New contributions to the Grand Challenges Initiative and the Megawatt Sponsor program help fund research on emerging fire safety topics and support the next generation of fire protection engineers.
MENDOTA HEIGHTS, MINNESOTA (July 16, 2026) – Summit Fire Consulting, a nationwide leader in fire protection engineering and code consulting, announced two new contributions to the SFPE Foundation: a gift to the Foundation’s Grand Challenges Initiative and enrollment as a Megawatt Sponsor in the Foundation’s corporate giving program.
The Grand Challenges Initiative is a multi-year research and educational collaboration built to guide the fire engineering community toward the areas where it can have the greatest impact. Its work centers on four focus areas: energy and infrastructure, resilience and sustainability, climate change, and the growing role of digitalization, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity in fire protection. Partners in the initiative, including Summit, receive a role in advisory panel discussions and fellowship opportunities that connect engineers directly with ongoing research.
Summit’s Megawatt Sponsorship reflects the same idea: the fire protection field moves faster when firms, researchers, and educators share what they know instead of working in isolation. By supporting the Foundation’s corporate giving program, Summit is investing in that kind of exchange, where an engineer’s real-world experience and a researcher’s findings inform each other, letting the industry cover ground that no single firm could reach as quickly on its own.
Representatives from Summit and the SFPE Foundation marked the announcement in person at the NFPA Conference & Expo in Las Vegas, where fire protection professionals from around the world gathered to discuss the codes, standards, and research shaping the industry.
“Fire protection engineering doesn’t stand still, and neither should the research and education behind it,” said Jim Bychowski, P.E., Senior Vice President at Summit Fire Consulting. “Supporting the Grand Challenges Initiative and the Foundation’s broader mission gives us a direct hand in what comes next, both in the research itself and in the engineers who will carry it forward.”
Corey Kinsman, P.E, a Senior Fire Protection Engineer at Summit who also serves on the SFPE Foundation’s Board of Governors, has watched that impact up close. “I’ve seen what a single research grant or fellowship can do for a student or a working engineer,” said Kinsman. “When a firm steps up at this level, it changes what the Foundation is able to fund and who gets access to it.”
To learn more about the Grand Challenges Initiative, the Foundation’s corporate giving program, and who benefits from Summit’s support, visit www.sfpe.org/gci/home.
About Summit Fire Consulting
Summit Fire Consulting is a nationwide leader in fire protection and life safety code consulting. With a deep bench of licensed Fire Protection Engineers and NICET-certified professionals, Summit Fire Consulting delivers comprehensive services including code consulting, design review, AHJ coordination, inspections, risk assessments, and compliance solutions for a wide range of industries. From healthcare and education to commercial, industrial, and government facilities, Summit Fire Consulting helps clients navigate complex regulatory environments and ensure their properties are safe, compliant, and ready for occupancy. As part of the Summit Companies family, Summit Fire Consulting combines national reach with local expertise to deliver trusted solutions across the United States and its territories.
For more information, visit www.summitfireconsulting.com.