In their farewell column, Russ Sanders and Ben Klaene discuss the enormous impact NFPA standards have on firefighter safety and efficiency, addressing as they do staffing, risk management, fire apparatus, equipment, training, fire suppression systems, water supplies, and nearly every other aspect of fire department operations. It is imperative that fire officers understand tactics and strategy, but it is also important that they understand how much standards have facilitated the improvement in firefighter safety. Read what Russ and Ben have to say in their column "Not by Tactics Alone" in the Novbember/December issue of NFPA Journal.

On the 70th anniversary (in 2012) of the Cocoanut Grove fire, three survivors told their stories to NFPA Journal®. Ann Gallagher was a 16-year-old girl from NH who was in Boston with her family. Marshall Cole, another 16-year-old, was employed at the popular nightclub as a dancer.  He has vivid memories of escaping the fire. Dr. Saul Davis, interviewed in 2007, also gives a harrowing account of the fire that claimed the lives of so many.

Read more about the Coconut Grove fire and see a special website established to capture the history of this fire.</p>

This new infographic, developed by NFPA and USFA, details many important safety tips related to winter holiday safety, as part of the joint Put a Freeze on Winter Fires initiative. Take a look and share with your friends and family to keep this holiday season safe. 

Reporting on the numbers game of wildfire strikes me as very similar to reporting on the swells and ebbs of the stock market. How many, how big, how caused - what does it all mean? A year-to-year analysis of the number of reported wildfires and their size doesn't give us a good sense of trending, but in a year like 2013, it might provide some needed perspective.

USA Today reporter Doyle Rice interviewed me last week for his retrospective on this year's season and we had a good chance to discuss just what a year like 2013 meant. Fewer fires - the fewest in over a decade according to the National Interagency Fire Center - and a much smaller acreage burnt, according to the same news. So should we be jumping for joy? Not quite.

The devastating losses of people and property in Arizona, Colorado and other areas this year is one reason for sobriety in the face of a "slow" wildfire year. The impact on water supply, public health, and local economies is another. Weather patterns made 2013 an atypical year, but development patterns dating back 20-30 years show us that even in years with fewer fires, catastrophic losses may be the new normal. 

Wildfire is a natural phenomenon and is not going away. All the more reason for communities throughout the country to find out what it takes to adapt to the reality of wildfire and embrace wildfire safety principles that make a real difference in reducing risk. 

- by NFPA's Michele Steinberg

The 2014 edition of the National Electrical Code® was issued by the NFPA Standards Council on August 1, 2013.  The effective date, which is the date that it replaces the prior (2011 edition) in the NFPA family of codes and standards, was August 21, 2013. As of that date, the 2014 NEC became officially available for adoption by federal, state, county, and municipal governmental entities.

To date, 15 states have started the process to update the statute or administrative rule through which the NEC is adopted to reference the 2014 edition. In a couple of states, the update is from the 2008 to the 2014 edition.

- by NFPA's Jeff Sargent

The ever-evolving world of fire safety systems has brought about various innovations in fire protection. How these innovations impact the physical environment is a hot topic for the Fire Protection Research Foundation.

In the latest issue of NFPA Journal, Foundation executive director Kathleen Almand describes new research endeavors centered on this issue. For example, the Foundation was invited by the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation to participate in a comprehensive test and evaluation program consisting of suppression agent applications on materials found in relic collections.

"This project is a reminder that fire protection does not exist in a vacuum, and that strategies and techniques that we use to make the world safe from fire must be appropriate for the environment where they are used," says Almand.

Read the rest of her column in the November/December issue of Journal.

What is the purpose of your detection system? That's the all-important question you need to ask before you decide which type of detection system might provide the best protection, says Wayne Moore in "Cart Before the Horse?" in the latest issue of NFPA Journal. Installing any detection system without thinking through the end result can lead to costly failures, so having a clear sense of your goal will help you determine the right detection solution, as well as the optimal application and operation of that system. Want more information? Read Wayne's column in the November/December issue of Journal.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is alerting consumers that the threat of fires in the kitchen triples on Thanksgiving Day. From 2009 through 2011, there was an average of about 1,300 cooking fires on Thanksgiving Day, which is more than three times the average daily rate from 2009 through 2011 of about 400 cooking fires a day. 

When it comes to fires in the home, cooking fires are number one. They accounted for nearly 150,000 fires (more than 40 percent of all annual unintentional residential fires) each year from 2009 through 2011. Unattended cooking is the top cause of cooking fires.

In the event of a fire, call 911. Cover a pan with a lid to smother the flames. Never pour water or flour on a fire. That can make it worse. Keep a fire extinguisher in the kitchen.

Consumers should also protect themselves by installing smoke alarms in their homes. Please take a look at our smoke alarm safety tips found at www.nfpa.org/smokealarms. Smoke alarms provide the warning, but every family should have a fire escape plan as well. Practice the escape plan with everyone in the house so they can get out quickly. The escape plan should include two ways out of each room (as practical) and a family meeting place that is outside where everyone can meet if there is a fire in the home.

For more information, check out the official news release.

The latest issue of NFPA Journal, the official magazine of the NFPA, examines the review process currently underway for NFPA 25, Inspection, Testing, and Maintenance of Water-Based Fire Protection Systems, in the article, “Closer Look.” The story details a new NFPA effort addressing a variety of questions related to the scope and adequacy of NFPA 25 including the changes it has gone through since its first addition in 1992. The story comes in light of an upcoming symposium which will examine a range of issues related to the standard’s effectiveness.

Also featured in this issue:

• U.S. Firefighter Injuries in 2012 - Last year there were 69,400 firefighter injuries in the United States, the lowest number since NFPA began analyzing that annual data in 1981.
• Large Loss Fires in the U.S. in 2012 - In 2012, 10 fires resulted in more than $20 million in property damage, and two of the three costliest were wildland events.
• 2012 Large Loss Fires by Property Type - A complete list of large-loss fires, which are listed in descending order of loss amount in each category.
• Making the Connection - A look at proposed changes to NFPA 72®, National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code, that addresses the reliability of computer networks to carry fire alarm system communications.

Read the latest digital version of the November/December 2013 NFPA Journal with hot-linked content from the print version. The NFPA Journal mobile app is available through the Apple App Store.

Scott Notary was nearing the end of collegiate life. A Building and Construction Management major at Purdue University, the senior was just weeks away from receiving his diploma and relocating to Tennessee--most likely with his dog, Griffin, in tow--to start his career.

His dream was cut short on November 16, when Notary, 23, and his dog died in a house fire, according to a story in The Exponent. Two others were injured in the fire. The cause hasn't been confirmed.

Notary spent the evening with his friends and girlfriend before the couple retired for the evening at Notary's home in West Lafayette, Indiana, that he shared with others. His dog was locked in a crate at the foot of Notary's bed.

"The next thing I knew, I was standing outside," Notary's girlfriend told The Exponent. "I tried to wake up [Scott] but he wouldn't wake up. I had stopped breathing from the smoke." She was treated for smoke inhalation and other injuries. One of Notary's housemates escaped the fire by jumping from a window, according to the story.

Notary loved the outdoors in all its forms--fishing and hunting were some of his favorite activities, per his obituary. He was president of Purdue's student chapter of the Restoration Industry Association and volunteered with Habitat for Humanity. "His good nature won him many friends and endeared him to all who knew him," states the obituary.

This incident serves as an unfortunate reminder that tragedies in residential settings can happen at anytime. Please make sure you have an escape plan in place and that it's practiced regularly. Review NFPA's Fire Safety Checklist for more information.

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.

In this month's NFPA INSIDER, on Thursday, November 21 at 2:00 pm (EST), members will hear:

• NFPA President Jim Shannon gives his first word.
• As a follow-up to the "Revving Up" article in the new issue of NFPA Journal®, NFPA Senior Project Manager Andrew Klock will provide an update on NFPA's latest efforts to develop safety guidelines for first responders in the event of electric vehicle fires. He will also address some of the EV safety concerns that have arisen following recent fires involving cars made by Tesla, the California EV manufacturer.
• NFPA Codes and Standards administration discuss the latest codes and standards information and activities.

Members: register today to attend. Not a member? Learn more about the many benefits and join today!

Bob Mutch, long-time forest fire researcher and fire management expert,says the fire community and interface leaders are failing to communicate to policy-makers and interface residents about the enactment of unsustainable fire policies that are producing catastrophic outcomes. But are we making any progress at all?

Watch this video on YouTube.

Read more about Mr. Mutch's presentation at Backyards & Beyond.

Anyone who has ever seen a Star Trek episode knows about the transporter device. This is a device that transports you through time and space to a different location in real time. This device does not exist BUT we can "virtually" transport you to NFPA headquarters on December 18, 2013 for a 1-day NEC webcast.

This webcast is a first in NFPA training history with an 8-hour live event on location from the NFPA boardroom. The entire event will be broadcast over the internet using multiple cameras and a high speed connection. Valeria Rubini, Senior Project Manager for Training & Development at NFPA, says "this webcast will be an interactive, live event where the virtual attendees will feel like they are sitting in the room." Attendees will be able to watch the webcast from their home or office, ask questions and earn CEUs.

Usually, one has to travel some distance to attend an NFPA training session so this will be a unique experience for our instructor, Christel Hunter, and our attendees as well. There are a few "actual" seats open for this event if you would like to attend in person. You will have to drive, fly or take the train to Quincy, MA as NFPA does not have a transporter like the U.S.S. Enterprise. Our electrical engineers are working on the plans for a transporter at NFPA headquarters but the technical committee must approve the design first. :)   

Click here for more information on the "The 2014 NEC Webcast: A 1-Day Virtual Tour of the Code"

Definition of a WEBCAST

: a transmission of sound and images (as of an event) via the World Wide Web

Definition of an NFPA WEBCAST

:  a unique opportunity to learn from the experts who developed the 2014 edition of the NEC. Live, from your home or office, via your computer.

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Global climate change and its resulting impacts are the focus of much scientific study. Faith Ann Heinsch, PhD, a physical scientist at the USDA Forest Service, was the featured speaker at today’s opening session of the NFPA’s Backyards &amp; Beyond conference in Salt Lake City, where she reviewed the science of climate change and projected impacts on wildfires.

Does climate change cause wildland fires? The simple answer, for now, said Dr. Heinsch, is “no”. The typical causes of wildfire are the ones we’re familiar with: arson, accidents, lightning, downed power lines, etc. A better question, she said, is in what ways is climate change likely to affect wildland fire.

The greatest challenge in the coming decades, said Dr. Heinsch, will be the extremes. “We’re expecting to see hotter temperatures and drier years, and we expect that these hot, dry conditions will result in more fires, an increase in fire intensity, and fire severity,” she said.

With more frequent and severe wildland fires, how do communities prepare for and adapt to this shifting landscape?

Read the full post on NFPA's Fire Break blog.</p>

Chief Robert Gann of the Rist Canyon Volunteer Fire Department in Colorado is the recipient of a new award established to honor organizations or individuals who help NFPA’s Wildland Fire Operations division further its safety mission. The award was presented at NFPA's Backyards & Beyond conference in Salt Lake City.

Chief Gann was instrumental in the development of “Before the Smoke! Preparing Your Community for Wildfire”, a video created for volunteer fire departments located in the wildland/urban interface areas for use in training, education, and outreach efforts.

“But more importantly, while working with Chief Gann on the video, we were privileged to personally witness his deep involvement in his community and the connection he has with everyone from firefighters, to residents, and other area stakeholders,” said Dave Nuss, manager of NFPA’s Wildland Fire Operations group. 

“Chief Gann takes to heart the principles of fire adapted and Firewise communities and through his efforts, has made a significant impact on educating homeowners and reducing the risks faced by his community,” said Dave.

See more coverage of the Backyards & Beyond conference on NFPA's Fire Break blog.

Testing and maintenance may not represent the sexy side of the fire protection business, but the performance of systems as they age in place is a crucial element in meeting fire safety design objectives.

In her latest column for the November/December issue of NFPA Journal, Kathleen Almand discusses the requirements that many NFPA fire protection system standards contain for periodic inspection, testing, and maintenance (ITM). These requirements are coming under more scrutiny as they add to the life-cycle cost of fire protection systems and, in the case of water-based systems, as the resources consumed in the process become ever more precious.

Last year, the Fire Protection Reseach Foundation conducted a study of fire pump reliability that explored the types of data from inspection records that are important for improving the basis of ITM requirements, and it proposed a framework to collect that data in a systematic way. But there are other important considerations in using a risk-based approach: What is the consequence of failure, for example, of one system component in terms of the threshold for acceptable performance of the system as a whole?

Read the full article to find out what NFPA and the Fire Protection Research Foundation have been doing over the last few months to answer these questions and tackle this issue, as well as what some of the next steps are. 

by NFPA's Maria Figueroa

TMZ reports that legendary singer/songwriter Babyface’s Los Angeles mansion caught fire last weekend. Fire sprinklers were responsible for keeping the fire from growing and destroying the home.

As reported, the fire started in one of the mansion’s bathrooms. The fire sprinkler system quickly extinguished the flames before firefighters arrived.

A representative for the Grammy Award winner couldn’t confirm or deny if Babyface was in the house at the time of the blaze, but there were people inside the home when the fire started. The cause of fire has not been determined.

Babyface is fortunate to live in the State of California with an extended history of home fire protection. Starting with San Clemente in 1979, approximately 150 communities in the state required fire sprinklers in homes before California adopted the provision statewide in 2011.

All national model building, fire and safety codes require fire sprinklers in new one- and two-family dwelling construction.

Subscribe for free today

by NFPA's LisaMarie Sinatra

A kick-off to the Backyards & Beyond conference here in Salt Lake City, NFPA's 2-day HIZ workshop began this morning with over 65 people in attendance from such industries as forestry, insurance, fire service and others.

Instructors Pat Durland of Stone Creek Fire, LLC and Jack Cohen, physical research scientist, USDA Forest Service, led today's discussion and workshop modules that highlighted major issues contributing to WUI fire losses, how wildfires ignite and approaches that can be used to reduce home loss from wildfire exposure. Tomorrow, the class will visit a few neighborhoods to see first hand how wildfire mitigation is working in Utah communities.

During the next few days, stay tuned to our Fire Break blog as we cover the conference. You'll get all the latest coverage regarding session highlights, exhibits and special presentations. You can also check out photos, videos and daily commentary!

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by NFPA's Maria Figueroa

NFPA released the latest edition of its Firefighter Injuries in the United States report, highlighting statistics on line-of-duty firefighter injuries in 2012 from NFPA’s survey of fire departments – including non-incident-related injuries, trends, and brief narratives on selected incidents.

NFPA estimates that 69,400 firefighter injuries occurred in the line of duty in 2012. An estimated 31,490 (45.4%) of all the firefighter injuries occurred during fireground operations.

Based on 2006-2010 structure fires reported to U.S. municipal fire departments, when compared to structure fires in homes with no automatic extinguishing equipment present, analysis of home structure fires with wet-pipe sprinklers present showed a 65% reduction in firefighter injuries at the fireground per 1,000 home structure fires.

Download the 2012 firefighter injury report

Mayer and Sheryl Fistal are the latest to advocate for the use of home fire sprinklers in new homes as part of NFPA’s Faces of Fire Series. The campaign is part of the Fire Sprinkler Initiative: Bringing Safety Home campaign. 

While the Fistals, their guests, and their dog escaped serious injury when their brand new home caught fire in 2006, Sheryl suffered smoke inhalation and the house was a total loss. They were left with only their vehicle and the clothes they were wearing.

The devastating loss suffered by the Fistals was just one of the more than 360,000 home fires that occur every year in the US, causing billions in direct damage and thousands of deaths. However, when sprinklers are present, the risk of death decreases by about 80 percent and the average property loss decreases by about 70 percent per fire. Installing home sprinklers can, and has, saved lives throughout the country, and will continue to do so as we all do our part to promote fire safety.

For more information along with tools and field resources to help advocates talk with local elected officials and others about the life-saving impact of sprinklers visit the Fire Sprinkler Initiative website. To read more about the Fistal’s story check out the Faces of Fire Series.

by Casey Grant, Fire Protection Research Foundation

The fire service and other emergency first responders are currently benefiting from enhanced-existing and newly-developed electronic technologies.  Fire fighters are now operating in an ever increasing sensor rich environment that is creating vast amounts of potentially useful data.  The “smart” fire fighter of tomorrow is envisioned as being able to fully exploit select data to perform work tasks in a highly effective and efficient manner.

Behind the advances of the new sensor and tool enhanced fire fighter of tomorrow are profound questions of what to do with this deluge of valuable information that comes with much of this equipment.  The enormous amount of available data in our ever increasing sensor rich environment is changing our way of life.  A popular descriptive phrase used in today’s common lexicon is “big data”, and it is indicative of the systematic use of the information being leveraged in ways that were unimaginable a short time ago.  This is an area that is informed by the field of “cyber-physical systems”.

This project is focused on developing the research roadmap to clarify the research needed to most effectively use the immense quantity of available data, the computational power to compute and communicate that data, the knowledge base and algorithms to most effectively process the data, convert it into significant knowledge/beneficial decision tools, and effectively communicate the information to those who need it --- on the fire ground and elsewhere.  This project is funded by NIST, and the research program will be conducted under the auspices of the Fire Protection Research Foundation in a collaborative agreement with NIST.  The scheduled completion date for this project is the Fall of 2014.

See the project summary.

The Technical Committee on Fire Department Apparatus has been working hard over the years to develop requirements for NFPA 1901,Standard for Automotive Fire Apparatus, to address the issue of safe transport of fire fighting personnel.  These requirements have included such items as seated and belted riding positions for all personnel, fully enclosed crew cabs, colored seat belts to assist the officer with recognizing when a seat belt is in use, and most recently, a requirement for the installation of seat belt warning systems on all new fire apparatus.  The requirements for seat belt warning systems, which were incorporated into the 2009 edition of the standard, include the use of an audible warning that can be heard from all seating positions and a visual warning device that can be seen by the driver or the officer. 

It has become abundantly clear that fire fighters, just like occupants in passenger vehicles, are much more likely to be injured and/or ejected in the event of crash when they are not properly seated and belted.  This has prompted many departments across the country to implement SOP’s and SOG’s that direct fire fighting personnel on the mandatory use of seat belts while the apparatus is in motion.  The seat belt warning systems increase safety by providing another tool for the driver or officer to indicate that every occupant is seated and belted prior to putting the apparatus in motion, regardless of if the apparatus is responding to a call or just out on routine traffic.  However, it is the responsibility of each and every fire fighter, in addition to the officer and driver, to ensure that the seat belts are being used. 

Unfortunately, even the best policies and seat belt warning systems on the market cannot dictate human behavior.   Take this situation in Tulsa, OK, where Tulsa FD personnel were involved in a multiple apparatus accident.  Upon investigation, it was determined that none of the fire fighters were wearing their seat belts and both apparatus had disabled seat belt warning systems.  BOTH APPARATUS!!!  These devices were overcome with paper towel products, tape, and foam ear plugs. Luckily, none of the occupants sustained any life threatening injuries during the crash.  Disciplinary actions have been handed down to those involved, and the incident prompted the department to inspect other apparatus for evidence of tampering.  Policies and seat belt warning systems are nothing more than tools that can assist in keeping fire fighting personnel safe.  However, human behavior is a hard nut to crack, and we can often be our own worst enemies.  Let this situation act as a warning to you and your department.  Even though I should not have to say it, seat belt warning systems should be checked on a regular basis as part of your departments inspection, testing, and maintenance program to ensure that the systems are working as intended. 

Stay safe,

Ryan Depew

According to a report in the New York Times, New York City violated the rights of about 900,000 of its residents with disabilities by failing to accommodate their needs during emergencies. 

In a court ruling, Judge Jesse M. Furman of Federal District Court in Manhattan, said the city, through "benign neglect", was in violation of the Americans With Disabilities Act. According to the report, the ruling arose from a lawsuit filed in 2011 after Tropical Storm Irene, but came into sharper focus after Hurricane Sandy, when many New Yorkers with disabilities were stranded for days. 

NFPA's Allan Fraser

At this week's "Backyards & Beyond" wildland fire education conference" in Salt Lake City, Allan Fraser, NFPA's Senior Building & Code Specialist, will be speaking on "Are You Ignoring 20% of Your Population When Planning for Wildland Fires?". 

Since its publication in 1992, NFPA 25, Inspection, Testing, and Maintenance of Water-Based Fire Protection Systems, has become the main document governing sprinkler systems and related systems. Recently, however, some have begun to question whether NFPA 25 is adequate to ensure the successful operation of automatic sprinkler systems. To evaluate the standard, a symposium will be convened this December in Chicago to address a number of issues and identify a range of opinions and perspectives that will  be included as part of the overall public input on the standard as it enters the 2017 revision cycle. For more information on the issues at stake, read William Koffel's article "Closer Look" in the November/December issue of NFPA Journal.

Believe it or not, NFPA can’t do it all.  While we have the world’s best installation, operation and maintenance standards, we need other standards (like product standards) to complement ours. We rely on groups like ASTM International, the Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE) and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) for most standards related to calculation methods. And that is how Rita Fahy and I came to be active in ISO TC92, particularly SC4 on Fire Safety Engineering, which is why Rita, acting through ANSI, invited SC4 and SC3 to have their semi-annual meeting at NFPA. 

The meetings during October 21-25 went great. Our international friends from 15 countries enjoyed the NFPA facilities, and several standards took large forward strides, including the standards on human behavior and fire, developed by SC4 WG11, chaired by Rita. Other advances involved balloting of examples of calculations for fire impact on structures, publication of examples on model validation and verification, and progress on design fire scenarios and design fires.

- By NFPA’s Dr. John Hall, Jr. 

Based on comments and to further support our committee members in their work, we are pleased to announce that we have added new features to the My Profile page on NFPA.org. Once a committee member signs in and goes directly to the My Profile page, in the left navigation, a new page is available called “My Committees”. This newly created My Committees page provides committee members one central location to view all of their current committee member information.

What is available to a committee member on the My Committees Page?

• a list of committee member’s current committee(s)
• office status on the committee
• date of appointment to the committee(s)
• access to direct links to the Technical Committee tab of the Document Information Pages for the specific committee(s). The Technical Committee tab contains private committee lists (with phone and email addresses) along with the committee member’s committee documents in PDF format.
• links to additional committee member resources such as the Regulations Governing the Development of NFPA Standards, Guide for the Conduct of Participants in the NFPA Standards Development Process, NFPA Standards Directory, and the committee member discount for NFPA’s Conference & Expo.
• for newly appointed committee members (starting October 2013), the ability to print their own certificates is available.

In addition to this new feature, other codes and standards related pages are available that you may find useful:

• My Committee Applications – view, edit, and reuse committee applications
• My Public Input/Comments – contains submitted and unsubmitted public inputs, comments, and NITMAMs on NFPA codes and standards.

We hope that this change will make the use of NFPA’s online resources simple and more efficient. Any comments or questions regarding this new feature should be forwarded to the Codes and Standards Administration Department.

The NFPA Standards Council is seeking public opinion on a proposed reorganization of the Technical Committee on Forest and Rural Fire Protection (FRU-AAA).  The committee submitted a request to the Standards Council at its October 2013 meeting to reorganize into two new technical committees with more well-defined scopes.  The newly proposed committees would separate the current document workload, increase the number of wildland fire protection experts involved, and increase the capacity for taking on new projects.  In addition to the proposed reorganization, FRU-AAA has revised its current scope and, in conjunction with the Technical Committee on Water Additives for Fire Control and Vapor Mitigation (WAB-AAA), passed responsibility of NFPA 1150, Standard on Foam Chemicals for Fires in Class A Fuels, to WAB-AAA.    

The proposed reorganization of FRU-AAA would result in the following two new committees and corresponding document assignments:

Technical Committee on Wildland and Rural Fire Protection

Scope:  This committee shall have the primary responsibility for documents on fire protection in wildland, rural, and suburban areas.

Responsibilities:

•  NFPA 1141, Standard for Fire Protection Infrastructure for Land Development in Wildland, Rural, and Suburban Areas

•  NFPA 1142, Standard for Water Supplies for Suburban and Rural Firefighting

•  NFPA 1144, Standard for Reducing Structure Ignition Hazards from Wildland Fire

Technical Committee on Wildland Fire Management

Scope:  This committee shall have the primary responsibility for documents on wildland fire
management.

Responsibilities:

•  NFPA 1143, Standard for Wildland Fire Management

•  NFPA 1145, Guide for the Use of Class A Foams in Manual Structural Fire Fighting 

The Standards Council will make a final ruling on the proposed reorganization at its March 2014 meeting, once Public Comments have been reviewed. Anyone interested in commenting on the reorganization is invited to do so in writing. E-mail or mail your comments to: Codes and Standards Administration, NFPA, 1 Batterymarch Park, Quincy, MA 02169-7471 by January 20, 2014. In the
meantime, NFPA is looking for individuals who are interested in serving on these proposed committees. If you wish to participate on one of these Committees if the reorganization is approved, please go to WRP-AAA for the proposed Wildland and Rural Fire Protection Committee and WFM-AAA for the proposed Wildland Fire Management Committee and fill out the online application. Please note: You will be asked to sign-in or create a free online account with NFPA before using this application system.

Last year, we blogged about Austin Weishel who created the "Ashes to Answers" sculpture, a 17 foot high, 450 pound bronze statue of a firefighter with his arson dog. The National Fire Dog Monument went on a cross-country tour, going on display in eight cities since then. 

This year, on October 23rd, State Farm, the Washington D.C. Fire Department, Austin Weishel and Colorado Bureau of Investigation Arson Investigator Jerry Means moved the National Fire Dog Monument to its permanent home at DC Fire Station 2. This location is close to the White House and will have approximately 1,500 visitors walk by the monument every day. 

There are only 81 arson dog teams in the United States and Canada. (Washington’s fire department has two.) State Farm sponsors the program that trains them. After a fire has been extinguished, the dogs visit the scene with their handlers. With their super-sensitive noses, the K-9s can detect various kinds of accelerants. When they find a smell they’ve been trained to recognize, they give a signal: sitting and pointing with their nose to where the scent is strongest. A sample is collected and examined in the lab.

Jerry Means was the prime force pushing for the monument. His first arson dog was Erin, who retired in 2007, and passed away in 2010. Jerry commented that he was so inspired by her, he thought there had to be a way to honor these dogs and validate them.  We think this has succeeded in that goal!

The Finnish flag flew over NFPA offices in Quincy, Mass. recently to honor a delegation visiting from Finland, organized by The Finnish National Rescue Association (SPEK). The delegation brought together 13 high-ranking officials from government and private fire and safety organizations located in various regions in Finland, including the capital, Helsinki. Guests were welcomed by NFPA President Jim Shannon and attended presentations given by NFPA staffers, Don Bliss, Olga Caledonia, Guy Colonna, and Orlando Hernandez.  Casey Grant of the Fire Protection Research Foundation, an affiliate of NFPA, also presented to the group. 

The Finnish National Rescue Association (SPEK) is a member 
of the Confederation of Fire Protection Associations- International (CFPA-I®).  CFPA-I, is a body of leading fire protection organizations from around the world that have joined forces to collectively direct their resources at reducing the global fire problem and increasing life safety.   NFPA serves as the Secretariat for this 25 member group of international fire protection associations. NFPA’s Vice President of Field Operations Don Bliss serves as one of its four directors and Christine Ellis, also of NFPA, serves at the administrator for the Secretariat.

While in the United States, the Finnish Delegation is planning to study harsh and extreme conditions and situations from the point of view of cooperative possibilities. The group will also look at preventive work of officers and other operators working on safety and security, preparedness, and rescue.  

The impact from Superstorm Sandy was as widespread as the storm itself, which wreaked havoc along most of the U.S. eastern seaboard. A year later, communities are still trying to bounce back, and firefighters on the scene have attempted--somewhat unsuccessfully--to put the the past behind them.

Despite these dire outcomes, there have been some bright spots. Following the incident last year, NFPA Journal took a look at emergency procedures at hospitals impacted by the storm and discovered some surprising finds, including a concerted push for preparedness at these facilities. Moreover, the latest edition of NFPA 99, Health Care Facilities, has reinforced provisions that help identify hazard vulnerabilities and organize an emergency operations plan.

“Some of the encouraging things I’ve seen [in  hospitals affected by Sandy] is that in some situations where a facility  lost power, they didn’t have to evacuate because they had plans in  place for that event,” Chad Beebe, director of codes and standards  for the American Society for Healthcare Engineering (ASHE) and a member  of NFPA's Health Care Facilities Committee, told NFPA Journal.

Get the full story here.