NFPA General Session Spotlights Embracing Digital Transformation for Enhanced Safety

In an inspiring speech at the General Session of the annual NFPA Conference and Expo® in Las Vegas, NFPA President and CEO Jim Pauley called for embracing digital transformation and evolving safety measures to meet the challenges of a rapidly changing world.  Speaking to a diverse audience from all 50 states and more than 60 countries, Pauley discussed the profound impact of digital transformation on everyday activities and emphasized the necessity of adapting to these changes to create value for users, improve efficiency, and achieve better outcomes. He highlighted the statistics, revealing that digital transformation initiatives are expected to attract $2.3 trillion in spending this year, with 90% of executives believing it will fundamentally alter their industries.  Pauley also stressed the need for advanced safety measures alongside new technologies, specifically mentioning lithium-ion batteries powering an array of devices and large-scale energy storage systems worldwide. He drew attention to tragic incidents and pointed to NFPA's role in mitigating these risks through the development of standards, training professionals, and conducting research. The CEO also spotlighted the persistent threats of home fires and wildfires. He reported an upward trend in home fire deaths over the last decade, with approximately 75% of fire deaths occurring in homes. He argued for the implementation of working smoke alarms and sprinklers, mentioning the NFPA Fire and Life Safety Ecosystem's role in facilitating this. Pauley also touched upon the association's Outthink Wildfire initiative, which encourages stronger policy action in wildfire-prone regions. Turning to NFPA's own journey in digital transformation, Pauley detailed the evolution of the association's flagship digital platform, NFPA LiNK. The platform, housing nearly 1500 of NFPA's codes and standards in multiple languages, provides real-time, easy access to safety regulations and has expanded considerably since its inception. It supports companies, government entities, and individuals alike in their pursuit of digital transformation. Pauley also spoke about NFPA's digital push in its training and certification programs, mentioning the availability of over 300 online courses and introducing an augmented reality learning experience for wildfire mitigation. NFPA's online electric vehicle training program has now reached over three hundred thousand first responders. Lastly, the CEO announced a revamped NFPA website, set to provide a seamless, intuitive user experience with enhanced search capabilities and an integrated translation platform when it goes live later this summer. He urged attendees to provide feedback on the new site at the NFPA booth at the Expo.In closing, Pauley underscored NFPA's resolve to tackle the fire, life, and electrical safety challenges of our times, highlighting the community's integral role in this journey. He ended his address with an inclusive call to action: "It’s a Big World. Let’s Protect it Together."