National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)'s Blog, page 260

Electric and Hybrid Vehicle Fire Suppression

With the increasing prevalence of electric (EV) and hybrid vehicles all over the world, it is important for the first and second responder communities to be educated on the various unique safety risk these vehicles may present. Since 2010, the National Fire Protection Association’s (NFPA) Alternative Fuel Vehicle Safety Training Program has teamed up with major auto manufactures, subject matter experts, fire, law enforcement and safety organizations in order to address these safety needs. Through our years of research and work in this field we have developed a comprehensive curriculum for first responders when dealing with alternatively fueled vehicles which...

Today in fire history: high-rise apartment fire causes four civilian deaths, nine civilian injuries and 13 firefighter injuries

On January 11, 1988 at 8:19 p.m., the New York City Fire Department was notified of a building fire at East 50th Street, Manhattan. Arriving fire fighters found a fire involving several first floor rooms with trapped occupants on the floors above. Before the fire was under control, the fire department had sounded five alarms bringing over 200 fire fighters to the scene; four civilians died, 13 fire fighters were injured, and another nine civilians were also injured. Approximately 70 people were rescued by fire fighters. The mixed-use building was a fire-resistive, 115 ft x 100 ft, 10-story high-rise structure....

Fire erupts in Dubai high-rise

photo courtesy of CNN A massive high-rise fire broke out today at The Address Hotel in Dubai, a five-star property near the Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest skyscraper. Right before midnight, as tens of thousands of spectators awaited New Year's Eve fireworks on the streets surrounding the hotel, large explosions erupted inside the burning building. Fire engulfed at least twenty stories of the 63-story luxury hotel. Plastic was reportedly melting off the exterior of the hotel and raining down from the building as first responders rushed to the scene. Dubai's Media Office wrote on its official Twitter account that the...

8 important changes in the 2016 edition of NFPA 11

The 2016 edition of NFPA 11 Standard for Low-, Medium-, and High-Expansion Foam is now available. Here are 8 important changes that are worth noting. #1) Manufacturers are now required to publish acceptable ranges of density (or specific gravity), pH, refractive index, and viscosity for the foam concentrates that they produce. These values are intended to be used by laboratories to establish pass/fail criteria for annual quality testing. Because this information has not been consistently available in the past, laboratories have been required to make assumptions about the appropriate tolerances. To further support the measurement of foam quality, new definitions...

Today in fire history: a fire at a hotel and casino resulted in 97 fatalities and over 140 injuries

On December 31, 1986, a mid-afternoon fire at the Dupont Plaza Hotel and Casino in San Juan, Puerto Rico resulted in 97 fatalities and over 140 injuries. The NFPA analysis of the data indicates there were four major factors contributing to the loss of life. Those factors are: • Lack of automatic sprinklers in the south ballroom (room of origin). • Rapid fire growth and spread. • Lack of automatic fire detection systems/ inadequate exits for the casino. • Vertical opening between the ballroom and the casino levels. Additional findings are: • Smoke movement to the high-rise tower by way...

The top 10 stories on home fire sprinklers that grabbed your attention in 2015

NFPA's state sprinkler coalition map, underscoring 28 states with a coalition in place In 2015, there were hellos (thank you, Adele) and goodbyes. NFPA's Fire Sprinkler Initiative team welcomed a handful of new state sprinkler coalitions--including newcomers South Dakota and Delaware--that brought the national coalition total to 28. We read with interest commentary by Fire Chief Rick Ennis and burn survivor Rob Feeney, who added their unique perspectives to NFPA's blogs in 2015. We bid farewell to a state sprinkler requirement in Minnesota (a decision that is being appealed). Taking a look back, here are the top 10 stories from...

NFPA urges timely disposal of Christmas trees and safe removal of lights

With the holiday now behind us, O Christmas tree, how saggy are your branches? The gifts have been removed from under the pine, the tree is swiftly losing its coat of green, and the needles are piling up on the floor, which means it’s time to remove the tree from your home. Christmas trees are very flammable, dry out the longer they remain in the home, and can be consumed by fire in a matter of seconds.” All trees can burn, though dry ones can be engulfed by flames significantly more quickly. NFPA statistics indicate that nearly 40 percent of...

Commentary: Fire sprinklers are the best Christmas gift you could give your family

I'm wondering if the writers of these popular ditties were considering fire safety while crafting these lyrics: It doesn't show signs of stopping, and I bought some corn for popping... Popcorn, yum. But I'm hoping someone is watching over the corn while it's being popped to perfection. (Admit it: stove top popcorn is the tastiest.) According to NFPA, two of the peak days for home cooking fires are Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. The stockings were hung by the chimney with care... With care, and hopefully with safety in mind. Between 2009-2013, more than 850 home fires were started by...

Whatever it takes

Firefighters are known to do whatever it takes. We get called for all sorts of situations: cats in trees, resident assistance calls, etc. We also collect Christmas trees when the season is over, bring smoke alarms to folks in need, and act as good examples in a myriad of ways in the community. When there’s an accident, any one of a number of things can happen. Here’s one more thing to add to that number: firefighters reading to a scared little boy. This image came from FireRescue1 and was originally posted to a Facebook account in the name of Steffani...

NFPA Standards Council issues Tentative Interim Amendments (TIAs) to NFPA 30B, NFPA 55, 59A, 80, 105, and 5000

At its December 2015 meeting, the NFPA Standards Council considered the issuance of several proposed Tentative Interim Amendments (TIAs). The following TIAs were issued by the Council on December 8, 2015: NFPA 30B, TIA 15-2, referencing 3.3.2 Aerosol Container NFPA 55, TIA 16-1, referencing 1.1.1 NFPA 59A, TIA 16-1, referencing various sections NFPA 80, TIA 16-1, referencing 19.4.4, 19.4.6, 19.5.2.3 and 19.5.3.3 NFPA 105, TIA 16-1, referencing 7.5.4, 7.5.5 NFPA 5000, TIA 15-7, referencing 7.4.3.6.5(5) Tentative Interim Amendments (TIAs) are amendments to an NFPA document processed in accordance with Section 5 of the Regulations Governing the Development of NFPA Standards...