Sprinkler Age A Publication of the American Fire Sprinkler Association
University of Maryland Holds 12th Annual Burn Day
The American Fire Sprinkler Association (AFSA) was proud to sponsor the University of Maryland Department of Fire Protection Engineering’s 12th annual Burn Day, when approximately 175 high school students from 11 schools competed to demonstrate their design and application of fire protection engineering principles. FPE alumni served as mentors to different schools and as judges. The purpose is to introduce students to the fire protection engineering field and have them enroll at the University of Maryland.
The challenge was for the students to work in small teams and use the provided materials to create a fire detection, notification, and suppression system for a scale model two-room apartment. The apartment had to include furniture, carpet, and wall coverings of the typical variety you would encounter in an apartment. The teams are also limited to spending no more than $50 beyond the material provided.
Most of the teams I witnessed utilized a hardware and software kit that included a circuit board, a light, and a heat sensor for detection. Suppression agents included water, baking soda and vinegar, sand, and dry chemical. The suppression agents may have been released upon the activation of the heat sensor or by the melting of some component.
Now for the fun part, the fires. The competition took place at ATF’s Fire Research Lab in Beltsville, Md., under the world’s largest burn hood. ATF personnel set the fires and handled all the scale models once they were placed on the tables. The entries were judged on five criteria: livability, response time of the detector, time for suppression, spread to other objects, and cost.
Congratulations to the overall winner from Bishop McNamara, “Mighty Mustangs,” for their well-thought-out and innovative design. Burn Day continues to be a powerful example of how hands-on learning can spark interest in fire protection engineering and the broader life safety industry.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Jeff Lewis is the vice president of technical workforce development for VSC Fire & Security, Inc. He has been in fire protection for 40 years. Lewis’ experience includes firefighting, inspections, special hazards, training, and project management. His NICET certifications include Level III in the Inspection and Testing of Water-Based Systems, Level III in Special Hazards Suppression Systems, Level II in Fire Alarm Systems, and Level II in the Inspection and Testing of Fire Alarm Systems.