About Flash Points
We know there is a lot of fascinating fire safety research being done in universities across the UK, but this research is rarely shared effectively with other institutions or with the wider industry. When it is shared, it is often complex, difficult to digest, and only available in dry academic papers. For this reason, we invite you to take part in FLASH POINTS: a science communication competition for students studying fire across the UK.
Students participating in the competition will present their research to the general public in short and engaging videos. With this competition we want to promote the diversity and talent of students and researchers in the fire safety community, and reward excellence. We also believe this initiative will help to connect the fire safety community, and help strengthen the network between students, academics, and industry.
The 2020 edition of the competition was sponsored by Stephen Mackenzie.
Competition Rules - 2021 Edition
The competition is open to all students (undergraduate or postgraduate) over the age of 18 studying at a UK based university, or those who have graduated from a UK university within the last 12 months. Students may enter individually or as a team (see full terms and conditions below).
Students should submit a 3-minute original video to summarising a piece of research in the field of fire science or fire engineering. This could include presenting the student’s own experiments or computer models, or an original review of research from other groups. The video should summarise the context, methodology, and results of the research, why it matters, and what impact it will have on society. The talk should be aimed at the general public, not experts or research peers.
The video should be uploaded to YouTube following these simple steps:
1. Sign in to YouTube.
2. At the top right, select Create a video or post
3. Select the file you’d like to upload.
4. Send a link to the video at sfpelondonstudentchapter@gmail.com with the subject “Flash Points 2021 Video Submission”. The email should also include the names of the participants, the UK university they are based at, and the title and topic of the video.
The talks will be evaluated by our panel of judges with the following criteria:
1. Structure and content of presentation (40 %)
2. Creativity - Effective use of the medium (30 %)
3. Presentation style (30 %)
Full terms and conditions can be found here.
If you have any questions, please email sfpelondonstudentchapter@gmail.com
Key Dates
Tuesday, 30th November 2021 - Deadline for submission of video
Winner will be announced shortly after submission deadline
Prizes
- The winner of the competition will receive a £350 cash prize.
- A certificate will be emailed to all participants.
Panel of Judges
Judith Schulz, Associate Director at Arup London
Karl Wallasch, President of the SFPE UK chapter & Founder of Trigon Fire
John Adam Gales, Assistant Prof. Civil and Fire Engineering York University Canada
Stephen Mackenzie, Independent fire, security & resilience expert
Cathelijne Stoof, Assistant Professor at Wageningen University, Netherlands
Flash Points 2020
Char fall-off and the Burning of Engineered Timber
This video presents the highlights of the research of Laura Schmidt on fire safety of engineered timber and the importance of char fall-off for Flash Points Competition 2020 organized by SFPE Greater London Student Chapter.
Char fall-off and the Burning of Engineered Timber
Char fall-off and the Burning of Engineered Timber by Laura Schmidt
This video presents the highlights of the research of Laura Schmidt on fire safety of engineered timber and the importance of char fall-off for Flash Points Competition 2020 organized by SFPE Greater London Student Chapter.
Wildfire Ignitions
Wildfire Ignitions by Carlos Walker-Ravena
Wildfire Ignitions by Carlos Walker-Ravena from the University of Edinburgh
Timber Fire and AI
Timber Fire and AI by Yaxin Mo
Timber Fire and AI by Yaxin Mo from Imperial College London
Façade Safety
Façade Safety by Matt Bonner
Façade Safety by Matt Bonner from Imperial College London
Fire Safety of Glass Facades
Fire Safety of Glass Facades by Francesca Lugaresi
Fire Safety of Glass Facades by Francesca Lugaresi from Imperial College London
Control Strategy for Building Smoke
Control Strategy for Building Smoke by Godwin Mensah Seidu
Control Strategy for Building Smoke by Godwin Mensah Seidu from The University of Central Lancashire
Lithium Ion Batteries Fire Safety
Lithium Ion Batteries Fire Safety by Zhenwen Hu
Lithium Ion Batteries Fire Safety by Zhenwen Hu from Imperial College London.
Wildfire Resilient Communities
Wildfire Resilient Communities by Simona Dossi, Nemer Abusamha, and Rhea Shah
Wildfire Resilient Communities by Simona Dossi, Nemer Abusamha, and Rhea Shah.
Ductile connections for structural robustness
Ductile connections for structural robustness by Yu Liu
Ductile connections for structural robustness by Yu Liu from University of Sheffield.
Investigating the Fire Protective Effect of Water-Based Coat
Investigating the Fire Protective Effect of Water-Based Intumescent Coating by Divine Sepah
Investigating the Fire Protective Effect of Water-Based Transparent Intumescent Coating on Oak Substrate Using the Cone Calorimeter by Divine Sepah.
Peat fire suppression
Peat fire suppression by Muhammad Agung Santoso
This video present peat fire suppression by Muhammad Agung Santoso from Imperial College London.
Cellular Automata for Peatland Wildfires Modelling
Cellular Automata for Peatland Wildfires Modelling by Dwi Purnomo
This video presents the research of Dwi Purnomo from Imperial College London on the modelling of peatland wildfire using alternative method, called Cellular Automata. The development of the model start from lab-scale model then upscale to simulate field-scale peatland wildfire. In the future, the model could be used to aid the prevention and mitigation of peatland wildfire.
Evacuation modelling and Simplified method
Evacuation modelling and Simplified method by Gupta Antariksh
This video shows the difference between Evacuation modelling and Simplified method by Gupta Antariksh from IMFSE program.
Smouldering Fires
Smouldering Fires by Eirik Christensen
Smouldering Fires by Eirik Christensen from Imperial College London.
Fire Retardant for Facade Treatment
Fire Retardant for Facade Treatment by Baby Aloshy
Fire Retardant for Facade Treatment by Baby Aloshy from Belfast school of architecture and built environment & Ulster University.
Wildfire and Evacuation
Wildfire and Evacuation by Harry Mitchell
Wildfire and Evacuation by Harry Mitchell from Imperial College London.
Fire robustness index for the built environment
Fire robustness index for the built environment by Vasilis Koutsomarkos
Fire robustness index for the built environment by Vasilis Koutsomarkos from University of Edinburgh.