Even with the current economic downturn, one sector still seeks job applicants. A recent survey by the Bethesda, Md.-based Society of Fire Protection Engineers found the majority of employers who have tried to hire a qualified fire-protection engineer over the past year have experienced difficulties. The majority of these same employers forecast continuing recruitment problems beyond the next 12 months and, said Chris Jelenewicz, an SFPE engineering program manager.

"We wanted to get the pulse of what was going on with the hiring of protection engineers," Jelenewicz said of the study. "We wanted to find out if agencies recruiting fire-protection engineers could find candidates."

Fire-protection engineers analyze how buildings are used; how fires start; how fire grows; and how fire and smoke affect people, buildings and property. Jelenewicz said that for the past decade, the demand for fire-protection engineers has outpaced the number of people qualified to fill the positions. Even with an average starting salary of $55,000 and an industry-wide mean of $98,000, knowledgeable fire-protection engineers are hard to come by, he said. In fact, the study showed 68% of respondents had difficulty finding candidates because there were not enough applicants in their geographic area.

To combat the labor shortage, the SFPE has a strategic goal of increasing the work force by reaching high-school and college students nationwide. For example, the SFPE has a Web site that offers students the chance to explore different career paths within the fire-protection engineering profession. In addition, the SFPE offers a free Guide to Careers in Fire Protection Engineering. (E-mail chris@sfpe.org.)

"It's imperative for the safety of our society to train a new generation of fire protection engineers," Jelenewicz said. "These are the people who are going to help ensure the safety of our communities and the environment in the years to come."