BY GLYNIS THOMPSON , PE ,  Professional Qualifications Manager, Society of Fire Protection Engineers

Fire protection engineering is full of lessons learned, evolving codes, and stories from the field. In FPE Corner, Sam Dannaway captures all of that with humor, wisdom, and a down-to-earth perspective. This book is a collection of his columns from Plumbing Engineer magazine, where for 10 years, Dannaway shared insights from his long career in fire protection. If you know Dannaway, you know he tells it like it is—practical, no-nonsense, and always with a story to drive the point home.

Chris Jelenewicz, PE, FSFPE, CEO of the Society of Fire Protection Engineers, sets the stage in his foreword, emphasizing how valuable this book is to anyone interested in fire safety. He highlights some of the major themes Dannaway covers, like lessons learned from big fires (Marco Polo high-rise, Grenfell Tower), updates in fire codes, and emerging trends like mass timber buildings and energy storage systems. What makes FPE Corner special is how Dannaway makes all these topics approachable—whether you’re an engineer, an authority having jurisdiction, or just someone who likes to learn about fire protection.

One of the key strengths of FPE Corner is how it connects theory to practice. Fire protection engineering isn’t just about reading codes and crunching numbers—it’s about understanding how fire behaves in real situations and applying that knowledge to improve safety. Dannaway’s background as a consultant and hands-on engineer makes his insights particularly valuable. He’s not just explaining fire protection; he’s lived it.

FPE Corner is more than a technical book—it’s a personal journey through the evolution of fire protection engineering over a crucial decade.

The book also serves as a historical record, documenting key changes in fire protection over the past decade. Fire protection engineers, whether new to the field or well-seasoned, will appreciate how Dannaway ties these changes to actual cases and industry developments.

While every column in FPE Corner offers valuable insights, several stand out as particularly thought-provoking or illustrative of Dannaway’s approach to fire protection engineering.

• “Column 9: Fire Protection at 90 South”—This piece takes readers to one of the most extreme environments on Earth: the South Pole. Dannaway details the fire protection challenges faced in this remote and harsh climate, where traditional fire fighting methods are impractical. His storytelling ability shines as he discusses engineering solutions tailored to the unique risks of this setting.
• “Column 62: Amusement Park Fire Still Haunts After 30 Years”—Fire protection engineers often study past disasters to improve future designs. This column revisits a catastrophic amusement park fire, analyzing the failures in design, enforcement, and response that led to tragedy. Dannaway connects these lessons to modern safety improvements, making the history feel immediate and relevant.
• “Column 66: PROF (1926–2014)”—This deeply personal column serves as a tribute to one of Dannaway’s mentors, highlighting the importance of knowledge transfer in fire protection engineering. It underscores the book’s recurring theme that fire protection is as much about people and experiences as it is about technical details.
• “Column 67: The Pineapple”—A lighter yet insightful piece, this column delves into the story of a pineapple-shaped water tower in Hawaii. It’s a reminder that fire protection intersects with culture, history, and local identity and that engineers must sometimes consider non-traditional factors in their work.
• “Column 70: Perception Is Reality”—Dannaway explores the challenges of public perception in fire safety, emphasizing the disconnect between what engineers know to be true and what the public believes. This is a critical read for anyone involved in fire safety advocacy or policy.
• “Column 102: Escape from Sonoma County”—A firsthand account of wildfires, this column underscores the growing risks of wildland-urban interface fires and the need for improved fire protection strategies in an era of climate change.
• “Column 119: Best Friends” and “Column 120: Conclusion” —These final chapters reflect on Dannaway’s career, the evolution of fire protection engineering, and his gratitude for the mentors and colleagues who shaped his journey. They provide a fitting close to a collection that has chronicled a decade of industry insights.

One of the best things about FPE Corner is that it isn’t just dry technical writing. Dannaway’s humor, personal experiences, and storytelling ability make this an enjoyable read. He finds ways to connect fire protection engineering to everyday life—whether through historical anecdotes, personal reflections, or humorous takes on common industry challenges.

For example, his discussion of fire hydrant flow tests isn’t just a technical breakdown—it’s told with the exasperation and wit of someone who has had to deal with these tests in less-than-ideal conditions. His stories about code changes are laced with insight and occasional frustration, making them informative and entertaining.

FPE Corner is more than a technical book—it’s a personal journey through the evolution of fire protection engineering over a crucial decade. Dannaway’s reflections on lessons learned, changes in codes, and personal experiences offer something for every fire protection professional, whether they are just starting out or have decades of experience. His ability to blend humor, history, and technical depth makes the book an educational tool and an enjoyable read.

For those in the fire protection engineering community, FPE Corner is a valuable addition to the bookshelf. It serves as a reminder of how far the industry has come, while also challenging readers to think critically about where it is headed next. Dannaway’s work will continue to inspire and educate engineers for years to come.

Please enjoy this excerpt from Dannaway’s book, “Column 83: Just Fact”—a no-nonsense discussion about how misinformation and misconceptions can lead to unsafe fire protection decisions. Dannaway stresses the importance of technical accuracy and the role engineers play in ensuring fire safety decisions are based on facts rather than assumptions.

Reminiscent of Paul Harvey, this is a story of a connection. In the book The Go-Giver, by Bob Bourg and John David Mann, a key character in this guide to becoming a business success through putting other people first, is The Connector. As the name implies the Connector serves others, providing great value, by selflessly connecting the dots, by seeing how others can benefit one another when put together.

On March 11, 1991 the Hawaii Chapter of the Society of Fire Protection Engineers held a mini-seminar, Status of the Upcoming Edition of NFPA 101, The Life Safety Code Display footnote number:1 The instructor was James K. Lathrop, a fire protection engineer with Koffel Associates, Inc. For decades Jim has been a leading expert in life safety. An active firefighter in Niantic, Connecticut, he is a former NFPA staff Life Safety Engineer and was editor of the 2nd ( 1981 ), 3rd (1985), 4th(l988) and 5th (1991) editions of the Life Safety Code Handbook.

In 1990 Congress passed and President George W. Bush signed into law the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. The ADA mandated that rules for new construction and alterations of existing buildings be published within one year. These rules were to be the ADA Accessibility Guidelines for Buildings and Facilities (ADAAG).

As part of its mandate to bring state buildings into compliance, the Hawaii State Commission on Persons with Disabilities was de-veloping state amendments to the Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards (UFAS) which Hawaii was planning on adopting. UFAS was a predecessor of ADAAG intended to apply to federal facilities. Hawaii intended to apply UFAS to existing buildings regardless of whether or not the existing building was undergoing renovation.

I was participating with the commission on their working group for Areas of Rescue Assistance, tasked with developing the amendments to UFAS for areas of rescue assistance. The young architect working for the commission and responsible for the Hawaii UFAS project and the task force was struggling with the concept of areas of rescue assistance.

NFPA 101 had also been taking its first steps into the realm of accessibility. In the 1991 edition ofNFPA 101 (published in February 1991, hence the reason for Jim’s presentation), three new definitions were introduced into Chapter 5 Means of Egress of the 1991 edition of NFPA 101