Comments concerning professional engineers are misguided
To the editor:
In my humble opinion, the statements attributed to Mr. Brandt in the news media recently concerning “the PE thing” are hurtful and misguided. Aerospace engineers are exempted from “the PE thing” by Florida Statute 471.003(2)(j). Why? I don’t know. However, the folks who are NOT exempted from “the PE thing” earn their engineering licenses due to their education, experience, and character-all of which must be proven to the satisfaction of the Florida Board of Professional Engineers before a “PE thing” license is begrudgingly granted. It is interesting to note that it was reported the engineer responsible for the design of the Harbor Cay Condominium, which collapsed in 1981 in Cocoa Beach (close to where the space shuttle is housed) causing much human death and destruction, was an aerospace engineer.
The Florida Statutes define “engineering” as follows:
FS 471.005(7): “Engineering” includes the term “professional engineering” and means any service or creative work, the adequate performance of which requires engineering education, training, and experience in the application of special knowledge of the mathematical, physical, and engineering sciences to such services or creative work as consultation, investigation, evaluation, planning, and design of engineering works and systems, planning the use of land and water, teaching of the principles and methods of engineering design, engineering surveys, and the inspection of construction for the purpose of determining in general if the work is proceeding in compliance with drawings and specifications, any of which embraces such services or work, either public or private, in connection with any utilities, structures, buildings, machines, equipment, processes, work systems, projects, and industrial or consumer products or equipment of a mechanical, electrical, hydraulic, pneumatic, or thermal nature, insofar as they involve safeguarding life, health, or property; and includes such other professional services as may be necessary to the planning, progress, and completion of any engineering services. A person who practices any branch of engineering; who, by verbal claim, sign, advertisement, letterhead, or card, or in any other way, represents himself or herself to be an engineer or, through the use of some other title, implies that he or she is an engineer or that he or she is licensed under this chapter; or who holds himself or herself out as able to perform, or does perform, any engineering service or work or any other service designated by the practitioner which is recognized as engineering shall be construed to practice or offer to practice engineering within the meaning and intent of this chapter.
If someone practices engineering, they need to be licensed, according to Florida Statutes:
FS 471.003(1): No person other than a duly licensed engineer shall practice engineering or use the name or title of “licensed engineer,” “professional engineer,” or any other title, designation, words, letters, abbreviations, or device tending to indicate that such person holds an active license as an engineer in this state.
Furthermore, a non-licensed individual acting as a “utilities director” can NOT overrule engineering decisions made by licensed engineers, even if the licensed engineer is the “director’s” direct subordinate. Also, there are NO different levels of licensing for engineers in Florida-a Licensed Engineer IS a Professional Engineer, and vice versa.
Jack T. Sauerland, P.E.
Cape Coral