NFPA online training receives top honour for approach to e-learning

by Featured NewsTraining

Two of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)’s online training programs, NFPA 1700, Guide for Structural Fire Fighting and NFPA 2400, Standard for Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) Used for Public Safety Operations, have been awarded top honours in 2022 for their creative educational approach to e-learning.

NFPA received the honours from The Brandon Hall Group, Horizon Interactive, Summit Creative, and the Davey Awards.    

The training offerings, designed and developed with input from industry experts, help support fire service practitioners who must critically think about codes and standards and how to apply the guidance found within these key documents to their everyday work tasks.

NFPA firefighter training programs receiving honours this year:

  • NFPA 1700, Guide for Structural Fire Fighting Online Training: Gold Brandon Hall Excellence Award in Best Use of Games or Simulations for Learning for Learning and Development category.
  • NFPA 1700, Guide for Structural Fire Fighting Online Training: Gold Horizon Interactive Award in Best in Training / E-Learning category.
  • NFPA 2400, Public Safety Drone Online Training: Silver Brandon Hall Excellence Award in Best Use of Video for Learning and Development category.
  • NFPA 2400, Public Safety Drone Online Training: Silver Brandon Hall Excellence Award in Best Association Professional Development Program for Learning and Development category.
  • NFPA 2400, Public Safety Drone Online Training: Silver Summit Creative Award in Best in Education Websites category.
  •  NFPA Public Safety Drone Online Training: Silver Davey Awards in Features-Best User Interface for Websites category

Bartholomew Jae, NFPA director of education and development commented: “NFPA continues its focus on delivering high-quality, online learning experiences for professionals who want to improve their job performance and ensure a culture of safety in the workplace. t is an honor to be recognized; the awards serve as a reminder that the work we do plays a crucial role in the success and well-being of first responders and the public.”

NFPA offers advice to avoid cooking fires on Thanksgiving

by Featured News

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has urged added caution when preparing Thanksgiving feasts feast, as Thanksgiving Day represents the leading day of the year for home cooking fires. Between three and four times as many cooking fires occur on Thanksgiving Day as a typical day of the year.

NFPA data shows that cooking was the leading cause of reported home structure fires and civilian fire injuries and the second-leading cause of civilian fire deaths and direct property damage, on annual average between 2015-2019.

On Thanksgiving Day alone, an estimated 1,400 home cooking fires were reported to US fire departments in 2019, reflecting a 228 percent increase over the daily average.

Lorraine Carli, vice president of Outreach and Advocacy at NFPA commented: “Thanksgiving is a hectic holiday, with multiple dishes cooking and baking at the same time, along with lots of guests, entertaining, and other distractions in the home that can make it easy to lose sight of what’s on the stove or in the oven.

“Unattended cooking is the leading cause of home cooking fires, so we strongly encourage people keep a close eye on what they’re cooking and to minimize the likelihood of getting distracted.”

“The good news is that the vast majority of cooking fires are preventable. By taking simple steps and precautions to minimize the likelihood of having a cooking fire, everyone can enjoy a festive, fire-safe Thanksgiving.”

NFPA cooking safety tips

  • Never leave the kitchen while cooking on the stovetop. Some types of cooking, especially those that involve frying or sautéing with oil, need continuous attention.
  • When cooking a turkey, remain at home and check it regularly.
  • Make use of timers to keep track of cooking times, particularly for foods that require longer cook times.
  • Keep things that can catch fire like oven mitts, wooden utensils, food wrappers, and towels at least three feet away from the cooking area.
  •  Avoid long sleeves and hanging fabrics that can come in contact with a heat source.
  • Always cook with a lid beside your pan. If you have a fire, slide the lid over the pan and turn off the burner. Do not remove the cover because the fire could start again. Let the pan cool for a long time. Never throw water or use a fire extinguisher on the fire.
  • For an oven fire, turn off the heat and keep the door closed. Only open the door once you’re confident the fire is completely out, standing to the side as you do. If you have any doubts or concerns, contact the fire department for assistance.
  • Keep children at least three feet away from the stove. Kids should also stay away from hot foods and liquids, as steam or splash from these items could cause severe burns.

In addition, NFPA strongly discourages the use of turkey fryers that use cooking oil, which can cause devastating burns. For a safe alternative, NFPA recommends purchasing a fried turkey from a grocery store or restaurant or buying a fryer that does not use oil.

IFSJ Influencer: Jim Pauley, NFPA President & CEO

by Featured NewsIFSJ Influencers
Jim Pauley, President and CEO of the National Fire Protection Association shares his views and predictions for the fire and safety industry for the year ahead

Since the onset of the pandemic, hybrid and remote environments have surfaced as the future of work, spurring accelerated digital transformation across diverse industries. But for fire and life safety professionals, hybrid and remote work is not a new phenomenon. The job has always consisted of work in the office, on the jobsite, and anywhere in between. That means the industry has always been ripe with opportunity to leverage digital transformation to drive collaboration, efficiency, resiliency, and most importantly, the highest level of safety.  

The fire and life safety industry is fraught with a number of challenges right now: an aging workforce, a scarce and competitive labor market, and a loyalty to traditional workflows that has led to lagging digital adoption. Luckily, technology can help mitigate the impact of these challenges. There is no doubt: in the next 12 months, we will see technologies become more prominent. It is not a matter of if, but when.

Digital transformation in fire and life safety can come to fruition in diverse ways. It can be as simple as replacing a collection of codes and standards textbooks with a digital library on an iPad or smartphone. With interactivity, real-time updates, and troves of supplemental multimedia resources, digital tools can help to streamline collaboration among disparate teams and speed up projects while honoring compliance. Above all, they empower organisations to be resilient in the years to come.

Technology for the Next Generation

The fire and life safety industry is aging. As we face waves of mass retirement, the challenge is twofold: organisations need to 1) attract and retain younger employees and 2) preserve institutional knowledge from industry veterans as they retire. Digital transformation can help.

To resonate with younger talent in a crowded job market, organisations need to leverage technology as a key differentiator driving employee recruitment and retention. Emerging digital tools help to not only train newer employees and bridge the skills gap, but also create more innovative, collaborative, and efficient work environments that newer generations desire.

Technology can also help ensure knowledge does not retire when employees do. Without digitisation, rookies might gather wisdom from veterans through in-person interactions or disparate notes. With collaborative digital hubs, experienced professionals can document and democratise knowledge, creating future-proofed curated collections that are easily shared and readily accessible across teams.

The Path Forward

The fire and life safety world is innately collaborative and constantly evolving. To advance safety in today’s world, everyone needs to embrace digital tools that serve the greatest industry needs. As we continue to trend towards digital transformation, we will see organisations grow more agile and efficient so they can focus on safety above all.

About the influencer

Jim Pauley is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), a global self-funded non-profit organisation devoted to eliminating death, injury, property, and economic loss due to fire, electrical, and related hazards.

Pauley is leading a historic digital transformation at NFPA that is revolutionising the way codes and standards information is delivered and used throughout the world. In addition, he is directing significant programs, initiatives and resource development to tackle both persistent and emerging threats.

Prior to joining NFPA nearly eight years ago, he concluded a 30-year career in the electrical and energy industry where he most recently served as Senior Vice President, External Affairs and Government Relations for Schneider Electric. 

This article was originally published in the November edition of IFSJ. To read your FREE digital copy, click here.

Fire chiefs endorse position papers at NFPA Urban Fire Forum

by Breaking NewsEvents

Fire chiefs from Canada, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States recently took part in the National Fire Protection Association Urban Fire Forum (UFF) at NFPA headquarters in Quincy, Mass.

NFPA President and CEO Jim Pauley welcomed the chiefs and provided an overview of the association’s mission, reinforcing the critical role that urban fire service leaders play in reaching the association’s goals and initiatives.

Special guests included Dr. Lori Moore-Merrell, administrator of the United States Fire Administration (USFA); Peter Holland, chief inspector, Crown Premises Fire Safety CFO, United Kingdom; Chief Rob Brown, CEO and Executive Director, International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC); and Chief Stephan Wevers, president of the Netherlands Fire Service and Federation of the European Fire Officer Associations.

The group endorsed five important documents as official UFF-Metro Chiefs position papers: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Fire & Rescue Service: A Roadmap for Recruitment, Retention, and Advancement (DEI FIRE); Technological Advancements Push the Boundaries of All Hazards and the Fire Service Emergency Response System; Ambulance Patient Offload Time (APOT); Support for the Firefighter Cancer Cohort Study; and Support for the National Firefighter Registry.

Otto Drozd III, executive secretary of the NFPA Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Association (Metro Chiefs), and coordinator of the event, said: “In today’s increasingly complex fire and emergency services environment, fire service leaders are confronted with a host of issues that go well beyond traditional emergency response.

“They must be adept at building cultures that attract willing public servants, instill trust, create systemic equity, and foster a sense of belonging. These organizational strengths are paramount to confronting the rapidly changing response landscape brought on by emerging energy technologies and our changing climates.

“These changes have far-reaching global impacts manifested by increased frequency and intensity of wildfires, heat waves, flooding, hurricanes, and ice storms, not to mention the continued increase in domestic terrorism (active shooter) and beyond.” 

To be successful, Drozd said that fire service leaders must have the latest research and intelligence to make decisions that result in safe and effective outcomes for both their firefighters and the public they serve.

To adequately manage these situations, he said NFPA and the Metro Chiefs must work with both their government and non-government partners. The position papers endorsed by the Urban Fire Forum Chiefs provide the information and resources needed to effectively address the dynamic challenges facing today’s fire service.

About the Urban Fire Forum

Work being done by the Urban Fire Forum chiefs, speakers, and research partners address current and emerging issues such as diversity, equity, and inclusion; fire fighter health and safety; emerging energy technologies; the impact of changing climates of global fire operations, and emergency health care. The latest research is made possible through the work of the Fire Protection Research Foundation, FM Global, and UL Fire Safety Research Institute.

The Urban Fire Forum brings together fire chiefs responsible for protecting some of the largest urban centers in the world, providing an important opportunity to learn from peers and expert speakers. It also allows NFPA to stay abreast of current trends and needs in the fire service. As part of the overall mission, chief officers share UFF deliverables and related information with fire officers from around the world.

The Urban Fire Forum documents and presentations can be found here.

Exclusive Interview: Russell Leavitt, NFPA Chair of the Board

by Breaking NewsIFSJ ExclusivesPeople
IFSJ caught up with Russell Leavitt, Executive Chairman of Telgian Holdings, to find out about his new position as the National Fire Protection Association’s Chair of the Board

Congratulations on your appointment to Chair of the Board. How does it feel?

I am deeply humbled by my appointment to serve as the Chair of the NFPA Board of Directors. The list of previous chairs is distinguished and filled with some of the champions of our industry. I have had the honour and privilege of having been led and mentored by previous chairs including Dr Ernest Grant, Randy Tucker P.E., Keith Williams former CEO of Underwriters Laboratories, and Amy Acton President of the Phoenix Society for Burn Survivors. These individuals, along with all the board members with whom I have served, come from a variety of backgrounds but share a common passion for making the world a safer place to live. I am looking forward to doing all I can during my two-year term to assist NFPA in living its vision and fulfilling its mission.

Can you tell me a bit about yourself and your background in the fire industry?

I started my career in fire and life safety as a fire protection system design trainee in 1980 and worked in many roles including those of lead designer, project estimator, and general manager of a fire protection contracting firm. In 1990, a co-worker and I founded a fire protection system design company. We merged with a small fire and life safety consulting group in 1991. We eventually branded the company as Telgian Corporation which is now a part of Telgian Holdings, Inc. and I served as the CEO for six years. I became the Executive Chair of Telgian Holdings in 2009 and continue to serve in this capacity.

Throughout my career I have been heavily involved in the education and training of fire protection and life safety professionals including engineers, designers, contractors, and enforcers. I have conducted hundreds of training sessions throughout the world for organisations such as American Fire Sprinkler Association (AFSA), Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE), and NFPA. I have also had the privilege of standing before audiences in diverse locations such as Lagos Nigeria, Cairo Egypt, Frankfurt Germany, Mexico City Mexico, Panama City Panama, Kuala Lumpur Malaysia, Buenos Aires Argentina, Istanbul Turkey, Jeddah Saudi Arabia, Paris France, and Rotterdam Netherlands, to name a few.

In addition, I authored training programs for AFSA, NFPA, and Fire Smarts LLC. In 2013, I was honoured with the Parmelee Award by the AFSA for my contributions to the fire sprinkler contractor industry and by my nomination to the NFPA board of directors, on which I continue to serve.

You’ve been active with the NFPA for a number of years, can you tell me about your work with the Association prior to your appointment as Chair?

I was appointed to my first NFPA technical committee in 1992. It was my first active participation in the association and began my long history of technical committee service. NFPA publishes over 300 codes and standards, each of which are overseen by a technical committee, or panel in the case of the National Electric Code. These groups work as volunteers and review proposed revisions to a code or standard and, through a very strict process, determine the final content.

The most active codes and standards are revised on 3-to-5-year cycles and often involve many hours of work, travel, and research on the part of each volunteer. I have worked on, including serving as chair, technical committees for over a dozen codes and standards over the years including the Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems (NFPA 13), The Standard for the Inspection, Testing, and Maintenance of Water-based Suppression Systems (NFPA 25), and the Code for the Protection of Cultural Resource Properties (NFPA 909), to name a few.

As a result of my technical committee work, I was given the opportunity to become an instructor for the NFPA Professional Development Education Series, serve as a contributor to NFPA handbooks, and work as the subject matter expert for the development of live and on-line training programs.

What are your plans for the Association as Chair for the next two years?

This is an easy question to answer. I simply want to use my role as chair to continue to support the Association’s CEO Jim Pauley and his executive leadership team as they meet the challenges of an increasingly complex world. NFPA is made up of stakeholders from all facets of the fire and life safety world including standards enforcement, firefighting and prevention, manufacturing, and risk management. NFPA assists its stakeholders as they deal with issues such as the impact of climate change on fires in the wildland-unban interface, active shooter incidents, automatic retrieval storage facility fires, energy storage, and the introduction of codes and standards in the developing world. The mission is wide ranging and dynamic.

Although NFPA is a non-profit organisation, it self-funds its mission. NFPA does not support itself with charitable contributions, endowments, or government support. One of the most important functions of the board is to assist the organisation in maintaining the balance of generating revenue to achieve its altruistic objectives.

The board is actively involved in assisting the organisation as it moves into this challenging next phase of its existence. At the same time, the association is looking at other ways to fund its ever-growing mission and the experience and knowledge of the board members is an invaluable source of assistance in the transformation.

Do you have any initiatives or issues you’re looking to promote through your position?

I am a big supporter of the NFPA mission, and I have no qualms about promoting my belief that NFPA provides the best fire, life safety, and electrical standards in the world. The process is consensual, balanced, and most of all, transparent. The needs of all stakeholders are given their due in the development process and this is a rather unique approach and one in which I am very proud to participate.

I am also committed to the promotion and development of the NFPA Fire and Life Safety Ecosystem. This holistic approach to fire and life safety perfectly sums up the way in which we will finally create a world that is free of the negative impact from fire and other risks to living safely. For example, we can create standards, but if a community has no method for formally adopting the standards or lacks a means for enforcement, the standards are simply words on a page.

How has the fire industry changed during your career?

When I started designing sprinkler systems in 1980, we had one type of sprinkler (spray), several orifice sizes, temperature ratings, etc. Now we have many types such as residential, ESFR, CMSA – the list is almost endless. We have standard-response, fast response, many orifice sizes, etc. NFPA 13 has grown from a pocket-sized pamphlet to a standard sized book of over 600 pages. At times I feel as though the complexity of designing and installing a sprinkler system has become almost untenable for all except the most expert of users. We need to look at how we can simplify things a bit, particularly as we move into developing countries.

I realise I am dating myself, but I started my career working with graphite and vellum. We created our designs by hand, we hydraulically calculated systems manually, and we developed individual details and diagrams. I am concerned because many of our young engineers and designers do not understand the basics. For example, we utilized computer hydraulic software programs without understanding how the software works. As a result, we often miss efficiencies that could be had because we are one-dimensional in our knowledge.

That said, I would not trade where we are today for where I started. We are producing better fire protection products, methods, and processes than ever before and the reduction in fire and life safety risks bear this out. We just need to make sure that we keep the pace and we do not sacrifice the gains we have made for purely economic reasons. We must never lose sight of our mission for the elimination of injury and death due to fire and other risks to life safety.

Any opinions expressed by Leavitt in this interview are his alone and do not represent an official statement or position of the NFPA.

This article was originally published in the September edition of IFSJ. To read your FREE digital copy, click here.

NFPA announces Vice President of Corporate Development

by Featured NewsPeople

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has announced the appointment of Steve Scala as Vice President of Corporate Development. 

In this new role, Scala will be leading efforts to build NFPA’s global growth business through inorganic growth methods, primarily partnerships, mergers, and the acquisition of other business entities.

Most recently, Scala served as executive vice president of Corporate Development for DiCentral, a software services company. During his eight years in that role, and in other strategy and development positions he has held at GXS, General Electric, and IBM over his 40-year professional career, he has executed corporate merger and acquisition plans – from start to finish.

NFPA President and CEO Jim Pauley commented: “Steve is an experienced global business leader with an extraordinary track record of helping organizations envision, build, and implement strategies for growth. His unique skill set, knowledge, and experience will help NFPA have a bigger and more direct impact in achieving our safety mission.”

Pauley added: “The world evolves quickly and so do the fire and life safety risks. As a recognized leader in reducing loss, NFPA seeks to greatly expand our ability to help solve the persistent and emerging fire, life, and electrical safety problems through our current work as well as adding an aligned portfolio.”

2023 edition of the NFPA 70 National Electrical Code available now

by Featured NewsSafety

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Standards Council has issued the 2023 National Electrical Code (NEC).

Used in all 50 states, the NEC is the benchmark for safe electrical design, installation, and inspection to protect people and property from electrical hazards.

During the Technical Meeting held in June at the NFPA Conference & Expo in Boston, 55 Certified Amending Motions (CAMs) for the 2023 NEC were presented and debated by membership on the meeting floor.

Submitted appeals were later heard at the August Standards Council meeting, followed by the NFPA Standards Council approval of the issuance of the 2023 NEC, effective September 1, 2022.

Key changes to the 2023 NEC focus on ground-fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs) and arc-fault circuit interrupters (AFCIs). Additional requirements point to newer technologies that reflect emerging electrical issues in an ever-changing, fast-paced world including:

  • Cybersecurity for network-connected life safety equipment
  • Electrical installations for cannabis oil facilities
  • Wireless power transfer of electric vehicles
  • Installation of photovoltaic (PV) arrays on bodies of water
  • Installation of wiring systems and equipment, including utilization equipment, of Class 4 fault-managed power

The 2023 NEC is now immediately available on NFPA LiNK, a subscription-based digital platform delivering all NFPA codes and standards at any time, allowing users to easily collaborate and stay connected in the field.

Jim Pauley, NFPA President and CEO, said: “The NEC continues to be the world’s most utilized code to keep people safe from electrical hazards.

“With the immediate addition of the NEC 2023 edition to NFPA LiNK, professionals not only get quick access to the most current edition, but they can also take advantage of the expansive interactive tools to help them better understand the requirements and develop solutions in real time while on the job.”

NFPA LiNK includes all current code editions and a library of legacy titles going back up to five editions, as well as codes in different languages. For more information on the features of NFPA LiNK, including access to a 14-day risk-free trial for all new users, please visit www.nfpa.org/LiNK.

For this release and other announcements about NFPA initiatives, research, and resources, please visit the NFPA press room.

NFPA released wildfire policy report

by Featured NewsIndustry SectorsWildland Fire

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has released a new report, “Policy Recommendations to Reduce Home and Community Loss from Wildfire: Report on Outthink Wildfire™ Summit,” which summarises the next steps that dozens, agreed upon by dozens of experts, that will help overcome the challenges the nation faces in ending wildfire disasters.

The report notes outcomes from a recent policy summit hosted by NFPA in Sacramento, CA, which brought together more than 50 representatives (see full list below) who collaboratively worked to identify the most critically important areas needing national focus in light of ever-increasing wildfire losses. 

The summit was identified as a need within Outthink Wildfire, a comprehensive NFPA strategy for supporting policy-based initiatives that, over time, significantly reduce wildfire risk to communities.

The key areas identified by summit participants included education; social and cultural challenges; funding gaps; skilled workforce needs; silos in planning, codes, and standards; and additional research and data to inform risk understanding and codes.

The report provides a set of recommended goals and strategies for each of these areas. In addition, it outlines efforts NFPA will pursue in the short term, along with plans for working collaboratively with fellow stakeholders and audiences.

Michele Steinberg, wildfire division director at NFPA, said: “While the measures needed to substantively lower the risk of structure ignition in wildfire-prone areas are well established, the challenge is to apply those proven methods in communities more widely and consistently.

“By bringing together leaders in the field at the Outthink Wildfire summit, we were able to create a roadmap for achieving our overarching goal of more systematically reaching and impacting regions at risk to wildfire.”

Summit outcomes included agreement on starting points to improve alignment of policies and programs and to implement new initiatives to help increase the pace and scale of home retrofits and other mitigation measures, ultimately improving community-wide resiliency to wildfire.

The report states: “With a growing body of research now demonstrating successful wildfire mitigation strategies for homes, it is imperative that this knowledge be put into practice. To generate a community-wide reduction in the vulnerability of the built environment to wildfires, mitigation must be applied at the individual structure and parcel level, and to adjacent properties as well.”

To review the full report, visit www.nfpa.org/outthinkwildfire

Fire Protection Research Association to host annual symposium

by EventsFeatured News

The Fire Protection Research Foundation (FPRF), an affiliate of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), is set to host the 24th annual Suppression, Detection and Signaling Research and Applications Symposium (SUPDET 2022) from September 13-16, 2022 at the Sheraton Atlanta Hotel in Atlanta, Georgia.

Since 1997, the Research Foundation has organized the annual SUPDET conference, bringing together leading experts in the field of fire protection engineering including designers, manufacturers, installers, and AHJs, to share recent research and developments on techniques used for fire suppression, detection, and signaling. 

This year’s program features more than 25 presentations focusing on the latest topics and benefits from research related to firefighting foam, wildfire applications, advancements in the protection of high hazard commodities, first responder safety, detection advancements, smart technology, and more.

Participants can attend the full conference or choose between the two-day Suppression Program or two-day Detection and Signaling Program. 

Those interested in attending can register to join the event. More information about the conference, including proceedings from past SUPDET symposia, is available on the NFPA website.

UL Solutions’ Kerry Bell awarded NFPA Standards Medal

by Featured NewsPeople

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has awarded Kerry Bell the group’s prestigious Standards Medal in honour of his outstanding contributions to fire safety and his role in developing NFPA codes and standards.

Bell, a corporate fellow and principal engineer for fire sprinkler and pump equipment in the Built Environment group at UL Solutions, received the award at the NFPA Stars at Night gala, which took place on June 5 during the 2022 NFPA Conference & Expo in Boston.

The Standards Medal is considered the NFPA’s most distinguished award and is given by the organisation’s Standards Council. With 13 members appointed by NFPA’s Board of Directors, the council oversees NFPA standards development, helps ensure compliance with NFPA rules and regulations and, among other tasks, holds three meetings each year. The group is integral to the NFPA’s work in continuing to push not just for appropriate and up-to-date standards but also in enforcing compliance with these rules and regulations.

NFPA’s Standards Medal recognises a member’s exceptional contributions to fire safety and the development of new NFPA codes and standards. Receiving this award from the NFPA Standards Council, whose members are highly dedicated to this work, is truly an honour.

Commenting on his award, Bell said: “It is an incredible honour to receive such a prestigious award, and I am deeply grateful to the NFPA Standards Council for this wonderful recognition. I’m also acutely aware of the fact that the opportunity to receive such an award would not have been possible without the support of UL Solutions. In that sense, this is an award for the organization as well.”

Bell served on the NFPA Standards Council from 2004 through 2019 and acted as the council chair for six of those years. He was also the first person from UL Solutions to hold the chairperson position.

He has been a member of more than ten NFPA committees throughout his tenure, including committees for Residential Sprinkler Systems, Sprinkler System Discharge Criteria, Correlating Committee on Automatic Sprinkler Systems and Stationary Fire Pumps. He has acted as the Technical Committee on Water Spray Fixed Systems Chair.

He added: “The UL Solutions and NFPA relationship goes back to both of our organization’s roots. Our standards, testing and certification complement the standards that NFPA publishes. UL Solutions voluntarily serves on more than 140 committees of the NFPA standards development process, which is a wonderful example of our commitment to fire safety.”

Dwayne Sloan, principal engineering director with the Built Environment group at UL Solutions, commented: “In addition to Kerry’s countless contributions to UL Solutions, he has spent a large part of his career supporting NFPA Technical Committees across the full fire suppression spectrum, and particularly the NFPA 13 series of installation standards for sprinklers,”. “These contributions earned him the position on the prestigious NFPA Standards Council and ultimately the sole UL Solutions member to ever serve as the Standards Council Chair. I was personally so proud to see Kerry deservingly recognized in this way.”