David A. Lucht, P.E., FSFPE
Mr. Lucht is an Adjunct Professor and Director Emeritus, Center for Firesafety Studies Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Professor Lucht’s career in the fire protection field spanned a period of over 45 years in business, government and academia. In 1975, he assumed the post of Deputy Administrator in U.S. Fire Administration, as the first presidential appointee and served under Presidents Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter. In 1978, Professor Lucht became the first director of the newly created Center for Firesafety Studies at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) and served at WPI for 25 years.
Professor Lucht’s career in the fire protection field spanned a period of over 45 years in business, government and academia.
His interest in fire safety began in high school when he served as a student member of Middlefield Volunteer Fire Department in his home town of Middlefield, Ohio. The initial portion of his career was in the state of Ohio, where he worked as a field engineer in the Sprinklered Risk Department of the Ohio Inspection Bureau (now Insurance Services Office) and later as Project Engineer and Research Associate in the Building Research Laboratory, The Ohio State University. Subsequently he served as the Ohio State Fire Marshal under Ohio Governor John J. Gilligan. This is the highest ranking fire safety post in Ohio government.
In 1974 Congress passed the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act which created the United States Fire Administration. The mission of the new agency was to implement the landmark report America Burning which was submitted to the President and Congress by the National Commission on Fire Prevention and Control in 1973. President Gerald Ford nominated Lucht as the first presidential appointee in the newly created agency. He assumed the post of Deputy Administrator in 1975 after confirmation by the United States Senate. He was reappointed by President Jimmy Carter and continued in that position until 1978.
In 1978 Lucht moved to Massachusetts where he became executive vice president of a Boston area consulting firm and concurrently the first director of the newly created Center for Firesafety Studies at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. There he was responsible for overseeing the startup of the new graduate degree fire protection engineering program, fund raising, faculty and organizational development, recruiting, marketing, administration and media relations. He appeared extensively in the print and electronic media including network radio and television broadcasts as well as programming on the Discovery Channel, History Channel, PBS NOVA and Voice of America.
He discontinued his consulting practice in 1985 to devote full time to his work at WPI. During his 25 years of service, WPI launched the nation’s first MS degree program in fire protection engineering. A first of its kind PhD program in fire protection engineering was started in 1991. And the first global distance learning FPE degree program was launched in 1993. Over the years WPI became recognized as the leader in fire protection engineering graduate education, worldwide. Lucht retired from his academic post in 2004.
In order to achieve transitional overlap with his fire protection engineering successor, Lucht transferred to an administrative position at WPI, serving as Associate Vice President in the Division of Development and University Relations for 12 months. In this position he conducted university-wide market research with a focus on the Millenials generation. And he continued an academic affiliation as Adjunct Professor and Director Emeritus of the Center for Firesafety Studies. He fully retired from university service in 2005.
Throughout his career, Lucht has been highly active in service to the profession. He served as a member of the Underwriters Laboratories (UL) Board of Trustees for over ten years and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Board of Directors for nine years. He is a Fellow and Past President of the Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE) and chaired the SFPE Board of Directors. He is a member of the CTC Public Safety Technology Center Board of Trustees.
Lucht’s honors and recognitions include the SFPE President’s Award (1988), Harold E. Nelson Service Award (1993), the John J. Ahern Award (2000), the Arthur B. Guise Medal and Prize (2002) and the New England Chapter Person of the Year Award (2004). In 2004 he received the William R. Grogan Award for Support of the Mission of WPI from the WPI Alumni Association. In 2005 the SFPE created the David A. Lucht Lamp of Knowledge Award in his honor. This prestigious award is presented annually to individuals and organizations that stand out as supporters of higher education. In 2006 he received the David Rasbash Memorial Medal from the Institution of Fire Engineers (London). In his younger years he received the United States Jaycees Distinguished Service Award.
Professor Lucht is a registered professional engineer in Massachusetts. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in fire protection and safety engineering from Illinois Institute of Technology.