National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)'s Blog, page 324

'In a Flash' looks at fire as a weapon, fire demographics and more in new NFPA Journal

Being a firefighter in the 21st Century comes with many known risks and challenges, but also many that aren’t immediately apparent—such as preparing for the possibility of terrorist groups using fire as a weapon. In the “In a Flash” section of the November/December issue of NFPA Journal, an article titled, “The Next Threat,” looks at this possibility and explores how fire departments can partner with law enforcement to prepare. There have already been several instances of fire being used as a weapon, from the 2008 attacks in Mumbai, India, in which terrorists set blaze to the Taj Mahal Hotel, to...

Today in fire history: a fire occurred at a flammable liquid tank farm supporting Denver's Stapleton International Airport

On Sunday, November 25, 1990, a fire occurred at a flammable liquid tank farm supporting Denver’s Stapleton International Airport. Eight of the farm's twelve storage tanks contained jet fuel A totaling almost 4.2 million gallons. The fire was considered as accidental in nature, and it burned for approximately 55 hours. Seven tanks were destroyed or damaged, and over 1.6 million gallons of jet fuel was consumed. There were no reported fire fighter or civilian injuries as a result of this incident. At approximately 9:22 a.m., the Stapleton control tower saw smoke in the area of the tank farm and called...

Hear the home fire sprinkler commercials hitting the airwaves

Boston-based readers: Have you heard the radio commercials on home fire sprinklers now playing on some of the city's local stations? The Massachusetts Fire Sprinkler Coalition has sponsored two radio announcements highlighting NFPA's statistics on home fires, the effectiveness of sprinklers, and home insurance discounts. The radio spots can be heard on 97.7 and 107.3 WAAF; 93.7 WEEI; and AM 680 WRKO. Spread the word! Whether or not you're from Beantown, you can listen to the commercials by visiting the coalition's website, which also highlights the successes of having a unified voice in support of home fire sprinklers. See if...

CFPS Chair’s Quarterly Update (Fall, 2014)

Summer has come and gone, it seems we have skipped right over fall into winter conditions, and we have exciting new activity going on at the CFPS® Board. In the previous Chairman’s Update I reported how the work of our Testing Transition Committee would be of paramount focus this Board year. That committee, with the invaluable support of the NFPA Staff has already been hard at work, and the picture is beginning to come more into focus as to how the future, digital Fire Protection Handbook will impact both our knowledge base and the testing process. In fact, this committee’s...

IFPS Board Meeting - Don Bliss Presentation

The Industrial Fire Protection Section Executive Board Meeting was held in October 2014 at NFPA Headquarters in Quincy, MA. As part of the board's agenda, we were able to meet with top NFPA officials from different areas of the organization to learn about different projects. Our first speaker was Don Bliss, Vice President of Field Operations at NFPA. Don explained that NFPA has offices in the United States, Latin America, China, Europe, the Middle East and Canada. "One of the main jobs of our field operations office is for the adoption of NFPA Codes and Standards around the world. Field...

NFPA Journal September/October Issue Due Out This Week

Learn about the complicated history of fire escapes; take a tour of the unique new mist suppression system in St. Patrick’s Cathedral; read the 2013 U.S. fire loss and catastrophic multiple-death fire reports, and much more in the September/October

Recap of NFPA INSIDER June episode featuring emerging issues with interior finishes

NFPA INSIDER is a live, bi-monthly online session — an added benefit for NFPA members only — that features expanded news and content from the latest issue of NFPA Journal and other NFPA sources. Yesterday, the June episode aired, and featured

Get the Most Out of Your Sparky's Wish List

It’s time to focus on your Sparky’s Wish List! Sparky’s Wish List is a tool you can use to support your fire safety outreach efforts. It’s easy to use and you will be surprised how easy it is to get businesses and residents

NFPA names Donald Bliss vice president of field operations

NFPA recently appointed Donald P. Bliss as vice president of Field Operations. In his new position, Bliss will oversee NFPA’s International Division, Government Affairs Division and NFPA’s Regional Operations. Bliss’ career began with

FAQ Friday, NFPA 80 - What is the inspection and testing frequency for fire dampers?

As the name implies, NFPA 80 provides requirements for more than just fire doors.  The installation, inspection, testing, and maintenance of other opening protectives such as fire windows, glass block assemblies, fabric fire safety curtains and fire