Samuel S. Dannaway to Receive Society of Fire Protection Engineers 2010 D. Peter Lund Award

At its Annual Awards Luncheon on October 4, 2010, the Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE) will present the 2010 D. Peter Lund Award to Samuel S. Dannaway, P.E. Dannaway is the President and Chief Fire Protection Engineer with Honolulu-Based S.S. Dannaway and Associates, Inc.

The award is made by the SFPE Board of Directors in acknowledgment of contributions to the advancement of professional recognition of the fire protection engineer. It is named in honor of D. Peter Lund, the first executive director of SFPE.

“Throughout his career Dannaway has served as a positive advocate for the fire protection engineering profession," said SFPE Engineering Program Manager Chris Jelenewicz. “Most recently he has promoted the science and technology that keeps
our world safe from fire by writing the Fire Protection column which is featured in each issue of Plumbing Engineer Magazine.”

Dannaway who is a past president and a Fellow with SFPE has a B.S. degree in Fire Protection Engineering and a Master of Engineering degree from the University of Maryland Department of Fire Protection Engineering.

Thursday, September 23 is Last Day to Pre-Register for the SFPE Professional Development Conference and Exposition

Time is Running Out -- Thursday, September 23 is Last Day to Pre-Register for the Society of Fire protection Engineers (SFPE) Annual Meeting: Professional Development Conference and Exposition. This event is on October 3-8, 2010 at the Astor Crowne Plaza in New Orleans, LA.

The Annual Meeting provides an opportunity to learn new developments in fire protection engineering. This years event will feature a two-day Engineering Technology Conference and the SFPE Professional Development Week which encompasses a series of seminars taught by the profession's leading technical experts. This is the ONLY forum designed to address today's challenges in fire protection engineering!

SFPE Engineering Technology Conference

This two-day conference highlighting presentations on advanced and cutting-edge practices in fire protection engineering that are used to protect people, property and the environment from fire. Keynote presenters are:

• Craig L. Beyler of Hughes Associates, Inc, USA

• Richard G. Gann of National Institute of Standards and Technology, USA

• Edward Plaugher of International Association of Fire Chiefs, USA

• J. Kenneth Richardson of Ken Richardson Fire Technologies, Inc., Canada

• Robert P. Schifiliti of R.P. Schifiliti Associates, Inc., USA

• Takeyoshi Tanaka of Disaster Prevention Reserach Institute, Japan

SFPE Professional Development Week

Earn Valuable CEUs while giving your company a competitive edge by attending a series of seminars being taught by the profession's leaders. Plan a week of training at the SFPE Professional Development Week being held October 5-8, 2010 to stay a step ahead. Click here for the list of seminars.

Don't forget to follow the SFPE Annual Meeting on Twitter at https://twitter.com/SFPEAnnualMtg.

PEs NEEDED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PE EXAM FIRE PROTECTION PAKS STUDY

Dear Colleague,

The National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) and the Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE) are currently seeking licensed engineers working in the field of fire protection engineering to participate in a Professional Activities and Knowledge Study, or PAKS, for the Fire Protection Principles and Practice of Engineering (PE) exam. The results of this study will be used to determine the new specifications for the exam which will replace the current Fire Protection PE exams in 2012.

Participants will complete an online survey about the various professional activities and knowledge/skills required of a licensed fire protection engineer with 4 to 6 years of experience. The survey can be completed in less than 30 minutes.

Your participation is critical to ensuring that the study and subsequent activities are a success. We thank you in advance for taking the time to participate.


Instructions for Participation

To access the online form, please click on the following URL or copy the URL to your Web browser:

https://www.prometricsurvey.com/se.ashx?s=123C457B06441572

The following contact information is provided if you encounter any technical difficulties. Please be sure to identify NCEES Fire Protection PAKS as the invitation to which you are responding. Email: pnjsurvey@prometric.com or Telephone: (609) 895-5234. Please leave a voice mail message. You will receive a response within 24 hours or less, Monday through Friday (except holidays).

Your completed survey should be submitted by Friday, October 15, 2010 (8:00 pm ET).

Again, thank you for your time and contributing your expertise to the engineering profession.

Sincerely,

Carl F. Baldassarra, P.E., FSFPE
SFPE Vice-President for Professional Practice

Results of the SFPE 2010 Compensation Survey are Now Available

Despite the lethargic economic rebound, salaries in the fire protection engineering industry are still holding strong. The median total compensation for fire protection engineers is now $110,500, a 12.5% increase since the previous survey was conducted in 2007.

According to a survey conducted by Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE), the median income for an entry-level fire protection engineer (0-6 years of experience) with a bachelor’s degree is $68,700 per year. That figure jumps to $78,000 when a person with that level of experience has a master’s degree.

The median income for a mid-level fire protection engineer (6-10 years of experience) is $82,000 per year, but it reaches $100,000 per year if he or she has a master’s degree.

Fire protection engineers with work experience upwards of 15 years earn the greatest salaries in the field. It is common for senior-level fire protection engineers to make over $120,000 per year.

The 2010 SFPE Compensation Survey results indicate approximately 4.2% annual compounded growth rate in total compensation over the past three years. This rate is above U.S. national averages reported by The Total Rewards Association—WorldatWork for years: 2008 at 3.9%, 2009 at 2.2% and an estimated 2010 at 2.8% based on the association’s annual salary budget survey for responses for exempt positions).

The survey polled 658 professionals practicing in the profession of fire protection engineering worldwide. Income data is based on earnings (salary plus bonuses) in 2009.

The full report for this survey can be found at http://www.sfpe.org/upload/2010_sfpe_compensation_survey_report.pdf.

FE Exam to Begin Gradual Move to Computer-Based Format

The state licensing boards that compose NCEES, the organization that develops and administers the exams used for engineering and surveying licensure throughout the United States, have voted to begin converting the FE exam to a computer-based format.

The decision was made during the NCEES Annual Meeting in Denver. It followed a prolonged study by a special task force convened to consider the issue and share its findings with the organization.

Transition expected to take at least two years

"The language approved by the Council includes the phrase ‘at the earliest feasible date,' which means that NCEES exam writers and staff will be involved in a process that includes adapting exam item banks, selecting vendors, and communicating with licensing boards and examinees before we can begin offering the exams via computer," said Carter.

Flexibility and security key factors in decision

Among the reasons given by the NCEES Computer-Based Testing Task Force for its recommendation to convert the exams to a computer-based format include greater scheduling flexibility for candidates, more uniformity in testing conditions, and enhanced security for exam content.

The FE exam is designed for college engineering seniors who intend to pursue a P.E. license. Nearly 50,000 examinees took the FE exam during the 2009-10 academic year, which included October and April administrations.

The PE exam, which engineering and surveying candidates are also required to take after completing work experience requirements, will continue to be paper-and-pencil exams for the foreseeable future.

For more information about the FE Exam and engineering licensure go to http://www.ncees.org/.