FSRI Leader, Researchers Earn Prestigious Awards

Dr. Steve Kerber, vice president and executive director of the Fire Safety Research Institute (FSRI), and two FSRI research engineers recently received prestigious awards for their work.

Kerber and Dr. Gavin Horn, an FSRI research engineer, were honored with a 2023 NIOSH Science and Service Award in the exposure and risk assessment category for their work with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health on a collaborative research article, “Firefighters’ urinary concentrations of VOC metabolites after controlled-residential and training fire responses.” Announced in late April 2023, the award recognizes scientific excellence in NIOSH technical and instructional materials.

Also in late April, FSRI Research Engineer Keith Stakes received the 2023 Fire Engineering/International Society of Fire Service Instructors (ICFSI) George D. Post Instructor of the Year Award for extraordinary accomplishments in fire service training. Among his other fire training contributions, Stakes played a key role in designing and building an innovative hose stream training prop that provides firefighters with realistic water application training.

“These awards highlight the depth and breadth of the impact our Fire Safety Research Institute work has on ongoing and emerging fire safety challenges,” said Dr. Chris Cramer, senior vice president and chief research officer for UL Research Institutes. “They’re tributes to the quality of our research — and to the vital importance of the emphasis we place on conducting research that will translate into lifesaving practices.”

Learn more about FSRI research.