NFPA Safety

The National Fire Protection Agency, or NFPA, was established in 1896 with the mission of reducing the risk and incidence of fire worldwide. One of the very first initiatives by the NFPA was transform the five existing sets of standards for sprinkler installation into one standardized set of rules. NFPA is a worldwide, nonprofit fire-prevention organization that reaches everyone from firefighters to children with a multifaceted line of approach.

Standardization

• A large portion of NFPA safety enforcement lies in its 300 codes and standards that have been developed over the years to impose standardized requirements for fire safety in the United States as well as other countries. The more than 200 development committees that vote on proposals and revisions of these codes and standards are made up of over 6,000 volunteers. The process is open and census-based, offering fair and equal treatment to all its participants because, as the NFPA states, “Safety is everybody’s business.”

Education

• The NFPA sponsors numerous fire safety campaigns every year in order to educate the public (particularly teachers, children, parents, college students and home owners) about fire risks and preventative measures. Fire Prevention Week, Remembering When, Learn Not to Burn, Risk Watch and Sparky the Fire Dog are the largest educational initiatives hosted by the NFPA. Sparky the Fire Dog has its own interactive site to teach kids about fire safety in a fun way (see Resources).

Training

• Professional development is provided by the NFPA in order for interested parties to stay current on the latest developments in fire-safety technology, research and techniques. They host seminars, webinars, certificate programs, the NFPA Conference & Expo each June, create dozens of guides, instructional videos, handbooks, workbooks and other texts for firefighters, fire investigators and first responding medical or health personnel.

Research

• The NFPA is the leading resource for fire research and data analysis. The Charles S. Morgan Library stores the NFPA’s extensive archives, making it among the largest fire science libraries globally. There is a fire analysis and research division of the NFPA that conducts special studies and publishes a variety of annual reports on fire issues affecting the nation. The NFPA will also conduct special investigations into fire incidences that are of special interest to them or their technical committees. Finally, the Fire Protection Research Foundation is involved in coordinating research and information to aid in the development and revision of codes and standards for the NFPA.

Advocacy

• NFPA safety extends to the management of operations of advocacy campaigns such as the Coalition for Fire-Safe Cigarettes, which has worked to pass legislation that will better protect the United States from cigarette-ignited fires. The Fire Sprinkler Initiative, Bringing Safety Home fire-safety campaign strives to impress upon decision makers the need for sprinklers in new one- and two-family homes. The NFPA is a member of the Alliance to Stop Consumer Fireworks, which encourages the general public to resist purchasing fireworks for personal use to avoid injury- or death-causing accidents.