Fire Dynamics

Greg Gorbett is an Associate Professor in the Fire Protection and Safety Engineering Technology Program at Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond, Kentucky. He currently serves as a director for the National Association of Fire Investigators, as a co-chair for the Fire and Arson Investigator journal of the International Association of Arson Investigators, and as the executive secretary of the Crime Scene/Death Investigation Scientific Area Committee’s (SAC’s) Fire and Explosion Investigation Subcommittee within the Organization of Scientific Area Committees (OSAC) through the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). For the past fourteen years, he has worked as a fire and explosion expert with John A. Kennedy and Associates, Madison County Fire Investigation Task Force, and runs his own consulting firm. Professor Gorbett holds two BS degrees, one in Fire Science, and the other in Forensic Science. He also holds two MS degrees, one in Executive Fire Service Leadership, and the other in Fire Protection Engineering. He also holds a PhD in Fire Protection Engineering. Additionally, he is a certified fire and explosion investigator (CFEI), a certified fire investigator (IAAI-CFI), a certified fire protection specialist (CFPS), a certified vehicle fire investigator (CVFI), and a certified fire investigation instructor (CFII). James L. Pharr is currently assistant professor in fire and safety engineering technology at Eastern Kentucky University (EKU). Professor Pharr specializes in fire dynamics, building and life safety, supervision, emergency scene operations, and hazardous materials response. Pharr received an AS in fire science technology from Rowan Technical Institute and a BS in fire and safety engineering technology from the School of Applied Science at the University of Cincinnati. Pharr holds an MS in executive fire service leadership from Grand Canyon University. Professor Pharr has also completed the Executive Fire Officer Program at the National Fire Academy in Emmitsburg, Maryland, where he is an adjunct instructor. Prior to joining EKU, Pharr was the emergency management director and fire marshal in Gaston County, North Carolina. Pharr is a member of the International Association of Arson Investigators and the International Association of Fire Chiefs. Pharr has published a number of journal articles and research papers. Scott R. Rockwell is an assistant professor at Eastern Kentucky University, where he teaches classes on fire behavior and combustion and fire dynamics along with conducting research and supervising graduate student thesis projects. He has earned a BS degree in Aerospace Engineering along with a MS and PhD in Fire Protection Engineering. Additionally, he is a certified fire and explosion investigator (CFEI) and a certified fire investigation instructor (CFII) through the National Association of Fire Investigators (NAFI). His current research includes active learning teaching techniques that minimize the student’s cognitive load, use of digital media in fire science education, alternative flame extinguishing techniques, radiation from dust flash fires, and investigations into the scaling of fire whirls. Among others, he has served on the Society of Fire Protection Engineering (SFPE) Educational Committee and the Association for Fire Safety Science (IAFSS) Education Subcommittee. He also operates a website to provide freely available fire science educational material called www.firesciencetools.com.  

Preface xv New to This Edition xvii Acknowledgments xix About the Authors xxiii Chapter 1 Introduction 1 1.1 Introduction to Fire 1 1.2 Changes That Affect Fire Dangers 4 1.3 Fire Dynamics: The Link to Collaborative Fire Protection 7 1.3.1 Fire Suppression Personnel 8 1.3.2 Fire Protection Engineering and Code Enforcement Personnel 8