School of PE Blog

If you have ever borne witness to a structure on fire, you can certainly understand the devastation that can be caused in a very short amount of time. It is often hard to imagine how something we have used to better our lives for well over a million years can also be so destructive, dangerous, and on many occasions, deadly.

In 2014, the NFPA estimated that $183 billion dollars were spent solely on passive fire protection. The total cost of fire that year was a staggering $328.5 billion. The ratio of loss to expenditures decreased from .93 in 1980 to .2 in 2014. This can largely be attributed to the implementation of fire protection, creation of different fire retardants and fire grade products as well as the ingenuity and knowledge of fire protection engineers.

Fire Protection Engineering as defined by the Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE) is the application of science and engineering principles to protect people and their environment from the destructive fire.

The need for licensed Fire Protection Engineers has grown significantly over the years and they are presently in high demand. On Indeed alone, there are currently 3,121 Fire Protection Engineer job postings. To continue to attract and maintain new talent, employers have been increasing salaries for licensed PEs with the median income, accordingly to Glassdoor, now being $110,000.

There are several other benefits to becoming a PE in this field. This job can prove to be very rewarding as it provides the opportunity to make the buildings people live and work safer. There are opportunities everywhere in this profession. From small towns, to large cities, to factories to NASA, the opportunities are endless.

Unfortunately, the number of test-takers as indicated by NCEES is still shockingly low. In 2018, there was a meager of 165 examinees. So, if you have ever considered becoming a licensed Fire Protection Engineer, now is the time.

If you have visited the idea of becoming a PE but are concerned about the low pass rates, 56% for those who took the exam in 2018, please know that School of PE proudly offers exam prep courses to assist in your preparation. Our courses are created and lead by industry experts. If you are interested in learning more about our exam review courses, please click on the following link: https://www.schoolofpe.com/pe-fire-protection/.