Emergency Response and Responder Safety Consolidation Project

Background:

During the April 2019 meeting, the NFPA Standards Council reviewed a consolidation plan for the Emergency Response & Responder Safety (ERRS) standards and voted to support the plan.  The plan will help us better serve our Emergency Response & Responder Safety (ERRS) stakeholders and create better efficiencies for the Technical Committee (TC) members that volunteer to serve this audience. This consolidation effort pertains to all NFPA Standards that the ERRS team is responsible for, including various guides and best practices that will be combined, by topic, into consolidated standards over the next five years.
 
At a glance: 

• The consolidation plan is being undertaken to improve the overall experience of the ERRS standards development process. 
• This effort applies to the standards that cover everything from operational concerns; professional qualifications for responders, and the care, selection and maintenance of PPE.
• The transition began in January 2020 and will take place over the next five years.  
• It is planned that by 2025, all the ERRS standards will be in their proper cycle and will reflect a well-rounded view of topics.  
• This project will benefit anyone who uses NFPA ERRS standards, as well as the thousands of volunteers who work to develop these key documents.
• For example, TC members and stakeholders have expressed concerns about the following:
  • a lack of knowledge about what different TCs are doing
  • conflicting information from one standard to the next
  • the need to purchase multiple standards to get a well-rounded view of a topic
  • planning and scheduling difficulties for TC members and representative groups   
  • the inability to have representation on some TCs due to the sheer number of standards
  • the ever-increasing costs of hotel and air travel
  • the lack of available meeting facilities, where and when needed

More details:

• Custom revision cycles, specifically for ERRS standards, are being developed for each group that make up the consolidation plan.

• Individual ERRS standards will be moved into appropriate revision cycles.
• Stakeholders today want related information conveniently packaged so that they can be more efficient and effective workers. To meet their expectations, TCs will serve as designated content groups charged with producing more inclusive guidance. The current standards will serve as different chapters within an “umbrella” standard.

Impact:

• The majority of current Technical Committee members will remain in place and maintain responsibility for the same information contained in their current standard. 
• Of the approximate 2007 principal and alternate TC members, a small number may find themselves assigned to standards with conflicting meeting schedules.  Those that are members of multiple TCs will be most affected.
• As of this time there is no plan, nor is this intended to, disband or eliminate any current Technical Committees.
• To help facilitate content integration, we will maximize technology and logistics that allow us to conduct simultaneous TC meetings.

We understand and appreciate that change is not easy; and have taken steps to minimize any potential concerns that may accompany these positive, forward-facing changes. Thank you for your continued support, participation and volunteerism. We look forward to partnering with you on an improved experience for all. 

The proposed groups of Standards are as follows:

Group 1

Single Standards*:  NFPA 475, NFPA 1000, NFPA 1006, NFPA 1033, NFPA 1142, NFPA 1145

Consolidated Standards:

Group 2

Single Standards*:  NFPA 610, NFPA 1026, NFPA 1091, NFPA 1891

Consolidated Standards:

Group 3

Single Standards*:  NFPA 921, NFPA 1081, NFPA 2400, NFPA 3000®

Consolidated Standards:

Group 4

Single Standards: N/A

Consolidated Standards:

Group 5

Single Standards*: NFPA 13E, NFPA 901, NFPA 950, NFPA 951, NFPA 1250, NFPA 1401, NFPA 1405, NFPA 1700

Consolidated Standards:

*Please check the specific consolidated or single Standard's page regularly for revision cycle information (public input closing dates, schedules, and more) by using the links above and selecting the Next Edition tab.  

Related information:

• The NFPA Podcast: Host Jesse Roman speaks with two members of the Emergency Response and Responder Safety division, Standards Lead Barry Chase and Senior Specialist Ken Holland, about the consolidation project, as well as to the chair of one of the newly consolidated documents, NFPA 470, Hazardous Materials/Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) Standard for Responders.

• NFPA Today Blog: "Inquiring minds want to know which Emergency Response and Responder Safety standards will be consolidated and when - here's the plan today".

Any questions about the ERRS consolidation project?  Contact Barry Chase or Ken Holland