National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)'s Blog, page 304

We're hiring an HR Generalist in the NFPA Quincy, MA headquarters

Do you want to make a difference? NFPA’s Human Resources team is looking for an HR Generalist with a specialty in compensation. The successful candidate will have a well-rounded background in coaching and counseling both managers and employees; solid competency across most HR functions including benefits administration, recruiting and compliance; and have a working knowledge of compensation strategy, structure and analysis. Applicants should be well versed in handling confidential correspondence and consistently exercise a high degree of discretion in handling employee issues. The position requires a refined sense of relationship building, initiative, common sense, verbal & written communication, confidentiality and...

In new NFPA Journal, an insider's look at the emergency response in the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombing

Aside from the sadness and anger, the one thing I remember most about living in Boston during the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings was the unshakable disbelief. I can’t tell you how many times I thought, or muttered, or heard someone say to no one in particular, “I can’t believe this is happening right now.” In seconds, Patriots Day, a long-awaited celebration of spring and community, was marred in the most evil way. In hours, media from all over the world converged on our city, and soldiers with guns popped up everywhere. Days later, a Hollywood-style shootout happened on the street,...

NFPA Journal talks to Eric Cote about keeping the power on in hospitals

NFPA Journal recently talked to Eric Cote, a communications and policy consultancy based in Rhode Island, about Powered for Patients, an public–private organization he and colleague Cara Klein started in 2012 after Hurricane Sandy. The organization's aim is to protect hospital patients by ensuring proper backup power and expedited power restoration for critical healthcare facilities. When asked about the most urgent issues the organization faces, Cote said that one of their greatest opportunities is to help utilities and hospitals build closer working relationships to avoid outages when possible and enable faster restoration of power. “We’ve spoken to generator service companies...

NFPA issues errata on NFPA 70E, Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace, and NFPA 5000, Building Construction and Safety Code

NFPA has issued the following errata on NFPA 70E, Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace, and NFPA 5000, Building Construction and Safety Code®: NFPA 70E, Errata 70E-15-1, referencing 110.2(C)(2)(c), 130.7(C)(15)(A), (B) and Table Notes, Table 130.7(C)(16), and Table H.3(b) of the 2015 edition. Issuance date: March 10, 2015 NFPA 5000, Errata 5000-15-1, referencing Table 7.4.1 on the 2015 edition. Issuance date: March 26, 2015 An errata is a correction issued to an NFPA Standard, published in NFPA News, Codes Online, and included in any further distribution of the document.

Home fire causes $600K in damages but no injuries, thanks to working smoke alarms

“It’s still the same old story…”, so the song goes. In the case of working smoke alarms, the story is most often the same: smoke alarms save lives. In the case of a recent Burlington, ON, home fire, that life-saving story played out when the smoke alarm started sounding at about 8:30pm. Upon investigating, the family found both cars in the garage fully engulfed by fire, while flames had spread to the second floor and roof above the garage. Damage to the home was extensive, estimated at $600,000, but no one was hurt. Without the proper warning from working smoke...

Major sprinkler victory in New Jersey highlighted in recent edition of NFPA's Fire Sprinkler Initiative newsletter

The Garden State experienced a win in its push for increased safety in homes when the state Senate recently passed a bill to sprinkler all new, one- and two-family homes. The bill heads to the governor's desk for a signature. Learn about the massive fire that prompted this bill by reading the latest edition of NFPA'S Fire Sprinkler Initiative newsletter. Other news items include information on: the deadly trio found in today's homes NFPA's new Bringing Safety Home Grant, which gives sprinkler advocates the chance to secure $10,000 for localized advocacy efforts water supply options for home fire sprinklers Don't...

Today marks one-year anniversary of Back Bay fire that killed two Boston firefighters

Today marks the one-year anniversary of the Back Bay fire that claimed the lives of two Boston firefighters, Lt. Edward Walsh and Michael Kennedy. In the above WGBH-TV interview, Boston Fire Commissioner Joseph Finn, who was deputy chief at the time of the deadly blaze, offers insights into the past year, including lessons learned, and how the families of the two firefighters have valiantly responded to the loss of their loved ones. A special thanks to all the firefighters who work to protect all of us from fire each and every day.

NFPA Journal column talks about new electrical certification program

In January, NFPA launched the Certified Electrical Safety Worker program for professionals who work on electrical equipment and circuits, including construction electricians, maintenance electricians, and other electrical workers. It followed the launch in mid-2013 of the NFPA Certified Electrical Safety Compliance Professional, which targets those responsible for overseeing a workplace electrical safety program. Both of these certifications can help companies create and maintain an electrically safe workplace, says Jeff Sargent, in his column “Certified Safe” in the latest issue of NFPA Journal. Certified electrical safety compliance professionals and certified electrical safety workers understand what it takes to make a workplace...

NFPA Journal looks back at the St. Anthony's Hospital fire

Shortly before midnight on April 4, 1949, a nun on staff at St. Anthony’s Hospital in Effingham, Illinois, smelled smoke and told the switchboard operator that there was a fire in the basement. The operator immediately phoned Frank Ries, the hospital engineer, then called the fire department. But by then it was already too late for 74 of the 128 people working or being cared for at St. Anthony’s. The hospital, built in 1873, had open corridors, three unenclosed wooden staircases, and three laundry chutes, only one of which had protected openings. There was no fire alarm or sprinkler system....

Across the pond, home fire sprinklers are a European delight

The United Kingdom recently celebrated Fire Sprinkler Week 2015, an event that encourages sprinkler installation in various settings via information-sharing and other activities. Sprinkler myth-busting was a vital component of this event. While the event this year focused its messaging on the necessity of sprinklering educational and business establishments, home fire sprinklers got its fair share of attention. The devices, which have the approval of many in the U.K. fire service, made recent headlines after the English town of Oswestry decided to enact a pilot program that would install them in a two-bedroom bungalow. The head of a local fire...