Faculty Directory

Dr. Jamie McAllister is an Assistant Research Scientist in the Dept. of Fire Protection Engineering at UMD.  Dr. McAllister joined the volunteer fire service in 1995 and later obtained her B.S. and M.S. degrees in Fire Protection Engineering.  Dr. McAllister is also a combustion and forensic toxicologist with specialized knowledge in fireground contaminants, fire-related injuries and deaths, carbon monoxide poisoning, and medication impacts in fire risk.    

Dr. McAllister's research interests include:

• combustion toxicity including hydrogen cyanide and carbon monoxide uptake and irritant gas production and exposure effects
• toxicant yields based upon fire stage
• firefighter safety and health
• prescription, illicit, and over-the-counter drug use and its role in fire injuries and related deaths
• environmental and health impacts of large-scale structural and wildland fire events
• fire investigation tools and methodology
• PFAS decontamination procedures for firefighter apparatus and beyond
• impact of PFAS and fluorine-free foams on the environment and human health
• electrically-initiated fires 

• Fire Contaminant Exposure Control Approaches and Health & Safety Officer Continuing Education

• ENFP 613 Advanced Life Safety Analysis

PUBLICATIONS:

McAllister, J. & McAllister, B. (2020). Leadership: Fire and Emergency Service Personnel Knowledge and Skills Proficiency, Fire Engineering, October 22, 2020.

McAllister J., Kunsman G.W., Levine B.S. (2020) Carbon Monoxide/Cyanide. In: Levine B., KERRIGAN S. (eds) Principles of Forensic Toxicology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-42917-1_30

McAllister, J. & McAllister, B. (2019). Fire and Emergency Service Personnel Knowledge and Skills Proficiency, Final Report, Fire Protection Research Foundation, Quincy, MA.

Ko, Y., McAllister, J., Gwynne, S., Kruszelnicki, M. (2019). A Study of the Effect of Smoke Toxicity from an Inmate Cell Fire, Proceedings from the Third International Fire Safety Symposium.

McAllister, J. et al. (2019). Guide to Human Behavior in Fire. (2nd ed.). Society of Fire Protection Engineering, Gaithersburg, Maryland. 

McAllister, J., et al. (2016). Fire Investigation: Fire Dynamics and Modeling, Student Manual, 2nd Edition, FEMA/USFA/NFA

McAllister, J., & Purser, D. (2016). Assessment of Hazards to Occupants from Smoke, Toxic Gases, and Heat. In SFPE Handbook of Fire Protection Engineering (5th ed.). Quincy, Massachusetts: National Fire Protection Association. 

McAllister, J. (2014). Health Effects in Groups Exposed to Wildland and Urban Fires. In Health Effects from  Combustion Products. Abingdon, Oxfordshire: Royal Society of Chemistry.

McAllister, J.L., Carpenter, D.J., Roby, R.J., Purser, D. “The Importance of Autopsy and Injury Data in the Investigation of Fires”, Fire Technology, November 2014, Volume 50, Issue 6, pp. 1357-1377.

Hussain, N., McAllister, J.L., Roby, R., “Analysis of Beads Formed on Energized and Non-Energized Electrical Copper Conductors Exposed to Various Thermal Insults”, Proceedings from the International Symposium on Fire Investigation Science and Technology, College Park, MD, 2012.

Roby, R., McAllister, J.L., “Forensic Investigation Techniques for Inspecting Electrical Conductors Involved in Fire”, United States Department of Justice, Document No. 239052, July 2012.

Goodman, A., Schooler, C., McAllister, J.L., “Physical Characteristics of Non-Energized and Energized Cables in Scaled Compartment Fires” Proceedings from the International Symposium on Fire Investigation Science and Technology, College Park, MD, 2010. 

McAllister, J.L., Roby, R., Levine, B., Purser, D., "Stability of Cyanide in Cadavers and in Postmortem Stored Tissue Specimens, a Review," Journal of Analytical Toxicology, Volume 32, Number 8, pp. 612-620, October 2008.  

Ferrino-McAllister, J.L, Carpenter, D., Roby, R., Torero, J., “The Extent of Evaporation of Ignitable Liquids Under Exposure to Compartment Fires, Non-Fire Thermal and Non-Thermal Environments”, Proceedings from the 10th International Conference, Fire and Materials,

San Francisco, CA, 2007.

Ferrino-McAllister, J., Roby, R.J., Milke, J., "Heating of Electrical Contacts: Characterizing the Effects of Torque, Contact Area, and Movement on the Temperature of Residential Receptacles," Fire Technology, Volume 42, No.1, January 2006, pp. 49-74.

Ferrino-McAllister, J.L., Carpenter, D., Roby, Richard, "Comparison of Gasoline Weathering on Carpet Samples Exposed to Various Thermal Environments,"  Proceedings from the 2nd International Symposium on Fire Investigation Science and Technology, Cincinnati, OH, 2006. 

Ferrino-McAllister, J.L., Roby, R.J., Klassen, M.S., Milke, J., "Heating of Electrical Conductors: Characterizing the Deformation of Cable Exposed to External Radiant Heating and Internal Overload," Fire and Arson Investigator, Volume 56, Number 2, October 2005.