Jerry Back

Jerry Back is one of Jensen Hughes’ top subject-matter experts in the field of fire investigation and prevention. Over the course of his nearly 40-year career as a fire protection engineer and certified fire and explosive investigator, Jerry has been responsible for project management and administration of fire protection research, development, testing, and evaluation programs.

He has conducted a significant amount of the fire protection research and development funded by the U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard and has worked on major projects and investigations for federal agencies (FAA, DOT/NHTSA, DOE), the military (U.S. Airforce, U.S. Army), and numerous private clients.

Jerry’s work within the last 20 years has been focused on assessing the capabilities of fluorine-free foams (i.e., AFFF alternatives) as well as the development of mitigation techniques for lithium battery hazards. He has performed thousands of full-scale fire tests, including evaluations of AFFF agents and systems, aerosols, high expansion foam systems, gaseous agents, water mist systems, and water spray/delude systems.

In addition, Jerry has published over 100 papers on fire protection related topics, is a member of seven professional associations pertaining to engineering and fire protection, and serves on more than 10 committees focused on fire safety and rescue.