Society of Fire Safety

About the Society of Fire Safety (SFS)

The Society has been established to foster excellence in fire safety in Australia.

As a learned Society, the aims are to draw together individuals who are actively engaged in fire safety, to provide a national focus and leadership for the development, understanding, practice and application of fire safety engineering to achieve reductions of risk for life, property and environmental damage and the implementation of cost-effective fire safety codes and regulations.

The Society is National with Regional Chapters throughout Australia. The Society is a technical Society of Engineers Australia.

View Society fo Fire Safety Constitution (May 2017)

Formation

The inaugural meeting of the National Board was held on 22 August 1994 and formation of the Society of Fire Safety (SFS) was approved by the Council of Engineers Australia at its meeting in July 1995.

Objectives

The broad objectives of the Society are the professional development of its members and the dissemination of the Society’s ideals into the wider community. The specific objectives of the Society are to:

• develop and extend the application of the science and technology of fire safety engineering
• promote excellence in the practice of fire safety engineering
• promote the use of the science and technology of fire safety engineering in the built environment
• promote education, training and research in all aspects of fire safety engineering
• maintain and improve professional and educational standards for fire safety practitioners
• influence community, corporate and regulatory attitudes and practices in relation to fire safety
• communicate knowledge about fire safety engineering with, and to promote collaboration between members, organisations and other societies
• provide expert advice for government, industry and the community.

Activities

Activities undertaken in support of the objectives may include:

- Communicating knowledge to members, organisations, and other societies by:

• conducting technical meetings
• organising special events, such as symposiums, conferences, seminars, courses
• sponsoring eminent speakers
• participating in conferences organised by others
• encouraging production and publication of learned papers
• promoting and supporting regional interest in fire safety and engineering activities
• preparing and distributing a national newsletter
• Initiating comment and promoting debate on selected issues.

- Providing a specialist resource by such means as:

• participating in preparation of codes and standards
• responding to requests for comment on issues
• forming working parties for undertaking research into specific issues.

- Supporting education by:

• encouraging the inclusion of fire safety engineering in undergraduate, postgraduate and continuing education courses
• advising and assisting with undergraduate and postgraduate courses
• participating in course accreditation.

-Liaising and interacting with Australian and overseas societies and institutions with related interests

- Providing recognition of the contributions and achievements of members and other workforce practitioners to the advancement of fire safety engineering

- Where appropriate the National Board may also undertake activities in conjunction with the Regional Chapter(s).

Hall of Fame

The Board is seeking members to nominate individuals who have made outstanding and lasting contributions to the theory or practice of Fire Safety Engineering in Australia.

The objectives of the Hall of Fame are to:

• Honour individuals who have made outstanding and lasting contributions to the Fire Safety Engineering profession in Australia.
• Document their legacy to develop a sense of tradition and appreciation of the history of Fire Safety Engineering profession in Australia.
• Promote role models that will help attract young practitioners in Australia to careers in Fire Safety Engineering.

Areas of contributions

The honour is given to individuals who have made outstanding and lasting contributions to the theory or practice of Fire Safety Engineering in Australia in one or more of the following areas that:

• develop or extend the application of the science and technology in Fire Safety Engineering
• promote excellence in the practice of Fire Safety Engineering
• enhance the use of the science and technology of Fire Safety Engineering in the built environment in Australia
• promote education, training and research in Fire Safety Engineering
• improve the professional and educational standards for fire safety practitioners
• influence community, corporate and regulatory attitudes and practices in relation to Fire Safety Engineering.

Criteria for Induction

The nominee should possess, but is not limited to, the following criteria:

• is or has been a member of the Society of Fire Safety
• has worked in, or associated with, Fire Safety Engineering for at least 10 years
• has made a notable contribution to the cause of Fire Safety Engineering in Australia
• is reputable and enjoys the respect of the Fire Engineering Industry in Australia
• may still be working or retired.

The nomination is judged by the incumbent SFS National Board.

Induction

The successful nominee(s) is formally inducted to the SFS Hall of Fame typically during the conference dinner of the subsequent SFS conference or joint conference.

Each inductee is presented with a SFS Hall of Fame trophy engraved with the inductee’s name and the year of induction.

Each inductee is also offered a life-time membership of SFS and a position as a Council to the SFS National Board.

Current Members - SFS Hall of Fame

Inducted in 2011

• Prof Vaughan Beck
• Dr Martin Cole
• Mr Claude Eaton (late)
• Dr Caird Ramsay

Inducted in 2014

• Dr Ian Thomas
• Mr Peter Johnson
• Dr Ian Bennetts

Nomination process

Nomination for the SFS Hall of Fame can be made at any time. Nomination is also called from SFS members typically six months prior to an upcoming SFS conference or joint conference.

If you wish to nominate an individual to be considered for the SFS Hall of Fame please send the person’s details and a short biography/reason of why he/she should be considered to [email protected].

Join the Society of Fire Safety

If you are a fire professional you need an avenue through which you can keep in touch with what is happening not only in your immediate sphere of interest, but also in related areas.

The Society will keep you in touch with what is happening in fire regulation reform, building controls, fire engineering developments, fire research and educational opportunities. Members will have an avenue for input into issues such as professional certification, standards and building regulation reform.

Other benefits:

• Keep in touch with what is happening in the profession
• Provide an avenue for representation for the profession
• Have access to forums for input into changes which impact on our operating environment

Who can join?

Any practitioner who is actively engaged in fire safety may join. You do not need to be a member of Engineers Australia, or any other engineering body. You do not need to be an engineer. The Society is inclusive rather than exclusive.

How do I join?

To become a member of SFS you need to complete the online application via myPortal. If you are not a current member of Engineers Australia then you will first need to request an EA ID, once received you will be able to log in and complete the SFS Application Form. As noted above, you do not need to be an engineer or a member of Engineers Australia to join the SFS.

Contact Us

For enquiries regarding membership/ change of details please call Member Services on 1300 653 113

Engineers Australia
Engineering House
11 National Circuit
Barton, ACT 2600

Find the Society on LinkedIn

The Society of Fire Safety LinkedIn Group has been created to encourage communication amongst Society members and all who are interested in fire safety.

All members are encouraged to join the group and contribute to the discussions on matters relating to the Society and to fire safety and fire engineering issues.