National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)'s Blog, page 285

Couple discovers the horrors of home fires the day of their wedding

Dayleen Marrero heard sirens as she answered an afternoon phone call from her soon-to-be husband, Andrew Taylor. The couple was set to marry that evening. Standing next to the couple's pit bull mix, Taylor was outside their home grasping his tuxedo, the only thing he was able to take with him after escaping a fire inside their home. Prepping for her big day at a nearby hotel, Marrero was stunned by the news. As reported by The Chicago Tribune, two groomsmen also living in the same building lost their dog and cat in the fire. Silks and costumes used by...

New NFPA Journal column tackles fire alarm and PA systems in assembly occupancies

Evacuation and alarms and notifications can be challenging in assembly occupancies, and there are a number of provisions in NFPA 72, National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code, for signaling and communicating with people during an emergency evacuation. Wayne D. Moore, vice president at Jensen Hughes, sheds some light on this topic in his new column, “Interface Challenge” in the new July/August issue of NFPA Journal. "Because assembly occupancies present a number of fire and emergency messaging challenges, the designer must ensure that the required fire alarm systems and public address systems interface properly,” Moore writes. “The designer also must present...

American Nurses Association holds Membership Assembly, makes historic decisions for future

The American Nurses Association held their Membership Assembly this past week, during which nurse leaders took action on key issues centering on fostering an ethical environment, infection prevention and control, and advancing and public reporting of quality measures that capture nursing care. They also elected three members to the ANA Board of Directors and four to an ANA committee, and voted on bylaws focused on association governance. NFPA's Chairman of the Board, Ernest James Grant, PhD, MSN, RN, FAAN, from the North Carolina Nurses Association, was elected to the ANA Board of Directors as vice president. In other action, assembly...

Today in fire history: 24 die in hotel fire

On July 26, 1980, a later-evening fire in a licensed hotel in the resort town of Bradley Beach, New Jersey, was responsible for the deaths of 24 of the 38 residents of the facility. Most of the residents were elderly and mentally impaired, and many of them had be referred to the hotel by state mental health care institutions of by the county welfare department. The fire, most probably of electrical origin started in a concealed space above the ceiling of a basement recreation room and spread to upper floors by means of an open door from the basement and...

New NFPA Journal column: Tragedy in upstate New York underscores the need for home fire sprinklers,

Last May near Syracuse, New York, a two-year old girl died in a home fire while her mother was outside watching her four-year old son play with neighborhood kids. “If I was standing right in front of my house when a fire broke out, I would have thought I could get my child out safely. But that was before I came to work at NFPA,” writes Lorraine Carli, vice president of Outreach and Advocacy for NFPA, in her recent column in the July/August issue of NFPA Journal. The fire spread rapidly because, although the home was built in 2013, four...

In July issue of Fire Break: USAA offers Firewise discount, 2014 Communities program recap, vent tips & more

The July issue of Fire Break, NFPA’s Wildland Fire Operations Division newsletter, is now available for viewing. Here’s what you’ll find in this month’s issue: Information about USAA’s discount on a homeowner’s insurance premium for its members who live in Firewise communities A recap of the 2014 Firewise Communities/USA program and activities Information on how to protect your home from wildfire by focusing on the vents A collection of stories that highlight team pride and collaboration on Prep Day back in May ...and much more. We want to continue to share all of this great information with you, so don’t...

Historic Fires: 1914 Salem fire and the Rebuilding Commission

While the exact cause of the fire is not known, we do know the 1914 Salem Fire started in an unsprinklered factory in an area known as "Blubber Hollow", near Gallows Hill shortly after 1:30 p.m. on June 25, 1914. At that time, one half of available firemen in Salem were at dinner, leaving just 9 men to respond to the scene. Engine 4 was the first to arrive and connected to a hydrant close to the point of origin of the fire, but heat from the fire quickly caused the responders to retreat. Engine 3 arrived shortly after and...

Two families say hello to their sprinklered homes, courtesy of Habitat of Humanity

In June, two ecstatic families were given the keys to their new homes in Hanover, Massachusetts. Local safety officials also joined in the cheering, since both homes are fully protected with sprinklers. Getting a peek at their new abodes were the Patry and Plahn families, who joined town officials in a home dedication ceremony last month. Members of the Massachusetts Fire Sprinkler Coalition were on hand to congratulate the families and underscore how well-protected they will be thanks to the homes' fire sprinklers. The coalition collaborated with NFPA, the South Shore Habitat for Humanity, and the National Fire Sprinkler Association...

2016 NFPA Conference & Expo in Las Vegas: Call for Presentations!

We are now accepting proposals for educational presentations at the 2016 NFPA Conference & Expo. We invite you to share your knowledge with your peers as a presenter in Las Vegas, Nevada, June 13-16, 2016. Please complete this application by Monday, September 14, 2015 at 5:00 pm EDT. Topics may include: Electrical, Fire Protection Engineering, Fire and Emergency Services, Emergency Preparedness/Business Continuity, Building and Life Safety, Health Care, Loss Control/Prevention, Detection and Notification, Fire Suppression, Codes and Standards and Public Education. NFPA will review all presentation proposals. Selections will be made based on quality, relevance, focus, practical application, and on...

NFPA remembers Tom Moses, building and fire safety advocate

by Robert Solomon, NFPA's Division Manager for Building Fire Protection There is a little bit of sadness at the Happiest Place on Earth today. We learned yesterday that Tom Moses passed away in his Florida home on the morning of July 21. For almost 50 years, Mr. Moses served with the Reedy Creek Improvement District (RCID) in Florida. At the time of his death, he was on the Board of Supervisors for RCID and he was the City Manager for the City of Bay Lake. RCID oversees the 38.5 square miles that is home to Walt Disney World. The District...