THE ADVANCED FIRE PATTERN ANALYSIS RESEARCH PROJECT

The research test burns that are the subject of this paper were conducted under the auspices of the Advanced Fire Pattern Research Project (AFPRP). The AFPRP was founded in 1985 by the National Association of Fire Investigators and the Eastern Kentucky University Fire and Safety Engineering Technology Program during an early joint training seminar. The directors and instructors of the 1985 training seminar came to the realization that in the past a large number of full-scale and scale model test and training fires had been conducted by themselves and many other fire investigation training venues. In almost all of these previous test or training fires, the valuable data about fire pattern development was never documented and reported beyond (outside) the individual training seminars. Over the previous years, a wealth of controlled burn fire patterns information had been lost.

In order for the fire investigation community to benefit from the information gleaned by the considerable collective efforts and expense of these training programs the information must be documented, collected, organized, published, and disseminated – technology transfer. The problem was compounded by the high cost of conducting such training burns and of compiling, analyzing, and publishing the data.

AFPRP was created to provide and report continuing research into the nature and dynamics of fire pattern production and analysis. Recognizing the need for an information data collection, preservation, and technology transfer system, the Advanced Fire Pattern Research Project was born. To date more than seventy full-scale, half-scale, and quarter-scale burn tests from NAFI/NFPA/EKU National Training Programs and elsewhere have been have been conducted within the purview of the AFPRP.

Many private fire investigation and research entities have actively participated in the AFPRP testing over the years providing equipment, manpower, consultation, and funding. These entities include: the NFPA and its Technical Committee on Fire investigations and Patterns Chapter task group, Kodiak Fire and Safety, St. Paul/Traveler’s Insurance, Applied Technical Services, Barker and Herbert Labs, Combustion Science and Engineering, Core Engineering, Sigma Associates, the London (England) Fire Brigade, the British Fire Service College, Arup Inc., Trace Investigations, and Kennedy and Associates.

All others who may be interested are welcomed and invited to join in the non-profit work of AFPRP. The next full-scale test burns are scheduled for November 2006 at the EKU Fire Research Facility in Richmond, KY.

Over the ensuing years AFPRP results have been published in various venues including:

the triennial Interflam and Fire and Materials international engineering conferences, NFPA national meetings, ISFI 2004 and 2006, programs of the United States Fire Administration, TWGFEX, the ensuing NAFI/ NFPA/EKU National Fire Investigation Training Programs and in all of the editions of NFPA 921.

Upcoming AFPRP reports will be presented at:

the 11th FSC Annual Conference on Fire Related Research and Developments, sponsored by the British Fire Service College and the Institution of Fire Engineers (November 2006, England);

the NAFI/NFPA National Advanced, Fire Arson, and Explosion Investigation Training Program (March 2007, Richmond, KY); and

the NFPA 2007 World Safety Conference (June 2007, Boston).

Pat Kennedy, CFEI, CFPS, MIFireE
Fire and Explosion Analyst
Sarasota, Florida
[www.kennedy-fire.com]