TVSFPE Chapter Meeting 3/5/2026

TVSFPE,

TVSFPE will be meeting Thursday (3/5/2026) at Mimi's Café in Turkey Creek:  https://www.mimiscafe.com/locations/knoxville/

The meeting will be from 6pm to 8pm. The speaker is Dean Rushin of FFE. He will be presenting on:

"Mastering Beam Smoke and Linear Heat Detection". 

Description: 

Standard spot detectors aren't always the right tool for the job. In this session, we explore specialized fire detection strategies for challenging environments where height, scale, or accessibility make traditional methods impractical.We will deep-dive into Beam Smoke Detection, covering its economic advantages in high-ceiling structures like atriums and warehouses. Attendees will learn to navigate the complexities of smoke stratification and adapt to upcoming NFPA 72 spacing guidelines. The second half of the presentation shifts to Linear Heat Detection (LHD). We will compare traditional fixed-temperature systems with emerging programmable technologies, providing clear criteria for selecting the best system based on ambient conditions. From elevator shafts to road tunnels, learn how to design, test, and maintain these rugged systems through real-world case studies. 

Speaker Introduction: 

Dean provides detection related support to fire and life safety professionals across the Americas. With a mechanical engineering degree from Northern Illinois University, he applies over a decade of experience from the optics industry and 4 years at FFE to the field of specialty fire detection.

Andrea Franchini is a Postdoctoral Researcher in the Structural Fire Engineering Team at Ghent University (Belgium). His research focuses on probabilistic performance-based analysis, design, and optimisation of structures exposed to extreme hazards, with particular emphasis on fire, as well as on optimal experimental design under uncertainty. He holds a PhD from University College London (UK) and a double MSc in Structural Engineering from the University of Trento (Italy) and Tongji University (China). His project titled “A Novel Risk-Based Fire Design Method for Sustainable Structures” received a Student Research Grant from the SFPE Foundation within the May 2022 Grant Cycle.

A social hour will be held between 5pm and 6pm. 

Please note that Mimi's Cafe' has food, and is located at 10945 Parkside Dr. Knoxville, TN 37934

Previous Meeting Minutes will be attached below.

Below are the TVSFPE By-Law Revisions with edits for your review. The final reading and approval will be at the 3/5 meeting. Provide comments to president@tvsfpe.org.  

Thank you,

Channing Walmsley

TVSFPE Secretary

Cell: 865-320-7091

Office: 865-241-5755

http://www.tvsfpe.org/