As promised I've been busy developing all of the tools available from this site into a downloadable software package, where you can quickly run calculations, save, and print your work. I'm calling it the MeyerFire Toolkit. Here's the info page about the MeyerFire Toolkit. The Toolkit is a downloadable software package with an assortment of basic tools for the fire protection professional. I have the software to a point now that I'd love to gather feedback from you - if you're interested.
If you'd like to beta test the software (try it out and poke around for free), please just reply to this email or shoot me a quick email at [email protected] letting me know you're interested. I'll send a link for a trial version of the software. While it would be great to get a gauge on where the software is now, I'm far more interested in where it can go in the coming months and couple years. I've been very encouraged by the interest and support to date and I think what these tools are now hardly scratches the surface of what could be developed to help fire protection professionals like you work faster and smarter. If you'd like to give it a try, all I ask is that you let me know your thoughts about it - usefulness, ways it can be improved, your level of interest - anything that might help build a better resource going forward. See more about it all here: MeyerFire Toolkit. Thank you!
For the Fire Protection PE Exam, units and unit conversion is critical.
In general practice, I've only rarely come across a need to convert units. However, with an audience as wide as those who follow this blog, I'm happy to say that I've just released a Unit Conversion tool that covers the most common fire protection units, including hydraulics, lighting, temperature, and dimensional units. Just enter a quantity in any cell on the first column to get a series of converted values on the right. If you don't see the unit converter below, see the full unit conversion tool here. DAILY PROBLEMS RETURNING
If you didn't receive a separate email earlier this morning, then you're not already subscribed to my daily fire protection problems.
Each summer throughout the PE Exam season, I release daily practice problems that mimic content on the Fire Protection PE Exam. If you're studying for the exam, or like most subscribers just interested in seeing daily practice and discussion, then you can sign up to receive these emails by updating your subscription preferences at the bottom of this email, or check both "Weekly Blog" and "Daily Problems" interest here. This site is all about helping you create excellent fire protection - that could be design, review, consulting, or installation. If you don't get these free weekly tools & articles, subscribe here.
After posting a Flammable & Combustible Liquid tool I occasionally use a few weeks ago, some of the feedback I received included requests for similar provisions on the United States Department of Transportation (US DOT) and United Nations Globally Harmonized System of Classification (GHS).
The US DOT classifications come from the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Title 49, 173.120. Cornell Law School offers access to the regulation here: https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/49/173.120. The United Nations GHS system resembles the NFPA flammable liquid classifications, except the thresholds for Flash Point and Boiling Point differ slightly, are metric-based, and have different Categorization labels. OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) offers a guide on the GHS System here. (Can't see the tool below? View the full version here) SFPE Releases 2018 Required References This week the Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE) released the required references for this fall's Principles of Engineering (PE) Exam. Interestingly enough, NFPA 72 is back on the list of required references after being removed for the 2017 exam. Changes to Weights of Topics for 201 One other important update from last year's exam is the weighting of problems overall. SFPE has adjusted the number of questions dedicated to each topic, which has been a point of focus to modernize the exam for SFPE's Professional Qualifications Committee. The 2018 Fire Protection PE Exam incorporates changes in topic weighting to better match industry expectations. Thoughts on Adjusted Exam Weighting If you plan to take the exam this year, what does this mean? Not much in the big-picture. The bulk of the content is still very closely related to what was in the exam before. The weighting of the questions isn't a firm barrier but more of a loose goal for each year's exam anyways. I believe the most noticeable difference might be the number of special hazard questions, which has been reduced by half to now make up only 5% of the exam. Fire Protection Remains 3rd Toughest Exam for First-Timers Of 24 different PE Exam disciplines, Fire Protection remains one of the most difficult for first-time test takers to pass. Why is this? Primarily, it's because the Fire Protection PE Exam covers such a variety of topics (active systems, smoke control, fire dynamics fundamentals, and life safety) that any one individual is unlikely to have depth in. It can be easy to underestimate the exam when taking it for the first time. Pass Rate for Repeat Examinees Improves If there's reason for hope, the pass rate for repeat-test examinees was the highest in 2017 that it's been in recent years, at 48%. The interest in obtaining a Fire Protection PE has also grown, up to 266 examiness marking a 23% growth in just two years.
Weekly Exam Series Returning The best source for extra problems and practice is also returning this summer. The Weekly Exam Series incorporates 20 weeks of 10-question, 1-hour mini exams that simulate the pace and difficulty of the actual exam. If you don't pass with this tool you'll get it free the following year. I'm excited to add additional practice to the Weekly Exam Series this year - for no additional cost, you'll be able to take unlimited 1-hour mini exams on-demand. These mini exams are only limited by the total bank of questions, but will offer flexibility and simply far more opportunity to practice questions than available before. This new feature begins in July. See more about the Weekly Exam Series here. More Resources
After having a difficult experience taking the PE Exam several years ago with a lack of great resources, I decided to do something about it and begin providing resources that created a better experience for examinees. See all the resources (good and bad) I've found on the PE Tools page and free daily practice on the Daily page.
After posting the N^1.85 Water Supply Graph a couple weeks ago, I was asked about creating an SI (International System of Units) version of the same graph for "those living on that side of the world."
I looked it up, and it turns out "that side of the world" is literally everyone except Liberia, Burma, and the United States. So for those across the pond or literally right next to us that don't use the ol' foot-candles system of measurement, here's the N^1.85 Fire Suppression Supply Graph in metric. Please give it a try and let me know your thoughts in the comments below. If you're relatively new to MeyerFire - welcome! This site and the tools here are created to help you create exceptional fire protection. I've worked in large companies with over 45 people dedicated fire protection staff and I've worked as a solo practitioner, and what I've found is that regardless of the work environment there is a big need for regular tools that can improve our workflow: tools with better analytics, tools to speed workflow, and tools that allow us to make better decisions. This site and the tools here are created for one purpose: to help you do exceptional work. They're created for the freelancer, the plan reviewer, the designer lost in the cubicle farm, the woman interrupted in meetings, the rookie, the mechanical who dabbles in fire protection, the intern, the ravenous learner, and the senior. Fire protection is too important to not do well. Here's a summary of tools available to date, with brief descriptions.
If you haven't already subscribed or shared this with someone who might be interested, please do. There are big plans for the website with new tools and resources that are already in development. Thanks for being a part of the story. |
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+ Unsubscribe anytime AUTHORJoe Meyer, PE, is a Fire Protection Engineer out of St. Louis, Missouri who writes & develops resources for Fire Protection Professionals. See bio here: About FILTERS
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October 2024
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