Cal Poly fire program receives $1 million federal grant

By Fire Protection Engineering

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — Cal Poly's fire protection engineering program has been awarded a $940,571 federal grant to evaluate methods for fighting wildland fires that have spread to urban areas.

The fire protection engineering graduate program is the first of its kind on the West Coast.

"This is great news for CaI Poly's budding fire protection engineering program. In California, we face the constant threat of wildfires, and this new program at CaI Poly will help meet our demand for fire protection engineers so we can better cope with fire season and other threats. I appreciate the efforts of our students and teachers at CaI Poly for their efforts to improve fire safety in our communities," Capps said.

The grant will test the effectiveness of compressed air foam systems in suppressing structural fires at wildiand-urban interfaces as well as whether the systems are safe for firefighters. It will enable the researchers to perform and analyze various fire tests using both the foam technology and plain water systems, working with the Cambria and Santo Barbara fire departments and at the National Institute of Standards and Technology's National Fire Research Laboratory in Gaithersburg, MD.

"This grant is very important on several levels," said Susan Opava, CaI Poly's dean of research and graduate programs. "It enables testing of a very promising technology. It also enables our faculty to utilize and expand their considerable knowledge and experience in fire management and protection, and it creates a rich 'learn by doing' experience for our master students."

For more information, go to www.calpoly.edu

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