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 1006NFPA 1033, NFPA 1142, NFPA 1145

Consolidated Standards:

 New Draft Standard*: Previous Standard Numbers:
 NFPA 470 NFPA 472, NFPA 473, NFPA 1072
 NFPA 1140 NFPA 1051, NFPA 1141, NFPA 1143, NFPA 1144
 NFPA 1225 NFPA 1061, NFPA 1221
 NFPA 1990 NFPA 1991, NFPA 1992, NFPA 1994
 NFPA 2500 NFPA 1670, NFPA 1983, NFPA 1858

 


Group 2

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

Consolidated Standards:

New Draft Standard*: Previous Standard Numbers:
NFPA 440 NFPA 402, NFPA 424
NFPA 460 NFPA 403, NFPA 405, NFPA 412
NFPA 1030 NFPA 1031, NFPA 1035, NFPA 1037
NFPA 1660 NFPA 1600, NFPA 1616, NFPA 1620 
NFPA 1900 NFPA 414, NFPA 1901, NFPA 1906, NFPA 1917
NFPA 1910 NFPA 1911, NFPA 1912, NFPA 1925, NFPA 1071


Group 3

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

Consolidated Standards:

New Draft Standard*: Previous Standard Numbers:
NFPA 1010 NFPA 1001, NFPA 1002, NFPA 1003, NFPA 1005
NFPA 1550 NFPA 1500, NFPA 1521, NFPA 1561
NFPA 1960 NFPA 1931, NFPA 1936, NFPA 1961, NFPA 1963, NFPA 1964
NFPA 1970 NFPA 1971, NFPA 1975, NFPA 1981, NFPA 1982


Group 4

Single Standards: N/A

Consolidated Standards:

New Draft Standard: Previous Standard Numbers:
NFPA 1020 NFPA 1021, NFPA 1041
NFPA 1580 NFPA 1581, NFPA 1582, NFPA 1583, NFPA 1584 
NFPA 1850 NFPA 1851, NFPA 1852
NFPA 1930 NFPA 1932, NFPA 1937, NFPA 1801, NFPA 1802, NFPA 1962
NFPA 1950 NFPA 1951, NFPA 1977, NFPA 1999
NFPA 1955 NFPA 1952, NFPA 1953

  


Group 5

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

Consolidated Standards:

New Draft Standard: Previous Standard Numbers:
NFPA 455 NFPA 450, NFPA 451
NFPA 1300 NFPA 1300, NFPA 1452
NFPA 1400 NFPA 1402, NFPA 1403, NFPA 1404, NFPA 1407, NFPA 1408, NFPA 1410, NFPA 1451
NFPA 1750 NFPA 1201, NFPA 1710, NFPA 1720, NFPA 1730
NFPA 1857 NFPA 1855, NFPA 1877
NFPA 1985 NFPA 1984, NFPA 1989

 

*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.

 

 

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