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As an outgrowth of the 2017 Lund Workshops held in conjunction with the 12th IAFSS Symposium, the International Association for Fire Safety Science (IAFSS) established the permanent working group known as LOF&BE (Large Outdoor Fires and the Built Environment). LOF&BE aims to bring the IAFSS community together to tackle large outdoor fire problem such as wildland fires, wildland-urban interface (WUI) fires, urban fires, and informal settlement fires. LOF&BE consists of three subgroups. The Ignition Resistant Communities (IRC) subgroup is focused on developing the scientific basis for new standard testing methodologies indicative of large outdoor fire exposures, including the development of necessary testing methodologies to characterize wildland fuel treatments adjacent to communities. The Emergency Management and Evacuation (EME) subgroup is focused on developing the scientific basis for effective emergency management strategies for communities exposed to large outdoor fires. The Large Outdoor Fire Fighting (LOFF) subgroup is providing a review of various tactics that are used, as well as the various personal protective equipment (PPE), and suggests pathways for research community engagement, including environmental issues in suppressing these fires.

It must be noted that there lacks dialogue between standard and codes organizations and the greater academic research community, largely present in the IAFSS. The current large outdoor fire situation is global and has been identified as a major fire safety science problem by both the IAFSS and International FORUM of Fire Research Directors. The problem is too great for any one organization to tackle independently. Colleagues active in standards and codes bodies and members of the fire service are encouraged to attend, in conjunction with those from academia and research organizations, to be able to have these important cross-cutting discussions.

Please join us at the 13th IAFSS for the exciting LOF&BE Workshops. Each one-hour workshop session will begin with an update of the current work for each subgroup before focusing on a facilitated discussion with participants centered on targeted questions

April 19, 2021 (starting EDT 9AM, BST 2 PM, CST 9 PM) 1 hr EME Program (Moderator: Samuel Manzello, Presenters and discussion leaders: Sayaka Suzuki and Maria Theodori) Emergency Management and Evacuation During Large Outdoor Fire Disasters: Review and Discussion on Missing Pieces for the IAFSS Community to Tackle Around the Room Discussion with Targeted Questions - We Need You and Your Expertise

April 20, 2021 (starting EDT 9AM, BST 2 PM, CST 9 PM) 1 hr IRC Program (Moderator: Sayaka Suzuki, Presenters and discussion leaders: Alex Filkov, Daniel Gorham, David Rush) Hardening Communities to Resist Large Outdoor Fire Disasters: Review and Discussion on Missing Pieces for the IAFSS Community to Tackle Around the Room Discussion with Targeted Questions - We Need You and Your Expertise

April 21, 2021 (starting EDT 9AM, BST 2 PM, CST 9 PM) 1 hr LOFF Program (Moderator: Sara McAllister, Presenters and discussion leaders: Xinyan Huang, Brian Lattimer) Firefighting During Large Outdoor Fire Disasters: Review and Discussion on the Use of Emerging Technologies (e.g. Drones) Around the Room Discussion with Targeted Questions - We Need You and Your Expertise

Event Details

Apr 19 2021, 7am - Apr 21 2021, 7am