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Fire and Life Safety Section

	Recent Activity Reports Coming soon!
	Appointments to NFPA by FLSS NFPA 1 - Fire Code Chief Robert Budzinski, Ret., Fire Marshal Robert Davidson NFPA 13D-13R - Residential Sprinkler Systems Fire Marshal Michael O'Brian Senior Fire Inspector Bob S. Blach NFPA 72 - National Fire Alarm & Signaling Code Fire Marshal David F. Klein District Chief Earl Valois NFPA 1124 - Fireworks & Pyrotechnics Fire Marshal Christopher Weir Fire Marshal Albert Comly, Jr. NFPA 1730 - Fire Prevention Organization and Deployment Fire Marshal Gary Styers Chief Prevention Officer Connie Forster
	Contacts Section Chair Adolf Zubia Fire Chief (Ret.) IAFC Staff Liaison Richard Miller, Section Liaison 703-537-4846 rmiller@iafc.org Go to Board contact information

Updates & Action Items

FLSS Election Details for Board Candidates
Apr. 16- FLSS will conduct its 2013 election by electronic ballot. Open seats include the international director, secretary/treasurer and several at-large representatives. If you are a current member of the FLSS and are interested in running for the FLSS board of directors, please read the FLSS election details. The deadline for receipt of applications is Wednesday, May 1 at 5 pm Eastern time.

FLSS Election Information Required
Apr. 16- Candidates should read the document Board Expectations prior to submitting their names. Candidates should also read Article IV (Duties of the Officers and Directors) on page 4 of the Section bylaws and Policy #1, FLSS Board Campaign Guidelines. To be placed on the mail ballot as a candidate for the FLSS board, you must provide all of the following information by the established deadline.

Election Questions
Apr. 16- If you have any questions, please contact one of the Election Committee members or the staff liaison. Thanks for your interest in the Fire & Life Safety Section and its mission. Staff liaison: Richard Miller, 703-537-4843

First Harvard Strategic Management Scholarship Recipient Named
Feb. 22- The FLSS and the IAFC Foundation have awarded Chief Shane Ray, South Carolina State Fire Marshal and Battalion Chief of Clarendon Volunteer Fire Department near Columbia, South Carolina a scholarship to attend Harvard University’s 2013 Strategic Management of Regulatory and Enforcement Agencies course in April. This is the first year the scholarship has been awarded.

The section will continue to support the program in the future; look for announcements about scholarship opportunities on the Awards and Scholarships webpage.

Brazil Tragedy Points to Need for Crowd Manager Training
Feb. 22- The recent fire at a crowded Brazil nightclub that killed 233 was history repeating itself. We must continue our efforts to keep the public safe. The section has teamed up with Fire Marshals Support Services LLC to make your task easier by providing Crowd Manager Training, an online tool to train those who manage night clubs and other places of assembly.

Both NFPA and ICC fire codes require trained crowd managers in many assembly occupancies. This code provision was driven by the fire service and others interested in enhancing public safety in these facilities. The program provides training to managers of facilities to assure that there are an adequate number of people in the facility with the skill, knowledge, and abilities to properly manage large crowds in these facilities.

Parallels Drawn between Brazil Nightclub fire and The Station, Other Fires
Feb. 20- ICC News: The Rhode Island Station Nightclub fire claimed 100 lives in 2003. Like the Iroquois Theatre fire, the Triangle Shirtwaist fire, the Cocoanut Grove fire, Our Lady of the Angels fire and other horrendous blazes, the Station fire resulted in changes to the I-Codes, federal legislation and new ways to control crowds.

Feb. 15- NFPA News: The recent tragic fire at Kiss nightclub in Brazil occurred as the 10th anniversary of The Station nightclub fire in Rhode Island approached. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) is offering expanded resources on its webpage on nightclub and assembly fires. The Kiss nightclub fire is ranked third on NFPA’s list of the deadliest nightclub fires in the world; The Station is ranked tenth.

Position Paper and Special Report: Residential Range-Top Safety
Feb. 14- The IAFC has adopted a position paper on residential range-top fire safety (pdf) drafted by the FLSS. This position and report help chiefs and other fire safety professionals better respond to inquiries about residential cooking safety and more effectively develop community risk reduction outreach programs.

As detailed in the report, Protecting Life and Property and Reducing Injuries From Fires Originating on Home Ranges (pdf), home fires and losses dominate the North American fire problem. Fires beginning with cooking appliances account for the largest shares of home structure fires and associated fire injuries in the U.S. and Canada. Electric ranges are by far the leading cause of home cooking appliance fires. The FLSS task group analyzed the characteristics of the home fire problem, assessed the potential of various protection technologies to reduce these fire losses and develop recommendations to reduce these fire losses.

IAFC Position Statement: Use of Residential Smoke Alarms
Aug. 2- The IAFC board of directors adopted the updated position statement on the use of residential smoke alarms (pdf) recommended by the FLSS. View all fire and life safety-related positions.

Online Vision 20/20 Fire Prevention Advocacy Toolkit
June 16- The Institution of Fire Engineers USA Branch (IFE-USA) launched a new web-based Vision 20/20 Fire Prevention Advocacy Toolkit that gives local fire departments the tools they need to prove the value of fire prevention in saving lives and reducing the impact of fire on a community and its economy. The program was funded by a DHS Fire Prevention and Safety Grant and demonstrates the value of investing in fire prevention in these difficult economic times. The Toolkit was developed under one of the five Vision 20/20 strategies, Strategy 1 Fire Prevention Advocacy. This strategy is led by Alan Perdue, Emergency Services Director of Guildford County (NC), and the International Director of the IAFC’s Fire & Life Safety Section. Director Perdue is also a member of the Vision 20/20 Steering Committee.

Go to archived news on the Fire Prevention Resources page.