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 I HOPE you had an enjoyable Christmas and wish you all a wonderful New Year. For the Institution of Fire Engineers (IFE), 2008 looks set to be another busy year. This January sees the journal taking on a new name, Fire Risk Management. Beyond the name change for the journal, the contents and our aim will remain the same – to bring to our readers the latest news, views and key issues affecting fire professionals.
My New Year wish is to see more IFE members contributing interesting articles to the journal on subjects such as firefighting case studies, fire news, innovative designs, new equipment and technologies, developments in legislations, standards and other issues. So please make an effort to let us know what is happening in your part of the world.
Learning from others
Learning from the experiences of others is always a valuable and thought-provoking exercise. That is why I have used this column to relate my encounters with people; colleagues who uphold the values of the Institution and generously devote themselves to the progress of the fire profession and hence to the good of all of us. The future of IFE depends on such dedication.
My recent visit to the Republic of Ireland Branch was no different. There I met a gathering of enthusiastic members with different backgrounds, whose focus was to move forward the fire profession. The Branch president Denis Mulcahy, together with the Council, successfully organised an enlightening conference, exhibition and superb social events.
One of the interesting points raised was the responsibilities of fire engineering professionals versus that of the building control authorities (BCAs). I learnt that, according to the Irish Building Regulations, the architect or fire safety engineer on a project is required to apply for a formal fire safety certificate, which entails the submission of a fire safety design strategy report. The BCA, having assessed and satisfied itself with the report, will approve it as meeting the fire safety requirements. The architect and engineers are then left to ensure that the building is constructed according to the submissions and approved plans.
There is no formal BCA check of the completed construction before occupation. The authorities do carry out some sample inspections, but such incidences are rare. The general opinion among architects and engineers was that BCAs should assume a more active role in building inspection, so as to ensure a consistent level of fire and building safety and better aid the professionals on the project.
Conversely, in jurisdictions where the onus of building and fire safety inspections rests with the building or fire authorities, we often hear of comments on inflexibility in enforcement and stifling of innovative designs. What is regarded as an optimum system depends on which end of the continuum one sits. Admittedly, there are alternative solutions to what is technically regarded as a safe environment. Whether there exists a wide spectrum or a narrow gap in between would be a good topic for research. With performance-based fire engineering being at a youthful stage of development, such diversity appears to add weight to the up-and-coming third-party certification schemes.
Coming back to the issue of people; in Ireland I also had the pleasure of meeting the newly-elected Branch president, Peter Bluett. Peter is an architect and believes in the integration of fire safety and architecture. He completed a Masters degree in Fire Engineering in 2006. He is keen on the registration of Branch members as Eng Tech with the Engineering Council (UK), and the introduction of a fire engineering degree course. I wish the Branch every success.
Retirement of Joe Kwok
I would also like to use this column to pay tribute to Joe Kwok, ex-director of the Hong Kong Fire Services Department, who retired in December 2007. Apart from being a distinguished leader in fire and rescue duties, he headed a number of investigations into major fires involving multiple casualties. The recommendations from one of those investigations resulted in legislative amendments for retrofitting fire safety measures in existing buildings. Joe is an ardent supporter of IFE and is an Honorary Fellow of the Institution. He has been Hong Kong Branch president for three separate terms. After retiring, he will continue to contribute to the fire profession by devoting his own time and efforts to building stronger ties with counterparts in mainland China.
Charles Chu
FSDSM, CPM, BEng (Hons), CEng, FIFireE, FHKIE
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