Each year approximately 1750 structure fires occur in cultural properties in the United States alone – an average of 1600/year in religious properties, 60/year in museums and art galleries, and 86/year in libraries. We’ve discussed emergency planning and details on different fixed protection systems at previous conferences; this session will provide a higher level overview of the component programs and the benefits associated with them that round out an effective fire protection strategy.
Live Q&A between the presenter and participants is included!
About the presenter: Debbie Freeland is a long-term member and past Chair of the National Fire Protection Association’s Committee on the Protection of Cultural Resources, which writes the National Fire Codes for museums, libraries, places of worship, and historic buildings. The scope of this committee’s work has recently been expanded to include security and protection from other natural and man-made hazards. She is currently chair of the task group working on the next edition of NFPA 909 - Code for Protection of Cultural Properties - Museums, Libraries, and Places of Worship.
A fire protection consultant for over 35 years, Debbie has extensive experience in highly protected risk consulting, with special expertise in the protection of cultural institutions and their collections. She has worked with museums, churches, libraries and cultural institutions of all sizes in developing fire protection alternatives and programs to reduce their potential risk, and is at the forefront of developing new standards to address the protection of historic structures while preserving their historic fabric. Debbie joined Arthur J. Gallagher & Company, the world’s fourth largest insurance brokerage, in 1997 after working for 13 years with Johnson & Higgins where she achieved the position of Regional Engineering Manager covering the Western half of the United States.
A graduate of the University of Washington, Debbie holds a B.A. in chemistry with an emphasis in biochemistry, then picked up additional chemical engineering studies. She is past president of the Southern California Chapter of the Society of Fire Protection Engineers and was elected by her peers as a Fellow in the Institute for the Advancement of Engineering and, more recently, Fellow of the Society of Fire Protection Engineers. Debbie has spoken at several National RIMS Conventions, American Association of Museums Annual Meetings, the Smithsonian’s National Conferences on Cultural Property Protection, the International Foundation for Cultural Property Protection (IFCPP) annual conferences, Southeast Library Network, and at seminars on protection of collections, museums and historic buildings in Italy, Slovenia, Great Britain, Ireland, Scotland, Austria and several other European countries, and is a frequent speaker at engineering society meetings. She has served on the California State Fire Marshall’s Advisory Committee, and holds the ARM and CPCU designations.
