Fire Service Membership Council

Archived News Stories

Note - Not all links in archives to external sites may currently exist.  Links to external websites were live when the news was published, but may have been removed since then.

October 11, 2017  |Fire News From Around the World

Fire News from the US

Construction Fire Safety Coalition

When five, five-story buildings under construction burned July 23 in Waltham, Massachusetts, it was just the latest of several recent spectacular fires in buildings under construction.

In 2017 alone, major construction fires ruined projects in Philadelphia, Lynwood, Washington, Maplewood, New Jersey, Overland Park, Kansas, College Park, Maryland and East Hollywood, California. Losses run into the millions of dollars and projects are delayed by a year or more.

To address the problem and bring public safety into focus, several global and national organizations have joined to create the Coalition for Construction Fire Safety. Founded by the American Wood Council (www.awc.org), current members include the International Code Council (ICC), National Fire Protection Association, National Association of Home Builders and the National Fire Sprinkler Association.  Other groups representing construction and building materials interests are expected to sign on soon.  Membership is free and open to anyone or organization that is interested in addressing this challenge.  To join, contact Ken Bland at the American Wood Council: kbland@awc.org .

The Coalition collects information on these major events, analyzes their causes and consequences and is developing strategies to reduce the number and severity of fires. To address the immediate needs, the Coalition delivered a webinar for more than 600 design professionals and code officials that highlighted recent significant fires and explain how fire codes and standards are intended to prevent them.  The program is now available as a free E-course with ICC continuing education credits at BCD 235 - Fire Protection During Construction

Additional information and fire protection resources are available at Construction Fire Safety Practices.

 

September 24, 2017  |Fire News From Around the World

Fire News from the US

 From Underwriters Laboratories: “Close Before You Doze”

After several months of planning and collaboration, UL Fire Service Research Institute (FSRI) launched the second phase of the Close Your Door campaign, Close Before You Doze. Whereas the original target audience was consumers, Close Before You Doze is focused on providing the fire service with the information, tools and materials to easily incorporate messaging supporting the fire safety benefits of closed doors into their public education outreach programs.

CloseYourDoor.org has been reskinned to include a new carousel on the homepage that includes an all new “slam” video (which we hope will go viral to help spread the word), the video of the ‘Close Your Door’ song developed for the original campaign, and an all-new testimonial video from fire service leaders urging their colleagues to help us promote this message.

Clicking the “Fire Service” link in the top navigation takes users to the all-new Close Before You Doze portal where the fire service can access a pair of toolboxes containing materials to support public relations and outreach programs. Within the Outreach Toolbox, fire departments can order flyers, door hangers, magnets and stickers to hand out at events or in classrooms. They can also access pre-written social media postings that can be incorporated into a fire department’s Facebook and Twitter feeds. The PR Toolbox contains a guide for working with the media, a customizable press release, and a bylined column that local fire service leaders can personalize and submit to newspapers for publication.

Additional outreach includes social media messaging by UL FSRI to reach and engage our existing network in the fire service.  Tuesday’s launch was the start of a campaign that will run through the end of the year at a minimum.

Setting the Standard for Lightning Protection Systems

By Kimberly Loehr

Lightning Protection Institute

Despite the wealth of information available about lightning protection, confusion and misunderstanding persist about specification, design, installation and quality assurance. Oftentimes, lightning protection is omitted from construction project plans altogether--typically due to lack of knowledge about these systems and their benefits.

NFPA 780, Standard for the Installation of Lightning Protection Systems, provides valuable resource information for code officials, project designers, engineers, insurance professionals and anyone responsible for the protection of lives and property from dangers associated with lightning.

NFPA 780 also serves as the basis for the LPI-175 Standard of Practice for the Design-Installation-Inspection of Lightning Protection Systems reference document, which is commonly used by Lightning Protection Institute (LPI)-certified designers and installers and LPI-Inspection Program inspectors.

NFPA 780 covers lightning protection system installation requirements for structures, watercraft, wind turbines, industrial stacks and other special occupancies. Lightning protection guidance for new construction and building trends (including solar systems, arrays, catenary systems, airfield lighting, rooftop equipment) are also addressed, with new information and sections added to the Standard in conjunction with the three-year review process.

Information added to the 2017 edition of NFPA 780 to address new safety challenges includes:

  • Occupancy-specific safety, design and protection protocol
  • Updated information for hazardous, combustible and explosive conditions
  • Revisions to address protection for structures containing flammable vapors, gases or liquids
  • Revisions to assist facility managers, installers, inspectors and code officials with on-site inspections and periodic maintenance
  • New definitions for commonly misunderstood lightning protection terms
  • Updated illustrations for the placement of lightning protection components
  • New bonding requirements for metal bodies

The 2017 Edition of NFPA 780, prepared by Technical Committee on Lightning Protection was issued by the Standards Council and approved as an American National Standard on June 2, 2016. The new document can be viewed free online at NFPA 780 .

About the Author

Kimberly Loehr is communications director for the Lightning Protection Institute (LPI), and a NFPA Building Fire Safety Systems section member. She also partners with the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration and National Weather Service as a member of the Lightning Safety Awareness Team and serves as a board member for the National Lightning Safety Council (NLSC).

Construction Fire Safety Coalition

When five, five-story buildings under construction burned July 23 in Waltham, Massachusetts, it was just the latest of several recent spectacular fires in buildings under construction.

In 2017 alone, major construction fires ruined projects in Philadelphia, Lynwood, Washington, Maplewood, New Jersey, Overland Park, Kansas, College Park, Maryland and East Hollywood, California. Losses run into the millions of dollars and projects are delayed by a year or more.

To address the problem and bring public safety into focus, several global and national organizations have joined to create the Coalition for Construction Fire Safety. Founded by the American Wood Council (www.awc.org), current members include the International Code Council (ICC), National Fire Protection Association, National Association of Home Builders and the National Fire Sprinkler Association.  Other groups representing construction and building materials interests are expected to sign on soon.  Membership is free and open to anyone or organization that is interested in addressing this challenge.  To join, contact Ken Bland at the American Wood Council: kbland@awc.org .

September 11, 2017  | Fire News from Around the World

Fire News from the US

 September is 13th Annual Campus Fire Safety Month

By Ed Comeau, Publisher

Campus Firewatch

National Campus Fire Safety Month has brought schools and communities together for 13 years to educate students and parents about the dangers of college fire safety. Each year, I send a letter, co-signed by parents who have lost children in college-related fires, to the nation’s governors asking them to sign proclamations. To date, there have been 370 proclamations issued recognizing September as Campus Fire Safety Month.

Each September, education programs are held across the country to teach students about their role in fire safety – how to choose fire-safe housing, whether it is on- or off-campus; how to prevent a fire, and what to do if one does break out. These skills are not only for the time they are in school, but are lessons for life.

Does it work, does National Campus Fire Safety Month make a difference? Is the heightened awareness and education working?

There has been a significant drop in the number of college-related fire deaths. From a high of 20 fire deaths in the 2006-2007 academic year, fatalities have dropped to a point where in 2015-2016 there were no fire deaths for the first time since 2000.

But we really need to turn our focus to the off-campus environment where 87% of fire deaths happen. The last fire death in a residence hall was in 2005 and the last in Greek housing was in 2006, and this is an incredible testimony to the work that is being done to make these occupancies safer.

Many of the places where students are living are converted one- and two-family houses or apartments and, in college towns, off-campus housing is in strong demand which means that landlords can charge high rents. As a result, students try to fit as many people as they can into a unit, creating dangers from over-occupancy.

In a study done by the USFA, student behavior was identified as a contributing factor, specifically alcohol consumption and smoking. In addition, in all the fatal fires, there were no sprinkler systems and often the smoke alarms were missing or disabled when the fire broke out in the middle of the night, a deadly combination.

What can you do?

Each year we work on getting more governors signing proclamations, and if you go to www.campus-firewatch.com/proclamations, you can see which states have issued proclamations so far as well as a copy of the letter and model language for a proclamation. By contacting your governor, you can have a significant role in helping this along.

I’ve compiled a number of campus fire safety education resources on an At-A-Glance page at Campus Firewatch. All this material is free and has been developed either by Campus Firewatch or in partnership with other organizations through FEMA Fire Prevention and Safety Grants.

Together, we have made a difference, and we can use these opportunities to continue to educate tomorrow’s generation about the difference they can make in fire safety!

About the Author

Ed Comeau, owner of writer-tech.com, has been publishing Campus Firewatch since 2000. He is the former chief fire investigator for the NFPA, a fire protection engineer for the Phoenix Fire Department and was a fire fighter for the Amherst (MA) Fire Department while getting his degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Massachusetts. Click here to contact Ed .

 

Setting the Standard for Lightning Protection Systems

By Kimberly Loehr

Lightning Protection Institute

Despite the wealth of information available about lightning protection, confusion and misunderstanding persist about specification, design, installation and quality assurance. Oftentimes, lightning protection is omitted from construction project plans altogether--typically due to lack of knowledge about these systems and their benefits.

NFPA 780, Standard for the Installation of Lightning Protection Systems, provides valuable resource information for code officials, project designers, engineers, insurance professionals and anyone responsible for the protection of lives and property from dangers associated with lightning.

NFPA 780 also serves as the basis for the LPI-175 Standard of Practice for the Design-Installation-Inspection of Lightning Protection Systems reference document, which is commonly used by Lightning Protection Institute (LPI)-certified designers and installers and LPI-Inspection Program inspectors.

NFPA 780 covers lightning protection system installation requirements for structures, watercraft, wind turbines, industrial stacks and other special occupancies. Lightning protection guidance for new construction and building trends (including solar systems, arrays, catenary systems, airfield lighting, rooftop equipment) are also addressed, with new information and sections added to the Standard in conjunction with the three-year review process.

Information added to the 2017 edition of NFPA 780 to address new safety challenges includes:

  • Occupancy-specific safety, design and protection protocol
  • Updated information for hazardous, combustible and explosive conditions
  • Revisions to address protection for structures containing flammable vapors, gases or liquids
  • Revisions to assist facility managers, installers, inspectors and code officials with on-site inspections and periodic maintenance
  • New definitions for commonly misunderstood lightning protection terms
  • Updated illustrations for the placement of lightning protection components
  • New bonding requirements for metal bodies

The 2017 Edition of NFPA 780, prepared by Technical Committee on Lightning Protection was issued by the Standards Council and approved as an American National Standard on June 2, 2016. The new document can be viewed free online at NFPA 780 .

About the Author

Kimberly Loehr is communications director for the Lightning Protection Institute (LPI), and a NFPA Building Fire Safety Systems section member. She also partners with the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration and National Weather Service as a member of the Lightning Safety Awareness Team and serves as a board member for the National Lightning Safety Council (NLSC).

August 14, 2017  | Fire News from Around the World 

Fire News from the US

September is 13th Annual Campus Fire Safety Month

By Ed Comeau, Publisher

Campus Firewatch

National Campus Fire Safety Month has brought schools and communities together for 13 years to educate students and parents about the dangers of college fire safety. Each year, I send a letter, co-signed by parents who have lost children in college-related fires, to the nation’s governors asking them to sign proclamations. To date, there have been 370 proclamations issued recognizing September as Campus Fire Safety Month.

Each September, education programs are held across the country to teach students about their role in fire safety – how to choose fire-safe housing, whether it is on- or off-campus; how to prevent a fire, and what to do if one does break out. These skills are not only for the time they are in school, but are lessons for life.

Does it work, does National Campus Fire Safety Month make a difference? Is the heightened awareness and education working?

There has been a significant drop in the number of college-related fire deaths. From a high of 20 fire deaths in the 2006-2007 academic year, fatalities have dropped to a point where in 2015-2016 there were no fire deaths for the first time since 2000.

But we really need to turn our focus to the off-campus environment where 87% of fire deaths happen. The last fire death in a residence hall was in 2005 and the last in Greek housing was in 2006, and this is an incredible testimony to the work that is being done to make these occupancies safer.

Many of the places where students are living are converted one- and two-family houses or apartments and, in college towns, off-campus housing is in strong demand which means that landlords can charge high rents. As a result, students try to fit as many people as they can into a unit, creating dangers from over-occupancy.

In a study done by the USFA, student behavior was identified as a contributing factor, specifically alcohol consumption and smoking. In addition, in all the fatal fires, there were no sprinkler systems and often the smoke alarms were missing or disabled when the fire broke out in the middle of the night, a deadly combination.

What can you do?

Each year we work on getting more governors signing proclamations, and if you go to www.campus-firewatch.com/proclamations, you can see which states have issued proclamations so far as well as a copy of the letter and model language for a proclamation. By contacting your governor, you can have a significant role in helping this along.

I’ve compiled a number of campus fire safety education resources on an At-A-Glance page at Campus Firewatch. All this material is free and has been developed either by Campus Firewatch or in partnership with other organizations through FEMA Fire Prevention and Safety Grants.

Together, we have made a difference, and we can use these opportunities to continue to educate tomorrow’s generation about the difference they can make in fire safety!

About the Author

Ed Comeau, owner of writer-tech.com, has been publishing Campus Firewatch since 2000. He is the former chief fire investigator for the NFPA, a fire protection engineer for the Phoenix Fire Department and was a fire fighter for the Amherst (MA) Fire Department while getting his degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Massachusetts. Click here to contact Ed .

 

Join Fire Service Membership Council and Register Now for ICC Annual Meeting in Columbus September 10-13

The Fire Service Membership Council will hold its annual conference meeting Sunday, September 10 at 11 a.m. in Rooms B233-234 at the Columbus Convention Center. All are welcome to attend.

The agenda includes:

  • Presentation on the Construction Fire Safety Coalition from Kenneth E. Bland of the American Wood Council. Additional information and fire protection resources are available at Construction Fire Safety Practices
  • Welcome and introduction of new Fire Service Membership Council Governing Committee members who will take office January 1, 2018.

This year’s conference provides education programs for building safety professionals at all levels of experience. Don’t miss these opportunities to earn CEUs and LUs during this year's extended schedule. Class materials will be available for download in August. See the class schedules.

Education sessions take place Monday, September 11 and Tuesday, September 12. Education sessions will be on a first-come first-serve basis, be sure to arrive early to ensure a seat.  Scott Adams, Deputy Fire Chief/Fire Marshal (ret.) from Park City Fire District, Utah and ICC Vice President for National Fire Service Activities Rob Neale will deliver a three-hour class on International Fire Code requirements for high-piled storage.

Register for the Annual Meeting

Construction Fire Safety Coalition

When five, five-story buildings under construction burned July 23 in Waltham, Massachusetts, it was just the latest of several recent spectacular fires in buildings under construction.

In 2017 alone, major construction fires ruined projects in Philadelphia, Lynwood, Washington, Maplewood, New Jersey, Overland Park, Kansas, College Park, Maryland and East Hollywood, California. Losses run into the millions of dollars and projects are delayed by a year or more.

To address the problem and bring public safety into focus, several global and national organizations have joined to create the Coalition for Construction Fire Safety. Founded by the American Wood Council (www.awc.org), current members include the International Code Council (ICC), National Fire Protection Association, National Association of Home Builders and the National Fire Sprinkler Association.  Other groups representing construction and building materials interests are expected to sign on soon.  Membership is free and open to anyone or organization that is interested in addressing this challenge.  To join, contact Ken Bland at the American Wood Council: kbland@awc.org .

The Coalition collects information on these major events, analyzes their causes and consequences and is developing strategies to reduce the number and severity of fires. To address the immediate needs, the Coalition delivered a webinar for more than 600 design professionals and code officials that highlighted recent significant fires and explain how fire codes and standards are intended to prevent them.  The program is now available as a free E-course with ICC continuing education credits at BCD 235 - Fire Protection During Construction

Additional information and fire protection resources are available at Construction Fire Safety Practices.

August 14, 2017  | Fire News from Around the World 

 Fire News from the US

 

Register Now for ICC Annual Meeting in Columbus September 10-13

The 2017 International Code Council Annual Conference offers a comprehensive Education Program to develop your code knowledge, provide you with valuable solutions to your most critical challenges in the code profession, and allow you to earn continuing education and learning units.

This year’s conference provides education programs for building safety professionals at all levels of experience. Don’t miss these opportunities to earn CEUs and LUs during this year's extended schedule. Class materials will be available for download in August. See the class schedules.

Education sessions take place Monday, September 11 and Tuesday, September 12. Education sessions will be on a first-come first-serve basis, be sure to arrive early to ensure a seat.  Scott Adams, Deputy Fire Chief/Fire Marshal (ret.) from Park City Fire District, Utah and ICC Vice President for National Fire Service Activities Rob Neale will deliver a three-hour class on International Fire Code requirements for high-piled storage.

This year all session handouts will be available by downloadable format only. Hard copies of the session handouts will not be available. Participants can either download the handouts to their electronic devices or print the handouts and bring them to their scheduled sessions.

Register for the Annual Meeting

Construction Fire Safety Coalition

When five, five-story buildings under construction burned July 23 in Waltham, Massachusetts, it was just the latest of several recent spectacular fires in buildings under construction.

In 2017 alone, major construction fires ruined projects in Philadelphia, Lynwood, Washington, Maplewood, New Jersey, Overland Park, Kansas, College Park, Maryland and East Hollywood, California. Losses run into the millions of dollars and projects are delayed by a year or more.

To address the problem and bring public safety into focus, several global and national organizations have joined to create the Coalition for Construction Fire Safety. Founded by the American Wood Council (www.awc.org), current members include the International Code Council (ICC), National Fire Protection Association, National Association of Home Builders and the National Fire Sprinkler Association.  Other groups representing construction and building materials interests are expected to sign on soon.  Membership is free and open to anyone or organization that is interested in addressing this challenge.  To join, contact Ken Bland at the American Wood Council: kbland@awc.org .

The Coalition collects information on these major events, analyzes their causes and consequences and is developing strategies to reduce the number and severity of fires. To address the immediate needs, the Coalition delivered a webinar for more than 600 design professionals and code officials that highlighted recent significant fires and explain how fire codes and standards are intended to prevent them.  The program is now available as a free E-course with ICC continuing education credits at BCD 235 - Fire Protection During Construction

Additional inform and fire protection resources are available at Construction Fire Safety Practices

Latest Vision 20/20 Podcasts

In the latest episode of CRR Radio, Jon Jay explains how to use data to predict fires. Using easily-available data sources, he tells us about his work in Baton Rouge and Boston that was able to dramatically improve the accuracy of predicting homes that are at risk from 20% by using random canvassing to 71%.

Nathan Armentrout explains his device, CASPER, that detects fires in vacant houses and sends out an alarm via the cloud. This came out of a hackathon that was held by the city of Louisville to see what the maker community could come up with for solutions to the significant problem of fires in vacant houses that were spreading to adjacent occupied homes.

In addition to listening to the podcast, you can  download a transcript as well. Check it out at www.strategicfire.org/CrrRadio.

August 1, 2017  | Fire News from Around the World

Are You Registered for ICC Annual Meeting in Columbus September 10-13?

The 2017 International Code Council Annual Conference offers a comprehensive Education Program to develop your code knowledge, provide you with valuable solutions to your most critical challenges in the code profession, and allow you to earn continuing education and learning units.

This year’s conference provides education programs for building safety professionals at all levels of experience. Don’t miss these opportunities to earn CEUs and LUs during this year's extended schedule. Class materials will be available for download in August. See the class schedules.

Education sessions take place Monday, September 11 and Tuesday, September 12. Education sessions will be on a first-come first-serve basis, be sure to arrive early to ensure a seat.  Scott Adams, Deputy Fire Chief/Fire Marshal (ret.) from Park City Fire District, Utah and ICC Vice President for National Fire Service Activities Rob Neale will deliver a three-hour class on International Fire Code requirements for high-piled storage.

This year all session handouts will be available by downloadable format only. Hard copies of the session handouts will not be available. Participants can either download the handouts to their electronic devices or print the handouts and bring them to their scheduled sessions.

Register for the Annual MeetingProject Fail-Safe from National Association of State Fire Marshals 

Launched by the National Association of State Fire Marshals Fire Research and Education Foundation, the FAIL-SAFE project aims at Factually Analyzing Integrated Layers of Safety Against Fire's Effects.

The project is designed to study the impacts on fire & life safety in structures equipped with multiple layers of both active and passive fire protection features. The goal is to understand how active and passive fire protection features interdepend on one another in providing the level of safety the public and the fire service have come to expect.  A series of coordinated research projects will be conducted in an effort to provide quantifiable data to better understand the relationship between multiple layers of fire safety features and occupant survivability.  The experiments will also provide critical insight into methods of increasing building and business resiliency when exposed to the effects of a fire event.

Read a report from Worcester Polytechnic Institute: A Literature Review of Sprinkler Trade-offs

Inquiries about the project should be directed to Jon Narva, Director of External Relations, via email or phone: 202-393-7015.

 

July 15, 2017  | Fire News from Around the World

Are You Registered for ICC Annual Meeting in Columbus September 10-13?

The 2017 International Code Council Annual Conference offers a comprehensive Education Program to develop your code knowledge, provide you with valuable solutions to your most critical challenges in the code profession, and allow you to earn continuing education and learning units.

This year’s conference provides education programs for building safety professionals at all levels of experience. Don’t miss these opportunities to earn CEUs and LUs during this year's extended schedule. Class materials will be available for download in August. See the class schedules.

Education sessions take place Monday, September 11 and Tuesday, September 12. Education sessions will be on a first-come first-serve basis, be sure to arrive early to ensure a seat.  Scott Adams, Deputy Fire Chief/Fire Marshal (ret.) from Park City Fire District, Utah and ICC Vice President for National Fire Service Activities Rob Neale will deliver a three-hour class on International Fire Code requirements for high-piled storage.

This year all session handouts will be available by downloadable format only. Hard copies of the session handouts will not be available. Participants can either download the handouts to their electronic devices or print the handouts and bring them to their scheduled sessions.

Register for the Annual Meeting

Project Fail-Safe from National Association of State Fire Marshals 

Launched by the National Association of State Fire Marshals Fire Research and Education Foundation, the FAIL-SAFE project aims at Factually Analyzing Integrated Layers of Safety Against Fire's Effects.

The project is designed to study the impacts on fire & life safety in structures equipped with multiple layers of both active and passive fire protection features. The goal is to understand how active and passive fire protection features interdepend on one another in providing the level of safety the public and the fire service have come to expect.  A series of coordinated research projects will be conducted in an effort to provide quantifiable data to better understand the relationship between multiple layers of fire safety features and occupant survivability.  The experiments will also provide critical insight into methods of increasing building and business resiliency when exposed to the effects of a fire event.

Read a report from Worcester Polytechnic Institute: A Literature Review of Sprinkler Trade-offs

Inquiries about the project should be directed to Jon Narva, Director of External Relations, via email or phone: 202-393-7015.

 From USFA: Recovery and Adaptation after a Wildfire

Following the loss of homes to wildfire, local governments have a unique opportunity to guide recovery and rebuilding. However, little is known about recovery and adaptation after wildfire, in comparison to other natural hazards.

Colorado recently suffered unprecedented losses from the Front Range wildfires. This article looks at recovery efforts and adaptation opportunities after those fires.

Continue reading the article and watch the video

From USFA: Home Fire Safety Education for Parents of Newborns

How much do parents of newborns know about home fire safety and what knowledge might they retain after watching a brief safety video? A research team recently set out to examine changes in home fire safety knowledge and practices over time for parents of newborn children and expecting parents.

Takeaway: Use of the video proved a highly effective way to teach fire safety to parents of newborns as it significantly increased their home fire safety knowledge.

Continue reading the article and watch the video

From Vision 2020: Listen How New Orleans Used Data to Increase Smoke Alarm Installations 125%

Hear about how New Orleans Fire Department had been installing smoke alarms in people’s homes for years, but they were looking for a more effective way to do it.

By working in partnership with the city’s Office of Performance and Accountability, they were able to develop a more focused approach using publicly available data. Listen to Chief McConnell and Director Wise explain how they went from installing 8,000 smoke alarms to 18,000 using data.

Listen here

July 1, 2017  | Fire News from Around the World

 Are You Registered for ICC Annual Meeting in Columbus September 10-13?

The 2017 International Code Council Annual Conference offers a comprehensive Education Program to develop your code knowledge, provide you with valuable solutions to your most critical challenges in the code profession, and allow you to earn continuing education and learning units.

This year’s conference provides education programs for building safety professionals at all levels of experience. Don’t miss these opportunities to earn CEUs and LUs during this year's extended schedule. Class materials will be available for download in August. See the class schedules.

Education sessions take place Monday, September 11 and Tuesday, September 12. Education sessions will be on a first-come first-serve basis, be sure to arrive early to ensure a seat.  Scott Adams, Deputy Fire Chief/Fire Marshal (ret.) from Park City Fire District, Utah and ICC Vice President for National Fire Service Activities Rob Neale will deliver a three-hour class on International Fire Code requirements for high-piled storage.

This year all session handouts will be available by downloadable format only. Hard copies of the session handouts will not be available. Participants can either download the handouts to their electronic devices or print the handouts and bring them to their scheduled sessions.

Register for the Annual Meeting

Free Webinar on Construction Site Fire Safety

The new Coalition for Construction Fire Safety will offer a free 90-minute webinar that will introduce attendees to several of the recent major fires and their causes, the many fire-related hazards that exist on a construction site, the International Building and Fire Code and NFPA requirements for fire protection safeguards during construction and solutions for developing simple fire safety strategies. There also will be information on building materials and construction industry efforts to reduce fire losses.

The webinar will be on Thursday, July 13 at 1:55 p.m. EDT.

At the end of the webinar you will be able to:

  • Identify recent major fires and their reported causes
  • Identify the I Code regulations and linkage to NFPA 241 for fire safety during building construction alteration and demolitions
  • Develop a model fire plan for buildings under construction, alteration or demolition
  • Identify existing building materials and construction industry resources for training, education and mitigation

Education credits will be awarded. Register here.

From USFA: Recovery and Adaptation after a Wildfire

Following the loss of homes to wildfire, local governments have a unique opportunity to guide recovery and rebuilding. However, little is known about recovery and adaptation after wildfire, in comparison to other natural hazards.

Colorado recently suffered unprecedented losses from the Front Range wildfires. This article looks at recovery efforts and adaptation opportunities after those fires.

Continue reading the article and watch the video

From USFA: Home Fire Safety Education for Parents of Newborns

How much do parents of newborns know about home fire safety and what knowledge might they retain after watching a brief safety video? A research team recently set out to examine changes in home fire safety knowledge and practices over time for parents of newborn children and expecting parents.

Takeaway: Use of the video proved a highly effective way to teach fire safety to parents of newborns as it significantly increased their home fire safety knowledge.

Continue reading the article and watch the video

June 21, 2017 | Fire News from Around the World

Free Webinar on Construction Site Fire Safety

The new Coalition for Construction Fire Safety will offer a free 90-minute webinar that will introduce attendees to several of the recent major fires and their causes, the many fire-related hazards that exist on a construction site, the International Building and Fire Code and NFPA requirements for fire protection safeguards during construction and solutions for developing simple fire safety strategies. There also will be information on building materials and construction industry efforts to reduce fire losses.

The webinar will be on Thursday, July 13 at 1:55 p.m. EDT.

At the end of the webinar you will be able to

  • Identify recent major fires and their reported causes
  • Identify the I Code regulations and linkage to NFPA 241 for fire safety during building construction alteration and demolitions
  • Develop a model fire plan for buildings under construction, alteration or demolition
  • Identify existing building materials and construction industry resources for training, education and mitigation

Education credits will be awarded. Register here.

 

New Residential Building Fire Report from U.S. Fire Administration

Three new reports from the U.S. Fire Administration's National Fire Data Center explore the characteristics of residential building fires from 2013-2015, with an emphasis on one- and two-family and multifamily buildings.

Download the free reports

Coalition for Construction Fire Safety Created

In response to recent major fires in buildings under construction, the ICC, the National Fire Protection Association, the American Institute of Architects, the National Fire Sprinkler Association and the American Wood Council have united to create the Coalition for Construction Fire Safety.

Membership is free and open to any interested organizations or persons. The Coalition is in its founding stages and more information will be available soon.

Meanwhile, to obtain free information on construction site fire safety, visit www.constructionfiresafetypractices.com .

April 15, 2017  | Fire News from Around the World

Vision 20/20 Offers Free Home Safety Visit Video Guide.  What's involved in doing Home Safety Visits?

You can learn about developing an effective home safety visit program at the Vision 20/20 Guide to Home Safety Visits website.

This site is full of tips, ideas and suggestions, whether you are starting fresh or are looking for ideas on how to improve your existing program.

ICC Announces New Award for Innovation in Code Administration.  The International Code Council (ICC), has announced the creation of a new honor to acknowledge public safety creativity in the built environment: the ICC Government Relations Innovation in Code Administration Award.

The deadline to submit applications for the annual Award is March 31.  Applications must be submitted to the International Code Council, Membership Services, 900 Montclair Road, Birmingham, AL  35213, by email to khiggs@iccsafe.org, by fax 205-591-0775.

Questions about the Award or application process should be submitted to Karla Higgs, vice president Membership Services, 1.888.422.7233, Extension 5268 or khiggs@iccsafe.org.

In announcing the award, Dominic Sims, ICC Chief Executive Officer, said it recognizes fire departments and building departments for innovation in the delivery of code administration services in their communities. The award program is sponsored by the International Association of Fire Chiefs-Fire and Life Safety Section, the National Association of State Fire Marshals and the Government Relations Division of the International Code Council.

“Code enforcement is one of the five pillars of community risk reduction: education, enforcement, engineering, economic incentives and emergency response,” said ICC President M. Dwayne Garriss, Georgia state fire marshal.

“Fire and building departments across the country are developing new and innovative approaches to deliver code administration services as part of community risk reduction. These tools and techniques should be shared — and honored — to help reduce risk from death, injury, fires and other natural or man-made disasters.”

Organizations eligible for the award must be a building or fire code organization that provides code administration services to one or more jurisdictions.  This may include fire departments, fire marshal’s offices or building departments charged with code administration.

The organization must have implemented a unique practice to enhance building or fire code administration services in the community. The practice should have resulted in a positive impact on public and firefighter safety, measurable reduction in deaths, injuries or property damage, and/or the quality, effectiveness or efficiency of code administration services. An organization can nominate itself; individuals are not eligible for this award.

Such recognition is long overdue, said Park City, Utah, Deputy Chief and Fire Marshal Scott Adams, Fire Service Membership Council Governing Committee Chairman. “Building officials and fire marshals work hard to protect public safety and provide citizens good service,” he said. “They should be acknowledged for their work.

Jefferson County, Colorado, Building Official Becky Baker, chair of the Building Official Membership Council, agreed.  “Nearly every jurisdiction that has codes has some creative idea that can be shared with others to improve the level of building safety and make the workforce more effective,” she said. “We hope sharing these ideas will support the process of continuous improvement.”

Applications will be reviewed by a team from the ICC’s Fire Service and Building Official membership councils that provide overarching policy guidance to the Code Council on emerging issues and trends.

Recipients of the annual award will be honored in May during the ICC-sponsored Building Safety Month and at the annual Building Safety Month Reception held in Washington, D.C.

Questions about the award criteria or application process should be submitted to Rob Neale, ICC vice president for Government Relations at 1-888-422-7233, ext. 6256, or by email at rneale@iccsafe.org.

March 1, 2017 | Fire News from Around the World

March 1, 2017 | ICC Announces New Award for Innovation in Code Administration. The International Code Council (ICC), has announced the creation of a new honor to acknowledge public safety creativity in the built environment: the ICC Government Relations Innovation in Code Administration Award.

In announcing the award, Dominic Sims, ICC Chief Executive Officer, said it recognizes fire departments and building departments for innovation in the delivery of code administration services in their communities. The award program is sponsored by the International Association of Fire Chiefs-Fire and Life Safety Section, the National Association of State Fire Marshals and the Government Relations Division of the International Code Council.

“Code enforcement is one of the five pillars of community risk reduction: education, enforcement, engineering, economic incentives and emergency response,” said ICC President M. Dwayne Garriss, Georgia state fire marshal.

“Fire and building departments across the country are developing new and innovative approaches to deliver code administration services as part of community risk reduction. These tools and techniques should be shared — and honored — to help reduce risk from death, injury, fires and other natural or man-made disasters.”

Organizations eligible for the award must be a building or fire code organization that provides code administration services to one or more jurisdictions.  This may include fire departments, fire marshal’s offices or building departments charged with code administration.

The organization must have implemented a unique practice to enhance building or fire code administration services in the community. The practice should have resulted in a positive impact on public and firefighter safety, measurable reduction in deaths, injuries or property damage, and/or the quality, effectiveness or efficiency of code administration services. An organization can nominate itself; individuals are not eligible for this award.

Such recognition is long overdue, said Park City, Utah, Deputy Chief and Fire Marshal Scott Adams, Fire Service Membership Council Governing Committee Chairman. “Building officials and fire marshals work hard to protect public safety and provide citizens good service,” he said. “They should be acknowledged for their work.

Jefferson County, Colorado, Building Official Becky Baker, chair of the Building Official Membership Council, agreed.  “Nearly every jurisdiction that has codes has some creative idea that can be shared with others to improve the level of building safety and make the workforce more effective,” she said. “We hope sharing these ideas will support the process of continuous improvement.”

The deadline to submit applications for the annual award is March 3. Applications must be submitted to the International Code Council, Government Relations, 500 New Jersey Ave. NW, Sixth Floor, Washington, D.C., 20001 or by fax to 202-783-2348.

Applications will be reviewed by a team from the ICC’s Fire Service and Building Official membership councils that provide overarching policy guidance to the Code Council on emerging issues and trends.

Recipients of the annual award will be honored in May during the ICC-sponsored Building Safety Month and at the annual Building Safety Month Reception held in Washington, D.C.

Questions about the award criteria or application process should be submitted to Rob Neale, ICC vice president for Government Relations at 1-888-422-7233, ext. 6256, or by email at rneale@iccsafe.org.

March 1, 2017 | Fire Protection Icon Dr. Harry E. Hickey Dies. The fire community lost a beloved individual January 30, 2017:  Dr. Harry E. Hickey, a former University of Maryland fire protection engineering professor, passed after a long battle with dementia and Alzheimer's.

Dr. Hickey served in multiple key roles in fire protection and the fire service during his life.  His active fire services career spanned 52 years – 20 years in the career service and 32 years in the volunteer service.  His distinguished journey in fire protection disciplines include joining the University of Maryland’s Department of Fire Protection Engineering (FPE) as the second full-time faculty member in 1960, retiring after 25 years of service in 1985.

For several decades he served as deputy fire coordinator, Wyoming County, NY, Bureau of Fire, which required many trips from Maryland to New York to fulfill.  He spent most of his adult life analyzing the key components of good fire protection and working closely with the Insurance Services Office’s Public Protection Classification program (overseen today by Verisk Analytics) that assists the fire insurance industry establish premium rates.

He wrote many books and articles, plus it was his pioneering concepts that lead to the creation of the National Fire Heritage Center (NFHC), a national fire-related archival initiative in Emmitsburg, Maryland, to preserve the written history of fire protection and the fire services in America.

Dr. Hickey was the author of the following text books:

  • “Hydraulics for Fire Protection”
  • “Public Fire Safety Organization: A Systems Approach”
  • “Fire Suppression Rating Schedule Handbook”
  • “Water Supply Systems and Evaluation Methods:  Water Supply Evaluation Methods,’ (Volumes I and II)
  • “The Impact of Building Code Criteria and Emergency Preparedness Criteria on Water Demand Requirements to Fire Protection”

The Dr. Harry E. Hickey Scholarship Endowment was established in July 2009 by alumni of the four-year academic program, his friends and former students.  Income from the Scholarship Endowment provides annual FPE scholarships in the A. James Clark School of Engineering at the University of Maryland at College Park.  An important component of the FPE curriculum, the Fire Suppression Research Laboratory is named in his honor.  Upon retiring, he served as Director of Fire Protection and Fire Chief at the Johns Hopkins University / Applied Physics Laboratory in Howard County, Maryland.

Dr. Hickey is survived by his wife, five children, 11 grandchildren and five great grandchildren.

February 1, 2017 | Fire News from Around the World

February 1, 2017 | ICC Announces New Award for Innovation In Code Administration. The International Code Council (ICC), has announced the creation of a new honor to acknowledge public safety creativity in the built environment: the ICC Government Relations Innovation in Code Administration Award.

In announcing the award, Dominic Sims, ICC Chief Executive Officer, said it recognizes fire departments and building departments for innovation in the delivery of code administration services in their communities. The award program is sponsored by the International Association of Fire Chiefs-Fire and Life Safety Section, the National Association of State Fire Marshals and the Government Relations Division of the International Code Council.

“Code enforcement is one of the five pillars of community risk reduction: education, enforcement, engineering, economic incentives and emergency response,” said ICC President M. Dwayne Garriss, Georgia state fire marshal.

“Fire and building departments across the country are developing new and innovative approaches to deliver code administration services as part of community risk reduction. These tools and techniques should be shared — and honored — to help reduce risk from death, injury, fires and other natural or man-made disasters.”

Organizations eligible for the award must be a building or fire code organization that provides code administration services to one or more jurisdictions.  This may include fire departments, fire marshal’s offices or building departments charged with code administration.

The organization must have implemented a unique practice to enhance building or fire code administration services in the community. The practice should have resulted in a positive impact on public and firefighter safety, measurable reduction in deaths, injuries or property damage, and/or the quality, effectiveness or efficiency of code administration services. An organization can nominate itself; individuals are not eligible for this award.

Such recognition is long overdue, said Park City, Utah, Deputy Chief and Fire Marshal Scott Adams, Fire Service Membership Council Governing Committee Chairman. “Building officials and fire marshals work hard to protect public safety and provide citizens good service,” he said. “They should be acknowledged for their work.

Jefferson County, Colorado, Building Official Becky Baker, chair of the Building Official Membership Council, agreed.  “Nearly every jurisdiction that has codes has some creative idea that can be shared with others to improve the level of building safety and make the workforce more effective,” she said. “We hope sharing these ideas will support the process of continuous improvement.”

The deadline to submit applications for the annual award is March 3. Applications must be submitted to the International Code Council, Government Relations, 500 New Jersey Ave. NW, Sixth Floor, Washington, D.C., 20001 or by fax to 202-783-2348.

Applications will be reviewed by a team from the ICC’s Fire Service and Building Official membership councils that provide overarching policy guidance to the Code Council on emerging issues and trends.

Recipients of the annual award will be honored in May during the ICC-sponsored Building Safety Month and at the annual Building Safety Month Reception held in Washington, D.C.

Questions about the award criteria or application process should be submitted to Rob Neale, ICC vice president for Government Relations at 1-888-422-7233, ext. 6256, or by email at rneale@iccsafe.org.

February 1, 2017 | Solve Your Plan Review Challenges: Plan Review Institute Based on the 2015 I-Codes.  Feb. 13–17 | Sacramento, Calif.

Structural, nonstructural and residential plan reviews—they’ll all be covered at the upcoming Plan Review Institute in Sacramento, Calif. Attend this in-demand training event to earn 3.0 CEUs and increase your efficiency in determining if a given set of plans and specifications complies with the applicable 2015 I-Codes.

Not only will you get hands-on experience with interactive practice exercises and question and answer sessions led by nationally known plan review experts, you’ll also return to work with detailed checklists and valuable tools to immediately put to use.

After completing the Plan Review Institute, you will be better able to:

  • Identify where minimum code requirements have not been met and cite applicable code sections
  • Perform the required steps to complete a residential and structural plan review.
  • Verify that structural loads are in compliance with code requirements
  • Perform a review of fire-resistance-rated construction
  • Perform a review of the means of egress

Register today: This five-day Plan Review Institute fills up quickly.

February 1, 2017 | Fire Service Membership Council and higher education coalition support Federal HR 4405, Kerry Rose Fire Sprinkler Notification Act.  The Center for Campus Fire Safety, Campus Firewatch, Campus Fire Safety Com LLC and the Fire Service Membership Council of the International Code Council on November 28 sent Congress a letter of support for this legislation that will save lives and protect property.

This bill amends Title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to modify fire safety reporting requirements for an institution of higher education (IHE) that participates in federal student aid programs.

Specifically, it requires an IHE that maintains on-campus student housing facilities to notify students about whether a housing facility is equipped with a fire safety system, including an automatic fire sprinkler system in each bedroom. Only minor administrative costs in reporting changes are required.

The bill currently is in the House Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Training.

February 1, 2017 | ICC Government Relations Embraces Online Legislative-Action Tracker.  The ICC Government Relations Department in Washington, DC and its eight regional representatives have signed on to the data analytics platform FiscalNote (www.fiscalnote.com) to better track Federal and State laws and regulations that affect the I-Codes.

The web-based tool allows Government Relations staff to search on key words to track bills and regulations of critical interest to ICC and the fire service.  Since the product runs in real time, Government Relations staff can get up-to-the minute status reports on important issues such as residential sprinklers, fire code adoptions and hazardous materials.  This timeliness enables ICC to contact ICC fire service chapters and other interested persons to gauge their interest and concern about the proposals.

On the day its ICC launch, FiscalNote identified a Texas fire sprinkler contractor registration bill that could have affected ICC efforts in the state, and ICC Government Relations staff were able to immediately submit a friendly amendment to the bill.

February 1, 2017 | Free Vision 20/20 Community Risk Reduction Resource Guide. Vision 20/20 has developed resources to help you with your Community Risk Reduction planning. CRR is a process to identify and prioritize local risks, followed by the integrated and strategic investment of resources (emergency response and prevention) to reduce their occurrence and impact. Typically, Community Risk Reduction programs use a six-step approach towards development.

An online Community Risk Assessment Guide (also available as a  PDF) to help fire departments and other organizations to conduct a basic or more complex assessment of risks within their community. Ultimately, the results of the risk assessment can be used to develop a CRR plan. These are the first two steps of the six-step process

The Community Risk Reduction Planning Guide takes you through the remaining four steps of the CRR planning process.