The Fire Protection Research Foundation (FPRF), the research affiliate of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), has announced that Steve Hawks, Senior Director for wildfire at IBHS, has been elected to serve on its board of trustees.
Steve Hawks joined the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) in 2023 and currently serves as the Senior Director for wildfire.
In this role, Hawks’ responsibilities include advancing wildfire policy and code development, managing IBHS’s post-fire field deployments and implementation of the Wildfire Prepared Home and Wildfire Prepared Neighborhood programs.
He also serves on the Underwriter’s Laboratory Fire Safety Research Institute’s Wildfire Advisory Committee.
Prior to joining IBHS, Hawk spent 30 years in various capacities in fire suppression and prevention with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE).
He spent the first 24 years in the field, from firefighter to battalion chief, responding to wildfires and all hazard emergency incidents.
For last 6 years of his career, he worked in the CAL FIRE – Office of the State Fire Marshal’s Community Wildfire Preparedness and Mitigation Division, retiring as an Assistant Deputy Director.
Additionally, Hawk served for 13 years on CAL FIRE Type 1 Incident Management Teams.
Steve earned a Bachelor of Science in forest resource management with a minor in business administration from Humboldt State University.
The FPRF is a separate, independent, non-governmental organization with its own officers and nine trustees.
The FPRF Board of Trustees manages the overall business of the Foundation, including providing fiduciary oversight, and delivers input and guidance for strategic planning, research priorities and future growth of the Foundation.
The Foundation effectively plans and manages a few dozen projects at any given time and communicates findings in support of the NFPA mission.
Over the last 40 years, FPRF research reports have been downloaded by safety-focused practitioners in more than 160 countries.
Projects cover everything from fire suppression systems, emergency response, public policy, public education, and detection and signaling, to industrial hazards, wildfire, electrical and building safety.
