My Story: From Mechanical Engineer to Fire and Life Safety (FLS) Smoke Control Engineer
I am a licensed Professional Engineer (PE) who specializes in smoke control systems, performance-based design, and qualitative fire risk assessments.
My career began as a Mechanical/HVAC design engineer, where I developed a solid foundation in fan design, ductwork, airflow dynamics, building pressurization, and other key HVAC principles. I was fortunate to work on many projects that incorporated smoke control systems, such as atrium exhaust and stairwell pressurization. These systems were particularly exciting to me because they were directly tied to saving lives.
This sparked my fascination with smoke control systems. I quickly noticed that, as mechanical engineers, we often rely too heavily on fire and life safety consultants to feel confident in our smoke control designs. This is largely because we do not prioritize deepening our understanding of the life safety fundamentals, objectives, and assumptions behind smoke control systems, often leaving that knowledge to the fire and life safety specialists.
This realization led me to shift my career toward Fire and Life Safety Engineering. I dove deep into studying smoke control systems, fire dynamics, and other critical fire and life safety concepts, eventually joining a Fire and Life Safety consulting company to lead their smoke control team. There, my background in mechanical engineering enabled me to bring precision and insight to smoke control systems, bridging the gap between mechanical systems and life safety requirements.
Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of working on smoke control systems for projects across USA and the Middle East region, from high-rise buildings and industrial facilities to luxury resorts and historical sites, including large-scale mega and giga-projects. I am committed to ensuring smoke control systems are both effective and reliable. Drawing on my mechanical background, I work to create solutions that prioritize safety without sacrificing functionality.
Through this website, I hope to help other mechanical engineers “claim” smoke control as part of their own discipline. By deepening their understanding of life safety fundamentals, I believe mechanical engineers can significantly enhance building safety through better smoke control system design, analysis, and commissioning.
To learn more or connect with me, visit my LinkedIn profile
.
Disclaimer: All content on NoonFire Blog reflects the personal opinions of the author and is not affiliated with or endorsed by any engineering firms or organizations the author is associated with. While the goal is to provide independent, valuable information to help professionals navigate fire and life safety challenges, always consult with the professional engineer of record before applying any insights directly to a project.