Eastern Kentucky University receives grant to advance fire investigation research
This award, totalling upwards of $290,000, is the second one the school has received from the National Institute of Justice for the investigation of drywall burns.
Eastern Kentucky University has received a $290,000 grant from the National Institute of Justice, which is within the U.S. Department of Justice, for Dr. Greg Gorbett and Dr. Shijin Kozhumal of EKU’s College of Justice, Safety and Military Science to investigate drywall burn patterns. This is the second such grant EKU has received, with the first coming in 2020.
According to an article on Eastern Kentucky University’s website, Gorbett, who is an associate professor in the fire protection and safety engineering technology program, explained how the grant award will not only advance research in the field, but also serve as a boon for the school’s related programs. He is quoted as saying, “Obtaining this grant and our demonstrated ability to perform high-level research with previous grants is helping to set the EKU Fire, Arson and Explosion Investigation degree program apart from similar academic programs.”
Eastern Kentucky University has three fire safety programs, including Fire Protection Administration, Fire, Arson, and Explosion Investigation, and Fire Protection and Safety Engineering Technology. Students within these programs will have more opportunities for hands-on learning thanks to the grant project.
Explaining the goals of the project, Kozhumal, also an associate professor of fire protection and safety engineering technology, said, “Due to their fire resistance, gypsum board—or drywall—are a common building material. When exposed to fire, they leave behind patterns that can help investigators determine the fire’s origin and cause.” He added, “By improving our understanding of drywall behavior and providing new analysis tools, we can help fire investigators draw more accurate and reliable conclusions about the origin of fires.”
As part of the project, the investigators will create a database of different types of drywall and how they will react to exposure to fire under different sets of circumstances, compiling this data to help aid fire investigators determine how fires at different scenes came to be.
For more information about Eastern Kentucky University, visit the school’s website.