Freelance Fire Protection Engineer Jobs in Indiana

Masis Professional Group is assisting a manufacturing client in searching for a Fire Protection Engineer.

This is a temporary assignment-through the end of 2026, based in Warsaw, IN.

Key Responsibilities Fire Protection Engineering:

• Assess existing and proposed fire detection, alarm, suppression and life-safety systems across manufacturing facilities.
• Develop and review fire protection philosophies, design criteria and engineering specifications.
• Review fire alarm system architecture, including zoning, detection strategy, notification, monitoring and system interfaces.
• Evaluate automatic sprinkler systems, water-mist systems, deluge/pre-action systems and other fixed suppression arrangements.
• Review fire water supplies, fire pumps, hydrants, standpipes, hose systems and associated infrastructure.
• Review fire detection technologies including smoke, heat, flame, aspirating/very-early-warning detection and gas/off-gas detection.
• Evaluate interfaces between fire systems and HVAC, process equipment, utilities, security systems, emergency shutdown systems and building management systems.
• Support fire protection system impairment management, modification and restoration.
• Conduct field inspections and technical assessments of installed fire protection systems.

EV & Lithium-Ion Battery Fire Safety

• Assess fire and explosion risks associated with lithium-ion battery cells, modules, packs and complete EV batteries.
• Evaluate hazards associated with thermal runaway, propagation, flammable/off-gas generation and potential explosion conditions.
• Review fire protection requirements for battery manufacturing, assembly, testing, charging, discharging, formation and aging operations.
• Assess battery storage arrangements including state of charge, storage height, rack configuration, separation and fire protection.
• Evaluate fire risks associated with damaged, defective, quarantined and end-of-life batteries.
• Develop appropriate detection, isolation, suppression and emergency response strategies for battery-related incidents.
• Review fire protection requirements associated with battery test chambers, environmental chambers and enclosed process equipment.
• Assess fire hazards associated with electrolyte handling, filling and other flammable or combustible materials used during battery manufacture.
• Evaluate Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) and other stationary energy storage installations where applicable.
• Support development of thermal-runaway detection and early-warning strategies.

Automotive & Manufacturing Operations

Assess fire risks associated with automated manufacturing lines, robotics, conveyors, paint/process areas, welding, machining and assembly operations.

• Evaluate EV charging stations, vehicle charging areas, battery charging infrastructure and high-voltage manufacturing/testing areas.
• Assess fire protection implications associated with changes to production equipment, layouts, storage arrangements and manufacturing processes.
• Participate in machine and process risk assessments where fire or explosion hazards are identified.
• Review combustible loading, commodity classification and storage arrangements.
• Support management of hot work and other ignition-source controls.
• Provide fire engineering input during new equipment installation, plant modifications and production ramp-up.

Design Review & Project Support

• Review fire protection drawings, calculations, specifications, cause-and-effect matrices and design submissions.
• Conduct constructability and compliance reviews during facility and equipment design.
• Identify fire protection requirements during equipment procurement and machine buy-off activities.
• Participate in design reviews including concept, 30%, 60%, 90% and IFC stages where applicable.
• Review contractor and supplier fire protection designs for compliance with project requirements.
• Support commissioning, integrated systems testing, acceptance testing and handover.
• Witness functional testing of detection, alarm, suppression and associated interlocks.
• Identify deficiencies and manage technical close-out actions.

Fire Alarm & Control Systems

• Review fire alarm zoning and system architecture for large manufacturing facilities.
• Develop or review alarm cause-and-effect matrices.
• Evaluate alarm initiation, escalation, notification and evacuation strategies.
• Review interfaces with security/control rooms and emergency response functions.
• Assess appropriate sequencing for HVAC shutdown, smoke control, process shutdown, door release and other safety-critical interfaces.
• Support investigation and reduction of unwanted/false alarms without compromising required protection.
• Ensure system modifications are appropriately engineered, documented, tested and approved.

Technical Risk & Incident Support

• Conduct fire risk assessments and technical gap assessments.
• Support fire and thermal-event investigations and root-cause analysis.
• Evaluate fire-system performance following incidents or system activations.
• Develop corrective and preventive actions following fire-system deficiencies.
• Support emergency planning for battery thermal-runaway and manufacturing fire scenarios.
• Provide technical input into emergency response plans, evacuation strategies and fire department pre-planning.
• Interface with local fire departments and emergency responders regarding facility-specific hazards.

Qualifications & Experience Essential

• Degree or equivalent technical qualification in Fire Protection Engineering, Fire Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering or a related engineering discipline.
• Demonstrable experience with fire detection, alarm and/or suppression systems in industrial or manufacturing environments.
• Strong working knowledge of NFPA fire protection and life-safety standards. NFPA 72 experience required.
• Experience reviewing engineering drawings, specifications, calculations and fire protection system designs.
• Experience supporting installation, commissioning, inspection and acceptance testing of fire protection systems.
• Ability to identify deficiencies and develop practical engineering solutions.
• Strong technical report writing and stakeholder communication skills.
• Ability to work effectively with Engineering, EHS, Facilities, Operations, contractors, insurers and AHJs.

Highly Desirable

• Direct experience within automotive or EV manufacturing.
• Experience within lithium-ion battery cell, module or pack manufacturing.
• Understanding of lithium-ion thermal runaway and propagation.
• Experience with battery formation and aging operations.
• Experience with flammable electrolyte handling and associated fire/explosion controls.
• Experience with battery storage and charging applications.
• Experience with BESS/ESS fire protection.
• Knowledge of gas/off-gas and early-warning detection technologies.
• Experience working with FM Global/FM Property Loss Prevention requirements.
• Experience with large-scale automated manufacturing facilities.
• Experience with fire alarm zoning and complex cause-and-effect programming.
• Experience interfacing fire protection systems with automated equipment and facility control systems.
• Experience supporting greenfield construction, plant expansion or manufacturing ramp-up projects.