Championing Fire Safety: Nii Strengthens Protection at Idaho Cleanup Project

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho — For more than 37 years, Robert R. Nii has devoted his career to protecting people and strengthening the safety posture of every site he has served.

As fire marshal for the Idaho Cleanup Project (ICP), Nii plays a key role in supporting the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) environmental cleanup mission by ensuring fire protection remains a cornerstone of safe operations at the Idaho National Laboratory Site.

Nii’s path to fire protection began unexpectedly. After earning a mechanical engineering degree from the University of Idaho in 1988, he began work with a commercial property insurance and risk management company in Seattle, Washington, despite knowing little about the field. There, Nii gained broad experience in industrial facilities and complex fire hazards.

“You learn quickly how essential sound engineering principles are to preventing fires and protecting lives,” he said.

Nii eventually returned to Idaho and became the ICP fire marshal in 2009, a role he continues today as an employee of cleanup contractor Idaho Environmental Coalition.

The fire protection mission and the people Nii helps protect continue to motivate him.

“I love keeping people safe from the dangers of fire,” he said. “And I love responding to emergencies and helping people when they need it most.”

At the Idaho Site, Nii often encounters the misconception that fire protection is limited to processing permits or conducting inspections.

“What people don’t see are the decades of research, testing and engineering calculations behind every standard,” he said. “Fire protection is a true engineering discipline.”

During Idaho’s high-risk wildfire seasons, Nii’s team focuses on proven strategies such as defensible space — a cleared buffer zone created around a building by reducing or removing flammable vegetation and materials — and fire-resistive construction to help protect workers, facilities and natural resources.

“We can’t control when a wildfire starts, but we can prepare,” he said.

Nii is especially proud of how ICP has strengthened its fire protection program.

“My goal was always to help build and maintain the best fire protection program in the DOE complex,” he said. ”I believe we’ve achieved that through teamwork and strong support from DOE ICP.”

Nii encourages all DOE workers to stay curious, maintain a questioning attitude and understand the “why” behind safety requirements.

Outside of work, Nii enjoys archery hunting, riding snowmobiles and off-road vehicles, camping, fishing and spending time with family as a grandpa. He also supports others as a high performance life coach.

-Contributor: Ryan Christensen