The Vertex Companies’ mission is to better outcomes for our clients, colleagues, and communities and we do this through several means and approaches including through our work, and our culture, which emphasizes continuous learning and development. One team member who has gone the extra mile in bettering outcomes for our industry is our distinguished Senior Fire Protection Engineer, Christian Hayes. Christian recently took on an extensive, year+ long research effort with the University of North Florida (UNF) for fire protection and life safety industry, aiming to build a scientific foundation for smart building technology. Earlier this year, Mr. Hayes responded to a call for proposals from the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) to conduct research and provide guidance as we experience increasing use of smart building technology in fire and life safety systems. He was selected along with other industry professionals to provide research and information that will close the knowledge gap for optimizing integrated smart systems in buildings as they relate to fire, electrical, and life safety, and provide a technical basis for guidance and updates to relevant codes and standards.
Previous studies, such as research by the Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE) Foundation in 2022, identified several knowledge gaps that need to be addressed in order to tackle global issues, including digitalization, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity, by leveraging fire safety science and engineering. One specific gap identified in 2022 by the SFPE GCI study was the need to develop recommendations for optimizing integrated smart systems in buildings and to gain a comprehensive understanding of the landscape of smart and connected devices and systems concerning fire and life safety. Mr. Hayes’ research is addressing this particular need and serves as an initial step to systematically characterize the landscape of smart or connected devices, technologies, systems, or features as they relate to fire, electrical, and life safety.
Mr. Hayes’ research encompasses all building systems and sensors impacting safety, with a global perspective beyond the United States. Thus far, Christian’s research tasks have included stakeholder workshops, literature review, incident case study review, and gap analysis to develop a comprehensive research roadmap. The project will produce interim and final reports, with key milestones including additional stakeholder workshops and literature reviews within specified timelines. Mr. Hayes’ contributions to the industry through research and knowledge sharing are commendable and we want to celebrate his important work and share his contributions. For more information about the studies referenced above, the research, and information about the organizations involved, please review these important resources:
1. 2024 Call for Proposals – NFPA Research Foundation
2. NFPA | The National Fire Protection Association
3. Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE) Foundation
Learn about VERTEX’s Fire Protection Services:
Fire Protection Engineering plays a crucial role in today’s evolving industries. VERTEX offers a wide array of services, including fire protection system design, code consulting, hazard identification, hydraulic analysis, and emergency response planning. Our team’s experience spans various facility types, from residential to industrial, delivering independent, unbiased solutions tailored to our clients’ needs.
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