LOCAL NEWS | Nicholas Ozog Elected Fellow of the Society of Fire Protection Engineers

Nicholas Ozog has been elected as a Fellow by the Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE). He accepted the honor- SFPE's highest-at the organization's Annual Conference & Expo in Atlanta in October.

SFPE Fellow is a designation held by not more than ten percent of living members. Nick's election recognizes his many contributions to the fire protection industry; his passion for mentoring young engineers; and his involvement with SFPE at the local, national, and international levels.

"There is no higher honor than recognition from your peers," said Carl Baldassarra, senior principal and manager of WJE's fire protection practice. "Nick's professionalism and technical excellence were obvious from the day we began working together in 2009, and his commitment to the profession has only grown, making him especially deserving of this recognition."

Across his twenty-year career, Nick has solved hundreds of complex fire protection challenges, including at well-known Chicago-area structures such as Wintrust Arena, the Old Chicago Post Office, Willis Tower, and Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center. Nationally, he has focused on existing and historic buildings, including San Francisco Maritime National Historic Park and its Aquatic Park Bathhouse. Internationally, he has reviewed existing buildings for combustible facade materials and conducted the associated fire safety assessments.

Nick is a past president of the SFPE Chicago Chapter and current board member. At the national level, he is a member of SFPE's Existing Building Task Group. He is also a principal voting member of National Fire Protection Association technical committees for Fire Code (NFPA 1), Flammable and Combustible Liquids Code (NFPA 30), and fire tests addressing several NFPA test standards including NFPA 285. He also participates in International Code Council committees addressing adaptive reuse and existing buildings.