NISTIR 6539

Fire Research Needs Workshop Proceedings

Emmitsburg, Maryland, October 20, 1999

William D. Walton

Nelson Bryner

Nora H. Jason, Editors

United States Department of Commerce Federal Emergency Management Agency

Technology Administration United States Fire Administration

National Institute of Standards and Technology
NISTIR 6539

Fire Research Needs Workshop Proceedings

Emmitsburg, Maryland, October 20, 1999

William D. Walton, Nelson Bryner and Nora H. Jason, Editors

Building and Fire Research Laboratory

National Institute of Standards and Technology

Gaithersburg, MD 20899-8644

July 2000

Sponsored in part by:

U.S. Department of Commerce Federal Emergency Management

William M. Daley, Secretary Administration

Technology Administration James Lee Witt, Director

Dr. Cheryl L. Shavers, Under Secretary for Technology U.S. Fire Administration

National Institute of Standards and Technology Carrye B. Brown, Administrator

Raymond G. Kammer, Director
ii

NOTICE

This Proceedings is the official transmittal of the workshop recommendations to the co-sponsor,

U.S. Fire Administration, Federal Emergency Management Agency. It reflects the combined

input of the workshop participants and not necessarily the views of the U.S. Fire Administration

or the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
iii

CONTENTS

Page

AGENDA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv

1.0 INTRODUCTION ..........................................................1

2.0 PANEL RECOMMENDATIONS .............................................3

2.1 Design Recommendations .............................................3

2.1.1 Performance objectives ........................................3

2.1.2 Reliability and durability of design ...............................3

2.1.3 Authorities having jurisdiction evaluation of complex designs ..........4

2.1.4 Change of Occupancy .........................................4

2.1.5 Human factors in performance based design ........................5

2.1.6 Impact of the use of alternative materials in residential occupancies .....5

2.2 Fire Protection Systems Recommendations ................................6

2.2.1 Performance of fire protection systems ............................6

2.2.2 Analysis of complete fire protection systems .......................6

2.2.3 Identification of the impact of fire protection systems ................7

2.3 Fire Modeling Recommendations ........................................7

2.3.1 Data for fire models ...........................................7

2.3.2 Extend the application of computer fire models with sprinklers to include

life safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

2.4 Fire Service Recommendations .........................................8

2.4.1 Firefighter physiology .........................................8

2.4.2 Fire ground incident command ..................................9

2.4.3 Firefighter health and safety .....................................9

2.4.4 Impact of fire department response time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

2.5 General Recommendations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

2.5.1 Review of Fire Research . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

2.5.2 Public education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

3.0 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

4.0 PARTICIPANTS LIST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
iv

AGENDA

FIRE RESEARCH NEEDS WORKSHOP

U.S. Fire Administration

Emmitsburg, MD

October 20, 1999

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 20

08:30 a.m. Registration

09:00 a.m. Introduction - Carrye B. Brown, U.S. Fire Administrator

- Ken O. Burris, USFA Chief of Operations

- Dr. Dennis Onieal, Superintendent, US National Fire Academy

09:20 a.m. Introduction of Participants

09:40 a.m. Charge to Participant Panels - Doug Walton, NIST

10:00 a.m. Break

10:15 a.m. Workshop Participant Meeting

12:00 p.m. Lunch – NETC Dining Hall

1:00 p.m. Workshop Participant Meeting

3:00 p.m. Closing Remarks

3:15 p.m. Adjournment
1

FIRE RESEARCH NEEDS WORKSHOP

Emmitsburg, Maryland

October 20, 1999

1.0 INTRODUCTION

The mission of the United States Fire Administration (USFA) is to reduce life and economic losses

due to fire and related emergencies, through leadership, advocacy, coordination with Federal

agencies, and in partnership with fire protection and emergency services communities. Through Fire

Administration leadership, a National Fire Research Agenda is developed with input from federal,

state and local partners. Using this agenda, with a commitment to excellence, the USFA provides

public education, training, technology, and data initiatives as follows: 

Public Education: Develops and delivers fire prevention and safety education programs in

partnership with other Federal agencies the fire and emergency response community, the

media, and safety interest groups.

Training: Promotes the professional development of the fire and the emergency response

community and its allied professionals. To supplement and support State and local fire

service training programs, the National Fire Academy develops and delivers educational and

training courses having a national focus. 

Technology: Works with public and private groups to promote and improve fire prevention

and life safety through research, testing, and evaluation. Generates and distributes research

and special studies on fire detection, suppression and notification systems, and on fire and

emergency responder health and safety.

Data: Assists state and local entities in collecting, analyzing and disseminating data on the

occurrence, the control and the consequences of all types of fires. The National Fire Data

Center, which administers the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS), describes

the Nation’s fire problem; proposes possible solutions and national priorities; monitors

resulting programs; and provides information to the public and fire organizations. 

The Building and Fire Research Laboratory at the National Institute of Standards and Technology

conducts research related to the measurement and prediction of fire related phenomena and has a

memorandum of understanding with the Fire Administration. The agreement calls for cooperation

between the two agencies in the areas of planning, information exchange and technology transfer to

improve fire safety.

As part of an ongoing effort to update and sharpen the National Fire Research Agenda, the Fire

Administration in cooperation with the Building and Fire Research Laboratory, at the National

Institute of Standards and Technology held two workshops to obtain input from the fire community.
2

The first focused on the needs of the fire service and was held October 13-15, 1999, in San Antonio,

Texas. At that workshop, 32 members of the fire service representing national fire service

organizations and a wide range of fire departments in both size and location were asked to identify

the needs of the fire service. Areas of emphasis included fire fighting operations, firefighter health

and safety, large fire incidents, fire mitigation, communications, and information technology. The

findings from the that workshop are presented in a separate report.

The second workshop was held October 20th, 1999, in Emmitsburg, Maryland and focused on the

needs of the fire protection community beyond the fire service. Representatives of professional

organizations, trade associations, and building code organizations were invited to present their

research needs. Unfortunately, a number of organizations were unable to attend; however, those in

attendance provided a variety of recommendations. A list of the attendees is provided at the end of

this report.

The recommendations of the workshop participants have been separated into 5 categories: design,

fire protection systems, fire modeling, fire service and general recommendations. Since the

participation in the workshop was limited, no priorities were placed on the recommendations.
3

2.0 PANEL RECOMMENDATIONS

2.1 Design Recommendations

2.1.1 Performance objectives

Issue: Performance requirements need to be linked to fire safety needs.

Need: Performance requirements must support and be clearly linked to specific fire safety needs.

Background: Connections between performance objectives and fire safety needs are frequently

based on judgement rather than research. Designers frequently do not understand the

objectives or research supporting prescriptive code requirements. This makes it

difficult to convert prescriptive codes to performance based codes.

Comments: An example was cited in which a code requires fire exits to be spaced at no less than

150 foot intervals, but this appears to be based on visibility of exit signs. It may be

more appropriate to base spacing of fire exits on how long it takes people to exit a

building. If people can exit safely with one door every 300 feet, then additional exits

signs may be required rather than additional fire exits.

2.1.2 Reliability and durability of design

Issue: Reliability and durability of installed fire protection systems

Need: Develop a method to evaluate reliability and durability of installed fire protection systems

over the entire life cycle of the building. Develop procedures for ensuring adequate

performance of fire protection systems over the life cycle of the building.

Background: Fire protection systems including fire pumps, sprinklers, smoke control dampers and

standpipe systems currently undergo pre-occupancy testing, but once accepted may

not be maintained adequately over the entire life cycle of the building. Both

prescriptive and performance based building and fire codes make the assumption that

fire protection systems will function properly throughout the life of the building.

Comments: A general trend in performance based design is to rely on active fire protection

systems such as sprinklers and smoke control systems, rather than passive systems,

such as building fire resistance. The reliability of active fire protection systems, in

general, is not well documented. Active systems generally require more maintenance

than passive systems. Once a building is turned over to the owners, the performance

of all of the fire protection systems often is not verified over the life of the building.
4

2.1.3 Authorities having jurisdiction evaluation of complex designs

Issue: Continuing education of authorities having jurisdiction

Need: Authorities having jurisdiction need to be kept informed with respect to new and increasingly

more complex design methods. Authorities need to be able to evaluate designs which

incorporate the use fire models and other evaluation tools in order to assess correctly the

performance of complex building systems.

Background: The increased use of performance based building design has resulted in an increased

use of complex analytical design tools, such as computer based fire models.

Authorities having jurisdiction or code officials frequently do not have training in

understanding fire models and other tools which engineers are using to design fire

protection systems. Code officials often are unable to assess or evaluate the

performance data provided by designers. In many cases code officials are not

knowledgeable concerning the limitations in the use of fire models.

Comments: Computer aided design of fire sprinkler systems have become common and have

almost completely replaced hand calculations. The use of computer fire models and

other fire calculations are becoming more wide spread for major projects. The

assumptions, use and limitations of the tools are far more complex than those related

to sprinkler design programs. Many building code departments do not have staff who

are trained in the evaluation of building designs prepared with the use of fire

calculations. Due to the complex nature of these calculations, adequate training

cannot usually be accomplished in a short period of time.

2.1.4 Change of Occupancy

Issue: Building and fire code compliance as building use changes

Need: Develop procedure for updating the compliance with code provisions as occupancy use

changes from initial design.

Background: The use of a structure may change throughout life cycle of building. For example,

portions of an office building may be converted to retail sales. When corridor space

is converted to storage, fire load and egress issues needed to be addressed.

Comments: An example was discussed in which the design for a high bay warehouse retail store

included 96 inch wide aisles. Over time, the aisles were used for storage/retail space.

The occupant stated that as long as 44 inch aisle width was maintained, the building

was in compliance with building and fire code. However, the original design would

not have been approved with 44 inch wide aisles. Further, crowded aisles prevent

easy egress and add to the fuel load.
5

2.1.5 Human factors in performance based design

Issue: Human factors not included in performance based design

Need: Incorporate more human behavior into performance based fire protection design. Models

used to simulate effectiveness of fire protection systems need to include human behavior.

Background: Most of computer based fire modeling performed in the support of performance

based design does not include human factors. Computer fire models generally deal

with effects of a fire, not with the interaction of people with the fire and the building

during the fire. Human behavior is a crucial part of design and the designs need to

take human actions in an emergency situation into account.

Comments: There are too few studies on human behavior during emergencies such as fire. Some

work is being done in Canada, Northern Ireland, and Australia but it is not

comprehensive enough. Some computer based models for evacuation are available

but they tend to examine individual components and not the combined effects of fire

on people. The Americans with Disabilities Act deals with how to make buildings

accessible for people with disabilities, but not how best to evacuate them during an

emergency. Research needs to include all forms of disabilities such as people in

wheel chairs, blind individuals using guide dogs, and the deaf.

2.1.6 Impact of the use of alternative materials in residential occupancies

Issue: The effect of the use of new materials and technology on fire safety in structures.

Need: Characterize the impact of new materials and technology, such as laminated beams, metal

studs and engineered wooden I-beams on the fire safety of structures.

Background: Alternative materials and methods of construction are becoming common in

residential construction; however, the level of fire safety is not always known when

compared to traditional construction methods. Wood trusses and steel studs may not

provide the same level of fire resistance as solid wood members. Failure modes

during a fire for alternative construction materials may not be well understood by the

fire service.

Comments: New building materials and construction technology are being introduce at a rapid

pace particularly in residential occupancies. Fire protection designers need

information concerning the performance of new technology designs and how building

components interact with each other. Fire fighters are unsure how to assess the

potential for structural collapse during a fire in buildings with new construction

techniques.
6

2.2 Fire Protection Systems Recommendations

2.2.1 Performance of fire protection systems

Issue: Data not available on the performance of fire protection systems

Need: Establish a database on the performance of fire protection systems such as sprinklers, smoke

control systems, detectors, and alarms.

Background: If performance codes rely on data, then the data must be available and reliable.

Insurance companies do not necessarily share information about the performance of

fire protection systems. They consider it proprietary and use the data to set standards

and rates. Industry sources may provide data, but that data is often on specific

product lines and may be intended to show the benefits of the product.

Comments: There is a strong need for accurate data on fire protection systems in order to evaluate

performance based codes. Data needs to be objective and readily available.

2.2.2 Analysis of complete fire protection systems

Issue: Evaluation of complete fire protection systems

Need: Develop methodology to evaluate complete fire protection systems instead of evaluating

individual components.

Background: Fire protection systems include many components which are generally evaluated

individually, but their effectiveness needs to be assessed in concert with all the

components. For example, the requirements for fire doors in buildings with sprinkler

systems and the requirements for both sprinkler and smoke control systems.

Comments: Performance codes may never completely replace prescriptive codes, but if they do,

it will take a long time. Some have suggested there are redundancies in prescriptive

codes that may be reduced in performance based codes.
7

2.2.3 Identification of the impact of fire protection systems

Issue: Evaluate trade-offs in terms of economic cost of fire protection systems versus loss of life

and property.

Need: Conduct cost-to-benefit analysis of fire protection systems. Determine the acceptable level

of risk.

Background: It is generally agreed that there would be a substantial reduction in fire fatalities if

sprinklers were installed in all residences. The cost-to-benefit ratio for the

installation of sprinklers has not been adequately determined.

Comments: There is an indication that the fire protection community devotes a substantial portion

of its resources to a small number of buildings. For example, greater fire protection

resources are devoted to retail occupancies such as shopping malls which experience

a relatively low fire loss than to small residential occupancies where most of the fire

fatalities occur.

2.3 Fire Modeling Recommendations

2.3.1 Data for fire models

Issue: Availability of input data for fire models.

Need: Establish standard of practice for input data and the application of fire models.

Background: Fire models are being used more often in fire protection design; however, the

standard of practice for using fire models has not been established. Performance

criteria need to cover a range of model inputs and not just a single fire scenario.

There is no established criteria for the number of scenarios and the variations of input

data which should be used with a fire model. Model users need to understand the

sensitivity of the model to various input data.

Comments: All model have limitations and the user should only apply a model suitable for

specific fire scenario. Determining a worst case fire scenario can be a difficult task.

A fast growing fire may appear to be the worst case, but it may result in rapid

detector and/or sprinkler activation where a smouldering fire would not. Model users

need to understand spacial and temporal resolution of model output. Models vary

widely in their resolution, particularly with respect to distances. Some models

average the output over an entire room while others are able to predict conditions in

thousands of small volumes within a room.
8

2.3.2 Extend the application of computer fire models with sprinklers to include life safety

Issue: Computer Fire Models

Need: Extend computer fire models with sprinklers to include life safety in single family and highrise residential structures.

Background: The NIST industrial computational fluid dynamics computer fire model which

includes rack storage and sprinkler activation is very good; however, most of the fire

fatalities occur in one or two family residential structures. Further, the model has not

been applied to high rise residential structures where potential for a catastrophic fire

with large loss of life is great.

Comments: Three dimensional computational computer fire models traditionally have been used

to evaluate fires involving industrial and other large buildings rather than residential

structures. History has indicated that the fire department may be unable to quickly

contain a serious high rise fire. Computer fire models may be helpful in convincing

municipalities of the need for sprinklers in high rise residential structures,

particularly when retrofitting existing structures.

2.4 Fire Service Recommendations

2.4.1 Firefighter physiology

Issue: Firefighter health and safety on fire ground.

Need: Develop better understanding of physiology of fire fighters on the fire ground.

Background: Fire fighting is physical activity different than most other occupational or recreational

activities. Fire fighters are expected to participate strenuous physical tasks while

being exposed to heat and mental stress, with little or no time to prepare. Further,

many fire fighters are not physically fit. There has been little Federal funding to

study this issue.

Comments: The condition of the heart and muscles have not been studied during exposure or

during rehabilitation. There are no guidelines for the appropriate ratio of suppression

activity to rehabilitation. A significant number of firefighter fatalities are due to heart

attacks.
9

2.4.2 Fire ground incident command

Issue: Mid-level incident commanders lack training and experience in large fires.

Need: Develop virtual reality and simulators to train incident commanders for response to large

fires. Training and simulators need to address wide variety of incidents.

Background: The fire service is experiencing fewer larger fires than in the past and incident

commanders are receiving less experience at the scene of large fires. Computer

based simulators are one means of offering incident commanders a wide range of

experiences. Most of the current fire ground simulators are based on expert opinion

and not on the physics of fire.

Comments: A large part of the decision making process is based on past experience. At the fire

scene, incident commanders need to react quickly. With the reduction of large fires,

fire officers may advance through the ranks without experiencing large fires. When

faced with a large fire, inexperienced incident commanders tend to make poor

decisions which leads to increased injury and fatalities of fire fighters. Further, fire

fighters are now expected to respond with expertise on an increasing range of

incidents including hazardous materials, urban search and rescue, and swift water

and high angle rescue. Police departments have made increasing use of sophisticated

and realistic simulators.

2.4.3 Firefighter health and safety

Issue: Reducing firefighter fatalities.

Need: Determine when appropriate for fire fighters to enter burning structure.

Background: In some countries fire fighters do not enter burning buildings. Building codes are

designed primarily for protection of the occupants and not the fire fighters.

Comments: Presently there is little coordination between building design and firefighter safety.

The building design focuses primarily on protecting the occupants and the property.

Fire department operations are given little consideration in the design of the building.
10

2.4.4 Impact of fire department response time

Issue: How to best allocate limited fire service resources.

Need: Develop methodology for municipalities to allocate fire service resources.

Background: Fire service deployment is both an economic and political issue. The ISO (Insurance

Services Organization) grading schedule is a widely used means for evaluating fire

service deployment. However, the ISO ratings are based largely on historical data

and may not adequately address the effect of fire department response time and fire

department effectiveness. It is not known quantitatively how reducing response time

affects the loss of life and property.

Comments: There is a need to understand impact of fire department response time, water supply,

and human resources affect the loss of life and property. For example, building

design and sprinkler systems can reduce the loss of life and property prior to the

arrival of the fire department. The ISO rating schedule attempts to characterize a

community and may not adequately address all factors. The ISO grading system

favors improvements in the lower rated class cities where improving by one class

may substantially reduce insurance rates. In many cases is not economically feasible

to improve the class, but that does not mean that service cannot be improved.

2.5 General Recommendations

2.5.1 Review of Fire Research

Issue: Project/funding review board.

Need: Develop mechanism for selecting, awarding, and tracking fire research projects.

Background: Fire service research is not well coordinated in the United States. In many cases the

fire service does not have input into selecting research areas. Selection of research

topics should be based input from the users to determine the usefulness and impact

of the research and technical input from independent reviewers to determine if the

proposed work is technologically feasible.

Comments: It was suggested to avoid the National Science Foundation model which funds

research according to a researcher’s resume and how well a proposal is written. It

was recommended to examine the Department of Defense model which uses specific

rules to fund research according to needs with much less emphasis on reputation of

researcher/academic institution. Projects should generate useful results in order to

continue receiving funding.
11

2.5.2 Public education

Issue: Fire Prevention Culture

Need: Fire safety culture in America needs to change from focusing on fire suppression to fire

prevention. Educate the public that fire prevention is crucial to reducing fire fatalities and

property loss.

Background: Currently most fire departments focus on suppression of fires once they have started.

The public and fire service needs to be educated that fire prevention is more effective

than suppression in terms of saving lives and property. The public assumes that

when a fire occurs, the fire service will save them. The culture needs to be changed

so that the public learns to take responsibility for preventing fires.

Comments: Police often tell the mayor of a city that they do not have adequate resources to

prevent crime, but the fire service will often only request the resources to suppress

fire and not prevent them. One hundred fire deaths per week appears acceptable to

society, but if there were 100 fatalities in airplane crashes each week, airplanes would

be grounded. The public expectation is important. Airlines are expected to be safe,

but the same people who expect aviation safety will not use seat belts or check their

smoke detector. The public needs to be educated that fire safety is in part their

responsibility.
12

3.0 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The workshop committee consisted of Bob McCarthy and Bill Troop (U.S. Fire Administration) and

Doug Walton and Nora Jason (NIST). Nelson Bryner and Dan Madrzykowski (NIST) carried out

the difficult task of taking the notes in preparing the summary.
13

4.0 PARTICIPANTS LIST

Dr. Sandra Bogucki, M.D., PhD

Yale University School of Medicine

Department of Emergency Medicine

4464 Congress Avenue

New Haven, CT 06519

Tel: 203-785-4710

e-mail: sandy.bogucki@yale.edu

Ms. Carrye Brown, Administrator

U.S. Fire Administration

16825 South Seton Avenue

Emmitsburg, MD 21727

tel: 301-447-1018

fax: 301-447-1270

e-mail: carrye.brown@fema.gov

Mr. Nelson Bryner

National Institute of Standards and

Technology

Building 224, Room A345

Gaithersburg, MD 20899-8641

tel: 301-975-6868

fax: 301-975-4647

e-mail: nelson.bryner@nist.gov

Mr. Ken O. Burris, Chief Operating Officer

U.S. Fire Administration

16825 South Seton Avenue

Emmitsburg, MD 21727

tel: 301-447-1080

fax: 301-447-1270

e-mail: ken.burris@fema.gov

Mr. Jim Dolan

Building Officials and Code Administrators

International

1100 Bandon Rd.

Toms River, NJ 08953

Tel: 732-270-0277

Fax: 732-270-1366

e-mail: dolan@bocai.org

Ms. Rita Fahy

National Fire Protection Association

1 Batterymarch Park

Quincy, MA 02269-9101

Tel: 617-984-7469

Fax: 617-984-7484

e-mail: rfahy@nfpa.org

Mr. Jim Dalton

National Fire Sprinkler Association

P O Box 1000

Patterson, NY 12563

Tel: 914-878-4200

Fax: 914-878-4215

e-mail: dalton@nfsa.org

Ms. Nora H. Jason

National Institute of Standards and

Technology

Building 224, Room A252

Gaithersburg, MD 20899

tel: 301-975-6862

fax: 301-975-4052

e-mail: nora.jason@nist.gov

Mr. Robert McCarthy

US Fire Administration

16825 South Seton Avenue

Emmitsburg, MD 21727

tel: 301-447-1130

fax: 301-447-1093

e-mail: bob.mccarthy@fema.gov
14

Dr. Dennis Onieal, Superintendent

US National Fire Academy

US Fire Administration

16825 South Seton Avenue

Emmitsburg, MD 21727

tel: 301-447-1117

fax: 301-447-1173

e-mail: dennis.onieal@fema.gov

Mr. Jim Polson

Insurance Services Office

7 World Trade Center

New York, NY 10048

tel: 212-898-6975

fax: 212-898-6767

e-mail: jpolson@iso.com

Mr. Terrell Stripling

Southern Building Code Congress

International, Inc.

900 Montclair Road

Birmingham, AL 35213-1206

Tel: 205-591-1853

e-mail: tstripling@sbcci.org

Ms. Beth Tubbs

International Conference of Building

Officials

5360 Workman Mill Road

Whittier, CA 90601-2298

Tel: 800-423-6587, ext. 3303

Fax: 562-699-4522

e-mail: tubbs@icbo.org

Mr. William Troup

US Fire Administration

16825 South Seton Avenue

Emmitsburg, MD 21727

tel: 301-447-1231

fax: 301-447-1093

e-mail: bill.troup@fema.gov

Mr. William “Doug” Walton

National Institute of Standards and

Technology

Building 224, Room A345

Gaithersburg, MD 20899-8641

tel: 301-975-6872

fax: 301-975-4647

e-mail: dwalton@nist.gov

Mr. Robert A. Wessel

Gypsum Association

810 First Street, NE, Suite 510

Washington, DC 20002

tel: 202-289-5440

fax: 202-289-3707
15
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As part of an ongoing effort to update and sharpen the National Fire Research Agenda, the U.S. Fire Administration in cooperation

with the Building and Fire Research Laboratory, at the National Institute of Standards and Technology held two workshops to

obtain input from the fire community. The first focused on the needs of the fire service and was held October 13-15, 1999, in San

Antonio, Texas. The proceedings of that workshop are contained in NISTIR 6538. The second workshop was held October 20,

1999, in Emmitsburg, Maryland and focused on the needs of the fire protection community beyond the fire service.

Representatives of professional organizations, trade associations, and building code organizations were invited to present their

research needs. The recommendations of the workshop participants have been separated into 5 categories: design, fire protection

systems, fire models, fire service and general recommendations. The attendees identified 17 needs which the editors of this report

have recorded.

KEY WORDS (MAXIMUM OF 9; 28 CHARACTERS AND SPACES EACH; SEPARATE WITH SEMICOLONS; ALPHABETIC ORDER; CAPITALIZE ONLY PROPER

building codes, fire departments, fire models, fire protection engineering, fire research, fire service, technology transfer

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