NIST Adopts Strategic Goal For Fire Protection

The Building and Fire Research Laboratory at NIST has adopted a strategic goal of Measurement Science for Innovative Fire Protection. NIST states that incomplete understanding of fire behavior hinders the development of innovative fire protection. Current prescriptive fire standards and codes stifle innovation in fire safety systems, technologies, and building design. To ensure fire safety in a cost-effective manner and to reduce fire losses, it is essential that adequate science-based tools are developed to enable the implementation of the next generation of standards, codes, and technologies that address the U.S. fire problem. Measurement science is lacking to reduce the risk of fire spread in buildings, to reduce fire spread in WUI communities, to ensure effective and safe use of emerging fire service technologies, and to derive lessons from fire investigations.

Addressing these measurement science  needs is essential, if fire losses are to be reduced and the resilience of buildings and communities (people and property) are to be increased.  

Insert: Simulation characterizing PPV fan flow using FDS/Smokeview.