National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)'s Blog, page 17

NFPA Electrical Section Honors Members at Conference & Expo Reception

Against the backdrop of a late spring evening, the Electrical Section gathered for a reception at the NFPA Conference & Expo in Boston on Tuesday to recognize its members, and their dedication and shared commitment to the creation of standards that help guide and protect our workforce and the people who depend on them for their safety. One of the highlights of the evening was the presentation of...



[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Sound Policy: A Means to an End of Wildfire Destruction in our Communities

There are 44.8 million homes located in the wildland-urban interface (WUI) in America. According to experts, over the past three years, the nation has seen over 100 fatalities, 40,000 structures destroyed, and nearly $40 billion in insured losses from wildfire in high-risk WUI areas. The picture remains dire, experts warn, and the destruction we have seen in the past few years is not just an anomaly, but a look into the near future. As widespread destruction from wildfire continues, many people remain unsure that what they do will make a difference. During a session at NFPA’s Conference & Expo on Wednesday morning, Michele Steinberg, NFPA Wildfire Division director, Meghan Housewright, NFPA Fire & Life Safety Policy Institute director, and Ray Bizal, NFPA Director of Regional Operations, led a panel discussion to remind attendees the safety of our communities is in our hands and comes through more sound local, state, and federal policy. The panel, who were among a group of experts instrumental in the development of NFPA’s “Outthink Wildfire™” campaign, went on to outline the campaign’s five tenets needed for all levels of government to foster collaboration, enact change, achieve resilience, and enhance protection from wildfire, and highlighted some of the policymaking activity and initiatives already underway in states like Oregon, Colorado, and California. But when it comes right down to it, they said, everyone plays a role in reducing wildfire risk. And just as better policy is paramount, more and continued collaboration is also needed between policymakers, the fire service, and the public if we are to move the needle in a more measurable way. “States are taking action,” said Steinberg, “but there are still obstacles we must overcome. While we have seen a lack of political will and public acceptance about the wildfire problem, we continue working closely with communities and policymakers across the country to help address these challenges.”More information about “Outthink Wildfire” and its five tenets is available at nfpa.org/outthinkwildfire.

NFPA Technical Meeting results

Below are the results of NFPA's Technical Meeting in Boston, which began on Wednesday, June 8, 2022.This blog post will continue to be updated as results come in. Please check back.During NFPA's Technical Meeting in Boston, the following action has taken place on NFPA 86, Standard for Ovens and Furnaces 86-6 Motion to Reject Second Revision No. 7 failed.NFPA 86 was passed with 0 amending motions. NFPA 86 COMPLETED.During NFPA's Technical Meeting in Boston, the following action has taken place on NFPA 130, Standard for Fixed Guideway Transit and Passenger Rail Systems  130-9 Motion to Reject an Identifiable Part of Second Revision No. 16 was not pursued. 130-3 Motion to Reject Second Revision No. 19 and any Related Portions of First Revisions failed. 130-5 Motion to Accept an Identifiable Part of Public Comment No. 11 failed. 130-2 Motion to Accept an Identifiable Part of Public Comment No. 6 failed.NFPA 130 was passed with 0 amending motions. NFPA 130 COMPLETED.During NFPA's Technical Meeting in Boston, the following action has taken place on NFPA 285, Standard Fire Test Method for Evaluation of Fire Propagation Characteristics of Exterior Wall Assemblies Containing Combustible Components 285-7 Motion to Reject an Identifiable Part of Second Revision No. 7 and any Related Portion of First Revision No. 15 was not pursued. 285-12 Motion to Reject Second Revision No. 7 and any Related Portion of First Revision No. 15 failed. 285-13 Motion to Reject an Identifiable Part of Second Revision No. 7 and any Related Portion of First Revision No. 15 failed.NFPA 285 was passed with 0 amending motions. NFPA 285 COMPLETED.During NFPA's Technical Meeting in Boston, the following action has taken place on NFPA 502, Standard for Road Tunnels, Bridges, and Other Limited Access Highways   502-2 Motion to Accept Public Comment No. 12 passed. 502-4 Motion to Accept an Identifiable Part of Public Comment No. 13 passed. 502-9 Motion to Accept an Identifiable Part of Public Comment No. 13 passed. 502-7 Motion to Accept Public Comment No. 18 passed. 502-5 Motion to Accept Public Comment No. 17 passed.NFPA 502 was passed with 5 amending motions. NFPA 502 COMPLETED.During NFPA's Technical Meeting in Boston, the following action has taken place on NFPA 855, Standard for the Installation of Stationary Energy Storage Systems   855-3 Motion to Accept Public Comment No. 71 failed. 855-4 Motion to Accept Public Comment No. 72 not pursued. 855-5 Motion to Accept Public Comment No. 177 failed.NFPA 855 was passed with 0 amending motions. NFPA 855 COMPLETED.During NFPA's Technical Meeting in Boston, the following action has taken place on NFPA 25, Standard for the Inspection, Testing, and Maintenance of Water-Based Fire Protection Systems  25-10 Motion to Reject Second Revision No. 4 passed. 25-2 Motion to Accept Committee Comment No. 3 was not pursued. 25-3 Motion to Accept an Identifiable Part of Committee Comment No. 3 passed. 25-17 Motion to Reject an Identifiable Part of Second Revision No. 13 passed. 25-16 Motion to Reject Second Revision No. 2 passed. 25-15 Motion to Reject Second Revision No. 60 was not pursued. 25-18 Motion to Reject Second Revision No. 61 was not pursued.Follow up motion on 25-16 passed. NFPA 25 was passed with 5 amending motions. NFPA 25 COMPLETED. Up next:  NFPA 70®, National Electrical Code®

CRR workshop guides participants through community risk assessment (CRA) process

CRR workshop was held at the NFPA Conference & Expo®  (C&E) today, guiding participants through the community risk assessment (CRA) process. The half-day program, which highlighted proven strategies for moving local CRA efforts forward, was led by Karen Berard-Reed, a senior strategist leading the community risk reduction (CRR) initiative at NFPA, and Chelsea Rubadou, an NFPA engineer who serves as a staff liaison and SME for standards dedicated to CRR, data analysis and fire prevention programs.Together, Berard-Reed and Rubadou discussed the true value of using data to answer the “who, what, when and why” of leading risks within a given community. From there, fire departments can create a a community risk reduction (CRR) plan that serves as a roadmap for effectively addressing those safety issues.Some workshop attendees noted that efforts to capture community data have felt overwhelming, limiting their ability to move forward. Berard-Reed and Rubadou recognized that this and similar challenges can curtail CRA efforts. Both shared strategies for working through them, while attendees also shared their experiences in breaking through roadblocks.Attendees also had ample opportunities to break into smaller groups to brainstorm and collaborate on a host of issues. These lively conversations were shared with and discussed among all workshop attendees. These conversations and interactions fostered new connections along with opportunities to continue learning from one another after the conference.Visit nfpa.org/CRR to learn more about CRA, CRR, NFPA 1300, Standard on Community Risk Assessment and Community Risk Reduction Plan Development, and CRAIG 1300™, a community risk assessment (CRA) dashboard that helps fire departments and safety officials collect community data, enabling them to identify, assess and share local demographic, geographic and economic needs.

Electric vehicle safety training at NFPA C&E helps firefighters safely mitigate EV incidents

While electric vehicles (EVs) continue to grow in popularity on our roadways, with dozens of new models coming out each year, many fire departments remain untrained in knowing how to safely and effectively handle EV incidents.To help first responders better understand the risks associated with EV incidents and how to safely handle them, an Electric Vehicles Safety Training was hosted today by Jason Emory with the Waterbury, CT Fire Department at the NFPA Conference & Expo® in Boston.Firefighters received essential training and learned tactical considerations needed to safely respond to these types of incidents. Topics covered during the two-hour session included an introduction to electric EVs, scene size-up and management, vehicle identification, immobilization, high voltage system shutdown methods, occupant rescue, and post-incident recovery and disposal considerations.If you weren’t able to attend today’s EV training, don’t despair! The NFPA Electric Vehicle Safety training program is available online. In addition, NFPA recently received a grant from General Motors so that volunteer and under-served fire departments can access the online training for free for one year, as volunteer and underserved departments often don’t have the resources to receive the needed training. About two-thirds (67 percent) of U.S. fire departments are served by part-time or volunteer firefighters, according to NFPA data.NFPA offers a wealth of resources on electric vehicle safety and training. For more information, visit https://www.nfpa.org/EV.

Women in STEM panel discussion provides support and inspiration for women pursuing their professional goals

At the Women in STEM education session, a panel of female leaders from various fire and life safety organizations discussed the influence women currently have on the industry and the future anticipated changes for women in the fire safety world.The featured panelists included Chief Trisha Wolford, fire chief, Anne Arundel County FD; Tonya Hoover, deputy fire administrator, USFA; Danielle Antonellis, founder & executive director, Kindling; and Diana Jones, senior director of technical programs and development, International Safety Equipment Association. Jones made a special presentation performing a re-enactment of Francis Perkins, who served as a factory inspector in New York when the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire broke out. Perkins went on to become the U.S. secretary of labor from 1933-1945, fiercely advocating for safer working conditions and employee protections. From there, the panelists answered attendees’ questions, providing insights and perspectives from their own experiences over the years, along with their approach to facing challenges and struggles.Key messages included the importance of recognizing your vulnerabilities and embracing rather than fighting them. “We all go through struggles to get where we want to be,” said Hoover. “Don’t be afraid to say, ‘I don’t know.’”The presenters also encouraged women to not assume that when someone treats them poorly it’s because they’re a woman. “It could be one of many reasons,” said Wolford. “And let’s face it, some people are just jerks!”Hoover’s advice was to deal with someone in the moment, then move on and let it go. The presenters also encouraged women in the fire service not to limit themselves. Determine what your unique skill set is and where you can bring the greatest good.When asked what can be done to attract women into executive officer positions, Wolford said she makes sure the women on her staff have the support to reach whatever role they want. Being a mother, for example, should not set limits on professional opportunities. The honesty and straight-forwardness of the panels’ insights and perspectives made for an inspiring event that hopefully encourages more women to confidently pursue their professional goals and passions in the world of fire and life safety.

NFPA Conference & Expo Gives Nod to Winner of the Phillip J. DiNenno Prize with a Special GFCI Panel Session on Monday

Since its inception in the 1940s, Ground-Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCI) have evolved into a series of sophisticated protection devices that have increased the protection of people from electric shock. It has also allowed for greater degrees of safe electrical power usage among numerous applications in all types of environments. Since its introduction in the National Electrical Code (NEC) in...



[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Boston Author Examines the Great Boston Fire of 1872 Through the Lens of the Fire & Life Safety Ecosystem

Above photo courtesy of Stephanie Schorow
The Great Boston Fire of 1872 exemplified the 19th-century conflagrations that were blazing across the United States at that time. The massive fire, which came just nearly a year after the Great Chicago Fire, burned for two days in November. It swept through Boston, leaving the downtown in ruins and a population devastated and in shock. It turned out to...



[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

NFPA hosts Stars at Night awards gala in Boston, celebrating recipients in eight distinct award categories

In coordination with the 2022 NFPA Conference & Expo® (C&E®), the NFPA Stars at Night awards gala was hosted in Boston yesterday evening, with individuals in eight distinct award categories receiving the highest recognitions bestowed by NFPA.
The last time NFPA hosted C&E in-person was 2019. As a result, the awards ceremony honored not only the 2022 award recipients, but those from the past two...



[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Test Your Knowledge of Codes and Standards at the NFPA Conference & Expo

As fire and life safety professionals, our expertise and knowledge continue to grow and deepen as we move through our careers. So why not put that knowledge and experience to the test this year at the NFPA Challenge! Think you know the codes? Then prove it! The Challenge is a fun way to test your NFPA codes and standards IQ and engage in a friendly contest with colleagues and friends here at the...



[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]