While drones are being used more and more these days by fire departments to help with situational awareness during structural fires, wildfires, natural disasters, rescue efforts, and large public gatherings, there are many jurisdictions that still lack the knowledge and experience needed to establish, administer, operate, and maintain a cohesive public safety drone program. To help inform those that want to revisit or begin an effective drone program for emergency preparedness and response scenarios, NFPA has developed a Drone Knowledgebase that encourages information-sharing and collaboration. The easy-to-use tool asks questions about population, response types, pilot count, visual observers, waivers, drone makes and models, payloads, and remote image feeds so that administrators and operators can effectively create, manage, and maintain drone programs that are in sync with proper public safety protocols.  The resource is the latest drone deliverable from NFPA and can be found on the microsite nfpa.org/drones along with new online training for the fire service, NFPA 2400, Standard for Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) Used for Public Safety Operations, a training teaser video, research, and related content. NFPA received a FEMA Fire Prevention and Safety Grant to develop the Knowledgebase and a four hour online training program (released in September) so that the nation’s 29,000 fire departments have aerial technology insights. The Knowledgebase will only be as strong as the information received from fire departments. NFPA, however; is optimistic given the success of a similar crowd sourcing tool called Codefinder™, which gathers and shares the codes that are applied in certain countries, states, territories, and communities. Since it debuted in 2018, Codefinder draws thousands of visitors each month. Over time, the Drone Knowledgebase is expected to become more robust and valuable to fire departments. Visit nfpa.org/drones to learn about NFPA resources and to add your data to the new Knowledgebase. Also, be sure to invite neighboring departments to add their program details too. 

I did not truly understand just how effective fire sprinklers were until I saw the Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition’s (HFSC) virtual reality live fire video demonstration. I have interned at NFPA for a few months, so I knew going in that fire sprinklers are key for fire safety. However, this video showed me that fire sprinklers are so much more effective than I originally thought and have the power to save one’s belongings, home, and even life. They should be installed in every home. The other week in Ashland City, Tennessee, the National Fire Sprinkler Association (NFSA) and HFSC teamed up to record a live fire video shoot at a single-family home. The video they made was produced for virtual reality, allowing the user to get a 360-degree view during the video so they can see every angle of the house and what is happening. In the past, fire departments have conducted side-by-side live burns to demonstrate the power of fire sprinklers. However, doing a live burn demonstration is not always practical. They would require at a minimum construction of the units and EPA burn approval. Having access to virtual reality technology brings fire sprinkler education to a whole new level that is not only more personal, powerful and memorable, but eliminates the added layer of physical set up, rehab and travel. The demonstration takes place in two identical rooms. One room has a fire sprinkler and the other doesn’t. Both fires were started on the window curtain. The video starts with the room with the fire sprinkler. The impact of the sprinkler is almost immediate. The sprinkler, activated by the heat of the fire, goes off after about 30 seconds. At this point, the fire has engulfed one side of the window curtain. When the sprinkler activates, the fire is put out entirely. Once the fire is put out, I could see that the damage from the fire is limited to a small corner of the room. While the room is soaked, the video notes that a family would be able to move back into the room within a couple of days. The video then switches to the room without the fire sprinkler. The fire again quickly engulfs the window curtain. However, with no fire sprinkler, there is nothing to slow the fire down. After one minute, the fire is raging. After 90 seconds, one side of the room is completely engulfed in flames. Flashover takes place just over two minutes. The room becomes completely black with smoke and so hot that one of the cameras stopped operating. The sheer speed that flashover took place was eye- opening. The video shows the aftermath of the room. It is completely destroyed. Everything is black. It is completely unhabitable. After watching the video, it is easy to see how fire sprinklers can save lives. This live fire video shoot further demonstrates the need for every home to have a fire sprinkler system installed. According to NFPA's "U.S. Experience with Sprinklers" report the civilian death rate was 81 percent lower in homes with fire sprinklers than in homes without them. the average firefighter injury rate was nearly 80 percent lower when fire sprinklers were present during fires. when sprinklers were present, fires were kept to the room of origin 97 percent of the time. the home fire death rate was 90 percent lower when fire sprinklers and hardwired smoke alarms were present. By comparison, this death rate is only 18 percent lower when battery-powered smoke alarms are present but automatic extinguishing systems weren't. The virtual reality video is scheduled to be completed later this year and will allow people to experience firsthand a fire with and without fire sprinklers, right in their own living room. A 2D version of the video will also be created for free, on-demand access via Internet. Watching the video will change your outlook on home fire sprinklers; I know it changed mine. Learn more about HFSC’s virtual reality education kit through this short video. Photos with captions are also available.

The fight to put fire sprinklers in every home took a step in the right direction earlier this month as the city council for Lewes, Delaware approved an ordinance to require fire sprinklers to be put in every new home constructed in the city. This ordinance comes at the response of Lewes and the surrounding area having dealt with several major fires over the past few months. Lewes joins Newark as the only cities in Delaware to have strict requirements for fire sprinklers in homes. Council member Andrew Williams told Delaware Public Media that this new requirement helps protect the city as it continues to rapidly grow. “As the county develops and Lewes continues to develop and we rely on a volunteer fire team, many of them are coming from outside the city and it’s more congested for them to get to fires, therefore, it’s becoming more and more dangerous for our residents,” said Williams. Fire sprinklers have repeatedly been proven effective at preventing large scale fires, thus saving lives and properties. According to NFPA's "U.S. Experience with Sprinklers" report:  the civilian death rate was 81 percent lower in homes with fire sprinklers than in homes without them. the average firefighter injury rate was nearly 80 percent lower when fire sprinklers were present during fires. when sprinklers were present, fires were kept to the room of origin 97 percent of the time. the home fire death rate was 90 percent lower when fire sprinklers and hardwired smoke alarms were present. By comparison, this death rate is only 18 percent lower when battery-powered smoke alarms are present but automatic extinguishing systems weren't. By reducing the threat of a large fire, fire sprinklers also help protect firefighters from onsite injuries and cancer. Cancer in firefighters is a serious issue. According to two studies from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, they find that: Firefighters face a nine percent increase in cancer diagnosis. Firefighters also face a 14 percent increase in cancer related deaths compared to the general US population. Lewes took a step in the right direction to protecting their city. They join hundreds of cities across the country in requiring this life saving element. In addition, California, Maryland, and Washington D.C. require fire sprinklers in all new homes. Learn more about NFPA’s fire sprinkler initiative on our website.

Last week in Ashland City, Tennessee, the National Fire Sprinkler Association (NFSA) and the Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition (HFSC) teamed up to record a live fire video shoot at a single family home. But this shoot was unique from any other live fire video shoot. HFSC conducted the shoot to produce an unprecedented, virtual reality, 360-degree house fire and sprinkler educational video. The video, which is scheduled to be completed later this year, will allow people to experience firsthand a fire with and without fire sprinklers, right in their own living room. The viewer will be able to see flashover as the flames and smoke spread and better understand how the high heat from fires activates a sprinkler and how the sprinkler controls the blaze. Viewers will ultimately be able to compare the damage in the two rooms after the fire is put out. A 2D version of the video will be created for free, on-demand access via Internet. To help ensure HFSC captured the footage, NFSA teamed up with the Ashland City Fire Department. Together they secured a single-family house earmarked for demolition and obtained permission to use it for live fires. The home was ideal because it had two rooms that could be set up as identical living rooms.  The shoot was a major success. This live fire video shoot further demonstrates the need for every home to have a fire sprinkler system installed. According to NFPA's "U.S. Experience with Sprinklers" report:  the civilian death rate was 81 percent lower in homes with fire sprinklers than in homes without them. the average firefighter injury rate was nearly 80 percent lower when fire sprinklers were present during fires. when sprinklers were present, fires were kept to the room of origin 97 percent of the time. the home fire death rate was 90 percent lower when fire sprinklers and hardwired smoke alarms were present. By comparison, this death rate is only 18 percent lower when battery-powered smoke alarms are present but automatic extinguishing systems weren't. Learn more about HFSC’s virtual reality education kit through this short video. Photos with captions are also available.  

In as much as it is cool to utilize drones during fire prevention and emergency response efforts, it is not advisable to do so without proper understanding of best practices, protocols, and an understanding of the guidance found within NFPA 2400, Standard for Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) Used for Public Safety Operations. To help first responders effectively deploy drones during structural fires, wildfires, natural disasters, rescue efforts, and large public gatherings that may require additional visibility, NFPA has developed new free online drone training so that fire service administrators and operators can create, manage, and maintain small, unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) programs. The NFPA drone online learning is comprised of approximately four, hour-long, self-paced modules with interactive videos, immersive virtual reality tools, and other elements that help first responders grasp and remember important drone safety information. NFPA applied for and received a FEMA Fire Prevention and Safety Grant so that the training and the knowledge base could be developed for the nation’s more than 1.1 million firefighters. The two FEMA-funded resources can be found at nfpa.org/drones along with a short video, NFPA 2400, related research, and relevant NFPA content. Given that most fire departments conduct training in-house, on a regular basis, NFPA has worked to provide progressive online solutions that will help municipalities. In addition to the new drone training program, NFPA offers fire departments online learning programs centered around energy storage systems (ESS), alternative/electric vehicles (AFV/EV), flammable refrigerants, and NFPA 1700, Guide for Structural Fire Fighting. Fire service training officers and company leaders are encouraged to factor these five online solutions into their annual learning objectives.

The live-saving value of working smoke alarms – and the know-how to respond to them – was reinforced last Wednesday when two children were able to get themselves and two adults out of a home fire upon hearing the smoke alarms sound. “In this case, the kids knew what to do. They got out, they called 911, they gave us all the information. It was phenomenal,” said David Hoback, fire chief of Roanoke’s Department of Fire-EMS, who was quoted in a local news story covering the incident. According to WSLS 10 News, the two children got out safely, while the adults suffered life-threatening injuries. “I know this family didn’t go to bed last night thinking they were going to have a fire at 5:30 this morning. But if you practice and have active working smoke detectors it will save lives,” said Hoback. He’s right. Having working smoke alarms and knowing what to do when they sound can make the difference between a safe escape from fire and tragedy. Here are NFPA guidelines for properly installing, testing, and maintaining smoke alarms: Install smoke alarms on every level of the home, in every bedroom, and near all sleeping areas.  Test your smoke alarms monthly. Press the test button to make sure each alarm is working. Replace smoke alarm batteries when the alarm begins to chirp, signaling that the batteries are running low. If the alarm continues to chirp or sound, it’s time to replace the alarm. Replace smoke alarms that are more than10 years old. You can determine the age of a smoke alarm by its date of manufacture, which is located on the back of the alarm. Smoke alarms should be interconnected, if possible, so that when one alarm sounds, they all do.  Also, when it comes to home escape planning, make sure to include all members of your household in developing the plan and practicing it regularly, at least twice a year. Get more information on how to develop and practice a home escape plan.