Fire engineers cover a huge range of jobs and come from all different backgrounds. They put out fires, they influence the buildings we live in, the transport we use and the products we buy as well as protecting people, property and the environment from the effects of fire. Fire engineers work closely with many other professions such as architects, designers, lawyers, scientists and other engineers.
A career in fire engineering is vast with many diverse opportunities available. Find out more about some of the fire engineering roles that exist and what the job can involve.
A common perception of the fire and rescue service is firefighters going out in fire engines and fighting fires. This is true, however, in a modern fire and rescue service, fighting fires is only part of the role.
Fire and rescue services play a key part in their local community. This involves raising awareness, conducting home fire safety checks and communicating fire prevention and other safety messages, as well as assessing the design of buildings. Firefighters face all kinds of different challenges every day. This can include environmental factors like floods and storms, rescuing people from road traffic collisions and helping with hazardous materials.
Fire risk assessors identify fire hazards and risks, advise on how to prevent fires and ensure that proper safety procedures are in place. As a fire risk assessor, you'll be tasked with preparing emergency plans and providing training to employees. In this job you have the potential to prevent the loss of life and the cost of damage to property in the case of a fire.
After firefighters extinguish a fire, an investigation is launched to determine the origin and cause of the fire. This is where a fire investigator comes in. The fire investigator must carefully examine, excavate, and document the fire scene to locate the source of the fire. They also work to identify the cause of a fire and in some cases will look at how the building and its systems performed, and how the occupants behaved.
A fire safety designer ensures that buildings are designed in a way that minimises the risk of fire or a fire spreading. Their role is to help protect us, our properties, and the wider environment from the risk of fire and to help ensure that projects meet industry codes and legislative requirements. A fire safety designer typically works in teams or on projects with other professionals such as architects, structural engineers and system engineers.
Fire science is the study of all aspects of fire, including its behaviour, causes, effects and prevention. Fire scientists carry out safety-related research and conduct product development, along with carrying out fire tests on systems, materials and products to ensure that they meet appropriate safety standards.
Fire engineers spend years training, learning and getting qualifications.