Fire

Meet Andrew, a fire engineer . . .

I was fortunate to have worked as an intern at Arup for two summers before I started working here full time. It was during my internship that I gained a full appreciation for the exciting global projects that Arup is involved in. My decision to join the firm was not only influenced by this, but also its professional competency and competitive benefits and salary.

Since starting full time work at Arup I have had the opportunity to work on a number of exciting projects ranging from universities to casinos, dormitories and performing arts centers. My tasks have included code consulting, life safety analyses, fire modeling and performance-based design.

In less than a year I have seen my career progress further than I ever thought possible. My technical skills and understanding of the ‘real world’ have grown tremendously in this short time frame. I look forward to continuing to grow my skill set; obtaining my professional licensure and establishing a strong client base that will help Arup grow. I am also considering completing an MBA in the future.

Working as a fire specialist consultant and having the opportunity to contribute to a range of challenging and innovative projects is the most enjoyable part of working at Arup. I work on a different project almost every day, and the ability to apply my technical background to create innovative solutions for these projects is something I really enjoy.

It is unusual in many professions, especially in the first year, to have the ability to attend client meetings and engage in an open dialogue with them. This opportunity has presented itself many times while I’ve been working at Arup. Interacting with clients and the ability to work on such innovative projects are the most enjoyable aspects of my job.

What do fire engineers at Arup do?

Fire engineers at Arup help architects, owners, contractors, and our fellow engineers, solve fire safety challenges, from developing safe egress, to addressing fire spread in buildings, to understanding structural fire resistance - we often work with world renowned architects on iconic buildings. Our solutions might include comprehensive fire and life safety strategies, ensuring building and fire code compliance, and typically include the application of performance based fire engineering tools to solve critical design issues while providing safe solutions. The global nature of Arup's reach permits our fire engineers to collaborate world-wide, sharing technical experience through company sponsored forums and international staff exchanges.

What would my first few years be like?

The following description lists a fairly typical approach to foundational training in your discipline; however business needs, project task availability, and your training interests will also influence the scope and order of training.

For your first six months, you will learn:

The typical tasks you will perform will be as follows:

During your second six months, through on-the-job-training, you will continue learning how the various building systems are combined to develop fire and life safety strategies, how to apply prescriptive building and fire codes, how to developing first-principles assessments, and the use of fire and egress software such as Fire Dynamics Simulator and Simulex. You will be likely to take the lead on developing evacuation, smoke management, and similar calculations. Through our global training plan, you will have the opportunity to complete a comprehensive set of fire engineering training modules. We tend to work on a range of projects, and new graduates will often work on several projects simultaneously.

For the first half of your second year, you will take on greater responsibilities in developing fire and evacuation simulations, and likely take on greater responsibilities in developing fire and life safety strategies. Through mentoring, you will begin to learn how to interact with clients and gain a greater understanding of how to develop appropriate solutions to unique problems.

For the latter half of your second year, it is likely that you will begin to develop expertise in specific areas such as creating comprehensive strategies; fire and smoke movement, evacuation and structural fire interaction simulations; and smoke management and egress calculations.

Want to join us?

The ideal candidate for an entry-level position would have the following characteristics:

Technical abilities

Necessary Preferred
BSc in Fire Protection or Mechanical Engineering 3.5 GPA or higher, Masters in Fire Protection Engineering
  Coursework in fire dynamics, evaluation, building codes, and fire protection systems
  Internship experience with a design firm
  Experience with Computational Fluid Dynamics simulation software (Fire Dynamics Simulator, Fluent, or others) or evacuation software

Intangible and interpersonal characteristics

Necessary Preferred
Professional demeanor Proven ability to perform in a deadline environment
Excellent written and verbal communication skills Past history of technical presentations and technical writing
Skills in planning and organizing Evidence of personal investment in academic or extracurricular field
Attitude of taking initiative, enthusiasm and eagerness to learn  

Click here to apply for a Graduate Fire Engineer position with Arup.