Water-based fire protection systems may have an excellent performance record, but regular wear and tear can decrease the reliability of these systems. Provisions addressing this concern are found within NFPA 25, Inspection, Testing, and Maintenance (ITM) of Water-Based Fire Protection Systems. The 2014 edition of the standard effectively expands on these ITM measures, says Matt Klaus, NFPA's senior fire protection engineer, in the latest issue of NFPA Journal. For instance, the new edition includes ITM provisions for pump-related inspections; fuel supply testing for diesel-driven fire pumps; and an expansion of the standard's scope to include water-mist systems. For Klaus' overview... Continue reading

NFPA's electrical experts helped NFPA Journal staff comb through the 3,500 proposals and 1,600 comments submitted for the 2014 edition of NFPA 70 ®, National Electrical Code®. The outcome was a recent Journal article highlighting the top proposed changes to the code that is already generating a healthy buzz. For instance, the expanded use of arc-fault circuit interruptors, devices designed to detect electrical arcing and de-energize a circuit before a fire occurs, has prompted a healthy debate among safety advocates and the National Association of Home Builders. Safety concerns surrounding green technology has led to proposals to increase the NEC's... Continue reading

The New York Times reports that several apparel companies with a stake in Bangladesh's garment industry have agreed to help pay for fire safety and building improvements following the Rana Plaza factory complex collapse last month that killed more than 1,100 people. Swedish retailer H&M, PVH (parent company of Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, and Izod), and others endorsed a safety plan this week that would develop factory inspections with public accountability as well as mandatory repairs and renovations. "Fire and building safety are extremely important issues for us, and we put a lot of effort and resources within this area,"... Continue reading

The wildfire season is off to a fortuitously slow start; wildfires have burned an estimated 175,000 acres this year in the U.S., the lowest number to date in a decade, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. Experts have attributed this low figure to unusually cool weather patterns in the southeastern U.S., where the season's fires tend to form first. Other areas of the country might not be as fortunate. A recent article in USA Today predicts that the West could get walloped, as "significant fire potential" is expected in nine states. "We've had above average temperatures and below-average precipitation... Continue reading

The Chemical Safety Board (CSB), the federal agency charged with investigating industrial accidents, recently released a video underscoring the damage from the ammonium nitrate fertilizer explosion in West, Texas, that killed 14 people and injured about 200 others. Narrated by a CSB investigator, the video illustrates the destruction of schools, residences, a nursing home, playgrounds, and other locations. "The community damage we saw in West was the worst of any chemical accident in the CSB's history," says CSB Managing Director Daniel Horowitz in the video. Watch the chilling video on CSB's Facebook page, and review NFPA's relevant resources: NFPA 400,... Continue reading

A year after a fire that killed a New York police captain, his wife, and two teenaged daughters, code and fire safety officials continue to weigh in on the safety of sustainable building materials that impacted the spread of the blaze. Investigators determined that the fire at the Carmel, New York, home, which was built with a sustainable type of wood panel, was initiated by the police captain's son, who discarded a cigarette in a mulch bed near the home. A member of the Putnam County Fire Investigation Team told NFPA Journal last year that "the home's [lightweight] construction definitely... Continue reading

As a Red Cross volunteer, I'm all too familiar with the physical loss associated with fire; I've seen magnificent buildings transformed to rubble and personal belongings reduced to ash. One thing I hadn't experienced was the loss of life during my volunteer responses. That changed this week as I arrived on the scene of a three-alarm fire in Boston and discovered that a Boston University student died in the blaze. Needless to say, I was beside myself when learning the news. I didn't know the student, but guessed that the other victims--many, if not all of them, in their teens... Continue reading

Despite its T (for "Teen") rating and warnings on the dangers of fire, a video game is raising eyebrows among the fire safety community based on the premise of having its young characters chuck objects into flames. The game, titled "Little Inferno," instructs its players to burn an array of items in exchange for coins. "From where we sit, we see the other side of fire, which are the unfortunate incidents involving young children," says Lorraine Carli, NFPA vice president of Communications. "We see the statistics of children playing with fire and associated losses." Read more about the game--and a... Continue reading

More than 8 million students in grades 6 through 12 live in the wildland/urban interface, yet the majority of them are clueless on what to do during a wildfire if no adult was present. Responding to this informational need, NFPA initiated a series of "community conversation workshops" that will aid the development of a youth education program on wildfire safety. (A report on the workshops was released earlier this year.)The program is being piloted in Colorado on May 4 at the Wildfire Preparedness Day of Service. Read the story in NFPA Journal to learn more about what students, teachers, and... Continue reading

More than 32,000 residents were evacuated during last year's Waldo Canyon Fire, the costliest wildfire in Colorado history. Following the incident, local organizations supporting people with disabilities surveyed this population on accessibility barriers they experienced during the evacuation. (See the results here, under "advocacy.") Barriers related to effective communication strategies, transporation, and shelter access were noted, as were solutions to these problems, including the possibility of increasing collaboration between government agencies and local health care resources. In her latest NFPA Journal column, Molly Mowery, NFPA's program manager for Fire Adapted Communities and International Outreach, takes this information a step further.... Continue reading

Losing power can cripple a building heavily reliant on its use, which is why adhering to emergency power protocols is crucial. NFPA electrical code specialist Jeffrey Sargent outlines the NFPA code provisions overseeing emergency power sources (EPS) in the latest NFPA Journal. Using NFPA 70®, National Electrical Code®, in conjunction with NFPA 110, Emergency and Standby Power Systems, will ensure that operations run as smoothly as possible during a natural or manmade disaster. For example, the NEC lists emergency power supply options (generator sets and storage batteries, to name a few) while NFPA 110 provides sizing and performance requirements for... Continue reading

Non-fire alarm systems--elevator shutdown and release of electrically locked doors, for example--can work in harmony with a building's fire alarm system, if code provisions are properly applied. Adhering to these requirements ensures vital fire protection and provides important building emergency control functions, says Wayne Moore in his latest NFPA Journal column. Moore also discusses how NFPA 72®, National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code, guides this process. "Fire alarm systems provide a vital fire protection function when they interface with non-fire alarm systems to provide important building emergency control functions or to monitor the safe operation of industrial processes," he says.... Continue reading

Pop quiz: What are the three factors firefighters must consider when responding to an incident? (Sorry, this question isn't multiple choice.) If the answer is escaping you, refresh your memory by reading the latest column from NFPA Journal columnists Ben Klaene and Russ Sanders, who discuss how an effective incident action plan (IAP) addresses these three factors. (Bonus points to those who knew the correct answer: life safety, extinguishment, and property conservation.) "The development of an IAP using the sound application of risk management techniques is critical to meeting these three priorities," says the authors. An effective tool for conducting... Continue reading

Whether it's flammable furniture or sustainable construction, today's homes present a series of fire safety challenges that warrant a closer examination. Last year, Kathleen Almand, executive director of the Fire Protection Research Foundation attended an event sponsored by the U.S. Fire Administration that explored responses to these potential threats. In her latest NFPA Journal column, Almand discusses how she and other researchers from the National Institute of Standards and Technology, Underwriters Laboratories, and other organizations outlined the dangers the fire service may face when responding to today's home fires. Another task was to develop an action plan that could guide... Continue reading

Outside the Boate Kiss nightclub on January 27. So far the fire has claimed 239 lives, making it the deadliest fire in Brazil in more than 50 years. (Photo: AP/Wide World) The devastating fire at the Boate Kiss nightclub in Santa Maria, Brazil, killed nearly 240 people--most of them students--and has become the third-deadliest nightclub fire in world history. NFPA representatives saw the devastation firsthand during a recent trip to the college town and met with fire officials to discuss how NFPA can help expedite the adoption of more stringent fire protection and life safety codes. NFPA Journal executive editor... Continue reading

ESPN SportsCenter anchor Hannah Storm vividly recalls a gas grill explosion that resulted in first- and second-degree burns on her body: "The explosion was so great that it blew the doors off the grill," she tells NFPA Journal in the latest issue. "My neighbor...thought the explosion was actually a tree falling through his own roof. I remember seeing the fire and then being on fire and rushing to put it out." Following the harrowing incident, Storm made a miraculous return to TV and has become NFPA's newest grilling safety advocate. Through a series of public service announcements, she urges the... Continue reading

Image taken from disasterhero.com Move over, Batman. The tasks of today's superhero go beyond fighting crime while donning skin-tight outfits. For instance, the new online game "Disaster Hero" pits players against a series of natural disaster "opponents" (can you guess which disaster Dr. Deluge represents?) as they become well versed in preparing for these threats. For example, as the game advances, you're instructed to answer a series of questions related to emergency preparation. I recently took a quick break from my writing gig at NFPA Journal (psst, don't tell my editor) to play the game, which was launched by the... Continue reading

Nightclub fire in Brazil kills hundreds on January 27, 2013. (AP Photo/Agencia RBS) The recent nightclub fire in Brazil that claimed nearly 240 lives provides a grim reminder of safety shortfalls that continue to plague these settings. While this venue was an example of a facility not adhering to standard safety protocols, nightclub goers should be mindful of their surroundings and leave immediately if something doesn't seem right, argues a recent editorial in The Daily Iowan. The editorial offers a lesson not just applicable to Iowans: the city, it states, should do "everything in its power" to make sure these... Continue reading

Christopher Wieczorek of FM Global presents findings from recent lithium-ion battery burn tests If you own a laptop or cell phone, chances are these devices are powered by increasingly popular lithium-ion batteries, which refer to a family of battery chemistries using a flammable electrolyte. The potential fire hazards of these devices and related suppression methods led today's "high hazard challenges" track at the Suppression, Detection and Signaling Research and Applications Conference (SUPDET) in Orlando. R. Thomas Long of Exponent, an engineering consulting firm, provided details on the first phase of a Fire Protection Research Foundation project that identified and assessed... Continue reading

Attendees at the Suppression, Detection, and Signaling Research and Applications Conference (SUPDET) in Orlando received a wealth of information on a sprinkler system's role in protecting increasingly popular cloud ceilings, or suspended ceilings covering a portion of a room or space. "There hasn't been much significant research on cloud ceilings," said presenter Jason Floyd with Hughes Associates. Moreover, NFPA 13, Installation of Sprinkler Systems, does not provide any definitive guidance on automatic sprinkler installation for these ceilings. Floyd noted that a project under way by the Fire Protection Research Foundation has identified research gaps and initiated fire tests to examine... Continue reading

Fire protection features and systems have their backups, or "redundancies," and the reliability of both components is crucial in preventing loss of life and property. John Hall, NFPA's division director of Fire Analysis and Research, discussed these redundancies at the Suppression, Detection and Signaling Research and Applications Conference (SUPDET) in Orlando during the first series of sessions on suppression. During his presentation, Dr. Hall provided a "redundancy analysis" that uses risk-based language and criteria to evaluate the relationship of fire protection strategies. Dr. Hall also provided a few real-world examples of fire protection redundancy, including sprinklers and passive fire protection... Continue reading

There are various means available for detecting wildland fires, and a recent presenter at the Suppression, Detection and Signaling Research and Applications Conference outlined an array of these technologies. Albert Simeoni of Worcester Polytechnic Institute discussed the important aspects of wildfire detection, from preventing fire spread to evaluating the intensity of fires, and what tools are available for local and global analysis. Some of the technologies highlighted were image processing using satelliates and aircraft, infrared or ultraviolet sensors, and "acoustic" devices that allow users to track a fire through the noise it makes. Many of these tools, however, have its... Continue reading

This week marks the 10th anniversary of the deadly blaze at The Station nightclub in West Warwick, Rhode Island. Illegal pyrotechnics during a concert were responsible for killing 100 people and injuring more than 200. In case you missed it, check out NFPA Journal's Q&A with Station survivor Robert Feeney, where he discusses his miraculous escape from the blaze and his newfound mission to promote fire sprinklers. Also, watch the video of Feeney at the site of the fire: Continue reading

On my way home from NFPA's offices yesterday, I nearly dropped my smart phone while reading an email from my landlord, titled "fire safety": Almost every day I see a house fire on the news due to improper use of extension cords and/or space heaters. Most of these homes did not have working smoke & fire detectors. Please be careful with space heaters and fireplaces, and do not overload electrical circuits. Also, check your smoke detectors to make sure they are working, if not, let me know. Thanks and please be safe, David To say I was floored by David's... Continue reading

Raymond O'Brocki, former fire marshal of the Baltimore Fire Department, was recently interviewed on National Public Radio's (NPR) "Talk of the Nation" about the recent Brazil nightclub fire and how conditions at this venue eerily matched safety shortfalls that contributed to some of the deadliest blazes in U.S. history. The Happy Land Social Club, pictured after a deadly blaze killed 87 people in 1990. New York City officials said the club was operating illegally and had no sprinklers, fire exits, emergency lights, or exit signs. "The Coconut Grove, Happy Land Social Club, The Station...and even the Iroquois Theater fire back... Continue reading