Congressional Fire Services Institute joint NAC resolutions approved

Wildland fires are causing more widespread destruction than ever. In 2017, a total of 12,306 structures were destroyed by wildfires — including more than 8,000 homes and more than 200 commercial buildings — and the National Interagency Fire Center reports that there were 71,499 wildfires in 2017, including fires in Puerto Rico and all 50 states except for Hawaii.

The International Code Council joined the National Fire Protection Association and the International Association of Fire Chiefs to address the issue of preventing wildfires by sponsoring a joint resolution on wildland fires through the Congressional Fire Services Institute (CFSI) National Advisory Committee (NAC). The CFSI resolution is endorsed by 38 national fire and emergency services organizations and expresses concern about the growing damage from wildfires. The resolution encourages increased support by Congress for implementing and enforcing the most current consensus-based codes and standards, implementing coordinated community risk reduction efforts, supporting further wildland fire research, and providing additional support for wildland fire suppression efforts including adequate equipment and personnel resources.

The Code Council also introduced a separate CFSI resolution expressing support for using the latest codes and standards in the design and construction of federally supported infrastructure investments. The Code Council was joined by the International Association of Fire Chiefs, National Association of State Fire Marshals and the National Volunteer Fire Council in sponsoring the resolution. Both resolutions were approved on April 26, 2019, at the CFSI National Advisory Committee meeting and were subsequently approved by the CFSI Board of Directors.

The Congressional Fire Services Institute educates members of the U.S. Congress about the needs and challenges of our nation’s fire and emergency services so that the federal government provides the types of training and funding needed by our first responders. The strength of the institute lies in its National Advisory Committee, which provides a forum where the national fire organizations conduct discussions and develop consensus on important national fire and emergency services issues.

Composed of the leading fire service organizations in the country, the CFSI is a non-profit, non-partisan policy institute. The International Code Council is a member organization and regularly attends CFSI events, including Congressional Fire Safety Day and the Institute’s annual National Fire and Emergency Services Dinner in Washington‚ D.C.