In a slightly delayed celebration of its 125thanniversary, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) will return to an in-person event for its annual Conference & Expo (C&E) at the Boston Convention Center in Boston, Mass., June 6-9, 2022. While the event has been held online the past two years due to the pandemic, this year will once again bring together thousands of the industry’s leading professionals who will attend more than 110 educational sessions and special events. It will be kicked off with a keynote on leadership by Admiral William H. McRaven.
Jim Pauley, CEO and President, NFPA said: “We are excited to welcome the huge community of fire, electrical and life safety professionals back to a live C&E. Not only are the programmatic line-up and exhibits more valuable in person, but attendees learn so much from each other being in the same place.”
Educational sessions will address the latest issues, challenges, and opportunities for today’s fire and life safety practitioners, including the NFPA Fire & Life Safety Ecosystem; code compliance; emergency preparedness and response; emerging technologies; global issues; public education; building and life safety and construction; fire protection systems; industrial hazards; electrical safety; and much more.
In addition, the NFPA Spotlight on Public Education (SOPE) will be held on June 6-7, covering a wide range of public education issues, such as fire and fall prevention among older adults; youth fire-setting education and intervention; and community risk reduction (CRR), to name a few. SOPE attendees are also invited to participate in a CRR workshop on June 8, which will support and assist CRR professionals in developing a community risk assessment (CRA).
This year’s expo will feature more than 300 exhibitors showcasing the latest products and services needed to comply with prevailing codes and standards for design, construction, and operation of the built environment. The NFPA booth will showcase its latest initiatives, programs, and resources, including a dedicated area for live NFPA LiNK demonstrations, highlighting the full capabilities of dynamic, digital access to NFPA codes and standards and related material. The expo floor will also feature specialty NFPA booths showcasing electric vehicles, wildfire virtual reality, and CRAIG 1300™, the digital tool that collects and analyzes community data in support of CRR.
The 2022 NFPA Technical Meeting, which will begin on June 8 at 1:00 pm EST, will consist of two days this year in anticipation of increased participation and interest in the continuation of cycling NFPA standards. More details about which certified amending motions will be debated and acted upon will be available online as soon as the agenda is finalized.
General session will be held on Monday, June 7 and will include presentations by NFPA President Jim Pauley, Board of Directors Chair Amy Acton, and Keynote Speaker Admiral William H. McRaven, USN (Ret.).
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Board of Directors appointed a new member to the NFPA Standards Council. Chief Randy J. Krause of Port of Seattle Fire Department was appointed by the Board in November 2021. He began serving a three-year term on January 1, 2022.
In addition, three current council members were reappointed to serve additional terms. Jeffrey Foisel was reappointed for a second three-year term, while Kenneth Bush and James Quiter were each reappointed for one-year extensions. All terms began January 1, 2022.
Krause has been a member of the fire service for 36 years. He began his career in 1985 as a firefighter in the United States Air Force (1985-1989) and continued in the private industry at Boeing Company (1990-2010).
Krause left Boeing as a deputy fire chief and is currently the fire chief of Port of Seattle Fire Department where he has been for nearly 12 years providing service to the Sea-Tac International Airport and the surrounding communities.
He has been involved with NFPA Technical Committees since the mid-1990’s, currently serving as chair of NFPA Emergency Responders Occupational Health (ERH-AAA) and Fire Service Occupational Safety (FIX-AAA). Krause is also a member of Gonzaga University’s School of Leadership Studies Advisory Board. Krause earned his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from University of Washington – Bothell in 1998, and his Master’s in Organizational Leadership from Gonzaga University in 2006.
The NFPA Standards Council, appointed by the NFPA Board of Directors, is comprised of 13 members. The responsibilities of the council include overseeing NFPA standards development activities, ensuring compliance with the NFPA Regulations and Rules, and serving as the appeals body over matters related to standards development.
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has launched a new Water Based Inspection Testing and Maintenance (WBITM) Online Learning Path to help sprinkler technicians, contractors, and others grasp the content in a new Water-Based Fire Protection Systems Inspection Testing and Maintenance (ITM) Certification Program.
Properly maintained water-based fire protection systems are critical for building and life safety and ensure that suppression technology will adequately contain a fire in case of an emergency and allow occupants the precious time needed to escape, if necessary.
The online learning and credentialing opportunities have been developed to help those who are charged with independently managing the full spectrum of inspection, testing, and maintenance (ITM) duties.
NFPA offers a complete range of NFPA 25 and WBITM certification-related content with the flexibility for practitioners to choose a single training module or put together a variety of modules to suit their skill set or aspirational goals.
Learning Paths feature interactive exercises, case studies, knowledge checks with ITM benchmarks, as well as instructional videos on when and how to test water-based systems. Learners receive one year of access to exclusive online content and lessons developed by NFPA experts who have an intimate understanding of codes and standards and how they work together to support professional credentialing.
Each NFPA Learning Path program has its own set of strategies for helping students understand the subject matter and includes a practice exam component as well as a final Capstone activity to test knowledge and core responsibilities.
“We spoke with a variety of stakeholders, including international facilities management personnel and authorities having jurisdiction, about the difficulty of identifying qualified contractors who can competently perform necessary ITM tasks for water-based fire suppression systems,” said Dan Pickel, NFPA director of certification and accreditation.
“We then worked with a group of subject matter experts to identify the tasks, knowledge, and skills needed for this role so that we could create effective content and context for this new certification offering. The result is a certification program that helps professionals demonstrate their knowledge and skills so that facility managers and code enforcers can feel confident in their capabilities and so that certification achievers can stand out among their peers in the industry.”
International Fire and Safety Journal speaks exclusively with Jim Pauley, President and Chief Executive Officer of the NFPA.
In the US, the term ‘fire code’ is defined as a code adopted by the state or local jurisdiction and enforced by fire prevention officers within municipal fire departments – a familiar term that ensures a systematic safety procedure.
While local, state and federal authorities establish their own fire prevention and emergency laws, they pretty much all base their rulemaking on the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) codes and standards. With more than 300 technical codes staffed by more than 9,000 volunteer experts from 43 different countries, the non-profit organisation continuously provides information based on the latest research, lessons learned and emerging issues.
International Fire and Safety Journal spoke exclusively with Jim Pauley, President and Chief Executive Officer of NFPA to find out more about the importance of codes and standards and how after nearly 125 years in the industry, the association plans on meeting the various fire and safety demands of today.
Adapting to current needs
Discussing today’s standards and safety values, Pauley stated: “I believe we have now let it get to the point where people take standards for granted. Yes, they still exist and are implemented when buildings are being constructed, but we at NFPA are trying to raise the level of awareness surrounding these standards by constantly providing information and by staying relevant to today’s issues.
“Like any business organisation, you must adapt and adjust – we have hundreds of different codes and standards that are updated with time. The vast majority are revised every three years or so. Having correct codes and standards is critical to meeting the fire safety demands of today. NFPA codes and standards ultimately cover a wide range of topics and thus the reason we have a broad spectrum of stakeholders.”
For example, NFPA’s research affiliate, The Fire Protection Research Foundation, has been doing research into enhanced cleaning of fire personnel protective equipment (PPE) – specifically looking into how clean their equipment is after an incident and how it is protecting firefighters appropriately from the toxins that naturally occur in those environments. With occupational exposure being such a big focus in recent years and, more recently, COVID-19 raising new concerns, the topic of PPE cleaning is certainly relevant.
Pauley also spoke about the association’s fire protection efforts: “We are looking at cybersecurity for fire protection systems, as well as technology trends. Another good example is NFPA 855 Standard for the Installation of Stationary Energy Storage Systems. The topic of ESS has become more popular today, but NFPA developed the world’s first ESS training more than five years ago and then it was updated last spring.
“The Research Foundation also recently released new research on sprinkler energy storage units. We have found that by staying connected and adjusting to whatever the most pressing fire and safety issues are today, we are able to successfully transfer the right information to the people that need it the most.”
Fire & Life Ecosystem: Broadening the lens
To further minimise the risk of fire, the organisation developed the NFPA Fire & Life Ecosystem – a unique framework that works to prevent loss, injuries and death from fire, electrical and other hazards. The impetus for the Ecosystem began when Pauley was travelling around parts of the world in 2017, discussing different catastrophic fire events that were occurring at the time.
He explained: “We were seeing these tragic events occur around the same time as Grenfell; the wildfires in Portugal, the ship fire in the US, the Notre Dame fire in Paris – all of these made us think ‘are we really looking at these through the right lens?’
“We found that everybody was looking at these events through a singular lens based on their particular fire safety component – for example, fire suppressant manufacturers would be blamed for the lack of appropriate suppressant solutions, an enforcer would be criticised for not implementing the correct rules and labour skills were often scrutinised. We were mistakenly looking at safety in a vacuum. The Ecosystem was created to encourage people to take a holistic approach to safety.”
The Ecosystem consists of eight integral components; Government Responsibility, Development and Use of Current Codes, Referenced Standards, Investment in Safety, Skilled Workforce, Code Compliance, Preparedness and Emergency Response and an Informed Public. NFPA challenges different authorities to determine which Ecosystem element or series of elements did not perform to the level they should have when a disaster occurs.
“I think the best way to describe the Ecosystem is to foster the mindset that safety is a system rather than a singular element. I have to admit the Ecosystem has been a very successful barometer for the fire and safety sector and has fostered forward-thinking conversations,” Pauley added. “It has been translated into eight different languages now and the most exciting part is hearing people say, ‘this is exactly what I have been wanting to see in the market, but have never been able to vocalise.’ We have broadened the approach to fire risk management and I think that’s what makes this such a unique framework.”
Jim Pauley
Conduct through COVID
As the threat of coronavirus began to grow in the US this past spring, NFPA quickly mobilised to ensure that people in various safety roles had the information they needed to help mitigate impact and protect communities. This content was designed to help policy makers, emergency responders, code officials, health care officials, facility managers and the public navigate the new normal that came with COVID-19. It delved into ITM (inspection, testing and maintenance) of fire protections systems, closing and reopening buildings, dealing with new 911 protocol and even the dangers that might accompany hand sanitisers.
“We had a lot of situations where temporary hospitals needed to be constructed so we had to generate real world guidance that covered the important life safety elements that need to be implemented in a medical environment,” Pauley explained.
“I suspect that when our technical committees start to get back together, we are going to see more discussions about temporary hospitals. But the environment was not going to wait on the committee recommendations, so it was ultimately about us trying to gather the relevant insights and sharing that information via our social media channels, articles, blogs, press releases and media interviews so that people charged with moving forward in the interest of safety had the right information to do so.”
With more and more people working remotely this year, NFPA worked hard to ensure that there would not be a decrease in the ITM of fire and life safety systems, such as sprinklers, throughout office buildings.
Pauley said: “People were saying, ‘the building is empty so what is the urgency?’ So, we began putting out information about the critical role that ITM personnel play and the fact that they should be deemed essential workers during the pandemic.
“Additionally, we had to consider school strategies during COVID-19. For example, how to conduct a fire drill while trying to maintain social distancing. For this, schools need to work with local officials to think in terms of what is a reasonable exiting time and potentially creating temporary distance markers so students can congregate at their assembly points at a safe proximity.
“In general, it has been less about big alterations for standards and more about responding to needs very quickly as they arise; and I think those needs will get carried over as the standards go back into their cycles.”
Middle Eastern presence
NFPA has a long-standing presence in the Middle East – for decades, the organisation has been working with government officials and private entities responsible for building, fire and life safety in the Gulf region.
“I was in a jurisdiction in the Middle East and we were talking to the people responsible for enforcement and one of the questions was, ‘how do you handle a sudden change of occupancy? For example, a bakery owner wanted his business to become a night club the next day. Now, if this were to happen in the US or the UK, new permits and requirements would have to be put in place and it would definitely need to be re-inspected.”
Pauley continued: “This element is missing in the Middle East enforcement system so we had a long discussion about how this change could be implemented properly. It is ultimately not standards that they should be focused on, it is all of the supporting elements of the system.
“Their use of standards is moving forward but it is very technical and that’s when discussion becomes even more important. You need to consider all of the other safety elements in the Eco-system – just having the standard is not the only answer.”
NFPA LiNK
Outlining NFPA’s plans for the next year, Pauley stated: “Our focus is going to be on how we deliver information and knowledge to our stakeholders across the globe. We just launched a brand-new, digital information platform called NFPA LiNK. NFPA LiNK is a prime example of how NFPA is innovating. Despite being over a century old, our organisation knows that we can no longer simply offer a code or a standard. More importantly, we need to provide a wide range of people with the information and insights that will help them solve problems and do their jobs more successfully.”
Pauley concluded: “We are changing how we deliver critical safety information – how it is packaged, how people can gain access to it. We are revisiting the way people can use our codes and standards on a daily basis – I can tell you, it is an exciting time at NFPA because we know that with each innovation, we are meeting our stakeholders where they are.”
As schools prepare to re-open their doors in the days and weeks ahead, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has developed a new fact sheet, Building and Life Safety Issues for Safely Reopening Schools, which provides fire and life safety considerations for building modifications like door operability, classroom usage, seating arrangements, and partitions, as well egress management and storage of hand sanitizer and cleaning products.
“School and local officials are working diligently to implement measures that help minimize exposure to and spread of COVID-19,” said Kristin Bigda, technical lead for building and life safety at NFPA. “While much emphasis has understandably been placed on associated issues and concerns, it’s critical that adequate levels of fire and life safety continue to be maintained.”
Many of the issues addressed in the fact sheet require review and input from the local AHJ, as all changes and modifications must be implemented in accordance with local codes and standards. School fire drills are also briefly covered in the fact sheet, but more specific details around these requirements, as outlined in NFPA 101®, Life Safety Code®, are covered in a separate resource.
“The risk of fires and other emergencies has not disappeared in the midst of the pandemic,” said Bigda. “It’s imperative that measures remain in place to adequately protect students, faculty and staff from these potential threats, even at a time when they’re not necessarily at the forefront of many people’s minds.”
For this release and other announcements about NFPA initiatives, research and resources, please visit the NFPA press room.
As all of us continue to navigate the evolving situation with COVID-19, NFPA remains committed to supporting you with the resources you need to minimize risk and help prevent loss, injuries, and death from fire, electrical, and other hazards.
The NFPA has released a new report, detailing an analysis of the current scientific literature regarding the fire hazard modern vehicles represent to parking garages and marine vessels.
Vehicles have changed significantly over the years. Modern Vehicles present new hazards due to the incorporation of larger quantities of combustible materials (e.g. fuels, plastics, synthetic materials, etc.) into their designs. As alternative fuel vehicles are popularised, concerns regarding their unique hazards, burn characteristics, and typical burn duration have been raised.
Compared to older vehicles, modern vehicles burn differently. Modern parking garages have optimised space requirements for vehicle parking and storage and often implement automated retrieval features and car stacking, which presents unique hazards as well. Thus, it raises the question if the safety infrastructure of these parking structures and vehicle carriers (i.e. maritime vessels) have kept pace.
Vehicle fires in parking structures developing into large, out of control incidents are fairly rare and the rate of civilian injuries is low. However, fires in parking structures can lead to significant economic losses, as evidenced by recent fires at Liverpool’s Echo Arena in the UK and Stavanger Airport in Norway. These incidents involved hundreds of automobiles and resulted in severe structural damage.
Russell B. Leavitt, Executive Chairman of Telgian Holdings, Inc. was recently elected 1st Vice Chair by the Board of Directors for the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). NFPA is a global, nonprofit organisation devoted to eliminating death, injury, property and economic loss due to fire, electrical and related hazards. The organization focuses on fire codes and standards, as well as public education for fire safety, outreach and advocacy, training and essential research.
NFPA Board Members are selected based on fire industry experience, as well as the respect of peers in the safety community, a proven commitment to the association’s goals and an appreciation for the relationship NFPA must maintain with society as its needs evolve.
As NFPA 1st Vice Chair, Leavitt will work with the association as it delivers information, knowledge and training nationwide. In addition to this leadership position within NFPA, Leavitt also serves as chair of the NFPA 13 Sprinkler System Discharge Criteria Technical Committee, on the NFPA 13 Installation Technical Committee, as well as NFPA 3, NFPA 4 and the Cultural Resources (NFPA 909 and 914) Technical Committees.
With almost four decades of industry experience, Leavitt has long been recognised for his expertise, which he shares as a sought-after speaker and presenter. Leavitt is a senior instructor for AFSA and Fire Smarts and conducts fire and life safety seminars nationally and internationally on a variety of related subjects. Examples include Washington State Fire Marshal’s Office fire sprinkler training events, such Fire Sprinkler Systems – Plan Review and Acceptance Testing for AHJ’s, Marketing for Contractors in Fire Protection for Expo Fire Protection Mexico & International Congress and NFPA 25 Step-by-Step Testing Procedures for FireCon, among others.
During the course of his career, Leavitt has also authored numerous industry training materials and informational articles including “Fire Safety Codes and Standards: What You Need to Know,” “Understanding Fire Protection Classifications,” “International Fire Sprinkler Opportunity” and AFSA’s ITM Inspector Development Program.
Leavitt will hold the position of NFPA 1st Vice Chair for two calendar years.
Under the rules for Pro Board Accreditation, centres are restricted to deliver training within the territory in which they operate. The approval from Pro Board allows the delivery of training outside of the United Kingdom, which is a significant development for the FSC.
In order to gain this approval, the FSC worked closely with the International Safety Training College (ISTC) Malta, where the College delivered a NFPA Pro Board certified course to Maltese learners, whilst being assessed and validated by a member of the Pro Board executive team.
This latest development supports the FSC’s vision of “becoming a true Centre of Excellence for both UK and international Fire and Rescue Services”. As the home of firefighter development, the FSC is a “unique resource in the UK and is one of the world’s premier fire training venues”, attracting customers from across the world to train in a world-class facility with internationally recognised credentials.
Frederick Piechota, Pro Board accreditation manager, commented: “As the result of the Site Visit conducted by a representative of the Pro Board to observe certification testing conducted by the FSC in Malta, the Pro Board has determined that the parameters for Out of Country Certification Testing, that were established by the Board of Directors of the Pro Board, have been met and that any certifications that were issued are valid and may be processed into the Pro Board’s International Certification Registry. Our thanks to the College for its support.”
Ted O’Brien, director of product and quality at FSC said: “This approval underlines our position as a leading provider of firefighter training both at home and abroad. It acknowledges that the FSC is working to the most widely recognised fire and prevention standards in the world – those of the North American Fire and Rescue Services. This new approval from Pro Board opens up new opportunities for the Fire Service College, allowing us to extend the delivery of recognised, accredited training to new and existing international customers.”
