National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)'s Blog, page 278

Today in fire history: one firefighter dies in cold storage warehouse explosion

On Monday, September 17, 1984, at approximately 4:00 p.m., an explosion occurred in a cold storage warehouse building near Shreveport, Louisiana. The explosion occurred while two members of the Shreveport Fire Department's Hazardous Material Unit were attempting to isolate an anhydrous ammonia leak in a section of the building's refrigeration system. Employees had earlier detected the leak and workers had begun repairs earlier in the day, but were unable to complete the repair due to the effects of the ammonia. The force of the explosion raised the building's roof/ceiling assembly in the immediate area of the leak approximately one foot...

Find out what people say when Sparky asks, “How much time do you have to escape a home fire?”

People may have as little as one to two minutes to safely escape a home fire from the time the smoke alarm sounds. That’s information everyone should know. Unfortunately, not everyone does. As you’ll see in this "Smoke Alarm Smarts” video – the second in our weekly series of four leading up to Fire Prevention Week – when Sparky the Fire Dog® asks people how long they have to safely escape a home fire from the time the smoke alarm sounds, he gets lots of different answers. As Fire Prevention Week fast-approaches, we’re working to promote basic but vital smoke...

'In a Flash' in the new NFPA Journal looks at how some school security trends are worrying fire and life safety officals

Shaken by gun violence, more schools around the country are purchasing after market classroom door barricades that attach to the inside of the door, making it next to impossible to enter from the outside during an active shooter event. That’s good news if the sole aim is to keep a bad guy out. But what if the bad guy is already inside a classroom and it’s police or firefighters who can’t get in? What if kids are inside a classroom in lockdown while a fire is set and they need to get out? This emerging issue is explored in the...

Remembering the elderly on Grandparents Day and year-round

Susan Strasberg, the youngest actress to star on Broadway and enjoy marquee exposure when she played the lead role in Diary of Ann Frank in 1955 at age 18, once said about her grandparents, “I loved their home. Everything smelled older, worn but safe; the food aroma baked itself into the furniture. There is something about our grandparents’ homes that is comforting – not just for us but for our elderly loved ones, especially as they age. As we celebrate Grandparents Day on Sunday, September 13, think about your grandparents, the reassuring spaces they call home – and the many...

Recent home fires showcase the slow and painful recovery process

Fire forced John Kor, his girlfriend, and others from Kor's home within minutes of noticing the flames. Finding a sense of normalcy after the incident won't be as brief. Kor, 33, and those involved in the August 15 fire in Rapid City, South Dakota, are experiencing the aftermath felt my thousands of others across North America each year. In 2013 alone, there were more than 369,000 reported home structure fires that resulted 2,800 deaths, 12,000 injuries, and nearly $7 billion in direct property damage, according to NFPA. An added component to this data is the excruciating pain of picking up...

Submit public input online for NFPA Standards in the Fall 2017 revision cycle

NFPA Standards in the Fall 2017 revision cycle are accepting Public Input through NFPA's online submission system. To submit Public Input using the online system, select the Standard from the list of NFPA codes and standards or search for any document available for public input using the search feature in the gray box. Once on the specific document information page, select "The next edition of this standard is now open for Public Input (formerly proposals)" to begin the process. The system shows any changes made by the submitter in legislative text. You have the option of submitting the input right...

NFPA Standards Council issues Tentative Interim Amendments to 7 documents

At its August 2015 meeting, the NFPA Standards Council considered the issuance of several proposed Tentative Interim Amendments (TIAs). The following TIAs on NFPA 2, NFPA 13, NFPA 33, NFPA 111, NFPA 1221, NFPA 1917, and NFPA 1971 were issued by the Council: TIAs issued on August 18, 2015 and incorporated into the NFPA Standard: NFPA 2, TIA 16-1, referencing 18.3.3, 2016 edition NFPA 13, TIA 16-1, referencing 17.2.3.5.6, A.17.2.3.5 and A.17.3.3.5, 2016 edition NFPA 13, TIA 16-2, referencing 2.3.1, 3.11.9, A.3.11.9, 9.3.5.12, A.9.3.5.12, A.9.3.5.12.1 and E.7, 2016 edition NFPA 13, TIA 16-3, referencing 5.6.3.3, Figure 5.6.3.4.2, Figure 5.6.3.3.3.2(new), 5.6.3.4,...

Take our poll. School classroom barricades: Life safety hazard, or necessary precaution?

Shaken by gun violence, more schools around the country are purchasing after market classroom door barricades that attach to the inside of the door, making it next to impossible to enter from the outside during an active shooter or other type of emergency event. That’s good news if the sole aim is to keep a bad guy out. But what if the bad guy is already inside a classroom and it’s police or firefighters who can’t get in? What if kids are inside a classroom in lockdown while a fire is set and they need to get out? What do...

New NFPA Journal column looks at 'How fast is fast enough' when it comes to fire department response times

NFPA 1710, Organization and Deployment of Fire Suppression Operations, Emergency Medicals Operations, and Special Operations to the Public by Career Fire Departments, requires specific times for the response of fire and emergency services. But, according to NFPA's Division Manager for Public Fire Ken Willette, some fire departments have recently been criticized by local media and public officials for how they interpret these requirements. In Willette’s recent column in the new September/October issue of NFPA Journal, “How Fast is Fast Enough,” he sheds some light on the requirement, why it matters and how it should be followed. “Draft a fire department...

The new issue of NFPA Journal talks about the costs of fire

According to NFPA’s new vision statement, the Association is “the leading global advocate for the elimination of death, injury, property and economic loss due to fire, electrical, and related hazards.” While the mention of economic loss is new, there’s nothing groundbreaking about the concept for NFPA, says Kathleen Almand, vice-president of Research at NFPA. Almand notes that it became apparent that the cost of fire and fire protection occupies a more prominent place in conversations about fire safety during the research the Fire Protection Research Foundation did to prepare the Association’s new strategy. It also became clear that the cost...