Photo courtesy of U.S. Department of Commerce
Stephen Kerber and Daniel Madrzykowski, fire protection engineer with the Building and Fire Research Laboratory at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), recieved the U.S. Department of Commerce Gold Medal for Scientific/Engineering Achievement from Secretary of Commerce Carlos M. Gutierrez at a ceremony in Washington, D.C., on November 18, 2009.
Steve and Dan were recognized for advancing the science and understanding of positive pressure ventilation and wind driven fires and transferring this knowledge to the fire service. This research focused on large scale experiments to understand and document how wind impacts fires in structures and how positive pressure ventilation can improve the safety and effectiveness of fire fighters. Implementation of the research will lead to improved fire fighting tactics and will lead to decreased injuries for fire fighters and building occupants. Steve and Dan presented results for this body of work at FDIC 2008. Results from the research will also be incorporated in their upcoming presentations at FDIC, as well as presentations given by Jerry Tracy.
The Gold Medal Award is the highest honor award conferred upon an employee by the Department Of Commerce. It is bestowed for “distinguished performance characterized by extraordinary, notable, or prestigous contributions that impact the mission of the Department of Commerce.”
More NIST: http://www.nist.gov/
