UL rolls out fire science e-learning modules

The four learning modules offer CEUs and are based on recent building-construction research

November 05, 2012 01:41 AM

Manufacturing Close-Up

NORTHBROOK, Ill. — Today UL, introduced four eLearning modules with continuing education units for fire service personnel that instruct on new and advanced areas of fire science.

According to a release, available from Knowledge Services, UL’s training and advisory business, the courses allow firefighters to better understand fire behavior in modern home environments and craft operational tactics to enhance safety and response.

UL noted that for the more than one million firefighters working in the U.S. today, shifts in modern home construction and design are contributing to a new reality:

Fires can become uncontrollable in less than three minutes and reach flashover eight times faster
Unintended but significant safety hazards emerge in homes built with open floor plans and lightweight engineered lumber.
More than ever before, furnishings consist of synthetic materials that generate toxic smoke and burn rapidly when ignited.
With the use of PV panels on the riseiv, firefighters increasingly encounter shock and casualty hazards when attempting to dismantle PV systems in fire situations.

“Our eLearning modules allow us to deliver tangible knowledge based on new science and research to the boots on the ground, whose lives depend on access to cutting-edge burn test data,” said Steve Kerber, UL Fire Research Engineer. “We hope this information enables emergency responders to make better-informed tactical choices in a world of new and increasingly complex situations.”

UL added that its new training builds on a longstanding commitment to collaborate on research with fire departments, science laboratories and the U.S. government, including FDNY, Chicago Fire Department, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). These relationships support the dedicated research, expertise and attention required to help the industry understand and mitigate risk.

For more information, visit www.ul.com/fireceus