Birgitte Messerschmidt Email & Phone Number

Manages the Applied Research team, the Fire Data Team and the Research Library and Archives. Responsible for NFPA’s Research Strategy and matching staff and financial resources required to meet that strategy.Responsible for Fire Incident Data Collection & Analysis as well as studies on the fire problem and other safety issues.Connecting NFPA to the Global Research Community. Responsible for securing NFPA’s knowledge on fire & life Safety not directly related to NFPA codes & standards. Writer of Research column in NFPA Journal.Managing the relationship with NFPA’s technical Journal Fire Technology. Representing NFPA in the National Academies Forum on Medical and Public Health Preparedness for Disasters and EmergenciesRepresents NFPA in International Fire Safety Standards Coalition’s standard setting group.

Managing the Applied Research (AR) team. The AR team studies the fire problem and other safety issues (e.g. electrical deaths and injuries, CO incidents and non-fire burns) using statistical data, detailed incident information, and reviews of relevant literature/research.Responsible for NFPA’s Research Strategy and matching staff and financial resources required to meet that strategy.Connecting NFPA to the Global Research Community. Responsible for securing NFPA’s knowledge on fire & life Safety not directly related to NFPA codes & standards. Writer of Research column in NFPA Journal.Managing the relationship with NFPA’s technical Journal Fire Technology. Leading NFPA’s efforts to improve fire & life safety in developing nations.Represents NFPA in International Fire Safety Standards Coalition’s standard setting group.

Quincy, Ma

Build up and maintained the core competence “Fire Safety” within the ROCKWOOL Group and communicated this continuously throughout the organisation.Identified and executed needed research on fire performance of insulation products together with Universities and other research organisations.Monitored and worked on directives, laws, building regulations, and standards in coordination with the world wide Public Affairs Team of the Rockwool Group. Leader of the Technical Task Force of Fire Safe Europe (FSEU) (www.firesafeeurope.eu). Presented complicated Fire Safety issues to members of the European Parliament and European Commission. Successfully convinced the European Commission to Work on façade fire safety and smoke toxicity from fires. Supported Fire Fighters campaign to have cancer recognised as occupational hazard in EU. Continuously maintaining and expanding network of stakeholders.

Responsible for the technical fire standardisation work for the ROCKWOOL Group. Member of ISO TC92 SC1 and 3, CEN TC127, Danish Standards group, CEPMC Fire Working Group and Notified Bodies Fire Sector Group.Coordinated international team in the ROCKWOOL Group to monitor and work on directives, laws, building regulations, and standards locally and at EU level. Liaising with the research community coordinating ROCKWOOL funded research. Advised internally on fire testing of ROCKWOOL products.Assisted in obtaining the CE mark for ROCKWOOL products.

Sourced and implemented testing equipment for insulation value at all ROCKWOOL production lines. Coordinated test and documentation of product quality from new production lines. Built up quality control system according to ISO 17025 for the ROCKWOOL Fire Laboratory and accomplished having the laboratory accredited as well as notified to the European Union. Participated in ISO TC92 SC1 and CEN TC127.

Participated in the EU sponsored work on developing harmonised fire testing and classification methods. Was active member of the team that developed the Single Burning Item (SBI) test – EN 13823.Built up test equipment for large scale testing of construction products and furniture. Executed and reported intermediate and large-scale fire tests for clients.Performed research on heat release measurement, modelling of the SBI test and fire performance of insulation materials.

M.Sc., Civil Engineering

Fire Safety Science

I wrote my M.SC. Thesis at City University