Fire-Prevention and Protection Engineers

What the job really is

Research causes of fires, determine fire protection methods, and design or recommend materials or equipment such as structural components or fire-detection equipment to assist organizations in safeguarding life and property against fire, explosion, and related hazards.

At a glance

• Sector: Architecture & Engineering
• O*NET-SOC code: 17-2111
• O*NET job zone: 4 — considerable preparation
• Work sample tasks on file: 12
• Tools and technologies listed: 12

What you actually do

Work sample tasks recorded for this occupation:

• Develop plans for the prevention of destruction by fire, wind, and water.
• Advise architects, builders, and other construction personnel on fire prevention equipment and techniques and on fire code and standard interpretation and compliance.
• Design fire detection equipment, alarm systems, and fire extinguishing devices and systems.
• Inspect buildings or building designs to determine fire protection system requirements and potential problems in areas such as water supplies, exit locations, and construction materials.
• Review building plans to verify compliance with fire code.
• Prepare and write reports detailing specific fire prevention and protection issues, such as work performed, revised codes or standards, and proposed review schedules.
• Consult with authorities to discuss safety regulations and to recommend changes as necessary.
• Evaluate fire department performance and the laws and regulations affecting fire prevention or fire safety.
• Direct the purchase, modification, installation, testing, maintenance, and operation of fire prevention and protection systems.
• Attend workshops, seminars, or conferences to present or obtain information regarding fire prevention and protection.
• Determine causes of fires and ways in which they could have been prevented.
• Develop training materials and conduct training sessions on fire protection.

Tools and technology

Autodesk AutoCAD, Autodesk Revit, Bentley MicroStation, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Project, Microsoft Visio, Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Word, A Large Outdoor Fire plume Trajectory model Flat Terrain ALOFT-FT, ANSYS simulation software

What employers expect you to already be comfortable with.

Where this job leads

Related occupations — the usual moves up and sideways:

• Fire Inspectors and Investigators
• Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists
• Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors
• First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers
• Firefighters
• Construction and Building Inspectors
• Environmental Engineers
• Occupational Health and Safety Specialists

Getting in

O*NET assigns this occupation job zone 4 (considerable preparation). The related occupations above are the realistic routes in and out.

Find openings

Browse the verified job sources directory, or explore more occupations.

Check this against the source

O*NET OnLine: Fire-Prevention and Protection Engineers — the authoritative public-domain profile this page is derived from, including the full task list, reported skills and the wage estimates for your region.

Derived and rewritten from the public-domain O*NET database (U.S. Department of Labor / Employment and Training Administration). Figures are observations, not promises — always confirm salary, licensing and visa requirements with the employer and the relevant authority.