National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)'s Blog, page 286

'Perspectives' in new NFPA Journal looks at a new approach to preventing crowd crush tragedies

In the past few decades, thousands of people around the world have died or been seriously injured by crowd crush, many of compressive asphyxia, where victims are unable to expand their lungs under the force of bodies surrounding them. It’s common for dozens if not hundreds of people to die in a single event: In 1990, a crowd crush in a pedestrian tunnel leading out of Mecca during the Muslim Hajj led to the deaths of 1,426 Muslim pilgrims. Federico Botta, a 27-year old PhD candidate and researcher at the University of Warwick Business School in Coventry, England, believes he...

NFPA remembers Tom Moses, building and fire safety advocate

  Tom Moses surveys the construction of Disney World’s Magic Kingdom, including Cinderella Castle, circa 1969. (Photo: Reedy Creek Improvement District)   by Robert Solomon, NFPA Division Manager for Building Fire Protection  

Industrial Fire Protection Section awards at NFPA conference

Fire Prevention Week was established to commemorate the Great Chicago Fire and to educate everyone about the importance of Fire Prevention. The Industrial Fire Protection Section(IFPS) Fire Prevention Week(FPW) award recognizes an IFPS member that uses the theme of FPW and educates their employees and involves the community in getting the word out about Fire Prevention. Applicants are judged on 4 different areas: Employee education Local outreach Creativity Promotional usage For 2014, we had a number of strong admissions but 3 submissions stood out among the rest. One company edged out the other two and won 1st prize. Here’s a...

New outdoor entertaining webpage highlights fire safety from setting the table to decorating landscapes

Warm balmy nights, food cooking on the grill, and friends and family spending quality time together in the backyard or around the pool create wonderful memories that last a lifetime. But, hosting outdoor events also means there’s an increased risk of home fires and even grass and brush fires. To this end, NFPA created a new "outdoor entertaining" webpage that provides all kinds of great resources to help you plan your next summer party safely. From setting the table to decorating the landscape, find tips sheets, infographics, videos and more. We have you covered. Did you know? NFPA is now...

In July issue of Safety Source: new Spanish tip sheets, smoke alarm infographic, FPW printables & more

The July issue of Safety Source, NFPA's public education enewsletter, is now available for viewing. In this issue, you will find; Clothes dryer safety and electrical safety tip sheets now in Spanish Fire Prevention Week printables for kids Infographic highlights smoke alarm placement Ten-minute lesson covers smoke alarms in less traditional sleeping areas Domino’s Fire Prevention Week sweepstakes Jeff Donahue joins Public Education Division 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.

Two of NFPA's fire safety tip sheets are now available in Spanish

NFPA offers free safety tip sheets on a variety of fire and life safety topics. Download, print and share these tip sheets to spread the word about fire safety. Two of our popular tip sheets have now been translated and are now available in Spanish. Doing laundry is most likely part of your every day routine. But did you know how important taking care of your clothes dryer is to the safety of your home? With a few simple safety tips you can help prevent a clothes dryer fire. Download the new dryer safety tip sheet available in Spanish. In...

NFPA Journal discusses the new reality of wildland fires

Lucian Deaton, manager of NFPA’s Firewise Communities and Fire Adapted Communities Programs, recently heard Dr. Stephen Pyne, the United States’ foremost forestry historian, speak at a conference at Arizona State University, where he challenged the attendees to think of the wildland/urban interface (WUI) “not as wilderness, but as bits of urban development that happen to have unique (and often fire-prone) landscaping—a perspective that makes it easy to grasp the threat faced by structures in the WUI.” Whether you believe in climate change or think that the planet is simply experiencing a shift in global weather cycles, it is clear that...

The latest in NFPA's new video series underscores long-lasting, emotional torment following home fires

"I didn't realize [my burn injuries] would affect not just me, but my wife and kids. It affected all aspects of our lives. I thought we would never get back to the life we had before." Those jarring words are from Firefighter Lionel Crowther, who received burns on 70 percent of his body from a home fire that eventually killed his captain. While attempting to come to terms with his physical injuries, Crowther experienced emotional torment also felt by his wife and two children. His inability to regain his independence--brushing his teeth and applying ointment had to be done by...

NFPA staffers discuss food truck fire safety on radio program

One year after a deadly Philadelphia food truck explosion, two NFPA representatives spoke about food truck safety in a recent radio interview. Christal Frost, host of a weekday show on WTCM NewsTalk 580 in Traverse City, Michigan, asked the pair about risk factors involved with the increasingly-popular mobile food vendors and what the NFPA is doing to address the issue. "Our goal this morning is not to incite fear and panic in the public with food trucks," said Meredith Hawes, an NFPA public education specialist, "but just to bring to light some of the safety concerns." Jacqueline Wilmot, an NFPA...

2015 NFPA Conference & Expo CEUs

If you attended NFPA's Conference & Expo in Chicago this June be sure to keep an eye out for the link you will receive via email so that you can access a record of the CEU (continuing education units) you earned. CEU records will be available approximately one month after the conference. 2015 NFPA Conference CEUs are applicable toward the education requirements of many professional boards and licensing organizations. Eligibility and reporting procedures vary; for more information, contact your professional organization. Outlined below are instructions for some of the most popular requests. American Institute of Architects (AIA) To receive continuing...