Rasbash Lecture 2006

More than 70 fire professionals, including fire engineers, structural engineers and students, came together, at the Institution of Fire Engineers' Rasbash Lecture on 15 June 2006. The theme of this year's event, which was held at the Ministry of Defence in London, was issues and opportunities for the future of fire engineering.

The lecture commemorates the pioneering fire safety engineering work undertaken by Professor Rasbash(1921-1997) {photo opposite}. A former employee of the Fire Research Station and the first Professor of Fire Engineering at the University of Edinburgh, Professor Rasbash was involved in influential research on, for example, fire extinction techniques, smoke production, automatic fire detection and the quantification of risk. His work also promoted the establishment of the Institution's Engineering Council Division.

Delegates were welcomed to the event by Mrs Ellen Jessett, Chief Executive Officer of the Institution of Fire Engineers. Professor Dougal Drysdale, Edinburgh University introduced the keynote speaker Professor David Lucht of Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, USA. Professor Lucht has had a distinguished career spanning over 40 years in government, industry and academia. Among his several positions, he served as the Ohio State Fire Marshal and vice president of a Massachusetts-based fire consulting firm. President Gerald Ford appointed Lucht as the first deputy administrator of the US Fire Administration shortly after the agency was created by Congress in 1974. In 1978 he was appointed as the first director of the Worcester Polytechnic Institute Center for Firesafety Studies and founding head of the then newly created graduate degree program in fire protection engineering, the first of its kind in the US. He retired from WPI in 2005 after 26 years of service.

Professor Lucht is a Fellow and past president of the Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE). Among his many honors and recognitions, in 2005 the SFPE created the David Lucht Lamp of Knowledge Award, to be presented annually to individuals and organizations who stand out in their support of higher education.

The Rasbash medal was presented to Professor Lucht by Professor Rasbash's long-standing associate, Professor Margaret Law, the first recipient of the Rasbash Medal in 2003. {photo below}

Following Professor Lucht was Mr Nathan Hewitt, Ove Arup and Partners, London, who discussed the role of the graduate fire safety engineer in UK consultancies. The morning session ended with a presentation from Dr Jim Marsden, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service on the role for registered engineers in the Fire Service.

The afternoon session was introduced by Mr Peter Jackman, International Fire Consultants. Professor Dougal Drysdale provided a presentation on the development of degree programmes in Fire Safety Engineering - the academic view. Mick Green from Buro Happold then provided an industrial view of the development of degree programmes in Fire Safety Engineering.

Implementation of Integrated Fire Risk Management - what educational base do we require? was presented by Mr Dave Berry , International Fire Consultants. Mr John Judd, an IFE Board member provided the final presentation on CPD - the way forward.

A detailed article of the Rasbash event will be available in the July edition of the Fire Prevention and Fire Engineers Journal.

Thanks to the generous sponsorship by Rushbrook the IFE were able to offer free spaces at the Rasbash Lecture to 12 students in full time education on fire engineering or fire related courses.

Thanks also to the Defence Fire & Rescue Service, Ministry of Defence, Whitehall for a wonderful venue.