Fire Science Research

Fire science uses principles of science and engineering to study the causes, effects, and prevention of fire, as well as fire management, fire behavior, fire investigation, and hazardous materials. We've curated some important information that directly relates to the importance of air management and its impact on firefighter safety.

Reduce Occupational Exposure

"Reduce Your Risk," FDNY's comprehensive document on reducing occupational exposure to fireground contaminants.  View Document

Furnishing Materials and Flashover Times

In 2020, the UL FSRI team presented a new side-by-side burn comparison of natural vs. synthetic furnished rooms, and demonstrated the impact of furnishing materials on flashover times. Since its original comparison video was shared in 2009, UL FSRI replicated experiment several times with similar results. The flashover data from those experiments has been incorporated into this new video and is presented in much crisper detail than the original thanks to vastly improved video technology.

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Practical and Effective Hood Design

Because of their close contact to the neck, hoods are a weak spot in PPE and can undermine efforts to keep carcinogens and toxins away from the body. This is a solid study that has provides options for better hood design, use and maintenance that are both practical and effective.  View More