National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) News

The National Fire Protection Association® (NFPA®) has announced the official launch of CRAIG 1300™, an innovative community risk assessment (CRA) dashboard powered by mySidewalk, a pioneering technology company. CRAIG 1300 helps fire departments and safety officials collect community data, enabling them to identify, assess and share local demographic, geographic and economic needs. “NFPA is excited to partner with mySidewalk to deliver CRAIG 1300 - a critical community too...

Fire conditions and extrication events that firefighters arrive at today are very different from the conditions faced years ago. According to research at Underwriter Laboratories (UL), modern homes contain larger quantities of petroleum-based products and plastics that burn faster and hotter versus traditional and more natural materials. Rapid fire spread The result is more rapid and hotter fire growth with exponential increases in heat generation, smoke production and toxicity. Faster flashov...

With summer officially here and COVID-19 restrictions loosening around the country, many people will look to grilling, cookouts, and other outdoor gatherings, including fireworks displays, to enjoy the warm weather. As the Fourth of July approaches, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) is providing important reminders and guidelines for safely enjoying these activities. Reminders and Guidelines Make sure your gas grill is working properly Leaks or breaks are primarily a problem...

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) invites safety professionals and practitioners, as well as the public, to peruse some of the most prominent issues, emerging threats, and forward-thinkers on display in a new, dynamic 3D artwork piece that was commissioned to celebrate the 125th anniversary of NFPA.  Authority Comment “How do you capture people’s attention and break through the clutter to tell a story that began 125 years ago, a story that evolves daily, tha...

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) completed the election of its current slate of directors, including one new member, during the organization’s virtual annual meeting this week. Amy Acton, a burn survivor, former burn nurse, and nurse manager, and CEO of the Phoenix Society for Burn Survivors, is serving her second year of a two-year term as chair. Acton became the second female chair of the NFPA Board in the organization’s 125-year history last year. Affirmed Officer...

Wildland firefighting has always faced many challenges, but the challenges have increased as wildland fires have grown in size and magnitude, over the last 25 years. During a fire, wildland firefighters face long hours dealing with challenging and changing conditions. Wildland firefighters spend the majority of their time on their feet, walking over rugged and steep terrain, in hot temperatures, all while carrying the gear that they need for extended time, out on the fire line.   Imp...

On Tuesday, July 20, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) is hosting “Community Risk Reduction: Insights into Action,” a one-day program that focuses on the issues fire departments and other public safety officials often face in mitigating safety risks, along with solutions, tools, and strategies to address those challenges. The program is part of the association’s virtual 125th Anniversary Conference Series, which replaces the traditional in-person 2021 NFPA C...

Johnson Controls, the globally renowned company for smart, healthy and sustainable buildings, has announced the expansion of its Tyco corridor sprinkler family, with the launch of the Series RFII-C Royal Flush II Quick Response Concealed Pendent sprinkler. Corridor sprinklers Along with the recently released EC-8C Light Hazard Quick Response sprinkler, the corridor sprinkler family offers the cost-saving benefits of needing fewer sprinklers at lower design pressure, compared to standard covera...

With the arrival of the July 4th holiday weekend, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) reminds everyone about potential electrical hazards that exist aboard boats, on docks, and piers, and in waters surrounding boats, marinas, floating buildings, and launch ramps, and the need to put safety measures in place to reduce risk. Electrical Dangers While most people are unaware of electrical dangers posed by damp, wet, and water environments such as electric shock drowning (ESD), each y...

Many restaurants around the world are suffering from loss of income due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The situation has made fire prevention a lower priority. Fire authorities should work with restaurant owners and associations to address this issue and offer guidelines and training to increase awareness in the community. Restaurant fires account for about 6% of all non-residential building fires reported to fire departments each year, according to the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS...

As health restrictions continue to ease across the country, Americans are looking forward to summer barbecues and evenings around the fire pit. However, these celebrations bring an increased need for safety. According to the National Fire Protection Association, July is peak time for grill fires, with gas grills being involved in an average of almost 9,000 home fires per year. In the event of a fire, proper use of fire safety equipment, such as a fire extinguisher, is critical. To kee...

Much has changed in the nearly four decades since the America Burning report was issued in 1973 and revisited in 1980. The number of fires and fire deaths in the United States has reduced dramatically and that progress has unfortunately led to fire safety taking a back seat to other social concerns that seem more pressing. To understand the headway that has been made and the challenges that remain, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) commissioned the Fire Protection Research Foundat...

Avon Protection, the global provider of life-critical respiratory and CBRN protection systems, announces that its argus range of thermal imaging cameras has been certified by third-party accrediting body SEI to levels set forth in the 2021 edition of National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1801, Standard on Thermal Imagers for the Fire Service. The argus range includes the Mi-TIC E, Mi-TIC E L, Mi-TIC 320 and Mi-TIC S models. Once again, Avon Protection offers the largest, most diverse, lig...

The National Fire Protection Association® (NFPA), the official sponsor of Fire Prevention Week™ for more than 95 years, has announced “Learn the Sounds of Fire Safety™” as the theme for Fire Prevention Week 2021, October 3-9. From beeps to chirps, this year’s campaign works to better educate the public about the sounds smoke alarms make, what those sounds mean, and how to respond to them. “Smoke alarms have played a leading...

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has released a new fact sheet highlighting important elements of the NFPA 1584 Standard on the Rehabilitation Process for Members During Emergency Operations and Training Exercises. The new, at-a-glance resource debuts just in time for the 2021 Safety Stand Down campaign, “Rebuild Rehab,” later this month. Each year, NFPA works with the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) Safety, Health and Survival Section, the National...

The NFPA Fire & Life Safety Policy Institute has released the 2020 Fire & Life Safety Ecosystem™: Year in Review report. This latest edition examines the U.S. and international events in the last year including massive wildfires, the Beirut port explosion, and another exterior cladding high-rise fire that highlights how gaps, cracks, and weaknesses in our global fire and life safety system become tragedies. The Fire & Life Safety Ecosystem™ is a framework NFPA dev...

MSA and the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) are working together to provide the most innovative and up-to-date technology to help first responders improve their health and safety. Through June 30, NVFC members can enter to win a personalized MSA Cairns® XF1 Fire Helmet. To be eligible to enter, applicants must be an active U.S. volunteer firefighter and a member of the NVFC. Integrated light module This is the second of three entry periods to win an XF1 helmet throughout the year....

According to AAA, more than 9 in 10 Memorial Day travelers will drive to their destinations this year. The advocate for safe mobility predicts a 52 percent increase in vehicle travel this Memorial Day weekend over last year and reports that 34 million Americans are planning to take road trips now that COVID-19 restrictions are loosening up. In the interest of public and responder safety, leading fire service organizations are reminding firefighters, EMS providers, and roadside service provide...

On Tuesday, June 22, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) is hosting “Keeping You Informed: The Big Wide World of Building and Life Safety”, a one-day program that addresses some of today’s leading building and life safety issues, opportunities, and challenges. The program is part of the association’s virtual 125th Anniversary Conference Series, which replaces the traditional in-person 2021 NFPA Conference & Expo and runs from May 2021 through M...

Fire departments and public safety advocates across North America are uniting May 16-22, 2021 to participate in a digital campaign and conduct community outreach activities to increase awareness about how dangerous home fires can be and the benefits of home fire sprinklers. Home Fire Sprinkler Week is co-hosted by the Fire Sprinkler Initiative project of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and the Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition (HFSC). Universal Challenge Whether urban or rural, la...

More than 4.5 million U.S. properties are at a high-to-extreme risk of wildfire, with more than two million of those in California alone, according to estimates from Verisk, a foremost global data analytics provider. To help promote the importance of building resilient communities for property insurers and their customers, the National Fire Protection Association is providing Verisk with robust data on communities engaging in wildfire mitigation efforts. Verisk will leverage the data from the N...

The Metropolitan “Metro” Fire Chiefs Association, a Section of the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) and National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) held its 2021 annual meeting virtually on May 10, 2021. More than 85 Metro chiefs attended the meeting and elected the Association’s 2021-2022 officers and board members. The officers are: Chief Don Lombardi, President; West Metro Fire Protection District, Lakewood, Colo. Chief Robert Rocha, Vice Pres...

Often considered the unofficial kick-off to summer, Memorial Day weekend typically includes lots of celebrations and cookouts, often with outdoor grilling as a focal point. As the holiday and summer months near, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) reminds everyone of basic safety tips and precautions to grill and celebrate safely. NFPA data shows that from 2014-2018, fire departments responded to an annual average of 10,600 home fires annually involving grills, hibachis, or barbec...

The fire sprinkler system in your building is a critical safety measure and, when needed, it can save lives. Still, even the best systems can malfunction, and sprinklers do occasionally fail. When they do, they can drench the interior of your building, damaging everything from furniture and personal belongings to drywall and building materials. As a property manager, dealing with fire sprinkler failure can feel overwhelming. What do you do next? Where do you start? And why did the sprinkler sy...

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) announced that the NFPA Standards Council has approved the development of NFPA 420, Standard on Fire Protection of Cannabis Growing and Processing Facilities. The new standard, which was originally proposed in response to serious fires that have occurred at cannabis facilities in recent years, will provide clear guidance on fire protection standards for facilities that produce, process, and extract cannabis.  Fire protection aspects of gro...

Last month, a fire raged across land in Swansea, in southern Wales, spreading 6 hectares (about 15 acres) and injuring a firefighter. Weeks earlier, flames raged across 20 hectares (almost 50 acres) in nearby Fairwood Common, Gower, in a fire that may have been deliberately set, and another 30 hectares (74 acres) of grassland and forest burned in Maesteg, Bridgend.  Almost 4,000 miles away in northwest Minnesota, crews battled a grass fire that briefly closed a highway in the area. Low hum...

As people continue to balance work, school, and daily living at home, or are employed in the office or out in the field, it is critical that homes and workplaces are electrically safe, secure, and efficient. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) actively supports National Electrical Safety Month, an annual campaign sponsored by Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI), which raises awareness of potential home electrical hazards, the importance of electrical fi...

An electric vehicle (EV) crash in Woodlands, Texas has prompted significant scrutiny and calls for emergency personnel to be trained on the fire risks associated with high voltage, lithium batteries within EVs (electric vehicles). In response to the tragic accident that killed two occupants last week, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are reminding first and second responders that resources are available to help safely address i...

April 28, 2021– The “2021 Fire Service Safety Stand Down Quiz” Sweepstakes is now live. The informative and interactive online quiz is designed to reinforce the safety messages that are part of this year’s Safety Stand Down theme: “Rebuild Rehab.” Safety Stand Down will take place June 20-26. The Safety Stand Down campaign and quiz is organized each year by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), International Association of Fire Chiefs&n...

In celebration of Sparky the Fire Dog’s® 70th birthday, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has announced the launch of Sparky’s Fire Safety Club and badging system on Sparky.org, the association’s award-winning website for kids. These new online features teach kids basic but critical elements of fire safety while rewarding them for their efforts as they go. “Making fire safety fun is critical to capturing kids’ attention and maintaining their ong...