Fire Attack Full-scale Experiments - Visitor Day in Northbrook, IL

From February 25th to March 18th, the Fire Safety Research Institute (FSRI), part of UL Research Institutes completed the full-scale fire experiments as part of the DHS Assistance to Firefighters funded project studying the Impact of Fire Attack Utilizing Interior and Exterior Streams on Firefighter Safety and Occupant Survival.

Recognizing the importance for members of the fire service to witness the research firsthand by viewing these experiments in person, FSRI hosted four opportunities for visitors to join them at UL’s campus in Northbrook, UL. The experiments were conducted inside UL’s large fire laboratory that housed two 1620 square foot single-story ranch homes. These homes were constructed for the sole purpose of examining the questions within the scope of this project.

Each Visitor Day began at 0800 hours and ran through approximately 1400 hours giving visitors the ability to view the structures, instrumentation, and test plan before kicking off the experiments. Visitors then witnessed two full-scale experiments examining various suppression tactics from both the perspective of the firefighter and the occupant. With a total of 75 visitors each day, each of them had the opportunity to interact with each other in addition to other fire service professionals and FSRI Advisory Board members.