Fire Research Work and Training of Fire Safety Engineers

The first fire testing station was built in 1935 at Bore ham Wood to test elements of structure. This has grown into the present Fire Research Station as the result of cooperation between the government and the insurance industry. Now the station is one of the largest and best equipped in the world. Aim of the Station is to improve methods of preventing and fighting fire. Work is divided into five sections. In the operational research and intelligence section, details of fires are coded and analyzed. The “ignition and growth of fire” section studies the physical aspects of ignition, combustion and heat transfer. Another section studies building materials under fire conditions to obtain basic data for the design and protection of buildings. Tests are carried out on structural elements. Results are used in advice given to architects, builders, structural engineers and local authorities on appropriate types of structure and materials. Two more sections deal with industrial fires and explosions involving gases, vapors, dusts and unstable materials not classified as explosives and the properties and methods of application of extinguishing agents – water, foam and dry powder. Tests are also conducted on such equipment as automatic sprinkler systems, fire extinguishers and automatic fire alarms. In our country we can say we have the oldest Higher Educational centre in the world training safety engineers. The Moscow Institute of Fire Safety has accumulated a great deal of experience in training specialists for fire protection at different levels. There are the following faculties at the institute: the faculty of fire safety engineers on the base of the general secondary education with five years period of training; the faculty of fire safety engineers on the base of the secondary specialized education with three years period of education; the faculty of training of leading staff officers with year and a half period of training; a refresher course for fire safety engineers with one month period of education; a post graduate and doctorate courses.

About 130 professors and teachers well-known in Russia and in other countries have been working at the institute. Annually about 550 specialists in Fire Protection of the highest qualification graduate from the institute, the total number of such specialists is more than 18000. About 2000 fire safety engineers and researchers for fire service of Bulgaria, Hungary, Viet-Nam, Germany, Guinea, Cuba, Moldavia, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and other countries used to study at the institute. The Moscow Institute of Fire Safety keeps in touch with many Fire Safety Educational Establishments.

Дата добавления: 2015-07-10