The National Fire Academy's Off-Campus and State Weekend Programs have added three new one-day courses to enhance fire marshals' and code enforcement officials' technical skills.

Developed by Underwriters Laboratories through a Department of Homeland Security Fire Prevention and Safety Grant, the three courses strongly emphasize the roles of fire research, product safety testing, fire safety standards, and computerized fire modeling for safety in the built environment. Fire suppression personnel who want to learn more about fire behavior and fire studies are strongly encouraged to apply.

The new courses are:

• Comprehensive Approach to Fire Protection in a Commercial Occupancy (F355, W355)
• Fire Behavior in a Single Family Residence (F356, W356)
• Fire Modeling in a Single Family Residence (F357, W357)

These are some of the first off-campus delivery and state weekend courses specifically targeting code enforcement officials and the work they perform.

As part of the course development and content, UL constructed a 1,400-square-foot, two-bedroom, single-family dwelling inside its test labs in Northbrook, Ill., and conducted full-scale fire tests that documented fire spread, heat release rates, time to flashover, toxicity, fire sprinkler performance, and a variety of other measurements. Test procedures and equipment are explained in the courses.

UL and National Fire Protection Association test standards are referenced throughout the courses, particularly as they apply to fire behavior and building construction. Students observe live fire test videos, and perform hands-on exercises with fire models derived from the full-scale fire tests.

For general information on these courses, please contact the program manager at 800-238-3358, ext. 1301. For specific course content information, contact the training specialist at 800-238-3358, ext. 1209.