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Fire Protection Engineer

Academic programs / Undergraduate degrees / Career opportunities / Fire Protection Engineer

Fire Protection Engineer

Explore employment trends, required job duties and skills for this career. ASU offers a variety of degrees that can help you prepare for and meet your career goals. Visit ASU's Career and Professional Development Services to learn how to develop your career plan.

Potential job titles in this career
Consulting Engineer, Engineer, Fire Protection Consultant, Fire Protection Engineer (FP Engineer), Licensed Fire Protection Engineer

* Additional schooling, certification, or degrees maybe be required for some of the potential careers that are listed.
What will I do?
  • Advise architects, builders, and other construction personnel on fire prevention equipment and techniques and on fire code and standard interpretation and compliance.
  • Inspect buildings or building designs to determine fire protection system requirements and potential problems in areas such as water supplies, exit locations, and construction materials.
  • Design fire detection equipment, alarm systems, and fire extinguishing devices and systems.
  • Prepare and write reports detailing specific fire prevention and protection issues, such as work performed, revised codes or standards, and proposed review schedules.
  • Consult with authorities to discuss safety regulations and to recommend changes as necessary.
  • Direct the purchase, modification, installation, testing, maintenance, and operation of fire prevention and protection systems.
  • Determine causes of fires and ways in which they could have been prevented.
  • Develop plans for the prevention of destruction by fire, wind, and water.
  • Develop training materials and conduct training sessions on fire protection.
  • Attend workshops, seminars, or conferences to present or obtain information regarding fire prevention and protection.
  • In this career, it is important to know
    Engineering and Technology - Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.

    Design - Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

    Building and Construction - Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.

    Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

    English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

    Physics - Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.

    Public Safety and Security - Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.

    Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

    Chemistry - Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.

    Law and Government - Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
    It's useful to be good at
    Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.

    Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.

    Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.

    Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.

    Category Flexibility - The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.

    Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).

    Information Ordering - The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).

    Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

    Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.

    Flexibility of Closure - The ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.
    Employment trends
    Location Pay period 2022
    10% 25% Median% 75% 90%
    United States Hourly $28.41 $37.90 $48.40 $61.44 $73.34
    Yearly $59,090 $78,830 $100,660 $127,780 $152,550
    Arizona Hourly $24.15 $37.61 $50.60 $60.99 $66.84
    Yearly $50,240 $78,230 $105,250 $126,850 $139,030
    2022 Median%
    United States $48.40 Hourly $100,660 Yearly
    Arizona $50.60 Hourly $105,250 Yearly

    Employment (2022)
    22,000 employees
    Projected growth (2022 - 2032)
    Slower than average (2% to 3%)
    Projected job openings (2022 - 2032)
    1,300
    * Data obtained from the Occupational Information Network (O*NET) under sponsorship of the U.S. Department of Labor/Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA).
    What are accelerated programs?
    Accelerated programs allow students the opportunity to expedite the completion of their degree.

    3 year programs

    These programs allow students to fast-track their studies after admission and earn a bachelor's degree in three years or fewer while participating in the same high-quality educational experience of a 4-year option. Students should talk to their academic advisor to get started.

    Accelerated master's

    These programs allow students to accelerate their studies to earn a bachelor's plus a master's degree in as few as five years (for some programs).

    Each program has requirements students must meet to be eligible for consideration. Acceptance to the graduate program requires a separate application. Students typically receive approval to pursue the accelerated master’s during the junior year of their bachelor's degree program. Interested students can learn about eligibility requirements and how to apply.
    What are concurrent programs?
    Concurrent degrees allow students to pursue their own personal or professional interests, earn two distinct degrees and receive two diplomas. To add a concurrent degree to your existing degree, work with your academic advisor.
    What are joint programs?
    Joint programs, or jointly conferred degrees, are offered by more than one college and provide opportunities for students to take advantage of the academic strengths of two academic units. Upon graduation, students are awarded one degree and one diploma conferred by two colleges.

    What constitutes a new program?
    ASU adds new programs to Degree Search frequently. Come back often and look for the “New Programs” option.
    What are online programs?
    ASU Online offers programs in an entirely online format with multiple enrollment sessions throughout the year. See https://asuonline.asu.edu/ for more information.
    What is the Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE)?
    The Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) is a program in which residents of western states (other than Arizona) may be eligible for reduced nonresident tuition. See more information and eligibility requirements on the Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) program.

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