UPDATE (April 19, 3:00 pm) CNN is reporting that 12 bodies have been recovered in West, Texas, following a fertilizer plant explosion on Wednesday evening. CNN quotes Senator John Cornyn as saying that 60 people are unaccounted for. Local officials say 200 people have been injured and 50 homes have been destroyed. The West Fertilizer Plant is located north of Waco and located near a school and nursing home. Video: See the moment a burning West, Texas, fertilizer plant erupts in a massive explosion. Related NFPA codes and standards NFPA 400, Hazardous Material Code This document applies to the storage,... Continue reading

Reflecting on the tragic nightclub fire in Brazil earlier this week that claimed the lives of more than 230 individuals when a flare ignited soundproofing on the ceiling, NFPA President Jim Shannon talked about the need to have sprinklers in all public assembly occupancies. Shannon called the Brazil scenario heartbreaking saying that what makes it heartbreaking is that it can be avoided with adherence to codes including the use of sprinklers. Shannon also talked about the ways patrons can play a role in their own safety by being aware of their surroundings -- knowing where the exits are, checking for... Continue reading

The Cocoanut Grove nightclub in Boston was the deadliest nightclub fire in world. Over 400 peoplel died in 1942. News accounts are reporting that more than 200 people have died in an early morning fire in a nightclub in southern Brazil. According to CNN, at least 245 people were killed in the Kiss Nightclub in Santa Maria. NFPA provides a number of resources and information on this topic on its website. News reports are comparing the Kiss nightclub fire to the 2003 fire at The Station nightclub in W. Warwick, RI, on February 20, 2003 that claimed 100 lives. Prior... Continue reading

Sam Davis, president of Island Harbor Construction talks about the benefit of home fire sprinklers at the 2013 IBS Sam Davis, president/CEO of Island Harbor Construction in Cape Coral, FL,one of NFPA's Faces of Fire joined the Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition at the 2013 International Builders Show in Las Vegas this week. Sam offers a free fire sprinkler system in all new homes he builds, feeling strongly that customers can spend a lot of money on things like appliances, granite countertops and the like, but those things do nothing to protect a family from fire. In a video he did... Continue reading

There is no shortage of activity this week as Fire Prevention Week is in full tilt. The Massachusetts Department of Fire Services had several FPW banners adorning their headquarters in Stow, MA. Send us a photo of your banner. Let's see how many we can get. Continue reading

Eli Ifrah from New Jersey was the winnter of a Sparky the Foire Dog gift package and LEGO City fire set at the FPW event at LEGOLAND FLorida. As the temperature climbed into the 90’s in the hot Florida sun, a crowd filled the Lego City Stage to see yesterday’s... Continue reading

Sparky the Fire Dog® rolled into a Detroit neighborhood last week to make the inaugral pizza delivery for this year's NFPA and Domino's Pizza partnership.Domino’s, the recognized world leader in pizza delivery, is teaming up with the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and Sparky the Fire Dog for the fifth... Continue reading

NFPA is pleased to be the fire safety partner of LEGOLAND® Florida and is the official sponsor of "The Big Test", an acrobatic, comedy show in which a cast of real characters goes through a series of hysterical antics as they try to become firefighters. The show runs four times... Continue reading

UL recently posted a Public Notice for a suspension of standard UL 2196 that impacts some fire resistive electrical cables and systems, specifically Electrical Circuit Protective Systems (ECPS) within the categories FHIT for UL and FHJR for ULC. NFPA recommends you review this public notice on UL’s website. UL offered the following additional background and recommendations: LOCATION OF THESE WITHDRAWN SYSTEMS: These systems are primarily installed in mixed occupancy high-rise buildings, and in tunnels, bridges, and other commercial infrastructures. In many circumstances, the referenced systems exist in conjunction with other fire mitigation system options, which are not in question. Within... Continue reading

Phoenix Society Executive Director speaks following the Walk of Remembrance at World Burn Congress I spent the last couple of days at one of the most inspirational events, not just for those devoted to fire and life safety, but for anyone. The Phoenix Society’s 24th Annual World Burn Congress continues... Continue reading

WBOY.com: Clarksburg, Morgantown: News, Sports, Weather One of the latest in a growing number of media outlets to cover NFPA's new Sparky's Wish List project is WBOY in Clarkesburg, West Virginia. Touting the program as a way to help local fire departments, WBOY showed a few quick bits of the... Continue reading

Firefighters encourage sprinklers in homes Saying smoke alarms give you early warning, but sprinkler systems will put a fire out sometimes even before the smoke alarm activates. That's how good they can be, Capt. Dave Meadows with the Fort Wayne Fire Department told a local TV station that new homes should include this life-saving protection. For more on the importance of home fire sprinklers visit www.firesprinklerinitiative.org. Continue reading

A fire this past weekend in a six year old Glen Ellyn, IL home proved the success of the community's home fire sprinkler ordinance passed for all new homes ten years ago. According to the nonprofit Northern Illinois Fire Sprinkler Advisory Board (NIFSAB), the event marked the first home fire sprinkler activation within Glen Ellyn, since the provision was enacted in March 2002 to protect residents, their homes and the Village’s volunteer firefighters. At the time, Glen Ellyn was only the eleventh community in Illinois to adopt such an ordinance, providing a model for many other communities to follow. The... Continue reading

Most media outlets today are recognizing legendary chef Julia Child on what would have been her 100th birthday for the impact she had on cooking. While we too have great memories of her decades of teaching the world to make some fabulous dishes and we remember the classic Saturday Night Live skit where Dan Akroyd played her deboning a chicken, we dug out our brush with Julia Child from the mid-90's. During that time, NFPA produced a series of public service announcements called Safety Spots that featured celebrities and our very own Sparky the Fire Dog. Julia took on the... Continue reading

Hmm, looks like we need a few Lego enthusiasts to reveal the Lego Mystery Mural. Stop by the Lego Mystery Mural booth near the food court once the expo opens and help us build an amazing picture with thousands of... Continue reading

Michele Steinberg, Firewise Communities program manager got up early today to appear on KTNV-ABC morning show in Las Vegas to discuss the importance of individuals and communities working to protect themselves from wildfire. NFPA's Firewise Communities program teaches people how... Continue reading

New webinar will explain changes On March 9, 2012, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a Standards and Certification (S&C) letter to address certain provisions of the 2012 edition of NFPA 101: Life Safety Code. The S&C letter is directed towards the changes in the 2012 code that address culture change. These changes are intended to offer a more homelike environment for residents of long-term care/nursing home facilities. Evidence suggests that such home like environments are better for the resident, the family and the staff. Beginning in 2008, the committees responsible for development of NFPA 101 have... Continue reading

Action will lead to substandard homes in Commonwealth Chief Paul J. Zbikowski, president, Fire Chiefs Association of Massachusetts, spoke at a Massachusetts press conference before the BBRS hearing in the fall. Fire chiefs from across the Commonwealth expressed outrage and disappointment at the recent vote by the Massachusetts Board of Building Regulations and Standards to defeat a proposal that would have amended the Massachusetts One and Two Family Building Code to allow for home fire sprinklers. “The BBRS is letting down the people of Massachusetts today and for generations to come by allowing substandard homes to be built in Massachusetts,”... Continue reading

Murray Pound of Gold Seal Homes accepts the award from Steve Muncy of AFSA. Steve Muncy, president of the American Fire Sprinkler Association presented the "Fire Sprinklers Saved Lives Award" to Murray Pound, vice president of Gold Seal Homes in Alberta, Canada at the 2012 International Builder's Show today in Orlando. FL. Every home Gold Seal has built since 2008 has been equipped with home fire sprinklers. In making the presentation, Muncy applauded Pound for his leadership role amongst builders and above all for his role in saving lives and better protecting property from fire. Pound was featured in the... Continue reading

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) released a statement today concluding its safety defect investigation into the post-crash fire risk of Chevy Volts. The statement said in part, "Opened on November 25, the agency’s investigation has concluded that no... Continue reading

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) released a statement concluding its safety defect investigation into the post-crash fire risk of Chevy Volts. The statement said in part, "Opened on November 25, the agency’s investigation has concluded that no discernible defect trend exists and that the vehicle modifications recently developed... Continue reading

A single sprinkler extinguished a fire, proving their life and property saving benefit. A fire this morning in a Massachusetts condo made the life and property saving point that fire officials have been making as the Board of Building Regulations and Standards (BBRS) deliberates on a proposal to allow home fire sprinklers in new construction. State Fire Marshal Stephen D. Coan and Lunenburg Fire Chief Scott Glenny said in a joint statement a single fire sprinkler head controlled the fire in a condominium this morning in Lunenburg. The fire started in the living room couch with a Christmas tree right... Continue reading

NFPA President Jim Shannon took exception to comments made in a recent Boston Globe article by sprinkler opponents saying that sprinklers have not been proving to be more effective in saving lives than smoke detectors. Shannon's letter, printed today, shot back with the facts. He stated, "That is simply not true." His letter went on to site the statistics that prove the life and property saving value of sprinklers. Working smoke alarms cut the risk of dying in a reported home fire by about 50 percent. The risk of dying decreases by about 80 percent when sprinklers are present. The... Continue reading

New sprinkler mandate: MyFoxBOSTON.com Phillip Tammaro, a Billerica, MA firefighter and burn survivor who joined Massachusetts fire officials and NFPA at a press event calling for sprinkler requirements in new one and two family homes appeared on my Fox Boston this morning to tell his story. He once again urged the Massachusetts Board of Building Regulations and Standards to include sprinklers in the building code. Continue reading

Wrapping up a year-long celebration of his 60th birthday, Sparky the Fire Dog® spread holiday cheer and fire safety messages at the annual holiday party for the Department of Children and Families (DCF) in Boston Sunday December 18 when DCF staff, foster and adoptive children, and families came together to celebrate the holiday season. Sparky handed out copies of his new book created for his birthday which helps children learn to keep safe from fire. Sparky the Fire Dog® was created for the NFPA in 1951 and has been the organization’s official mascot and spokesdog ever since. Millions have learned... Continue reading