This is a special post courtesy of Dave Statter from Statter911.com.
My local fire department has been taking a beating over the last month all across the country. Its crazed fire marshals are accused of tyranny, power-tripping, and being domestic terrorists. And those are some of the nice comments.
So what awful thing did the FMs from the Fairfax County (VA) Fire & Rescue Department do?
They did their jobs.
If you are not aware, on July 24th the fire marshals arrested two bartenders they caught in the act of lighting a bottle containing a flammable liquid and a wick. The bartenders are accused of then using what some might call a Molotov cocktail as a source of ignition for their fire breathing demonstration. It’s a trick they’ve apparently done for years at Jimmy’s in Herndon.
On Thursday August 26, 2010 Michael O’Brian, the founder of www.inspector911.com will be presenting at Fire Rescue International (FRI) in Chicago Illinois. The program is aimed at discussing the challenges a Fire Marshal, Inspector, and Fire Chief are challenged with when enforcing model building and fire codes with growing green issues facing fire department’s today.
The program will discuss real examples of implementation where adopted fire and building codes are lacking substance in supporting the new technologies. In addition the program is intended to provide a plan of action for communities faced with the changing built environment as well as [click to continue…]
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) today issued a safety alert recommending that residential fire sprinkler systems containing antifreeze should be drained and the antifreeze replaced with water.
The alert follows a research study and an initial set of fire tests conducted after a fire incident raised concerns about antifreeze solutions in residential sprinkler systems. The incident involved a grease fire in a kitchen where a sprinkler with a high concentration of antifreeze deployed. The fire resulted in a single fatality and serious injury to another person.
Vision 20/20 Offers Access to Model Performance In Fire Prevention Symposium
Have you ever wondered what are the model fire prevention programs in the United States?
Well you can tune in today and be apart of history. The vision 20/20 symposium is on its second day of sharing the best ideas across the United States. The free web-cast will allow you to tune in and see some of the exciting programs that are being discussed
International Code Council Looking for Nominations
Here’s the deal there are many unsung heros that fall under the area of Inspectors. So why not make sure they are nominated and honored.
Nominations are now being accepted for the ICC Awards to be presented at the 2010 ICC Annual Conference, scheduled for October 25–28 in Charlotte, North Carolina.
ICC Awards will be presented in several categories to honor individuals and organizations for their accomplishments and service to ICC and the building safety industry.
The deadline to submit nominations for this year’s ICC Awards is Tuesday, June 15, 2010. Awards must be received by close of business of the deadline date. Completed forms may be mailed or faxed, or the information may be submitted by email.
Las Vegas plays host to this years National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) conference and exposition. The program includes 100 educational conferences and nearly 300 exhibitors.
The conference has multiple pre-confernece seminars and officially kicks off at 1:00 pm on June 7, 2010. The conference typically brings together architects, engineers, fire inspectors, industry, and other interested parties in fire and life safety.
On Tuesday June 8, 2010 the featured presentation will be given by US Fire Administrator Kevin Cochran. Unlike previous years, NFPA is [click to continue…]
The International Code Council is currently 1/2 way thru the final action hearings in Dallas Texas. The final action hearings for the A group of code changes began Sunday May 16, 2010 and will conclude this Sunday. These code changes are various items that recieved public comment after the Code Development process last fall in Baltimore. The final changes will make up the 2012 editions of the ICC code group.
The hearings have heard changes on the International Building Code, International Mechanical Code, and International Plumbing Code. It is expected that the hearings will begin this afternoon on the International Fire Code and the Residential Code should begin on [click to continue…]
Okay so its part way thru the month, and we thought its time for a quick reminder that its Building Safety Month. For the first time Building Safety Week has been expanded into Building Safety Month. BSM is growing in popularity which highlights the importance of building and designing safe, sustainable and green structures in the United States and worldwide.
Take a look at this great video which highlights some of the reasons behind BSM.
So there have been many great things done by Building and Safety Departments or Fire Departments. These have included open houses, sprinkler demonstrations, contractor training, or commercials on public TV. Take a look at the resources below and let us know what you are doing to help make the public aware!
New Green Construction Code Unveiled. The International Code Council announced the release of Public Version 1.0 of the International Green Construction Code (IGCC) to regulate construction of new and existing commercial buildings. The IGCC aims to significantly reduce energy usage and greenhouse gasses. It addresses site development and land use, including preservation of natural and material resources. The Code Council and original IGCC Cooperating Sponsors—American Institute of Architects (AIA) and ASTM International—have been joined by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and the Illuminating Engineers Society (IES) in a first-of-its-kind collaboration to boost critical green building practices across the country. For a free download of IgCC Public Version 1.0 visit:
May is Building Safety Month
For the first time, the International Code Council (ICC) and International Code Council Foundation (ICCF) has expanded Building Safety Week into a month-long Building Safety Month campaign to expand opportunities and increase awareness about the critical importance of building and designing safe, sustainable and green structures in the United States and worldwide.
Code Development – Final Action Hearings (May 15-23 at the Sheraton Dallas Hotel)
Project brings together the nation’s fire safety organizations to develop strategies to reduce the loss of life and injury from fire
April 9, 2010 The Institution of Fire Engineers was awarded a $786,000 grant by the Department of Homeland Security Fire Prevention and Safety grant program to continue the work of the landmark Vision 20/20 project (www.strategicfire.org). Vision 20/20 has played a central role since its inception in 2007 in bringing together the nation’s fire safety organizations to develop common strategies for reducing the loss of life and injury from fire.
There are five strategies that have been collaboratively developed, including:
Increase advocacy for fire prevention
Conduct a national safety education/social marketing campaign
Raise the importance of fire prevention within the fire service
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