National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)'s Blog, page 248

Reserve your spot now for the Symposium on Fire Protection for a Changing World

Join us on April 18, 2016 at the Holiday Inn Munich - City Centre in Munich, Germany for an in-depth review of the latest emerging issues important to the global fire protection community. NFPA and the Fire Protection Research Foundation present a one-day symposium on recent global research to address the challenges of today and tomorrow. The program includes presentations about intelligent building design, tall wood buildings, lithium-ion batteries, big data for fire protection, and much more. Additional details and a full program can be found on our website: www.nfpa.org/munich. The symposium will take place the day before Fire Sprinkler...

NIOSH and Boston Fire Department released reports today on Boston fire that resulted in tragic loss of two firefighters in March 2014

The National Institute for Occupational Health and Safety (NIOSH) and the Boston Fire Department today released reports on their investigations of the Back Bay fire that resulted in the tragic loss of two firefighters on March 26, 2014. Welders installing railings on a nearby building caused the fire; the welding company did not have the necessary permits for this work. According to the NIOSH report, there were several contributing factors to the fatalities, including the wind-driven nature of the fire itself; firefighter training, staffing and tactics; and the location of fire hydrants. The report cited 15 recommendations, including the provision...

Succesful launch of NFPA 25 hands-on training

February 3, 2016 marked a new age in the world of NFPA training programs: it was the launch of our NFPA 25 Hands-On Training Program and it was an amazing success. Dozens of students spent two days with Matt Klaus, NFPA's Technical Lead for Fire Protection, in Cranston, RI alternating time between the lab and the classroom, applying the code to actual equipment. I asked Matt Klaus about the event and he had this to say: "It was an amazing experience to connect NFPA codes and standards to real world applications. The feedback from the attendees was that we need...

Secure up to $10,000! Application deadline approaching for NFPA's Fire Sprinkler Initiative grant

If a lack of funding is preventing you from getting a crucial safety message out to the public, NFPA can help. But you must act quickly. Here's your chance to secure up to $10,000 through NFPA's Bringing Safety Home Grant, which funds localized advocacy and educational efforts in support of home fire sprinklers. Why fire sprinklers? NFPA research confirms these devices can save lives in the place where people are dying most from fire. Consider how some of the 2015 grant recipients used these funds, and create (or mimic) something similar in your region: As pictured above, the Missouri Fire...

Browse, search list of education sessions at NFPA Conference & Expo in Las Vegas

The Conference sessions, descriptions and speakers are now available on the NFPA Conference & Expo website. Search by key word, date, track, or speaker. Go to nfpa.org/conferenceeducation to put together your personal schedule! Learn more about this conference...and register today!

SupDet 2016 Conference Presentations Now Available

The Research Foundation's SupDet 2016 symposium wrapped up last week in San Antonio, Texas. Over the course of the four-day conference more than 100 attendees and 30 presenters met to discuss the latest research, developments and emerging issues in the fire detection and suppression world. Attendees listened to presentations on topics such as the History of Fire, New Technology for High-Challenge Sprinkler Protected Warehouses, Hazards of Lithium-Ion Batteries, Data Collection related to Smoke Alarm Performance, Indoor Positioning Systems, new research focused on reducing Nuisance Alarms, as well as a workshop on the opportunities for big data to inform ITM practices...

SUPDET 2016 Conference Presentations Now Available

The Research Foundation's SUPDET 2016 symposium wrapped up last week in San Antonio, Texas.  Over the course of the four-day conference more than 100 attendees and 30 presenters met to discuss the latest research, developments and emerging issues in

Read the NFPA Standards Council agenda for the April 2016 meeting

The NFPA Standards Council will be meeting on April 5-6, 2016 in Bonita Springs, Florida. At this meeting, some of the topics the Council will address include: an appeal on a proposed TIA to NFPA 780 the issuance of proposed TIAs on NFPA 20, NFPA 30B, NFPA 52, NFPA 55, NFPA 68, NFPA 69, NFPA 400, NFPA 409, NFPA 664, NFPA 780, and NFPA 1977 new projects/documents on hanging and bracing of water-based fire protection systems; low pressure dispensing containers (LPDC); marijuana growing and processing facilities; and stationary energy storage systems. consideration of requests from Committees to change revision cycle...

Review the First Draft Reports to submit comments on documents in the Annual 2017 revision cycle

The First Draft Reports for NFPA documents in the Annual 2017 revision cycle are now available. Review the First Draft Reports for use as background in the submission of public comments. The deadline to submit a public comment through the online system on any of these documents is May 16, 2016. Some of the proposed NFPA documents with First Draft Reports in the Annual 2017 revision cycle are as follows: NFPA 1, Fire Code NFPA 54, National Fuel Gas Code NFPA 59, Utility LP-Gas Plant Code NFPA 70E, Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace NFPA 87, Recommended Practice for...

Today in fire history: cruise ship successfully evacuated, but 90 firefighters injured

On March 9, 1984, a fire occurred in a crew cabin of a ship on a daily cruise approximately 5 miles off the coast of central Florida. The fire was discovered at approximately 7:30 p.m. and officers on the bridge immediately mobilized the ship’s fire brigade. Crew members attempted unsuccessfully to extinguish the fire; while the attempts were being made, the captain alerted the passengers and returned the ship to a terminal at Port Canaveral. When the ship reached land, the ship’s crew assisted all 744 passengers in safely disembarking the ship, meanwhile, land-based fire crews boarded the ship and...