Engin@Fire: Fire Integrated Revolutionary Engineering

F. Barreca, F. Chiti, M. Perillo, M. Spagnolo
Engin@Fire

Fire Engineering is the application of science and engineering principles to protect property, people and their environments from the harmful and destructive effects of fire and smoke.
Sinking its roots to ancient Rome, when the Emperor Nero ordered the city to be rebuilt utilizing passive fire protection methods, the modern Fire Engineering encompasses Fire Protection Engineering, which focuses on fire detection, suppression and mitigation, and Fire Safety Engineering which focuses on human behavior and maintaining a tenable environment for evacuation from a fire; lately this distinction is weakening and the term Fire Protection Engineering is often used to include Fire Safety Engineering.
Fire Protection Engineering exemplifies the concept of Integrated Design, aiming to coordinate all fire protection systems (active and passive including egress issues) into a comprehensive, fire and life safety strategy.
Engin@Fire, with the acronym F.I.R.E. (Fire Integrated Revolutionary Engineering), intends to emphasize the performance-based approach (<<centered on (1) established fire safety goals and objectives, (2) analysis of fire scenarios, and (3) quantitative assessment of design alternatives against the fire safety goals and objectives using engineering tools, methodologies, and performance criteria>>, SFPE 2000) in order to maximize the benefits of a fire protection integrated design in the full respect of standard and regulations.