National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)'s Blog, page 318

Today in fire history: the primary electrical power system failed at The Westin Hotel, all occupants of the hotel were successfully evacuated

Shortly before 11:38 a.m. on January 2, 1984, the primary electrical power system failed at The Westin Hotel, and security personnel were immediately dispatched to the electrical equipment vaults located in a sub-basement to investigate. In rapid succession to the power failure and before the security personnel were able to reach the electrical equipment vaults, a fire alarm signal was received from a smoke detector in the switch gear room. The responding security personnel encountered "heavy smoke", and a series of explosions occurred in the switch gear room. The evacuation alarm system then sounded throughout the hotel, and the Boston...

Latest Fire Sprinkler Initiative newsletter highlights decline of fire deaths in a state requiring home fire sprinklers

Maryland's fire service remains "cautiously optimistic" after experiencing a decline in fire deaths in 2014. Complementing this good news is that there hasn't been a single fire death in any of Maryland's sprinklered homes. Learn more by reading the December issue of NFPA's Fire Sprinkler Initiative newsletter. Other highlights from the issue include: Homebuilder learns the facts behind the popular myth that “sprinklers are too costly” New video highlights growing movement in support of home fire sprinklers NFPA blogger initiates discussion on whether or not the fire service has fully embraced home fire sprinklers Not getting the free, monthly newsletter...

Today in fire history: a fire at a hotel and casino resulted in 97 fatalities and over 140 injuries

On December 31, 1986, a mid-afternoon fire at the Dupont Plaza Hotel and Casino in San Juan, Puerto Rico resulted in 97 fatalities and over 140 injuries. The NFPA analysis of the data indicates there were four major factors contributing to the loss of life. Those factors are: • Lack of automatic sprinklers in the south ballroom (room of origin). • Rapid fire growth and spread. • Lack of automatic fire detection systems/ inadequate exits for the casino. • Vertical opening between the ballroom and the casino levels. Additional findings are: • Smoke movement to the high-rise tower by way...

Dispose of your Christmas tree promptly; nearly 40 percent of Christmas tree home fires occur in January

The gifts have been opened, the ornaments are starting to sag, and the fallen pine needles are multiplying daily – these are clear signs that it’s time to remove the Christmas tree and other holiday decorations from your home. Christmas trees are flammable objects. The longer they’re in your home, the more they dry out, making them a significant fire hazard. Nearly 40 percent of home fires that begin with Christmas trees occur in January. Although these fires aren’t common, when they do occur, they’re more likely to be serious. On average, one of every 40 reported home structure Christmas...

Fire chief: Homebuilders "misinformed" about home fire sprinklers

The number of fire fatalities in Alabama this year has exceeded 2013 totals, and the state's fire officials aren't taking the news lightly. Joining others in vocalizing their frustration with these deaths is Chief Alan Martin with the Tuscaloosa Fire and Rescue Service. In a recent op-ed published in The Anniston Star, he counters comments made by a staffer from the Home Builders Association of Alabama, who labeled home fire sprinklers as "property protectors" with minimal life-saving advantages. "The life-safety benefits of residential sprinklers are undisputed," states Martin. "While they do eliminate hundreds of millions of dollars in property loss,...

Nearly 40 percent of Christmas tree home fires occur in January; NFPA encourages their removal now

The gifts have been opened, the ornaments are starting to sag, and the fallen pine needles are multiplying daily – these are clear signs that it’s time to remove the Christmas tree and other holiday decorations from your home. Christmas trees are flammable objects. The longer they’re in your home, the more they dry out, making them a significant fire hazard. NFPA statistics show that nearly 40 percent of home fires that begin with Christmas trees occur in January. Although these fires aren’t common, when they do occur, they’re more likely to be serious. On average, one of every 40...

New report looks at link between disaster resiliency and NFPA codes and standards

The Fire Protection Research Foundation recently published the report “Disaster Resiliency and NFPA Codes and Standards” authored by Kenneth W. Duncan, P.E., Performance Design Technologies. The purpose of this project is to identify those provisions in NFPA codes and standards that embody the concepts of resiliency and compile available information to serve as a technical reference for those documents, identifying key gaps in knowledge. The report includes a literature review, codes and standards mapping and gap assessment. The literature review provides relevant extracts from a variety of sources and is intended to include a pathway for understanding how the concepts...

Disaster Resiliency and NFPA Codes and Standards

The Fire Protection Research Foundation recently published the report “Disaster Resiliency and NFPA Codes and Standards” authored by Kenneth W. Duncan, P.E., Performance Design Technologies. The purpose of this project is to identify those provisions in NFPA codes and standards that embody the concepts of resiliency and compile available information to serve as a technical reference for those documents, identifying key gaps in knowledge. The report includes a literature review, codes and standards mapping and gap assessment. The literature review provides relevant extracts from a variety of sources and is intended to include a pathway for understanding how the concepts...

Disaster Resiliency and NFPA Codes and Stardards

The Fire Protection Research Foundation recently published the report “Disaster Resiliency and NFPA Codes and Stardards” authored by Kenneth W. Duncan, P.E., Performance Design Technologies. The purpose of this project is to identify those provisions in NFPA codes and standards that embody the concepts of resiliency and compile available information to serve as a technical reference for those documents, identifying key gaps in knowledge. The report includes a literature review, codes and standards mapping and gap assessment. The literature review provides relevant extracts from a variety of sources and is intended to include a pathway for understanding how the concepts...

In this month’s NFPA News: helping to protect first responders from Ebola, public input and comment process goes digital, and more.

The December special edition of NFPA News, our codes and standards newsletter, is now available. In this issue: NFPA goes completely digital for online submissions of public input and comments NFPA seeking comments on a proposed TIA on NFPA 1999 to help protect first responders from Ebola virus Committees soliciting public input Committees seeking members Committee meetings calendar Subscribe today! NFPA News is a free newsletter, and includes special announcements, notification of public input and comment closing dates, requests for comments, notices on the availability of Standards Council minutes, and other important news about NFPA’s standards development process.