National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)'s Blog, page 307

Delayed response to sounding smoke alarm results in safe but dramatic escape for Charlottesville, NC, family

Working smoke alarms ultimately saved the lives a Charlottesville, NC, woman and her two daughters, but a delayed response to the alarms contributed to a dramatic escape. Here’s a brief overview of what happened: A kitchen towel was accidentally ignited by a candle in the kitchen, triggering the smoke alarm to sound. After believing the towel was extinguished, the mother went upstairs with her two daughters, one of whom was an infant. When the smoke alarm began to sound again, she assumed that the residual smoke had set it off. By the time she investigated further, the fire had spread...

What's in the Charles S. Morgan Library & Archives?

The Library, first formed in 1945, holds a treasure trove for fire and life safety information enthusiasts. Our collection reflects the interests and activities of members, NFPA committees and staff. Resource materials in the Library are collected from national and international sources and include more than 15,000 books and reports, periodicals, and educational media such as curricula, videos, games and brochures. The Archive holds NFPA documents dating from the Association's founding in 1896 . If you are looking to trace the history of a specific provision, we have editions of current and prior NFPA codes and standards, so we can...

Fire history: New York Telephone Exchange fire

On February 27, 1975, a fire broke out in a New York City telephone switching center, temporarily knocking out service to more than 170,000 phones in the lower east side of Manhattan. The FDNY recently commemorated of the 40th anniversary of this incident. The loss of telephone service was not the only problem connected with this fire: the spread of the fire and the smoke given off by the cables sheathed with polyvinyl chloride (PVC) created extensive problems for the New York City Fire Department. Many firefighters were injured, several requiring hospitalization. James Lathrop, NFPA Fire Analysis Specialist, traveled to...

For the new NFPA Journal, a new app for on-the-go readers

The new March/April 2015 NFPA Journal is out, and along with it a new app that lets readers experience the magazine on all Android-based phones and tablets. The new app joins our existing Apple iOS app for iPad and iPhone, which recently underwent a series of improvements to further enhance the reader experience. The arrival of our Android app means that Journal is now available to all on-the-go readers on any mobile device. And both apps are free. There's plenty to enjoy in the March/April issue of the magazine, whether you're looking at it in print, online, or via the...

Braving frigid temperatures, sprinkler advocates get legislators' attention with an outdoor display

Old Man Winter kept his firm grip on New England last week by dipping temperatures into the single digits during a legislative breakfast hosted by the Western Massachusetts Fire Chiefs Association in Holyoke, Massachusetts. Piercing the bitter chill, albeit briefly, was a fiery display that did what it was intended to do: get the attention of key politicians. Within minutes, the side-by-side burn demonstration--one structure equipped with sprinklers, one without--showcased to an array of state and local legislators that fire shows no mercy. (The temperature in the unsprinklered structure rapidly reached 1,200 degrees Fahrenheit.) What they also saw firsthand was...

Free webinars offered by Research Foundation

The Fire Protection Research Foundation invites you to take advantage of its free webinars. In 2015, six webinars will be offered to all those interested at no cost. The first webinar of the year, to be scheduled shortly, is entitled Assessment of Hazardous Voltage/Current in Marinas, Boatyards and Floating Buildings. Delivered by John Adey, President of American Boat and Yacht Council (ABYC), the webinar will present the results of the recently completed Foundation report. The goal of this project was to identify and summarize available information that clarifies the problem of hazardous voltage/current in marinas, boatyards and floating buildings, and...

SUPDET 2015 wraps in Orlando—all conference presentations are available to view online

The 2015 Suppression, Detection and Signaling Research and Applications (SUPDET) Conference concluded today in Orlando, Florida. Over the course of the four-day conference more than 100 attendees and 30 presenters met to discuss the latest research, developments and emerging issues in the fire detection and suppression world. Attendees were treated to presentations as diverse as smoke detection aboard the International Space Station, to recycling center fires in the UK, issues with suppressing fire in electric vehicles and much, much more. The conference, hosted by the Fire Protection Research Foundation and held March 3-6 at the Wyndham Orlando Resort in Orlando,...

Review the First Draft Reports to submit comments on documents in the Annual 2016 revision cycle

The First Draft Reports for NFPA documents in the Annual 2016 revision cycle are now available. Review the First Draft Reports for use as background in the submission of public comments. The deadline to submit a public comment through the online system on any of these documents is May 15, 2015. Some of the proposed NFPA documents with First Draft Reports in the Annual 2016 revision cycle are as follows: NFPA 15, Standard for Water Spray Fixed Systems for Fire Protection NFPA 25, Standard for the Inspection, Testing, and Maintenance of Water-Based Fire Protection Systems NFPA 56, Standard for Fire...

Fire hose research: We all play a role in making firefighting safer

It’s been nearly a year since the fire in Boston’s Back Bay tragically claimed the lives of two firefighters. Because their deaths were attributed to an uncharged fire hose that burned through, the incident has since prompted many important questions about the flammability and limits of fire hoses. In response to those questions and concerns, Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) have each launched comprehensive research initiatives to investigate how fire hoses operate under specific fire conditions, and to determine what changes may be needed to minimize potential risks to firefighters....

Nuisance alarms: requirements in NFPA 72 and ongoing research

Richard Roberts of Honeywell Life Safety spoke about the requirements on nuisance alarms in NFPA 72 during the Research Foundation symposium in Orlando. Smoke alarms and detectors are designed to detect a fire in its early stage and alert people so they have time to escape. Home fire fatalities have decreased dramatically over the past few decades. And while that reduction cannot be solely attributed to the use of smoke detection devices, many researchers agree that they played a substantial role. According to Richard Roberts, Industry Affairs Manager for Honeywell Life Safety, nuisance alarms, most often caused by cooking, are...