Special Interest Groups

The following Special Interest Groups are now in operation.
  • Fire Modeling
  • Heritage Buildings
  • Transport
  • Fire Investigation & Research
IFE Special Interest Groups are being formed in subject areas of key interest to IFE members and participation in the Special Interest Groups will be open to all IFE members.

Web pages for each of these SIG's can be found in the members area.

Overview of Special Interest Groups

Fire Modeling
The objectives of this Group are to:

  • promote (responsible) use of technology;
  • promote a consistent, high standard of quality control; and
  • provide guidance on the use of modeling in fire engineering.

The scope for the Group includes:

  • fire modeling - fire development, growth and extinction;
  • evacuation - time to detection, time to alarm, pre-movement time and travel time;
  • smoke - smoke movement and smoke control;
  • heat transfer - transfer of heat from a fire into its surroundings or the structure;
  • resistance - the performance of elements of structure at elevated temperature; and
  • fire service response - time to arrive at a fire, the impact of fire fighting operations and the physiological response of fire fighters.

Initially the Group plans to produce some single page guidance notes on the fire modeling process and the key thought process. The notes will be aimed at fire modelers, but also the controlling authorities and will have the objective of promoting quality in modeling process.

Historic Buildings
The Special Interest Group for historic buildings will be holding its first meeting in early July.

The initial proposals for the working Group are that there will be strands of work related to the type and use of historic buildings that do not have the benefit of comprehensive guidance documents published by the CLG. These will include Thatched buildings, Churches and Cathedrals, Stately Homes, Historic Town Centres, and other structures such as Windmills, Lighthouses and Fortresses.

Transport
Following the interest shown by the Rail Industry Fire Association, the IFE is establishing this Group to cover the Transport sector in general.

With the changes to Regulations and the fact that transport hubs are becoming major retail opportunities the Special Interest Group intends to ensure that successes achieved in one transport area are effectively communicated to others.

Fire Investigation & Research
The IFE Fire Investigation and Research Special Interest Group will act as a focus group for IFE members and others in these two closely related fields. Under the ethos of "Investigate, Prove and Prevent" the Group aims to strengthen the links between investigation and research.

The Institution of Fire Engineers Fire Investigation and Research Group seeks to:

  • encourage open, professional discussion and debate;
  • share experience and learning;
  • promote awareness and value of FI and R to the community and the built environment;
  • enhance the skills of practitioners;
  • build a library of useful information that members can access;
  • identify patterns and trends in fire incidents that may benefit from further research/examination

The principal role of the IFE's Special Interest Groups is as follows:

  1. To provide a focus for IFE activities in specific sectors of the built environment and aspects of the Fire Safety Engineering profession.
  2. To ensure that IFE Members can be involved in these activities and that the Institution and its membership (as a whole) will benefit from the outcome of these activities.

We will update you with the progress of these new groups as they develop.