R. Thomas Long, Jr., P.E., CFEI

Mr. Long applies fire protection engineering principles including: material fire performance; ignition of liquid, gaseous, and solid fuels; flamespread; and fire modeling to the origin and cause investigation, engineering analysis, and prevention of fires, explosions, and other thermal events.

Mr. Long has investigated numerous losses ranging from small residential fires to large explosions and fires involving commercial, residential, manufacturing, storage, power generation, petroleum, and chemical facilities. He has also investigated losses involving welding and hot work operations, mechanical and HVAC equipment, manufacturing processes, firefighter PPE, textiles and garments, consumer products, appliances, utilities, candles, residential and commercial cooking equipment, mattresses, upholstered furniture, automotive, rail, and marine vehicles, as well as propane and natural gas appliances and systems (both portable and fixed), including CSST. Mr. Long has testified as an expert witness in various occasions.

Mr. Long provides fire protection code consultation and interpretation on fire detection and suppression system operation, design, installation, evaluation, inadvertent operation, and failure analysis, in residential, commercial, storage, manufacturing, processing, and other industrial applications. He has experience in the evaluation of facilities and systems for compliance with nationally and internationally accepted building and fire safety codes, standards, guidelines, and regulations, including those published by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), the Building Officials and Code Administrators, International (BOCAi), and the International Code Council (ICC). Mr. Long has acted as representative and liaison between clients and Authorities Having Jurisdiction (AHJs). Mr. Long also has special expertise in the design review, installation, operation, evaluation, and third-party review of combustion systems.

Mr. Long has extensive experience with the numerous small, intermediate, and large-scale fire and flammability testing protocols and methods, including those published by the ASTM, NFPA, CBHFTI, FM, UFAC, and UL. Prior to joining Exponent, Mr. Long conducted fire and flammability research at the University of Maryland at College Park, Department of Fire Protection Engineering.

Long RT, Wu NP. Professional practice. Fire Protection Engineering, 3rd Quarter 2011.

Long RT, Blum AF. Investigation of inadvertent automatic fire sprinkler system discharges. Subrogator Magazine, National Association of Subrogation Professionals, Winter, 2011.

Long RT, Wu NP, Blum AF. Unsatisfactory sprinkler performance: An update on trends and a root cause discussion from the investigating engineer’s perspective. Fire Protection Engineering, 4th Quarter 2010.

Myers T, Long RT, Gavelli F, Kytömaa HK. The use of smoke detector sequence of activation in determining the area of origin of a fire: investigation of the FedEx DC-10 fire. Proceedings, International Symposium on Fire Investigation Science and Technology, Cincinnati, OH, May 2008.

Garrett JL, Smith SJ, Long RT. Blast indicators and damage assessment associated with a boiler explosion. Mechanics and Materials Conference, 2001.

Long RT, Quintiere JG, Torero JL, Fernandez-Pello AC. Scale and transport considerations on piloted ignition of PMMA. 6th International Symposium on Fire Safety Science, 1999.

Cordova JL, Zhou Y, Pfaff CC, Long RT, Fernandez-Pello AC, Torero JL. Effects of oxidizer flow characteristics on the flammability diagrams of solid combustible materials. 5th ASME/JSME Thermal Engineering Joint Conference, AJTE99-6244, 1999.

Steinhaus T, Olenick SM, Long RT, Sifuentes A, Torero JL. A method for assessing material flammability for micro-gravity environments. Joint Meeting of the United States Sections, The Combustion Institute, Washington, D.C., 1999.

Dillon SE, Wu NP, Long RT, Heater D. Material fire properties. FAA Fire Conference, Atlantic City, NJ, November 1998.

Long RT. An evaluation of the lateral ignition and flame spread test for material flammability assessment for micro-gravity environments. Thesis Publication 1998, University of Maryland at College Park, Department of Fire Protection Engineering.

Cordova JL, Ceamones J, Long RT, Fernandez-Pello AC, Quintiere JG, Torero JL. Flow effects on the flammability diagrams of solid fuels. 4th International Micro Gravity Combustion Symposium Workshop, Cleveland, OH, May 1997.

Book Chapters

Long RT, Colwell J, Grossman H, Ray R, Thomas B, Strassburger R. Passenger vehicle fires. Chapter 1, Section 21. In: Fire Protection Handbook, 20th Edition. National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), pp. 21-3–21-14 Quincy, MA, 2008.

Reports

Long RT, Mikolajczak C, White K, Kahn M. Lithium-ion batteries hazard and use assessment. Fire Protection Research Foundation Report, July 2011. http://www.nfpa.org/assets/files//PDF/Research/RFLithiumIonBatteriesHazard.pdf

L. Anderson, C. Mikolajczak, Long RT, Paustenbach D. A review of CBHF proposed Technical Bulletin 603. Exponent Report, April 2003.

Long RT, Reza A, Mongia R. Damage to the WTC Complex due to the collapse of a single tower, mechanical subsystems, fire, smoke and dust contamination. Chapter 2: World Trade Center Fire Protection System Performance and Expected Actions of the Fire Department City of New York if Only One Plane Strike had Occurred on September 11, 2001, 2002.

Smith T, Reza A, Long RT. Investigation of the October 13, 1998 explosion at Condea Vista Chemicals, Baltimore, Maryland. Exponent FaAA Report, March 1999.

Torero JL, Quintiere JG, Long RT. Scaling effects on the lateral ignition and flame spread test apparatus. NASA – LeRC – Report, 1997.

Ghandi S, Quintiere JG, Long RT. Fire tests of passenger rail car materials. NTSB 12-96-SP-034, November 1996.

Selected Invited Presentations

Long RT, Mikolajczak C. Lithium ion battery hazard. NFPA Conference & Expo, Las Vegas, NV June 11–14, 2012, accepted.

Long RT, Mikolajczak C, Kahn M. Lithium ion fire protection considerations. The 29th International Battery Seminar & Exhibit: Primary & Secondary Batteries – Other Technologies; Broward County Convention Center Ft. Lauderdale, FL, March 12–15, 2012, accepted.

Long RT, Mikolajczak C, Kahn M. Lithium-ion failure rates and fire protection considerations. Battery Safety 2011 - Advancements in System Design, Integration & Testing for Safety & Reliability, Las Vegas, NV, November 9, 2011.

Long RT, Ogle R, Morrison D, Dillon S, Blum A. Performing a high-rise life safety analysis: Lessons learned from the Cook County administration building fire. 2009 NFPA America’s Fire and Security Exposition, Miami Beach, FL, July 30, 2009.

Myers T, Wu N, Long RT. Material flammability and its contribution to fire growth. The Hartford Financial Services Group, Hartford, CT, 2007.

Ramirez J, Myers T, Long RT. Identificación de los Peligros de Explosiones de Polvo Usando las Normas de la NFPA. XXII Exsposición, SegurShow 07, Caracas, Venezuela, 2007.

Myers T, Long RT. Identification of dust explosion hazards and mitigation using NFPA Standards. 2007 NFPA World Safety Conference & Exposition, Boston, MA, June 5, 2007.

Long RT. Ford Rouge explosion and fire, February 1, 1999. 5th International Seminar on Fire and Explosion Hazards, Plenary Lecture, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK, April 27, 2007.

Clarke C, Long RT, Tsuji J, Gavelli F. Fire and toxicity aspects of polyurethane foams. Proceedings, 2005 Polyurethane Foam Association Spring Meeting and Technical Program, Washington, DC, May 2005.

• National Fire Protection Association—NFPA (member)
• Society of Fire Protection Engineers—SFPE (professional member grade)
• International Association of Arson Investigators—IAAI (member)
• International Code Council®—ICC (previously BOCAi) (professional member)
• National Association of Fire Investigators—NAFI (member)
• Order of the Engineer (member)
• National Society of Professional Engineers—NSPE (member)
• Maryland Society of Professional Engineers—MDSPE (member)
• Maryland Fire and Explosive Investigator’s Association -MFEIA-IAAI (member)
• Sigma Alpha Epsilon (member)