Dr. McAllister is a licensed fire protection engineer, a toxicologist, a certified fire investigator (CFI), and a certified safety professional (CSP). She holds Bachelor and Master’s degrees in Fire Protection Engineering and has been involved in the field of fire science since 1995 when she joined the volunteer fire service. In 2010, Dr. McAllister further compounded her expertise in the forensic investigation field by completing her PhD in Toxicology. She has more than two decades of experience in research and investigation of fire, combustion, and toxicological incidents and driven change in fire prevention and investigation standards. She has investigated hundreds of fires and offered expert opinions in depositions and trials on issues such as contributory causes in fire deaths and injuries, the impact of code violations, fire protection and life safety systems, and building construction on fire growth and spread, product failures and defects, fire dynamics, and carbon monoxide poisoning.

Dr. McAllister also served as an Authority Having Jurisdiction, i.e. code official, for the federal government where she was responsible for the development of fire and life safety programs, as well as the enforcement of fire and life safety provisions set forth in OSHA regulations, the International Building and Fire Codes, and NFPA standards. Her duties included review of design and construction submittals, laboratory hazard analyses, fire protection and life safety system design and commissioning, management of fire alarm and suppression system inspection, testing, and maintenance, and safety incident investigation. Dr. McAllister is also an adjunct professor in the Fire Protection Engineering Graduate Program at the University of Maryland, College Park where she teaches graduate students about advanced life safety, combustion toxicity, and human behavior in fire.