Fire Engineering

Although, incidents of fire have always been a very common occurrence, in recent past this risk has increased manifold because of the dominance of electronic devices that are prone to short circuit. That's why fire safety standards are being given importance everywhere. Fire engineers are experts of such kind of work. That is why they are in demand these days.

Work
Fire engineers analyse the reasons for fires and the measures undertaken to stop it. Fire engineers immediately get down to making strategies for controlling fire, as soon as some incident comes to light. Fire fighting staff carries out their work under the guidance of fire engineers only.

Eligibility and Courses
National Fire Service College, Nagpur offers BE in Fire Degree Course. The course duration is three and a half years. Admission is done based on an all India entrance exam conducted every year. Advertisements and details are usually published in the month of March / April, and all India level entrance exam is held in the month of July. Only those students can apply for this exam who have cleared 12th class with 50 percent marks in chemistry along with physics or mathematics, and whose age is between 19-23 years. Minimum requirement for height and weight for men is respectively 165 cm and 50 kg, and the minimum required height and weight for women is 157 cm and 46 kg respectively. Eye vision should be 6 / 6.

Individual Characteristics
Much dedication, hard work, and effort is required in this task. Person should have the ability to organize, assess situations, make quick decisions and rapidly establish contact. Fire engineers have to work in dangerous conditions and the danger of burns, or chemicals explosion always looms large. Therefore, person should have patience, confidence and ability to work for long hours.

Scope
Every state has its own Fire Station. According to government regulations, every government and non-government company must appoint a fire engineer. Currently, in about 2000 fire stations, only 66000 professionals are working as Sub Officers, Station Officers, and Divisional Officers etc. Therefore, in the coming days, the number of jobs in this field is set to increase in view of the lack of fire professionals. Apart from fire Stations, Fire engineers are required in the fields of Architecture and Building Construction, Insurance Assessment, Project Management, refinery, plastics, LPG and Chemical Plants, government departments, aircraft etc. Now even private companies are recruiting Fire Engineers as the awareness towards fire protection is increasing. Insurance companies also required fire engineers as Insurance Surveyors.

Earning
Good salary can be expected after doing course from prestigious institutions. Trained professionals can hope to earn Rs 12000 to Rs 15000 per month in the starting. With experience and promotion, 30000 to 45000 rupees or even more can be earned.

Institutions
Fire Engineering Course is run mainly by the National Fire Service College, Nagpur, but several other private institutions also offer Certificate, Diploma and PG Diploma courses related to Fire Engineering. Students should thoroughly check the infrastructure, placement record, and faculty before deciding which institute to choose for doing their course. Following are some of the major private institutions:
 • Delhi Institute of Fire Engineering
 • Indian Institute of Fire Engineering, New Delhi
 • Institute of Fire and Safety Technology, Kerala
 • Hyderabad Institute of Fire Engineering, Hyderabad
 • College of Fire Technology, Ahmedabad