As the new school year draws closer, college students across the country are gearing up to return to campus, especially with in-person learning in full swing again. No matter if they are new or returning students, the journey back to campus marks new experiences and a new chapter in their lives. However, with new experiences and chapters, comes a set of new responsibilities. Now that they’re living on their own (or with a friendly roommate or two) students will be in charge of taking care of themselves, their living space, and their safety. It’s not nearly as bad or as hard as it sounds though, as there is an abundance of resources dedicated to helping them through this process, such as the annual Campus Fire Safety for Students campaign from NFPA and The Center for Campus Fire Safety (CCFS). NFPA and CCFS work together every September for Campus Fire Safety Month to raise awareness about the threat of fires in both on- and off-campus housing. By putting relevant information in the hands of the students, their parents, and campus housing staff and administrators, the hope is to encourage everyone to share this life-saving information and take proactive measures to protect students from fires and make their living spaces as safe as possible upon their return to school. Data from NFPA research shows that from 2015 to 2019, US fire departments responded to an estimated annual average of 3,840 structure fires in dormitories, fraternities, sororities, and other related properties, causing a yearly average of 29 civilian injuries and $11 million in direct damages. The first two months of the school year (September and October) were the peak months for these fires, especially during the evenings between 5:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m., with 87 percent caused by cooking equipment. Lorraine Carli, vice president of Outreach and Advocacy for NFPA, and CCFS Advisory Council member, says, “It is important for [students] to review fire safety tips to learn how to prevent fires. The more prepared students are, the more we can do to reduce fire risk. Campus Fire Safety Month provides a great opportunity to share materials and action steps and foster a culture of awareness and preparedness about fire safety on our college campuses.” Here are some quick tips from NFPA and CCFS to help students reduce the risk of fires and save lives: Know and practice the building’s evacuation plan, as well as alternate routes. Cook in intended areas only, and never leave cooking equipment unattended when in use, even briefly. Test smoke alarms monthly in an apartment or a house. Ensure smoke alarms are installed in all sleeping areas, outside of all sleeping areas, and on every level of the apartment or house. NEVER remove or disable smoke alarms. Keep combustible items away from heat sources and never overload electrical outlets, extension cords, or power strips. Many fires are caused by portable light and heat sources, like space heaters and halogen lamps. Keep common areas and hallways free of possessions and debris. Never block exit routes. As part of its continuing education about fire safety on college campuses, CCFS will host an in-person Campus Fire Forum, “A Look Back and Forward to the Future of Fire Safety,” from November 1 - 3, 2022. As part of the Forum, a special panel will examine the Boland Hall Fire, a fatal fire that took place in a freshman residence on the Seton Hall University campus in January 2002 and named one of the deadliest college fires in recent U.S. history. It took the lives of three students and injured 58. During the panel discussions, participants will explore and learn about the progression of fire safety education over the last 20 years, including research, advanced technologies, legislation, and more. Learn about the Forum and register to attend today.  Find shareable videos, checklists, infographics, and additional information about the Campus Fire Safety for Students campaign at nfpa.org/campus or on the CCFS website and its Share! For Students webpage. Photo by Parker Gibbons on Unsplash

To help celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition (HFSC), HFSC launched a weekly video series beginning in May featuring interviews with industry professionals and practitioners who share stories and facts about home fire sprinkler advocacy in communities across the country. Last week, HFSC board member and FM Global assistant vice president and fire service programs manager Mike Spaziani discussed FM Global’s full-scale fire test on the effectiveness of home fire sprinklers, the beneficial environmental impact of sprinklers, and FM Global’s partnership with HFSC in educating the public on home fire sprinklers. In the video, Spaziani discusses FM Global’s environmental impact report from 2010, which can be found here. If you missed that video, check out our blog on it here. This week, HFSC President Lorraine Carli is joined by AFSA President Bob Caputo to discuss AFSA’s role as a founding member of HFSC. AFSA, NFSA and NFPA pooled their resources in 1996, creating HFSC to focus exclusively on home fire sprinkler education. In the video, Bob talks about the importance of public education on home fire sprinklers and the costs of sprinklers – specifically, how that cost can decrease if the sprinklers are hooked up to the plumbing system. Check out this week’s video below: Help NFPA and HFSC share the facts about the affordability, reliability, and effective protection of home fire sprinklers. For additional information, visit the Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition and the Fire Sprinkler Initiative websites.

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition (HFSC) and to help celebrate, HFSC developed a weekly video series featuring interviews with industry professionals and practitioners who share stories of their commitment to advocating for home fire sprinklers in communities across the country. Last week, HFSC president Lorraine Carli was joined by Shane Ray, president of the National Fire Sprinkler Association (NFSA) and Vickie Pritchett, NFSA executive officer, as they discussed NFSA’s role as a founding member of HFSC, its partnership with the American Fire Sprinkler Association and NFPA, and their continued efforts to educate local officials, the fire service and first responders, home builders, developers, realtors, and consumers about the value of sprinklers. If you missed that video, check out our blog on it here. This week, HFSC board member and FM Global assistant vice president and fire service programs manager Mike Spaziani discusses FM Global’s full-scale fire test on the effectiveness of home fire sprinklers, the beneficial environmental impact of sprinklers, and FM Global’s partnership with HFSC in educating the public on home fire sprinklers. In the video, Spaziani discusses FM Global’s environmental impact report from 2010, which can be found. In 2021, FM Global took another look at the impact of sprinklers, and found that in homes with fire sprinklers: Greenhouse gas emissions were cut by 97.8% Water usage was reduced between 50% and 91% Fewer persistent pollutants, such as heavy metals, were found in sprinkler wastewater versus fire hose water The high pH level and pollutant load of non-sprinkler wastewater are an environmental concern Learn more about the study and check out the full video below: This year, help us celebrate HFSC’s 25th anniversary by sharing the facts about the affordability, reliability, and effective protection of home fire sprinklers. For additional information, visit the Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition and the Fire Sprinkler Initiative websites.

NFPA has released a new fact sheet highlighting important elements of NFPA 1584 Standard on the Rehabilitation Process for Members During Emergency Operations and Training Exercises. The new, at-a-glance resource debuts just in time for the 2021 Safety Stand Down campaign, “Rebuild Rehab,” later this month. Each year, NFPA works with the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) Safety, Health and Survival Section, the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC), and the Fire Department Safety Officers Association (FSDAO) to bring attention to a particular responder safety concern. This year’s campaign challenges departments to reframe their thinking around rehab to mitigate all the impacts of firefighting. Agencies across the country are encouraged to suspend all non-emergency activities from June 20-26 and focus on rehab education. An entire week has been set aside to ensure that all shifts and personnel can participate. Many think simply providing food and beverages to firefighters constitutes a rehab program but rehab should encompass all areas of health, including cardiac, nutrition, exposure, mental health, hydration, and heat stress. Earlier this year, two young firefighter recruits - Victor Melillo of New Jersey and Peyton Morse of New York - collapsed during training drills. Both perished. These incidents, as well as others year after year, underscore the importance of prioritizing rehab. In part, the new NFPA 1584 fact sheet, stresses that: Rehabilitation is an integral part of fire scene management, training exercises, and an occupational health and safety program Incident commanders, company officers, rehabilitation managers and firefighters all have critical roles and responsibilities Consistent terms including rehabilitation, recovery, active cooling, and passive cooling will ensure that all members understand key information Standard documentation can help crew members understand which rehab efforts to apply, what needs to be documented, and necessary tracking requirements The Safety Stand Down site offers a wide array of resources for departments. Additionally, members of the fire service are encouraged to take and share the “2021 Fire Service Safety Stand Down Quiz” Sweepstakes. The informative and interactive online quiz, available at  www.nfpa.org/fireservicequiz;  features 13 questions and will be live through Wednesday, June 23. A limited-edition challenge coin commemorating this year’s Safety Stand Down theme will be given to 200 randomly selected participants.

Fire sprinklers have long been the most efficient tool in fire protection, and one contractor has gone to new lengths to honor the iconic sprinkler. Emilio Rodriguez, the owner of Pacisa, a leading Spanish sprinkler contractor, secured permission to erect the world’s first monument to the automatic fire sprinkler in Alcobendas, Spain. The bronze-cast sprinkler itself is two meters, or 6.56 feet, tall, and weighs approximately 1,000 kilograms (or 2,200 pounds). The sculpture will be constructed by Anselmo Iglesias Poli, a well-known Spanish sculptor. It will be located at a roundabout in Alcobendas between Calle de Fransisco Gervas, Calle Quimica, and Calle Calabozos, and the location will be renamed “Plaza de Sprinkler”. Alcobendas is the third-largest business city in Spain, behind Madrid and Barcelona. It is located about nine miles north of Madrid. NFPA and the Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition (HFSC) have long supported residential fire sprinklers as the best tool to prevent damage from home fires. With the new sculpture being built, hopefully the life-saving message of home fire sprinklers can be spread further. Check out more of sculptor Anselmo Iglesias Poli’s work here. For additional information about home fire sprinklers, visit the Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition and the Fire Sprinkler Initiative.

Sprinklers have always been a part of the history of NFPA, beginning with the publication of its first standard ever published: NFPA 13, Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems. This history and commitment to the life-saving technology of sprinklers has embedded itself into the core of NFPA for 125 years. This is part of the reason why the message of the importance of home fire sprinklers as the way to advance fire safety further is so prominent in NFPA Journal’s 125th Anniversary retrospective piece, “Past is Prologue”. The piece reflects on the past 125 years of fire and life safety work the association has done to champion the necessary precautions and actions to against fire and other hazards. It also looks ahead to the future and what is needed to save more lives and more property. The article opens with a story about the deadly fire in Natick, MA earlier this year, where a man lost his life in a newly-built (2019) home that went up in flames in the middle of the night. This event contradicts a popular home fire sprinkler myth, that new homes don’t burn as easily. There are quite a few myths about home sprinklers that NFPA has debunked recently. These myths spread false information about residential sprinklers and prevent people from learning how crucially important they can be in the event of a home fire. The home in Natick had smoke alarms, but no sprinklers. In most jurisdictions, fire sprinklers are not required in one-and two-family homes: the NFPA Fire Sprinkler Initiative (FSI) and the Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition (HFSC) are looking to change that. Check out the NFPA Journal article here. For additional information about home fire sprinklers, visit the Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition and the Fire Sprinkler Initiative.