National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)'s Blog, page 134

#TBT From The NFPA Archives: 1906 Electric Car House Fire

On April 8, 1906, a fire broke out in an electric car (or trolley) house in New York. The fire started on the first floor of the building and was assumed to be caused either by problematic electrical wiring or oily waste.     The flames

Tactics for taking action on Home Fire Sprinkler Day

Journal NOW: April is the time for first responders to learn about autism

Photo: Thinkstock If you're on Facebook, you may have recently seen updated profile pictures branded with the puzzle piece logo of the Autism Speaks organization. I changed my profile picture, since I have a family member who has autism. That's

SUPDET 2018 Call for Papers

The Call for Papers for the Fire Suppression, Detection and Signaling Research and Applications Conference, SUPDET 2018, is now open. SUPDET 2018 will be held September 11-14, 2018 in Raleigh-Durham, NC.   Papers are sought on new developments in

Won’t putting the disconnect on the outside of the house cause issues if the breaker trips in the wintertime?

During my recent NFPA Live event I discussed some highlights from the 2020 NEC First Draft Meeting in January. Immediately following this event, I received this question from an NFPA member. I’m now sharing my answer with you and I hope you find it

Free, online micro-training explains the “handshake” required in NFPA 4 and integrated systems testing

  The fire protection and life safety systems within a building play a valuable role during an emergency. This includes audible visible appliances and manual pull stations mounted on the walls; security systems and generators; smoke detectors as

Journal NOW: A former chief bids adieu to NFPA and offers some parting advice

After 35 years in the fire service and then another eight helping lead NFPA's first responder efforts, our chief Ken Willette retired last month.  For several years, Ken has been the author of NFPA Journal's First Responder column, offering his

Read the Annual 2018 Motions Committee Report for standards with certified amending motions

The Report of the Motions Committee addresses eight Annual 2018 NFPA Standards with Certified Amending Motions eligible for presentation and action at the NFPA Technical Meeting in Las Vegas on Thursday, June 14, 2018: NFPA 13, Standard for the

#TBT From the NFPA Archives: Brooklyn Public Library Fire - March 29, 1917

On March 29, 1917 “two fires of suspicious origin” broke out at separate ends of the Brooklyn Public Library-Pacific Branch. The fire in the right wing of the building died out. However, the fire in the left wing of the building grew

Journal NOW: Pepper or gunpowder? Three April Fools' gags gone horribly wrong.

As the old adage goes, "It's all fun and games until somebody gets hurt."  Truer words were never spoken when it comes to April Fools' Day, which can be fun, mean, or downright dangerous depending on who's pulling the gag. While we know that