UL Researchers Sworn in as Honorary FDNY Battalion Chiefs

NORTHBROOK, Ill. – Leaders from UL (Underwriters Laboratories), a world leader in advancing safety, were sworn in and appointed to the Fire Department of New York (FDNY) Honorary Fire Officer Association at the FDNY Training Academy on Thursday May 31st, 2012.

UL’s Chris Hasbrook and Steve Kerber were sworn in as Honorary Battalion Chiefs by FDNY Commissioner Salvatore J. Cassano. The honor was in recognition of UL’s fire research partnership with FDNY in advancing firefighter safety through engineering, science, and training.

Commenting on the appointments of five professionals from UL, NIST, and the FBI, Edward S. Kilduff, FDNY’s Chief of Department noted that “the technical capabilities of the FDNY Honorary Fire Officer’s Association have been increased with the appointment of these dedicated professionals.”  UL’s Hasbrook added, “It is our distinct honor to be of service to the FDNY and to its members by leveraging our skills, capabilities, knowledge and resources to further the great work of this organization.”

Kerber, a fire protection engineer and former deputy fire chief in College Park Maryland, came to UL three years ago from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to help lead UL’s fire research function.
Recently, he has led several firefighter safety research projects to help the fire service better understand fire dynamics and ventilation.

Hasbrook, while having no formal fire service background, has led UL’s efforts to engage the Fire Service around the world for firefighter safety research. His efforts started in Chicago when he joined UL in 2003, and as a result of his leadership efforts with the Chicago Fire Department, he was appointed an Honorary Battalion Chief in the Department in 2010.

UL and FDNY will continue their firefighter safety research collaboration this summer when they once again team up with NIST to conduct live fire research for firefighter and civilian safety, planned for July on New York City’s Governor’s Island. This research project will include the design and execution of experiments in which abandoned townhouses are ignited, FDNY members execute specific firefighting maneuvers, and UL and NIST measure and evaluate the fire’s behavior based on the firefighting techniques utilized.

This research will allow FDNY members hands-on opportunities to realize and respond to the fire science research through various scenarios and experiments.  

Additionally, the research will be utilized to teach and train the more than 11,000 FDNY members utilizing the most up-to-date fire research available.