Previous Dinner Meetings 2000/2001

2001

• May 7 , 2001

  Program: Accounting for the Human Factor in Preventing Fire-Related Accidents.
  Many catastrophic fires and explosions can be traced to “human error”, but what caused the human error? This program focuses on aspects of human behavior and human- machine system design that have been factors in catastrophic accidents. Dr. Hettinger will speak about how an understanding of effective design of human-machine systems allows for improved recognition of potentially dangerous situations, increases the accident resistant features of engineered systems and expands the effectiveness of accident investigations.

  Speaker: Larry Hettinger, PhD.
  Dr. Hettinger has been actively examining human performance issues in the design and use of human- machine systems. His most recent work entails the design of command centers for Naval destroyers, and cockpit controls and displays for Air Force fighter jets, and the study of safety implications of human- machine systems design for the oil industry.

• April 2, 2001

Legal Considerations in Fire Protection Design
Design liability is a fact of life. Complex legal issues concerning building design and construction can arise and result in extensive litigation. Furthermore, the dawn of the performance-based design era adds new twists to this age old concern. This program follows-up a recent article in Fire Protection Engineering Magazine, and will prompt attendees to further consider their potential exposures to design liability.

Speaker: Christopher Wood
Mr. Wood is a Senior Fire Specialist in the Fire Science and Forensic Services Group of Arup Fire, a worldwide engineering consultancy with over 6000 employees. Chris has more than 15 years experience in engineering research, computer modeling and hazard analysis. Chris holds BS and MS degrees in engineering, and a Juris Doctorate degree. He is a member of the Massachusetts Bar and a certified fire and explosion investigator.

• March 5, 2001 (Cancelled-Snow Storm)

• February 5, 2001

Boston’s Central Artery (Big Dig) Project
Estimated at a cost of $14 billion, this is the largest underground highway project ever undertaken in the United States. Key to the project’s success is the ability to ensure the safe passage of motorists through a network of heavily traveled urban highway tunnels. This program will provide an overview of the project, highlight key fire/life safety features and summarize the use of computer fire/life safety models with the project.

Speaker: Bill Connell
Mr. Connell is the Mechanical/Electrical Systems Manager for the joint venture of Bechtel/Parsons Brinckerhoff which serves as management consultant to the project. Bill has more than 21 years experience working on major public works transportation projects specifically in the design of ventilation and fire/life safety systems for underground structures inclusive of vehicular, rail and rapid transit tunnels.

2000

• December 4, 2000 Meeting

  Ken Jacob: Mr. Jacob, Chief Engineer and Division Manager for the Bose Professional Systems Division of Bose Corporation will discuss Speech Intelligibility and Fire Alarm Systems. This program addresses speech intelligibility in light of the recent changes to the 1999 edition of NFPA 72. The audience will gain insight of how speech intelligibility is affected by various factors such as reverberation and background noise. In addition, tools used to demonstrate how speech intelligibility can be predicted during the design phase of a project, and how it can be measured upon completion of construction will be addressed.

• November 6 , 2000 Meeting

  Bob Duval: "Recent NFPA Fire Investigations and an Application of NIST's Fire Model Simulation Tool" The program will be delivered by Bob Duval, NFPA's Senior Fire Investigator. Bob will provide an overview of recent fires he has investigated for NFPA and provide an introduction to NIST's interFIRE in the context of these investigations. InterFIRE is an interactive computer program used to simulate fire behavior that can aid with the investigation of fire incidents.

• October 2, 2000 Meeting

  Speaker: James Golinveaux Senior Vice President, Research and Development Tyco Fire Products – Flow Control Division Cranston, RI 02910

  Recent Advancements in Sprinkler System Technology: New sprinkler technologies are providing more effective and cost efficient means of achieving fire protection for various types of storage facilities, combustible concealed spaces and large rooms. Mr. Golinveaux has initiated and been heavily involved with much of the associated research of these technologies, and will provide key insights into the fire testing and application of these new sprinkler technologies.