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 LET ME first of all welcome Paul Richardson, the Institution of Fire Engineers’ (IFE’s) international president for 2008/2009. Being an enthusiastic and forward-looking leader, I am sure he will have a vibrant and successful year, and much to share with members. Paul will also take an active role in our 90th anniversary celebrations, so be prepared to meet or hear more from him.
As for me, the past year has been eventful, challenging and gratifying. I have befriended many individuals dedicated to the IFE and the fire profession, and have been pleased to see various stages of development of the fire engineering discipline in different countries. It is clear that the Institution continues to be a valuable platform for exchange. Above all else, I feel encouraged by the growing interest in IFE shown by many people outside of the Institution.
To me, promoting the fire engineering discipline has been my vital role as international president, but of equal importance has been understanding the human factors that drive much of our work, and sharing my experiences with members.
Studies have shown that not only does human behaviour in an emergency vary according to the individual, but that it is also dependent on broader factors, such as race, gender, culture and religion, as well as psychological and physiological factors.
The very nature of performance-based fire engineering is to assess and quantify these variables, among others, and that makes it literally a growing discipline. Sometimes I cannot help but wonder if ‘fire engineering’ is the correct terminology for the body of knowledge that we are engaged in. Perhaps ‘community safety engineering’ is more illuminating?
Final destination
Sharing these and other debates with members of different Institution branches added much value to the visits I made during my presidential term, and made them so pleasurable. In my last month of office, I visited the Singapore and Malaysia branches, which, to me, is particularly meaningful as they made Asia my final destination for visits.
I am grateful to Tan Jin Thong, the president of the Singapore Branch, who organised a members’ night for me to meet Branch members, many of whom are fire professionals from different backgrounds. Our conversations covered a wide range of subjects.
Of particular interest was the system of legislative control over fire engineering practice in the country, with the Singapore Civil Defence Force administering a registered inspector scheme and maintaining a register of fire safety engineers.
The registered inspector is empowered to inspect and certify fire safety provisions in buildings before occupation. The engineers are authorised to design alternative solutions or fire safety strategy in buildings but, interestingly, only an architect or a professional engineer of the mechanical/electrical/structural disciplines is authorised to deal with submissions that satisfy the prescriptive regulations.
The registered inspectors and fire safety engineers are not recognised by the Professional Engineers Board Singapore or the Institution of Engineers Singapore as neither of them maintains a fire engineering discipline. As a result, there is no direct international reciprocity or mobility for the scheme and the engineers.
The Malaysia Branch is an up-and-coming branch with vast potential for development. I had the honour of attending the installation ceremony of Branch president, Wong See Foong – an event attended by over 200 members and guests, many of them ardent supporters of the Institution.
The Branch has a laudable tradition of alternating the presidency between a member of the fire and rescue service and a fire safety engineering practitioner, thus ensuring a balanced strategy and focus in its endeavours.
The Malaysia Branch is considering ways to establish a professional fire engineering discipline in the country, with my fellow member of the IFE Board of Directors, HG Tay, taking an active part in that initiative.
I believe the IFE is in a good position to assist both of these branches in developing a fire engineering discipline in their country, and I have offered to share my experiences with them.
Before signing off, I wish to convey my heartiest appreciation to all those members who have supported me or the Institution in one way or another, and especially to those who have made my visits so fruitful and memorable. To those members that I did not manage to meet, my sincere regrets and I hope our paths will cross in the future.
Charles Chu
FSDSM, CPM, BEng (Hons), CEng, FIFireE, FHKIE
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