Fire protection engineering is a field that researches and applies science and engineering principles in order to save lives and property from fire and other fire-related hazards. A fire protection engineer’s educational background typically includes a bachelor’s degree in fire protection engineering or a degree in mechanical, electrical, civil or chemical engineering with a master's degree in fire protection engineering. This educational foundation gives fire protection engineers the skills necessary to address and solve various problems relating to fire and loss prevention for any number of industrial facilities and building types.

Fire protection engineers also perform fire experimentation and research. They conduct risk analyses of major industrial facilities and consult with architects on the design of buildings to ensure safety of both the occupants and the assets of the property owners. These buildings can range from high-rise office structures to hospitals, resort hotels, sports stadiums, convention centers, airport terminals and entire university campuses. Even the most perilous of structures, such as petrochemical plants and refineries, nuclear waste storage and treatment facilities, mine sites and US military bases, can be more safely designed based on the knowledge provided by a fire protection engineer.

Using the latest principles of performance-based design, fire protection engineers also engineer safe buildings, ships, trains, parks, monuments and other facilities. They design egress systems based on human behavior and are also involved in the design of protective components, such as fire sprinkler, smoke detection and smoke control systems.