Systems Engineering Students Collaborate on Case Study with Charlottesville Fire Department

During the fall 2018 semester, students in SYS 2001 (Systems Engineering Concepts) and SYS 6001 (Introduction to Systems Engineering) in the Department of Engineering Systems and Environment at the UVA School of Engineering and Applied Science collaborated on an integrated case study for the Charlottesville Fire Department. Working with Fire Chief Andrew Baxter, 36 four-student teams under the direction of graduate student leaders ― 180 engineering students in all ― conducted a systems analysis of emergency calls. Specifically, the teams investigated issues related to “frequent utilizers” of emergency services, defined as people who call for fire and emergency assistance many times a year. ProfessorsMike Smith,Cody FlemingandBill Scherertaught the courses, which introduce or explore the intellectual underpinnings of systems engineering as a discipline and profession, in addition to teaching different aspects of its methodologies, tools and approaches to problem solving. Students in the intro section in particular are required to relate theory to practice through written and oral presentations. “Systems engineering requires skills in elicitation, consensus building, modeling, analysis, data analytics, trade-off analysis, integration and communications,” Smith said. “The goal is to provide solutions that meet the needs of clients or customers while taking into account emerging issues and opportunities and the effects of solutions on other stakeholders — for example, individuals, communities, organizations, institutions, environment, etc.” Smith said the fire department collaboration required students to understand the complexity of public-sector problems and the difficulty of developing meaningful objectives and metrics to inform decision-making. Baxter visited the classes twice, once to answer the students' questions and the second time to see selected student presentations. “Students did a great job on this systems analysis case, providing unique insights to the chief,” said Professor Bill Scherer, associate chair of the Engineering School's newly created ESE department, which is now the University's home for civil, systems and environmental engineering. In turn, the fire chief said his department is excited to partner with the Engineering School, noting it is an extension of a longstanding relationship with the University. “The Charlottesville Fire Department has proudly provided fire services to the University of Virginia for more than a century,” he said. “This provides students with an opportunity to apply their knowledge and skills to real-world, local community challenges, and we look forward to future collaboration.”