National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)'s Blog, page 253

Treat frozen pipes with fire safety in mind

As frigid temperatures have reached several regions of the U.S. this past week, frozen pipes have become a real concern for homeowners. Unfortunately, news reports over the past few days have featured home fire incidents caused by people using open flames to thaw frozen pipes in their homes. Clearly, no one should ever use an open flame to thaw pipes, as this presents serious risks to people and property. The American Red Cross offers a wealth of tips and recommendations to prevent frozen pipes and safely thaw them. Also, take a look at our safety tips for safely heating your...

FEMA's 'next generation' of temporary housing includes fire sprinklers

Disaster survivors displaced from their homes will now have one less thing to worry about if sheltering in temporary housing. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has decided to include key fire safety features--particularly, fire sprinklers--in its new manufactured housing units. Following a major disaster, these units serve as a temporary home until formal repairs or permanent housing is acquired. FEMA wanted to make sure its next generation of temporary housing was as safe as the agency could provide, FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate recently told an ABC affiliate. The concealed sprinklers accompany smoke alarms throughout the unit. For more information...

In the February issue of Safety Source: carbon monoxide toolkit, barn fire safety checklist, electrical safety infographic & more

The February issue of Safety Source, NFPA's public education enewsletter, is now available for viewing. In this issue, you will find; New checklist on barn fire safety NFPA and CPSC co-sponsor carbon monoxide toolkit for fire departments “Put a Freeze on Winter Fires” infographic highlights electrical safety Video helps children identify hot items E-book highlights three steps to a safer Firewise new home Don't miss an issue! Sign up now and be the first to get the latest information on happenings in the public education division, activities, fire statistics, trends, educational tips, Sparky the Fire Dog and more.

Today in fire history: successful evacuation in high-rise hotel fire

On February 13, 1975, a fire occurred in a nine-story hotel in Peoria, Illinois. Due to the efforts of local police and firefighters, 119 guests, many of whom did not speak English, were evacuated and there were no fatalities. Many guests in the hotel were from around the world, attending a construction equipment conference. At around 1:00 a.m. one of the guests returned to his room on the seventh floor of the hotel from a party on the ninth floor of the building. He then turned on his TV set and lay down on his bed. The next thing that...

In February's NFPA News: Comments sought on proposed TIAs to NFPA 101 and 5000; new project request on energy storage systems; Annual 2016 Second Draft Reports available; and more...

The February 2016 issue of NFPA News, our codes and standards newsletter, is now available. Comments sought on proposed Tentative Interim Amendments (TIAs) to NFPA 101 and NFPA 5000 One day session for NFPA Technical Meeting Annual 2016 Second Draft Reports available Potential new project on stationary energy storage systems Comments sought on 9-1-1 Telecommunicators training guidelines NFPA news in brief Committees soliciting public input Committees seeking members Committee meetings calendar Subscribe today! NFPA News is a free newsletter, and includes special announcements, notification of public input and comment closing dates, requests for comments, notices on the availability of Standards...

Candles pose a significant fire risk- here’s how to stay safe this Valentine's Day

As Valentine’s Day rolls around, it’s important to remember to use caution when lighting and burning candles. Between 2009 and 2013, there were 9,300 reported home structure fires in the US that were started by candles, with an average of approximately 25 fires reported per day. Damage from these fires amounted to 86 deaths, 827 injuries and $374 million in direct property damage. A third of these fires started in bedrooms, where falling asleep played a role in 11% percent of reported home candle fires and a third of the associated deaths. To minimize the damage and injury associated with...

Kidde, Craig Morgan, NFPA & IAFC Kick Off ‘Step Up and Stand Out’ National Campaign & contest to support volunteer firefighters

Kidde Fire Safety has teamed up with Craig Morgan, Country Music star and former first responder, Firehouse, the magazine of the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC), NFPA and National Fallen Firefighters Foundation to launch “Step Up and Stand Out,” a national campaign to increase awareness of the need for volunteer firefighters. An integral part of the campaign is a contest that launched nationwide yesterday to reward volunteers who have gone above and beyond in their community. Hosted on Firehouse.com, the contest invites the public to upload a brief video submission nominating a current volunteer firefighter or support volunteer for...

New for you! A quick reference schedule of NFPA Training

NFPA is kicking off the year with over 130 NFPA instructor-led training programs in locations across the country such as: Baltimore, Las Vegas, Nashville, Seattle, Orlando and more. Download or print this 2016 calendar for quick reference. NFPA offers expert-led classroom training on electrical safety, sprinkler and water-based systems, fire alarm and signaling, building and life safety systems, and fire protection. Download the 2016 NFPA Training Schedule now. For more information on all of the training options that NFPA offers including state licensure programs, certification programs and training at your facility go to: nfpa.org/training.

Candles pose a significant fire risk- here’s how to stay safe

As Valentine’s Day rolls around, it’s important to remember to use caution when lighting and burning candles. Between 2009 and 2013, there were 9,300 reported home structure fires in the US that were started by candles, with an average of approximately 25 fires reported per day. Damage from these fires amounted to 86 deaths, 827 injuries and $374 million in direct property damage. A third of these fires started in bedrooms, where falling asleep played a role in 11% percent of reported home candle fires and a third of the associated deaths. To minimize the damage and injury associated with...

Proceedings available from Research Foundation workshop on emergency preparedness and resiliency

In the aftermath of recent events with major impacts on the built environment, such as Hurricane Sandy, the building and emergency response communities are reassessing their future preparedness. In 2014, NFPA’s Research Foundation initiated a project to identify those provisions in NFPA codes and standards that embody the concepts of resiliency, compile available information to serve as a technical reference for those documents, and provide guidance to NFPA Technical Committees. In order to share the results of that project and learn about other emerging needs of our stakeholders related to this topic, the Foundation convened a workshop at NFPA headquarters...