The NFPA Podcast

As cannabis legalization expands, hundreds of grow and processing facilities have emerged across North America in recent years, introducing a variety of new equipment and unfamiliar processes that regulators have had little time to prepare for.    Today on the podcast, we talk to Chris Witherell, a Colorado-based engineer and a leading expert on marijuana extraction equipment. His company has cond...

On February 23, NFPA unveiled a new initiative called Outthink Wildfire, a comprehensive strategy that challenges policymakers on all levels to take action to reduce loss from wildfire. Its ambitious goal is the complete elimination of community wildfire loss in the United States by the year 2050. What prompted NFPA to take this big step? How will it go about achieving it? What will it take to mak...

Across the world, dozens of people each day suffer injuries from electrical hazards such as shocks and arc flashes. Survivors of these incidents list a range of devastating symptoms, from burns and chronic pain, to insomnia, muscle spasms, depression, and various other mental health issues. Many of the full effects of these injuries are still not fully understood.   Today on the podcast, our elect...

As building systems become smarter and more interconnected, cybercriminals are increasingly using them as an entry point to launch cyberattacks against businesses, hospitals, and other organizations. Potentially vulnerable targets include fire alarm systems, security systems, HVAC systems, fire sprinklers, elevators, and dozens of others.   On today's podcast, Jesse talks to Tyler Robinson, an eth...

There are more than 90,000 female firefighters in the United States, and nearly all of them wear personal protective equipment that was designed for a man. Not surprisingly, many women report that their gear doesn't fit, which can lead to injuries and discourage women from entering the fire service.   On today's podcast, Angelo talks to a researcher who is studying how ill-fitting PPE impacts fema...

In response to growing concerns about PTSD and suicide among firefighters, the University of Illinois Fire Service Institute created the First Responder Resiliency Program in 2016. The goal is to prepare firefighters for the mental health challenges they face on the job, and to educate them on healthy ways to recover and grow, including asking for help when needed. At least 10,000 first responders...

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has forced organizations across the world to rethink how they operate, and NFPA is no exception. Sometimes these unplanned experiments have led to new insights and new efficiencies. In this episode, we look at the ways that the pandemic has impacted the NFPA standards development and revision process, and what's been learned along the way (1:01). Then, we take a look...

Shockingly, cooking fires now kill more people on average per year in the US than they did in the 1980s. As Thanksgiving approaches—the day with by far the most incidents—we take a look at the growing problem of cooking fires. First, Jesse talks to NFPA communications manager Susan McKelvey about the causes of cooking fires (0:55), why the problem seems to be getting worse, and resources available...

Community Risk Reduction (CRR) is a term that has popped up everywhere in recent years, from fire departments to federal grants, at conferences, and even in the new standard NFPA 1300. On today's podcast, Jesse talks to NFPA CRR Strategist Karen Berard-Reed (2:20) about a new dashboard that NFPA has created to help fire departments develop CRR programs. Then, (16:16), Robby talks with leaders at t...

Various studies have shown that firefighters are more likely to contract and die from certain types of cancer than the general public. On today's podcast we look at several initiatives underway to better understand the problem and educate first responders. First, (2:52) Robby talks to officials from Florida about statewide efforts to reduce cancer rates among firefighters. Then, (50:07) Jesse chec...

Deadly gas explosions have occurred in Maine, Maryland, and Massachusetts in recent years. A new standard being developed by NFPA aims to address the problem. Angelo kicks off the episode with a story about one recent incident in a small town in Maine, before interviewing the technical committee chair for the new standard, NFPA 715 (6:30), as well as one researcher whose work will heavily inform t...

With historic and destructive wildfires spanning the globe from Oregon to the Amazon in 2020, experts in a range of fields are coming together to figure out what can be done to save people and property. In the first segment (2:35), Jesse takes us to a one-of-a-kind wildfire symposium where academics, insurers, tech entrepreneurs, firefighters and others brainstorm how to reverse the surge of wildf...

Set for release on September 21, NFPA LiNK™ reinvents the experience of using NFPA codes and standards—and sets the stage for the organization's future as a hub of digital information and knowledge. But what exactly is NFPA LiNK and how did it come to be? In this episode of The NFPA Podcast, Angelo interviews an NFPA staffer who helped develop the new tool (4:10) as well as an electrical contracto...

With the peak of hurricane and wildfire seasons upon us, government agencies and aid organizations will need to shelter potentially thousands of storm and fire evacuees. How will they do it without spreading the COVID-19 virus? How will they keep key emergency workers healthy?   In today's episode, host Jesse Roman talks with Luke Beckman, a director at the Red Cross Pacific Division, to learn how...

Many things went wrong to cause the deadly explosion in Beirut, Lebanon. In this episode of The NFPA Podcast, we examine some of the factors that may have led to the blast, from the improper storage of ammonium nitrate to unpermitted hot work. Angelo kicks off the episode with a conversation with Guy Colonna, a hazardous materials expert at NFPA, to discuss ammonium nitrate safety (2:20). Then, he...

From inaccurate pop culture references to homebuilders warning of astronomical costs, there are a lot of residential fire sprinklers myths out there. In this episode of The NFPA Podcast, we debunk some of those myths as we hear from a former fire chief who chose to retrofit his home with sprinklers. Angelo kicks off the episode with an overview of the importance of home fire sprinklers as well as...

As it has with every industry, coronavirus has upended the world of safety inspections—but in this case there might actually be some good news! With communities across the world social distancing, remote video inspections (known as RVI) have taken off dramatically, and building departments are seeing unexpected benefits. Jesse starts off the show with an overview of RVI and some reasons why it's s...

The worldwide battery market is expected to grow by over 12 percent in the next five years. From hoverboards to electric cars to energy storage systems (ESS), mankind is increasingly relying on battery power. But what are the risks? In this episode of The NFPA Podcast, we examine the science behind and fire safety risks involved with using lithium-ion batteries on both a small and large scale. Hos...

In the very first episode of The NFPA Podcast, we explore the fast-growing and rapidly evolving legal cannabis industry. In the first segment, Jesse talks to NFPA Field Director Ray Bizal about what he's learned from touring numerous marijuana facilities, and what fire departments and inspectors should know (4:20). Then, Robby talks with top fire officials in Colorado and Utah about the growing pa...

In light of the recent civil unrest and mass protests in Minneapolis, we thought it was a good time to revisit this episode from 2016. In this re-released episode, we hear from Jeffrey Segal, assistant chief of the Baltimore Fire Department, and Matt LaVanchy of the Pattonville, Missouri Fire District near Ferguson, Missouri, about their recent experiences dealing with extreme cases of civil unres...

As the coronavirus pandemic kills scores, many of them part of vulnerable populations like the elderly, community risk reduction (CRR) efforts are taking center stage. In this episode, we hear from NFPA's CRR experts Karen Berard-Reed and Chelsea Rubadou on the community-wide implications of COVID-19 both now and into the future.

This week, the NFPA Journal Podcast looks at crisis standards of care (CSC). The coronavirus pandemic has forced first response agencies and health care workers across the world to alter their normal standards and protocols for operation in order to handle the huge surge in sick patients. We hear from experts on how CSC are developed, what the legal implications and challenges to employing them ar...

This week, NFPA Journal editor Jesse Roman talks to Pieter Maes, a firefighter/EMT in Brussels, Belgium, about the extraordinary steps emergency responders in this European capitol are taking to prepare for the onslaught of the coronavirus pandemic. The crisis has forced Maes' department to find creative solutions to many difficult questions related to the COVID-19 outbreak—the same challenges dep...

As the health care system in the United States braces for a surge in patients sickened by COVID-19, the NFPA Journal® Podcast speaks with experts on how this issue will be addressed, from the creation of mobile field hospitals to putting inspections on hold for codes like NFPA 99, Health Care Facilities Code, and NFPA 101®, Life Safety Code®. Listen to an earlier podcast on responder safety during...

As the COVID-19 coronavirus sweeps the globe, the NFPA Journal Podcast speaks with leading first responder experts on the precautions they can take to stay safe, such as incorporating masks into their PPE.  Contact Angelo Verzoni at averzoni@nfpa.org and Jesse Roman at jroman@nfpa.org.