Monthly Technical Articles
Explore our collection of articles written by engineers, for engineers. Categorized based on the COPE approach to assessing risk within a facility, the archives below contain essential information for the development of engineers in our field.
How to Protect Your Facility from Hailstorm Damage
When the sky darkens and the rumble of thunder rolls in, your facility could be just minutes away from a costly hailstorm disaster. Imagine baseball-sized hailstones crashing down—shattering...
Fire Protection in Buildings Higher than 30 ft. – Red Alert
Expanding or looking to lease additional space is a good thing. Business must be good. Next step, minimize cost. “Let’s get some quotes and pick the lowest.” Many businesses opt for the lowest quote,...
A Year of Lessons: 2024’s Most Impactful Loss Events and What They Taught Us
Introduction Reflecting on the significant loss events of 2024 offers valuable insights for improving risk management strategies in 2025. From natural disasters and cybersecurity risks to industrial...
Enhancing Lithium-Ion Battery Safety: Insights from FM Data Sheet 7-112 and the SFPE Engineering Solutions Symposium: Progress with Li-ion Battery Fire Safety
Since Sony’s first commercial introduction of lithium-ion batteries in 1991 (Gerald, 2024), these energy storage systems have revolutionized industries with their unparalleled power density and...
Notable Changes to the 2025 Edition of NFPA 13
The 2025 edition of NFPA 13 “Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems” has several changes from the 2022 edition. The following is a brief overview of some of these changes, along with...
Transitioning from Fluorinated Foam to Fluorine Free Firefighting Foams
This is a follow-up to our December 2022 article on the transition to fluorine free firefighting foams, Transitioning from Fluorinated Foam to Fluorine Free Firefighting Foams Follow-Up:...
Wildfires
Wildfire Trends and Impact According to the National Interagency Fire Center (1), the number of wildfires and acres burned in the United States has increased significantly in recent years....
Corrosion in Automatic Sprinkler Systems
Automatic fire protection systems are crucial for safeguarding buildings. They automatically detect fires and either control or extinguish them, ensuring effective protection and minimizing damage....
Greener Goals, Hotter Risks: Navigating Fire Risks in the Pursuit of ESG Objectives
The push towards improving Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) scores has become a significant trend in the commercial property sector. However, this drive towards sustainability and ethical...
Comparing NFPA 25 vs FM Global Property Loss Prevention Data Sheet 2-81 Requirements for Inspection, Testing, and Maintenance of Water-Based Fire Protection Systems
NFPA 25, Standard for the Inspection, Testing, and Maintenance of Water-Based Fire Protection Systems is the most widely used standard utilized to help ensure that sprinkler systems are properly...
NFPA’s Fire Loss Statistics in the United States During 2022
Estimated reading time: 3 minutes Each year in September or October the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)publishes the annual fire loss report in the US for the year prior. The 2022...
Hydrogen Fuel Cell (HFC) Technology
Estimated reading time: 5 minutes When we think about alternative energy sources or clean energy, what typically comes to mind is Wind and Solar, and rightly so.  According to the Global...