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International Panel of Experts at Conference & Expo, Chicago
In June, experts gathered for a conference/panel session entitled “Adoption of NFPA Codes and Standards Internationally” at NFPA’s Conference and Expo (Chicago, IL). Representatives on the panel included, a global manufacturer, insurance agent, engineer, consultant, and end-user. They shared a wide range of experiences from their individual perspectives and also presented a unique viewpoint regarding the use of NFPA codes and standards for specific applications outside of North America. Each member represented a specific region: Middle East, Asia-Pacific, Latin America and Europe. At the end of the panel discussion, a case study on NFPA 1600®: Disaster/Emergency Management and Business Continuity Programs was presented on the Argentine adoption of this internationally recognized standard, involving the tireless combined efforts of local volunteers, the country’s national standards developer and an enthusiastically dedicated NFPA committee member.

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Asia /South Pacific 

A visit to Chong Qing Fire Department 

Chong Qing Fire Department

Vice General Director Li with members of the CQFD and Dave Reed

Through NFPA’s coordination with the Chong Qing Fire Department (CQFD) in China, rescue specialist fire fighter David Reed, Pawtucket Fire Department, Rhode Island visited the CQFD this August. He was welcomed by top fire officials Commissar Zhang Gaochao, Vice General Director Li and Directors Chen and Wu along with many others. While there, Reed shared a successful presentation on Technical Rescue Awareness for the U.S. Fire Service. In his presentation, he addressed the topics of the U.S. Fire Service; NFPA 1670, Standard on Operations and Training for Technical Search and Rescue Incidents; technical rescue command systems; rescue environments and disciplines; multi-agency response, risk vs. benefit and he answered questions from the audience.  

In addition, Reed visited the special rescue team and toured the Rescue Dog Training Center. He had the opportunity to watch the First Chong Qing Fire Fighters Rescue Games as the teams employed great skill with much enthusiasm. He was also privileged to witnessed a fire fighter’s wedding ceremony.

The Chong Qing Fire Department  is over 3,000 professional fire officers and fire fighters strong. Reed’s visit will improve the exchange between fire services in the U.S. and China.

NFPA welcomes the Shanghai Fire Research Institute 
NFPA welcomed a group of research fellows from the Shanghai Fire Research Insitute (SFRI), led by Vice Director Xue Lin on their visit to the U.S. Olga Caledonia, Exectuive Director International Operations, hosted the delegation as they met with Casey Grant, Program Director Fire Protection Reasearch Foundation and Allan Fraser, Sr. Building Code Specialist, regarding safety standards and practices in fire, rescue, and emergency services. They also gathered information on NFPA’s training resources and public education programs. After visiting NFPA, they would continue to network with other fire professionals in New York and Washington, D.C. before returning to China.

Taiwan Fire Service captain, Rotary Club member visits NFPA 
Quincy, MA - A member of Rotary International, Fire Officer Chang Su (aka "Nathan") of Nantou County, Taiwan visited NFPA on May 11th. He was in the U.S. as part of a Group Study Exchange. During his visit, he met with Ken Holland, Fire Service Specialist Public Fire Protection. He discussed how NFPA standards have influenced Taiwan, sharing with NFPA that the standards are widely used in his country and highly revered. Officer Chang was accompanied by hosts Harry and Anne Cargile, Shenendehowa Club, Rotary International and retired professor Robert Fitzgerald (WPI). 

NFPA welcomes visitors from every country. If you would like to visit NFPA, you may contact Rachel Abrams or global@nfpa.org to schedule a visit during business hours.

Kitpon Cherdchookitkul and Jim Shannon

Bangkok Metropolitan Council signs MOU with NFPA  
Pesident Jim Shannon and Kitpon Cherdchookitkul, Chairman of the Bangkok Metropolitan Council (BMC), signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) at the NFPA Conference & Expo in Chicago , IL on July 8, 2009. The signing ceremony, attended by 12 delegates of the BMC and several NFPA executive staff, was a benchmark event for the Kingdom of Thailand in their efforts to meet international standrads in the development of an efficient fire protection system and for the support of life safety in Bangkok. In the wake of the recent night club fire tragedy that occurred on New Year's Eve 2009, the government has begun to increase its focus on safety standards. Earlier this year, Thai officials traveled around the world in search of best practices for the protection of lives and property. Part of their quest included visiting the Los Angeles Fire Department and L.A. nightclubs to learn more about how U.S. standards are applied in these venues. 

NFPA is looking forward to future cooperation opportunities that will develop as a result of the Agreement. Some of those opportunities include the adoption of material from several standards, including NFPA 1600®, Disaster/Emergency Management and Business Continuity Programs; NFPA 130, Fixed Guideway Transit and Passenger Rail Systems; and NFPA 101®, Life Safety Code®. In addition, they will use NFPA's public education program, Risk Watch® , to help teach children about safety from unintentional injuries. The Bangkok Metropolitan Council is the legislative body of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (government of Bangkok Province, including the capital city of Bangkok). The Administration’s role is to formulate and implement policies regarding the management of Bangkok, which includes: transport services, urban planning, waste management, housing, roads and highways, security services and the environment.

China Fire Service delegates meet with President Shannon
The China Fire Service recently underwent some administration changes and is now ready for a fresh new outlook on promoting NFPA codes and standards through their adoption and use in the People's Republic of China. Three officials greeted Jim Shannon, President, Bruce Mullen, CFO and Gary Keith, VP of Field Operations & Education at this year's Conference in Chicago. There were two officials from the Ministry of Public Security, including Mr. Wang Qinlin, Deputy Director General of the Fire Department and Mr. Ma Enqiang, Deputy Director, Fire Prevention Division, along with an official from the Ministry of Finance, Mr. Wei Xue. They were accompanied by Olga Caledonia, Executive Director of International Operations and Yuanjing Liu, Chief Representative NFPA China.

The delegates discussed how they would continue developing the friendship with NFPA and enhance cooperation especially in energy, transportation, and high-rise building fire prevention. The Fire Service is looking forward to producing updated translations of the previously licensed NFPA standards. This will enable members of the Fire Service to study these standards first hand and apply them in their daily work. 

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Europe

NFPA and FPRF represented at the 86th Annual IFE General Assembly held in Scotland 
Glasgow, Scotland  - NFPA board member Peter Holland (Chief Officer of the Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service) along with Russ Sanders, NFPA Central Regional Manager, and Casey Grant, Fire Protection Research Foundation Program Director, attended the annual business and technical meeting for the Institution of Fire Engineers (IFE). The meeting was held in Glasgow, Scotland during July this year, and included the installation of Toronto Fire Chief William Stewart (immediate Past President of the NFPA/IAFC Metro Chiefs Section) as the new IFE International President. Sanders gave a presentation on “NFPA Global Impact to Fire Engineering” during a session that also had Holland serving as the session moderator. Grant’s presentation was “Wind Driven Fires and Looking at the Future of Fire Engineering in the Next 25 Years”. The Institute is a non-profit professional membership organization founded in 1918 with over 12,000 members and 39 international branches, with headquarters in the UK. Casey Grant and Russ Sanders belong to the U.S. branch. The Institution provides professional recognition for members from the fire service, fire protection engineering community, and others interested in fire safety. Colonna delivers confined space safety training to Coast Guard in Rotterdam

Colonna delivers confined space safety training to Coast Guard in Rotterdam
Rotterdam, The Netherlands - Guy Colonna, AVP Industrial & Chemical Engineering at NFPA, traveled to Rotterdam, Netherlands, to present the NFPA maritime confined space safe practices seminar for the US Coast Guard during the week of May 25. The Coast Guard conducts field inspection operations from their base in Holland inspecting vessels throughout Europe, West Africa, and the Middle East. NFPA and Delta Laboratory and Gas Testing of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, provide training to field inspection personnel on the hazards of confined spaces and on the best practices to ensure the safety of the inspectors. The 3-day seminar is based upon safety practices found in NFPA 306, Standard for the Control of Gas Hazards on Vessels, and OSHA regulations and has been customized to integrate specific Coast Guard safety policies. This program is part of the confined space safety training offered by NFPA to maritime industry personnel (shipyards, offshore operators, barge and towing operators, tank ship operators, and ABS surveyors) operating in the US or throughout the world.

Meeting of ISO TC 223

Meeting of ISO TC 223, Societal Security
Paris, France - David Trebisacci of NFPA’s Public Fire Protection Division and Dr. Dean Larson, member of the Technical Committee (TC) on Emergency Management and Business Continuity (NFPA 1600®) attended a meeting of ISO TC 223, Societal Security, held in Paris, France on May 25-29. NFPA is the U.S. Technical Advisory Group (TAG) administrator to this ISO TC for ANSI (American National Standards Institute), and Dr. Larson serves as head of the U.S. delegation. Other individuals who were part of the U.S. delegation included Dr. Bert Coursey from the Department of Homeland Security, Meliha Dzirlo-Ayvz and Steven Krill of Booz Allen Hamilton, and Monica Rigano of the Security Industry Association (SIA).  The delegates participated in the plenary sessions and working groups of the committee.

NFPA has been involved in the ISO TC 223 effort since April 2006, and actively contributes to the development of several of its work items, including guidelines for incident preparation and operational continuity, a management systems standard, a vocabulary document, a document on essential information and data requirements for command and control, a document on warning systems, and several others. 

Dr. Larson, in addition to his responsibilities as chair of the U.S. TAG, also contributes his time and expertise to NFPA’s efforts in Latin America for the implementation of NFPA 1600 in that region of the world.

NFPA 1600 is also part of the publically available specification document, ISO/PAS 22399, Societal Security – Guideline for Incident Preparedness and Operational Continuity Management, which is a compilation of five national standards. The next meeting of TC 223 is scheduled for November 16-20, 2009 in Johannesburg, South Africa.    

Lund University students

Students from Lund University, Sweden visit NFPA  
Quincy, MA - Each year, Professor Robert Jönsson of Lund University brings a promising young group of students to visit fire protection related organizations in the U.S. While in the Boston area, they make sure to visit NFPA and we receive them with a warm welcome. NFPA staff delivered technical presentations to the students who are about half way through their undergraduate study of fire protection engineering. This year's speakers included NFPA's principal gasses engineer Ted Lemoff, senior chemical specialist Martha Curtis, senior electrical specialist Paul Choiniere, senior fire service safety specialist Bruce Teele, and librarian Sue Marsh who gave them a tour of the Charles S. Morgan Library, home of resource materials collected from national and international sources including more than 15,000 books and reports, 200 periodical titles, archives of NFPA documents since 1896, and educational media such as curricula, videos, games and brochures. While in the U.S., the students went on to visit FM Global test labs, WPI and various other cities and attractions.

Lund University was founded in 1666. Today it is an international center for research and education that has approximately 38,000 students. 

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Latin America and the Caribbean 

Antiliano Estrella teaches children 10 & up, all members of the Bomberil (Jr. Fire Service) the lesson plan for Behavior 1: Hot Things Can Hurt You.

Students from the town of El Seibo, Dominican Republic singing the song “Cuidado Puede Estar Caliente” teaching children to identify items that can burn them.

Chapters of NFPA and NAHF bring preschool safety program to Dominican Republic
NFPA Chapter president Evelio Martinez organized a “Train the Trainer Workshop” for the Mis Primeros Pasos en Prevencion Contra Incendios™ (My First Steps to Prevent Fires) program held at the Codetel Building in Santo Domingo. Twenty-five fire service personnel and teachers participated in the one-day workshop conducted by NFPA Public Education trainer/consultant Antiliano Estrella. The fire service personnel represented the different districts in Santo Domingo with the full support of General Oscar Guillermo Garcia, Department Chief, Santo Domingo National District. General Garcia is the Former President of UNABON (the National Union of Firefighters) and is still very influential in the union. Program and training materials were donated by NFPA’s Public Education Division.

The interactive workshop taught fire fighters and teachers how to instruct children on the eight behaviors presented in the Mis Primeros Pasos program through drawing, games, songs and hands on demonstrations. The eight behaviors were: 1) Stay Away from Hot Things that Can Hurt You; 2) Tell a Grown-Up When You Find Matches or a Lighter; 3) Stop, Drop, and Roll When Your Clothes Catch Fire; 4) Cool A Burn; 5) Crawl Low Under Smoke; 6) Recognize the Sound of the Smoke Alarm; 7) Practice an Escape Plan; and 8) Recognize the Firefighter as a Helper. The mixed group of teachers and fire service personnel worked together in demonstrating each of the behaviors. Through this interaction, the two groups learned how each other operates laying the groundwork for future cooperation.

The NFPA Chapter plans to implement Mis Primeros Pasos starting with private schools this September. They hope that success of the program in private schools will lend to increased support for its implementation in the public school system. With the support of General Garcia, the Chapter will also work with UNABON to institutionalize it in the fire service beginning with Santo Domingo. 

Antiliano Estrella also worked on behalf of the National Hispanic Firefighters Association (NAHF) to bring the same NFPA educational training to Barahona, El Seibo, and San Pedro de Macori. For more information and to see pictures of what took place, visit the NAHF blog or the Fire Department of Barahona’s blog. 

Fire Protection Handbook in Spanish 
The new Fire Protection Handbook, 2003 edition in Spanish has arrived! These are the words many have been waiting to hear for a long time. The Manual de Proteccion Contra Incendios, Quinta Edicion en Español is finally here and it's flying off the shelves! This two volume set is the fifth Spanish edition of the Fire Protection Handbook (FPH) and it is the first time that NFPA has collaborated with experts from a particular region to edit a text specific to that region. 

Based on the 19th Edition in English, this 5th Edition in Spanish is uniquely tailored to the challenges and problems that face Latin America. The introduction outlines just a few examples.  Major cities are building skyscrapers more than 60 stories tall with only one exit.  Increased development of tourist attractions in remote areas has caused people to consider new fire departments when the nearest one is over an hour away. There are thousands of structures built with first architecture utilizing fire protection systems technology made for buildings with only three floors. Meanwhile, the fire departments are asked to do the impossible.

The Handbook also serves as the textbook for the CEPI exam; the only certification available to date for the fire protection specialist in Latin America. The Handbook, while extensive, does not go in depth to teach fire protection engineering. The text is written for fire protection engineers of all levels and its intent is to identify the characteristics, deficiencies, and strengths of the practice of fire protection in Latin America.

This 2-volume set, edited by Jaime Moncada Pérez, CEPI and Jaime Andrés Moncada, PE, was a collaborative effort between NFPA, OPCI (The Latinamerican Fire Protection Association in Colombia), International Fire Safety Training (IFST) based in the U.S. with offices in Latin America, and dedicated volunteers who offered countless hours of their personal time in the translation, revision and production of this work.

COPANT General Asembly

COPANT Assembly 2009  
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic– The annual meeting of SDO’s in Latin America, the COPANT (Panamerican Standards Commision) General Assembly was held the 11-14 of May in Santo Domingo. The assembly was organized by DIGENOR with the support of the Dominican Government and the Ministry of Industry and Commerce. The four day assembly included a workshop on “Technical Standardization, Alternative Energy and Energy Efficiency”. DIGENOR has been working with international agencies in the exchange of information to help them develop a strong standardization infrastructure in their developing country. COPANT has been of great value to them in these efforts and the President of DIGENOR expressed his honor in welcoming this year’s assembly. The 2010 COPANT Assembly will be held in Mexico City.

NFPA honors international members with Distinguished Service Award 

Eduardo Abe and José Francisco López are honored by NFPA Board of Directors Chair Paul Fitzgerald and NFPA President James Shannon.

Chicago, Illinois— The NFPA Board of Directors selected Eduardo E. Abe and José Francisco López to receive the prestigious 2008 Distinguished Service Award.

The Distinguished Service Award, presented at the NFPA Conference & Expo in Chicago, Illinois, recognizes specific outstanding accomplishments of individuals rendering service to NFPA and to the cause of fire safety.

Eduardo E. Abe, known as Don Eduardo, of Buenos Aires, Argentina, began his career in public service over 60 years ago when he entered into military service in the Marine War Unit. During his time as a naval and mechanical engineering student working on projects based on NFPA codes, Eduardo decided to dedicate his career to fire protection. Eduardo was a pioneer in one of the first NFPA Member Sections and in 1997 became Vice Chair of the Latin American Section Board of Directors. Eduardo also helped charter the first Chapter of NFPA outside of the United States in 2004 and served as Chair of the NFPA Argentina Chapter for two years. He founded CALCIC (Argentinean Center for Fire Fighting), was president of the Argentinean Chamber of Safety (CAS), and served on several IRAM (national standards developer) committees. Eduardo is a pioneer in advocacy for fire prevention and safety and is dedicated to increasing awareness of NFPA, its mission, and its technical expertise.

José Francisco López, of Argentina, has been involved in fire safety code development since the 1960s. Lopez was on the IRAM board of directors and currently serves as general director. López also served as president of the Pan-American Standards Commission (COPANT), where he worked with NFPA to foster the use of NFPA standards in Latin America. Eventually the partnerships he formed led to the translation of more than 15 NFPA codes into Spanish and the adoption of joint IRAM-NFPA codes, including IRAM-NFPA 1600 and IRAM-NFPA 101. López has worked to influence not only code and standard adoption, but also membership support and community education of fire safety. López’s effort as general director at IRAM have helped train more than 2,000 teachers and over 8,000 children in Argentina in fire safety, and has expanded awareness into other Latin American countries.

Eduardo Abe and Francisco Lopez are both well deserving recipients of this honor from NFPA. Undoubtedly, their impact spreads far beyond their knowledge and contributions.  The value of their accomplishments is reflected in the continued progress in the area of fire and life safety throughout Argentina and the Latin American region. 

Argentina Chapter’s 5th Professional Forum, Bahía Blanca 
The NFPA Argentina Chapter held its 5th Professional Forum in Bahía Blanca on May 28. Similar to past events, the objective of this forum was to diffuse questions related to safety and prevention—this time in relation to the “Camara Arbitral de Cereales” (The Arbitration Chamber of Grains). 

Representing the municipality, Sergio Montero, Secretary of Environment shared his common support for the types of activities that allow networking and discussion of safety and prevention standards for the integral development of the environment both local and regional.

The professionals were presented by Néstor Spósito, Vice President of the NFPA Argentina Chapter, who also stressed the importance of meetings such as this, where professionals can talk about the latest technology and standards. Also speaking were Carlos Reznik (NFPA Argentina Chapter) and Mario Paonesa (IRAM). In addtion, this event demonstrated support for the Chapter from prestigeous companies such as Proceso APELL, IRAM and the National Tecnology University (UTN) of the Bahía Blanca region.

Attendance for this meeting was up 40% from past forums. The 150 attendees were from diverse backgrounds including: industry, local government, educational sectors and response groups such as firefighters, civil defense, etc. Overall, the Chapter is very pleased with the growth of these events and the increasing opportunity for dialogue between professionals these events provide. 

The NFPA Argentina Chapter may be contacted at argentina@capitulosnfpa.org. 

RENI Project 
Buenos Aires, Argentina - In recent years, “the decision making process of all human activities has been increasingly influenced by statistics, being considered a key element of the information.  The application of these statistics especially in developed coutries, has not escaped from this rule, with the purpose of analysing and investigating the beginning, development and consequesnces of fire and accidents.” explains Nestor H. Spósito, PE Argentina NFPA Chapter, DOW Argentina and Senior Expert APELL UNEP Process.

The RENI Project (National Registry of Fire Incidents - Argentina) is headed by the NFPA Argentina Chapter, the National Council of Firefighters of the Argentine Republic, and the National University of Technology-Bahía Blanca. It’s main objective is to provide a database for individual fire departemts to store their data related to fire and other incidents, providing the ability to compare with similar fire departments, and also to determine the national scope of the problem using detailed statistics. The project is based on other examples of fire statistics databases such as, NFPA’s National Statistics, The FIDO System, NFIRS (used by the U.S. Fire Administration) and NFPA’s Large Fire Database. Members of the Project Management Committee are challenged to create a system that not only works, but ensures fire departments will remain

Dolan brings AHJ training to San Juan 
San Juan, Puerto Rico  - On May 12 and 13, Jim Dolan, Fire Code Regional Manager for NFPA conducted a two day training program for the supervisors in the San Juan Fire Department Fire Prevention Bureau on the 2003 editions of NFPA 1, Uniform Fire Code^TM and NFPA 101^®, Life Safety Code^®. Both documents were formally adopted in Puerto Rico in 2004. The participants of this training were experienced inspectors with vast knowledge in inspection procedures. This was their first time using a model code so most of the training centered on the formatting of the document, and applying the applicable tools for various occupancies. The major goal was to give them a comfort level with the documents, as this group will be training line supervisors for in-service inspections. This training also gave them a chance to address issues unique to Puerto Rico. Visit Onsite Seminars for information on bringing training to your area.

Colonna brings Confined Space Safe Practices seminar to Colombia 
Bogotá, Colombia - As part of the CONGRESO DE INCENDIOS 2009 organized by OPCI, engineer Guy Colonna, NFPA, presented a 2-day seminar on Confined Space Safe Practices for an audience of industrial participants from throughout South and Central America, many of whom were employed by petroleum industry companies. The training outlined what confined spaces are, what the hazards are, and what safety precautions should be followed every time work involves entry into a confined space, such as an aboveground or underground storage tank, pipeline, or water treatment facility tank or space.

OPCI organizes a Fire Congress every other year, for more information visit http://www.opcicolombia.org.

Colona attends 11th International Symposium on fireworks 
Following his trip to Colombia, engineer Guy Colonna arrived in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico to attend the 11th International Symposium on Fireworks. He presented a technical paper on the NFPA codes and standards for fireworks and pyrotechnics: NFPA 1123, Code for Fireworks Display; NFPA 1124, Code for the Manufacture, Transportation, Storage, and Retail Sales of Fireworks and Pyrotechnic Articles; and NFPA 1126, Standard for the Use of Pyrotechnics Before a Proximate Audience. He announced to the audience of over 350 attendees from 34 countries around the world, that NFPA was in the process of translating the three documents into Spanish (available in September for public online viewing). In addition, Colonna moderated the closing session for the Symposium. Colonna currently serves as a Director for the Symposium which means he is involved with the organization of the event which is held every 18 months. The 12th ISF will be held in Porto, Portugal in October 2010. 

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