What Is a Fire Protection Engineer and How to Become One

By ZipRecruiter Marketplace Research Team

A fire protection engineer creates methods and products to prevent fires and investigates buildings to identify fire hazards. In this career, you verify housing safety requirements and update older buildings to minimize dangers. You also teach others the best ways to handle fires and the skills they need to escape safely. You review fire-related accidents and implement a plan to avoid future damage. This job position is crucial in the private sector, but you can also find many opportunities with the government, such as positions in national and state parks or any areas with lots of plants and wildlife.

The qualifications to become a fire protection engineer starts with a bachelor's degree in fire protection engineering from an accredited school. In this program, you learn fire protection concepts, such as heat transfer, thermodynamics, schematic design, combustion, and fluid mechanics. You should be familiar with the materials used in modern buildings, and you must stay up to date on local code specifications and federal laws. Your duties and responsibilities require an understanding of fire sprinkler systems, plumbing, fire alarm systems, and protection equipment. You must also be able to design emergency plans, demonstrate life-saving techniques, and provide cost evaluations on a project.