    • international mobility, among other things thanks to research stays at institutions external to theone where you acquired your highest academic degree;
    • positively evaluated experience in provided or organised academic lecturing;
    • professionalisation of education.

 

Admission requirements

  • You hold a thesis-based doctorate or a diploma or certificate that is recognised as equivalent (article V.20 Codex Higher Education).

 

Upon evaluation of a foreign (non-EU) diploma, a certificate of equivalence may still have to be requested at NARIC. If this is the case, we advise you to initiate this recognition procedure as soon as possible. You are required to have the recognition no later than on the date of your appointment.

 

  • You have at least two years of postdoctoral experience on October 1, 2019. This term of two years is determined by the date written on the above-mentioned required diploma.

 

 

APPOINTMENT INFORMATION

 

Depending on the specific profile of the selected candidate, the degree of assistant professor (tenure track) or associate professor is awarded. This will be decided by the University Board as proposed by the Faculty Board.

 

In case the degree of assistant professor is awarded we offer you a temporary appointment in a tenure track system for a term of five years. If positively evaluated by the University Board, the term of office will be transferred into a permanent appointment as an associate professor.

Should you already be a member of the professorial staff or hold an equal post at another university or research institution, you can immediately be appointed as an assistant professor, without prejudice to the possibility of a temporary appointment offered in article V.28 of the Codex of Higher Education.

 

In case the degree of associate professor is awarded we offer you a permanent appointment, without prejudice to the possibility of a temporary appointment offered in article V.28 of the Codex of Higher Education.

 

The recruitment is possible no sooner than October 1, 2019.

 

 

OUR OFFER

 

The career and evaluation policy for Professorial Staff is based on talent development and growth, prioritizing vision development and strategy – at the personal as well as the group level. At UGent we focus on career support and coaching of the Professorial Staff in the different phases of the career. More information can be found on www.ugent.be/professorialcareer.

 

Ghent University is committed to properly welcoming new professorial staff members and offering them appropriate guidance. The basic teacher training and courses of ‘Dutch’ and ‘English’ for foreign-speaking lecturers are only a few examples of our wide range of training and education opportunities. Furthermore, each Ghent University staff member can count on a number of benefits such as a bike allowance, reimbursement of public transport commuting costs, daycare, a wide range of sports facilities and EcoCheques. A complete overview of all our employee benefits (in Dutch).

 

Ghent University also invests in welcoming international professorial staff. It offers various housing options, a relocation bonus, the International School for school-aged children (with a discount on the tuition fee), support when registering at the City of Ghent, support with the procedure of family reunification and other administrative matters in connection with moving to Ghent. More information can be found on www.ugent.be/en/living and  www.ugent.be/en/staff.

 

 

GENDER AND DIVERSITY

 

Ghent University conducts an equal opportunities policy and encourages everyone to apply. Ghent University also strives for a gender balance. Female applications are thus especially welcomed.

 

 

SELECTION PROCEDURE

 

After the final application date, all received applications will be sent to the faculty assessment committee assembled for this vacancy. This committee will first evaluate the application files. Therefore it will match all elements of the file against the required expertise for the position in terms of education, research and scientific service. Based on this deliberation, relevant candidates will be shortlisted to be invited for further selection (interview, possible presentation or test lecture …). Afterwards, the committee will rank the suitable candidates and present this ranking to the Faculty Board. The advice of the Faculty Board will then be presented to the University Board for approval.

 

Candidates are asked to further discuss their top 5 most important publications or other academic achievements with the highest impact. Next to academic publications, the candidate is thus also able to show merit of knowledge transfer by academic dissemination, social valorisation, public awareness, seminars or conference presentations. These competences are also taken into account when evaluating the candidates.

 

The evaluation of the required international mobility is broad and partly takes the gender perspective into account, thus not only considering longer stays abroad by also other forms of internationalisation.

 

Pregnancy leave, prolonged sick leave, parental leave, filial leave or other forms of absence are taken into account when evaluating the available time for the realisation of academic output.

 

 

HOW TO APPLY

 

Apply online through the e-recruitment system before the application deadline (see above). We do not accept late applications or applications that are not sent through the online system.

 

Your application must include the following documents:

 

  • In the field ‘Cv’the application form (+ all annexes mentioned in the form), merged into one pdf file.
  • In the field ‘Cover letter’: your application letter in pdf format
  • In the field ‘Diploma’: a transcript of your doctoral degree. If you have a foreign diploma in a language other than our national languages (Dutch, French or German) or English, please add a translation in one of the mentioned languages.
  • In the field ‘Certificate of equivalence’: only for diplomas awarded outside the European Union: certificate of equivalence (NARIC) (if already in you possession)

 

Note that the maximum file size for each field is 10 MB.

 

 

MORE INFORMATION

 

Match of this vacancy within the strategic goals of the department.

 

For further information regarding this vacancy, please contact Professor Joris Walraevens, chair of the evaluation committee (joris.walraevens@ugent.be; +32 9 264 89 02).

 

https://career5.successfactors.eu/career?career_ns=job_listing&company=C0000956575P&navBarLevel=JOB_SEARCH&rcm_site_locale=en_GB&site=VjItR2U0ZmpQVjVzUDcwUnBWUG54ZmgyZz09&career_job_req_id=12116&selected_lang=en_GB&jobAlertController_jobAlertId=&jobAlertController_jobAlertName=&_s.crb=oHkTuBS%2fjDz8kQzQXdanWmcyl8E%3d

IAFSS 2020 Call for Awards Announced

The International Association for Fire Safety Science (IAFSS) is delighted to announce that nominations are now sought for several awards and the Emmons Invited Plenary Lectureship to be presented at the 13th International Symposium on Fire Safety Science, April 27 to May 1, 2020 at the University of Waterloo, Canada. These awards are presented by the IAFSS and the International Forum of Fire Research Directors (FORUM) every 3 years at the IAFSS’ triennial symposium. These awards recognize a range of substantial achievements in the field of fire science, recognizing researchers at all stages of their careers. Below, a summary of awards, nomination deadlines, and submission requirements are provided. All award nominations can be submitted here or following the links below. Alternatively, nominations can be submitted to nominations@iafss.org. Any issues with submissions should be directed to webmaster@iafss.org.

Click here to download a PDF Call for Award Nominations Flyer

Nominations are now open for the following awards:

In addition, a number of other awards will be presented at the symposium but, by their nature, do not have nomination requirements:

13th IAFSS Symposium Call for Papers and Website Released

Download the  Final Call For Papers and visit the 13th International Symposium on Fire Safety Science website: iafss2020.ca

About the Conference
The International Association for Fire Safety Science (IAFSS) is delighted to announce that the 13th International Symposium on Fire Safety Science will be held from April 27 to May 1, 2020 at the University of Waterloo, Canada.

The IAFSS Symposium, organized triennially since 1985, is the premier fire safety science meeting attracting researchers, students and fire protection engineers from across the globe. The five-day symposium will feature invited lectures from world-leading re researchers, parallel presentations of peer-reviewed papers, and poster sessions for recent work. Symposium activities will be preceded by a series of weekend workshops. In addition to the technical sessions, numerous social activities are planned to provide informal meeting and networking opportunities for colleagues and friends.

Paper Template

Download the full paper template for the 13th International Symposium on Fire Safety Science in your preferred format below.

Paper Template [DOCX]
Paper Template [TEX] Template Figure [PNG]

Please note, the manuscripts must be in .PDF format for submission to the conference.

Submission instructions will be posted to the website soon.

Paper Submission and Review

EASYCHAIR PAPER SUBMISSION HERE!

Instructions:

  1. Go to the EasyChair link above and log in or create an account
  2. This should take you directly to the submission page
  3. If you are not directed to the submission page, then copy and paste the following link directly into your browser search bar: https://easychair.org/my/conference?conf=iafss2020
  4. Select “enter as an author”

The paper(s) must be in .PDF format for submission.

Manuscripts up to 16 pages in length should be submitted through the EasyChair submission link above by September 6, 2019. All papers must be original work and must not have been submitted to another forum. A detailed paper style guide and template will be available online by May 2019.

Submitted papers will be subject to at least three independent peer reviews. Papers will be accepted on the basis of their quality and originality. Accepted papers will be published in a special issue of Fire Safety Journal, the official IAFSS journal, conditional upon the successful completion of an additional review step and presentation at the Symposium.

A Call for Posters will be issued in late 2019. Posters may describe work-in-progress or completed projects. Poster abstracts will be reviewed by the Program Committee.

Symposium Timeline
Full Papers

  • September 6, 2019    Submission deadline for full papers
  • November 13, 2019    Authors notified of preliminary accept/reject decision
  • December 13, 2019     Deadline for revised papers
  • December 23, 2019    Authors notified of final accept/reject decision

Posters and Images

  • January 30, 2020      Submission deadline for poster abstracts and images
  • February 10, 2020    Authors notified of accept/reject decision for poster abstracts
  • February 17, 2020    Authors notified of accept/reject decision for images

Research of Interest
Submissions are encouraged on, but not limited to, the following topics:

  • Material Behavior in Fires (ignition, pyrolysis, flame spread, and smouldering)
  • Fire Dynamics (pool fires, fire plumes, compartment fires, and tunnel fires)
  • Fire Chemistry (chemical kinetics, material toxicity, and flame retardants)
  • Structures in Fire
  • Fire Suppression
  • Wildland and WUI Fires
  • Evacuation and Human Behavior
  • Fire Risk Analysis and Fire Safety Design
  • Other Topics (fire detection and smoke control, explosions and industrial fires, fire codes and standards, and fire safety management)

Workshop to define a Fire Safety Mission for Europe

The IAFSS recently hosted a meeting in Brussels to define a Fire Safety Mission for Europe. A summary of the workshop and presentations are now available!

Workshop presentations

WHERE WE ARE COMING FROM?

WHERE ARE WE HEADED?

WHY A FIRE SAFETY MISSION – STAKEHOLDER PERSPECTIVES?

  • Funding Agency: Björn Sundström, Chairman of the Board, Brandforsk
  • Fire Fighter: Pieter Maes, Brussels Fire Department
  • Fire Engineer: Brian Meacham, President-Elect, SFPE
  • Academia: Guillermo Rein, Imperial College
  • Industry: Jonathan Crozier, pinfa and Quentin deHults, Modern Building Alliance (MBA)

Tenure Track Openings at OSU in Engineering Technology and Fire and Emergency Management, Oklahoma, USA

Position 1

https://okstate.csod.com/ats/careersite/JobDetails.aspx?site=8&id=5758

The Division of Engineering Technology in the College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology (CEAT) at Oklahoma State University (OSU) seeks applications for the position of Assistant Professor of Fire Protection and Safety Engineering Technology (FPSET). The successful candidate will be expected to conduct research, teach undergraduate courses in FPSET, teach graduate courses in Fire Safety and Explosion Protection, mentor students, be involved in service to the university, and their profession. With regard to research opportunities, the state of Oklahoma is a leader in the petrochemical, aerospace, energy, defense, and agricultural industries. OSU is also known internationally for the fire protection programs.
Applicants with expertise in explosions (BLEVE, dust, munitions, gas, etc.), critical infrastructure protection, fire dynamics, fire protection engineering, industrial hygiene, fire protection systems, safety engineering, process safety, industrial safety and/or industrial fire protection are encouraged to apply. An MS degree in engineering or science is required, a PhD is preferred. Preference will be given to candidates with related technical professional experience (preferably more than 5 years of industry experience) and professional licensure in their field.  Individuals with training and skills that complement and augment existing faculty expertise and have interests in collaborative work with other departments are particularly attractive. In addition, there are collaborative opportunities to develop and offer innovative continuing education courses as a part of OSU’s land grant mission.
The successful applicant will enhance the existing faculty teaching portfolio in terms of technical expertise and professional practice. Responsibilities include development, planning and implementation of a high quality curriculum. This includes development of learning materials, preparing lectures and laboratory assignments, and maintaining records to monitor student progress, achievement and attendance. Providing a rigorous ongoing assessment process for all courses is required. Classroom delivery is expected to incorporate principles of active-learning. This position is expected to establish office hours and effectively manage graduate teaching assistants and/or undergraduate graders. The ability to accelerate development of student written and oral communication skills is essential. The desired candidate should possess strong interpersonal skills with the ability to motivate and inspire students while maintaining the highest standards in a very challenging curriculum.

Other desirable skills or interests include, but are not limited to, service as the advisor to a student organization, undergraduate and graduate student advising, and participation on departmental, college or university committees.

Applicants are requested to apply online at https://jobs.okstate.edu. Applicants are requested to provide (1) pdf including: a letter of application, vitae, graduate transcripts, three letters of recommendation, evidence of successful teaching and scholarship, and statements of teaching and research interests.
Review of applicants will begin immediately. Review of applicant material will continue until the position is filled.

Position 2

https://okstate.csod.com/ats/careersite/JobDetails.aspx?site=8&id=5558

The Fire and Emergency Management Program (FEMP), Division of Engineering and Technology at Oklahoma State University (tech.okstate.edu) invites applications for a tenure-track position at the assistant professor rank to begin in August 2019. The area of specialization is emergency management/disaster science (a concentration in mitigation or recovery is preferred) or fire service administration. We are interested in scholars who 1) employ creative approaches to disaster science study, and 2) use quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methodologies. A Ph.D. with an emphasis in Emergency Management, Fire Management, Resource Management, Disaster Recovery, Planning or related field is expected at the time of the appointment. FEMP is part of the Division of Engineering Technology at Oklahoma State University. The Division of Engineering Technology provides a diverse and interdisciplinary environment for scholars who are interested in seeking collaboration opportunities between social science and engineering.

The candidate selected for this position must demonstrate a strong commitment and potential to excel at teaching in the Fire and Emergency Management Program within College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology. The position will require teaching undergraduate and graduate level classes in emergency management, fire administration, research design or other classes as specified by the Head of Engineering Technology.

The successful applicant will enhance the existing faculty teaching portfolio in terms of expertise and professional practice. Responsibilities include development, planning and implementation of a high quality curriculum. This includes development of learning materials, preparing lectures, and maintaining records to monitor student progress, achievement, and attendance. Providing a rigorous ongoing assessment process for all courses is required. Classroom delivery is expected to incorporate principles of active-learning. The ability to accelerate development of student written and oral communication skills is essential. The desired candidate should possess strong interpersonal skills with the ability to motivate and inspire students while maintaining the highest standards in a very challenging curriculum.

Oklahoma State University is one of the state’s two comprehensive research universities with a system-wide student population exceeding 38,000, of whom more than 23,000 are enrolled at its main campus in Stillwater. The FEMP currently has four full-time faculty members and offers an undergraduate minor in emergency management, an MS in Fire and Emergency Management, and a Ph.D. in Fire and Emergency Management. The FEMP program currently enrolls graduate students from States across the U.S. and other countries. The successful candidate will demonstrate the potential for both productive scholarship and effective teaching in the FEMP program.

Review of applications will begin on October 1, 2018 and will continue until the position is filled. Applicants are requested to apply online at https://jobs.okstate.edu. Applicants are requested to provide (1) pdf including: a letter of application, vitae, graduate transcripts, three letters of recommendation, evidence of successful teaching and scholarship, and statements of teaching and research interests.

13th IAFSS Symposium to be held April 27 – May 1, 2020 at the University of Waterloo in Waterloo, ON Canada.

The International Association for Fire Safety Science (IAFSS) is proud to announce that the 13th International Symposium on Fire Safety Science will be held between April 27 – May 1, 2020 at the University of Waterloo in Waterloo, ON Canada.

The Symposium is the premier fire safety science meeting in the world. It has been organized triennially since 1985 by the IAFSS. The program will have invited lectures from the world’s top fire science researchers as well as parallel sessions with presentations of fully peer-reviewed papers over the five days of the Symposium.  In addition to the technical sessions, numerous social activities are planned to cater for informal meeting and networking with colleagues and friends.

Host Venue

The University of Waterloo is situated in the heart of Waterloo Region in the center of Canada’s technology hub. The university was established in 1957 and currently serves over 39,000 students. The Faculty of Engineering offers degrees in several disciplines of Engineering, including MASc and PhD degrees, as well as professional Certificates, in Fire Safety. It’s Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering is home to the $5.6M Live Fire Research Facility of the UW Fire Research Group [link to https://uwaterloo.ca/fire-research-and-safety/].

Waterloo city centre is located within walking distance of the University of Waterloo.  The Grand River Transit system, which serves Waterloo and the surrounding areas, is extensive and fully-accessible. The city is easily accessible from major Canadian cities by train, bus or airplane. Locally, there is the Region of Waterloo Airport which is continuously expanding it’s services. The closest major airport is Toronto’s Lester B. Pearson International Airport which is about 1.5 hours away with frequent shuttle service to and from the Waterloo campus.

Registration and Accommodation

Symposium registration and hotel booking for participants and their companions will be available via links from the IAFSS website at www.iafss.org in late 2019. The registration will include online access to full papers and posters.

Visiting Assistant Professor in Fire Protection, Oklahoma State University (OSU)

see the application website

The candidate selected for this position must demonstrate a strong commitment and potential to excel at teaching in the Fire Protection and Safety Engineering Technology program within College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology. The position will require teaching undergraduate level classes that may include topics such as Fire Safety Hazard Recognition, Hazardous Materials Incident Management, Senior Design, Loss Control, Safety Management, Human Factors or other classes as specified by the Head of Engineering Technology. A full-time appointment involves teaching three or four 3-credit hour courses, or equivalent, per semester.
The successful applicant will enhance the existing faculty teaching portfolio in terms of technical expertise and professional practice. Responsibilities include development, planning and implementation of a high quality curriculum. This includes development of learning materials, preparing lectures and laboratory assignments, and maintaining records to monitor student progress, achievement and attendance. Providing a rigorous ongoing assessment process for all courses is required. Classroom delivery is expected to incorporate principles of active-learning. This position is expected to establish office hours and effectively manage graduate teaching assistants and/or undergraduate graders. The ability to accelerate development of student written and oral communication skills is essential. The desired candidate should possess strong interpersonal skills with the ability to motivate and inspire students while maintaining the highest standards in a very challenging curriculum.
Other desirable skills or interests include, but are not limited to, service as the advisor to a student organization, undergraduate student advising, and participation on departmental, college or university committees.

IAFSS Workshop: Agenda 2030 for a Fire Safe World

The IAFSS will be holding a workshop on the afternoon of Tuesday, 11 September, just ahead of the ESFSS in Nancy, France.

Although great strides have been made in reducing the negative impacts of fire over the past few decades, the global impact of fire remains staggering. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates global burn deaths to 180,000 annually, the vast majority of these in low and middle-income countries. Within Europe, more than 3,500 people are killed annually. The losses in the USA are similar. In most developed countries the cost of fire damage is estimated to be at least 1% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). In the USA, alone the total cost of fire has been estimated at US$328.5 billion. Global loss due to wildand fire is presently greater than at any time in the past. SwissRe has reported that the combined insurance losses from all wildfires worldwide in 2017 were US$14 billion, the highest ever in a single year. According to Allianz, fires and explosions in the built environment accounted for 59% of 1,807 business interruption claims globally from 2010-2014, resulting in billions of US dollars in loss.

Something must be done to facilitate substantial reduction in these losses. To better characterize the problems and develop solutions, fire safety science and engineering research needs to be integrated into societally-transformative risk mitigation and resiliency initiatives. Grand societal challenges such as changing demographics (an aging and diversely able society), rapid urbanization, the need to be more sustainable, the need to slow climate change, and the need to develop more resilient communities all have fire safety implications. Yet fire safety is rarely thought of as part of the solution to these challenges.

We would like your help in raising the profile of the benefits of fire safety science and engineering research in helping to solve critical societal challenges facing the world. We therefore invite you to participate in the IAFSS Workshop, Agenda 2030 for a Fire Safe World, on the afternoon of Tuesday, September 11, to begin work on this challenge. We have prepared a short White Paper that you should read in advance of the Workshop, which provides additional detail on the challenges and objectives moving forward.

If you accept this challenge and invitation to participate, you will be tasked with helping to draft text that can be used with key research funding entities, governmental agencies, and NGOs worldwide to facilitate funding to advance a fire safe world. Participation will be limited to the first 50 registrants. Please register only if you want to actively help develop a research strategy, talking points, and potentially white papers, which will be used to facilitate the generation of directed funding towards fire safety science research to address emerging societal challenges. Your participation will not require you to sign a joint statement on research needs although this will be encouraged as one possible outcome of the Workshop.

Registration for the workshop can be done here and register for ESFSS here. The tentative workshop agenda is below.

Tentative Workshop Agenda, 13:00-17:00, Tuesday, 11 September 2018

13:00-14:00    Introductory presentations to frame the challenges

14:00-16:00    Break-out groups to work on strategies to address future challenges

16:00-17:00    Reporting, consensus development, and framing steps forward

As we get closer to the date of the Workshop, additional information will be posted, and registrants may receive additional information by email. Thank you for your interest in this important initiative, and we look forward to seeing you in Nancy in September!