National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)'s Blog, page 251

New edition of NFPA's Fire Sprinkler Initiative newsletter underscores safety advocates rallying against anti-sprinkler legislation

In the latest edition of our Fire Sprinkler Initiative newsletter, read about a new push from some of Maryland’s biggest names in fire safety (and a few new ones) to fight anti-sprinkler legislation there. There are also stories on: FEMA announcing that it will sprinkler its temporary housing for disaster survivors NFPA once again offering sprinkler advocates the chance to secure up to $10,000 why the fire service should unify its support for home fire sprinklers If you haven't done so already, please subscribe to this newsletter to stay up to date on all sprinkler news. Feel free to share...

Fire Protection Research Foundation's Casey Grant recounts his recent talk-back at Cocoanut Grove Play

(Recounted by Casey Grant- Fire Protection Research Foundation Executive Director) On Friday evening (26/Feb) my wife Cathy and I attended the play “Inferno: Fire at the Cocoanut Grove 1942” at the Core Theater at the Boston Center for the Arts theatre complex. It was a great show and I was part of a post-show talk-back panel answering questions from the audience, along with former Boston Fire Department Commissioner Paul Christian and author Stephanie Schorow. Truly a unique experience! Rich in content, the dialogue was fascinating and provided a realistic portrayal of this tragic disaster. It was a straight-forward production, and...

NFPA is hiring a Fire Protection Engineer in our Quincy, MA headquarters

We are hiring! NFPA has an opening for a Fire Protection Engineer in our Quincy, MA headquarters. Our new Fire Protection Engineer will independently manage technical projects including technical committee work, product development, and association activities. The ideal candidate will serve as a technical project manager for assigned technical committees and support technical inquiries, and external organization interests. Principal responsibilities will include assisting in the processing of NFPA Building Code, Life Safety Code, Building Construction, Manufactured Housing, Fire Test, Smoke Management and other related codes and standards; serving as staff liaison to technical committees, as assigned; assisting in the preparation,...

Do you know your favorite presidential candidate's position on fire safety?

The following commentary was written by Joshua Carson, fire marshal for the Elko Fire Department in Nevada: With progressive campaign slogans like “Make America Great Again," “Reigniting the Promise in America," “America Needs a Champion,” “A New American Century,” and “A Political Revolution is Coming”, one can expect an exciting presidential race. The 2016 election brings ideas of hope and positive change within our individual lives, our country, and the world as a whole. It also brings hope that our new Commander in Chief will provide guidance and institute change on home fire sprinklers. There are many topics that are...

NFPA appoints Rafa Yañez as new business development leader for Latin America and Spain

Rafa Yañez Last fall, National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) announced a strategic goal of getting closer to stakeholders across the globe. NFPA’s hiring of Rafa Yañez as a new business development leader for Latin America and Spain brings us closer to that goal. Yañez, who’s worked extensively in business development and electrical safety for Schneider Electric and his own electrotechnology company, will collaborate with customers, providers, instructors and new educational partners on training in these regions. View the press release to learn more.

Research Foundation evaluates NFPA's Remembering When fire and fall prevention program for older adults in new report

Remembering When is a fire and fall prevention program for older adults developed by NFPA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It is designed to help older adults live safely at home as long as possible. There are sixteen key messages, eight related to fire prevention and eight related to fall prevention, developed by experts from national and local safety organizations as well as through focus group testing in high-fire-risk states. The program is intended to be led by members of the fire service in their local communities. Remembering When offers flexibility to form a coalition of...

New Research Foundation report summarizes study of the impact of sloped ceilings when protecting a storage commodity

There is limited prior research related to protection of storage under ceilings with slopes steeper than 2/12. Previous studies exist from FM Global, University of Maryland/Custom Spray Solutions, the Fire Protection Research Foundation, and National Fire Sprinkler Association (NFSA), but there are still many open questions related to the protection criteria for storage under sloped ceilings. The questions include, but are not limited to; sprinkler activation pattern relative to fire source location, and optimal sprinkler installation orientation. There are many different parameters related to this design challenge. Some of the key parameters include the slope of the ceiling, the commodity...

Join our Thunderclap to help wish Sparky the Fire Dog a happy birthday on March 18th

Help us celebrate Sparky's 65th birthday by joining us for a special 'Happy Birthday' Thunderclap! Sparky the Fire Dog was created for NFPA in 1951 and has been our official mascot and spokesdog ever since. He is a widely recognized fire safety icon that is beloved by children and adults alike. Millions have learned about fire safety through Sparky's educational lessons and materials. We think it is therefore only fitting, that we plan something special. Sparky deserves a big celebration to honor his 65th birthday on March 18th. If you have not yet heard about Thunderclap - it's simple and...

Review the Second Draft Report for NFPA 25 in the Annual 2016 revision cycle

The Second Draft Report for NFPA 25, Standard for the Inspection, Testing, and Maintenance of Water-Based Fire Protection Systems, is now available. NFPA 25 is in the Annual 2016 revision cycle but the Second Draft Report was delayed due to balloting. As such, a revised deadline to submit a Notice of Intent to Make a Motion on this document is March 18, 2016.

Today in fire history: fire in high-rise building results in three firefighter deaths

On Saturday, February 23, 1991, an early evening fire occurred in a 38-story building in downtown Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The fire extended to 9 floors, killed three firefighters and injured 24 others. The fire started on the 22nd floor and was caused by spontaneous ignition of linseed-soaked rags used for restoring and cleaning wood paneling. The fire was able to grow significantly before being detected. Vertical spread was ultimately stopped by the automatic sprinklers on the 30th floor that were supplied by fire department pumpers. Significant factors affecting the outcome of this fire include: The lack of automatic fire sprinklers on...