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Fire and Life Safety Section

	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 Deputy Chief Joe Pierce Dallas (TX) Fire Rescue IAFC Staff Liaison Michael Chimento, Section Manager 703-896-4842 mchimento@iafc.org Go to Board contact information.

Updates & Action Items

NFPA to Fund Fire Service Enforcers
Dec 21...  It was with great excitement that we read the announcement last week from Jim Shannon, NFPA’s President, that NFPA will begin offering financial assistance to fire service participants on technical committees in 2012.  We encourage all IAFC members to review those NFPA technical committees on which they have expertise and interest to see which have vacant seats available and submit your application to participate.  This is a very exciting development and will go far in giving the fire service an increased voice in the codes and standards process. 

At this time, we are alerting you to the possibility of reimbursement of 80% of your transportation and lodging expenses by NFPA to represent your fire department.  It is not known yet, however, how many or which committees will be open to such funding by NFPA.

Wanted - Model Fire Prevention Programs for Vision 20/20 Symposium
Dec 20...  Do you have a great fire prevention program that you think could serve as a model for others?  Vision 20/20 project is holding its second annual National Symposium on Model Performance in Fire Prevention on May 4 through 6 in Reston, Virginia. This Symposium brings together presenters showcasing model fire prevention programs that have had demonstrable results. If you have a program you would like to share, click on the link on the home page to learn more and submit your application. The online application includes a series of questions that will provide the review panel with the overview of your program they will use to select the winning programs. Travel and lodging for all selected presenters will be provided. The deadline to submit your application is February 1, 2012.

Vision 20/20 is a project of the Institution of Fire Engineers (IFE) and is funded through a DHS Fire Prevention and Safety Grant. The FLSS is represented on the Vision 20/20 project by two FLSS board members: Director Alan Perdue who serves on the Steering Committee and Mr. Ed Comeau who serves on the Executive Committee.

Fire Marshal 101 – More than a Badge
Dec 16...  If you missed the free VCOS-sponsored webinar on December 15 titled Fire Marshal 101 - More than a Badge, you can now access the recorded version.  The instructors were Fire Marshal Mike O'Brian of the Brighton Area (Mich.) Fire Department and Chief Dan Eggleston of the Albemarle County (Va.) Dept of Fire Rescue.  The program took a look at the position of fire marshal, the responsibilities of the position, the FM’s role in reducing community risk, and how best to integrate the position into department senior staff. The webinar discussion was particularly valuable to fire chiefs who do not have an extensive prevention/FM background who find themselves managing a fire marshal or prevention division. 

USFA Official Addresses the Future of Fire Prevention
Dec 2... The world is changing very quickly and one USFA official says the fire service has to do its best to keep up.  Ken Farmer, chief of the agency's Prevention and Leadership Development Branch spoke to attendees at the opening of the VCOS Symposium opening session. Farmer states that the tactics used by fire crews need to change. "Stop fighting interior fires," he said. "Don't go into those fires anymore. It's not worth it. They build disposable houses these days. Our lives are not disposable. We have to shift from the response and the exciting part of fighting fires -- which I love -- and focus on prevention and mitigation," he said. (Read More).

Submitted Code Changes to NFPA 72: National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code
Nov 29... The FLSS board has prepared a summary of the proposed code changes to NFPA 72-2013. Many of these items were submitted by the section and several FLSS board members will be at the NFPA 72 TCC hearings in Tampa, Florida on December 13 – 15 to provide testimony for the changes.

Changes to NFPA 72 to Address 90-second Alarm Verification
Sept 26...  On October 10-14, Past IAFC President Chief Jack Parow (Chelmsford, MA) and Fire Marshal Steve Forster (Tualatin Valley, OR) will be representing the IAFC/FLSS at a meeting of NFPA’s 72 committee (National Fire Alarm & Signaling Code). The purpose of this meeting is to act upon public comments received by the comment closing date of August 30, 2011 as well as any committee generated comments.  The IAFC’s Fire & Life Safety Section submitted 15 comments to the document. The intent of these comments was to support the original proposals from the IAFC to reduce the number of unwanted/nuisance alarms to which the fire service responds. The three key areas of focus for the submitted comments are:

• Point ID transmission
• 90-second alarm verification
• One waterflow per circuit

Fire Marshal Michehl Earns Fire & Life Safety Award
Sept 12… George Michehl, Fire Marshal of the Buffalo Grove, Ill., Fire Department and Executive Director Emeritus of the Illinois Fire Inspectors Association was named recipient of the 2011 Excellence in Fire & Life Safety Award sponsored by the International Code Council (ICC) and the IAFC’s Fire & Life Safety Section (FLSS). The award honors those who have dedicated themselves to saving lives and property through the development of codes, fire-prevention practices and leadership techniques and was presented at Fire-Rescue International on Friday, Aug. 26, during the FLSS’s annual section meeting. (Read more.)

CAL FIRE State Fire Marshal Wins Award at FRI
Sept 9...  Chief Tonya Hoover, Acting State Fire Marshal, CAL FIRE, was the recipient of the 2011 Bringing Safety Home Award, an annual award sponsored by the Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition (HFSC) and the National Fire Protection Association’s (NFPA) Fire Sprinkler Initiative. The award is presented every year at the FLSS annual meeting at Fire-Rescue International.  The award recognizes the efforts of fire chiefs who use HFSC’s educational materials and the resources of the Fire Sprinkler Initiative to ensure that decision makers have accurate information as new or updated residential fire sprinkler codes are considered. “Chief Hoover was chosen because she led the charge to facilitate a successful adoption and implementation of the residential fire sprinkler requirement in California,” says Gary S. Keith, speaking on behalf of both HFSC and NFPA. “Both HFSC and Fire Sprinkler Initiative materials played an important role in educating key stakeholders as well as influencing the final public education and outreach program. We appreciate Tonya’s diligence and are very pleased that the award will go to such an active life safety advocate.”

New 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.