April 20, 2015 – The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) today announced the launch of a new campaign, “NFPA Standards In Action: Your Voice Matters,” which actively works to increase fire service participation in its standards-making process. While the initiative emphasizes the importance of firefighters’ input on the 100-plus codes and standards that directly affect them, NFPA has created an online platform that makes involvement in its standards-making process quicker and easier than ever; participation is completely free.
“NFPA’s standards directly impact the way firefighters do their jobs each and every day, from the equipment and apparatus they use and wear on the fireground to the procedures they follow when fighting a fire, just to name a few examples,” said Ken Willette, NFPA’s divisional manager of public fire protection. “That’s why their input and feedback is so important.”
“If one of NFPA’s standards has requirements that make firefighters’ jobs more challenging or doesn’t help them do their work in the most effective way, we want and need to know about it,” Willette adds.
NFPA’s Standards in Action campaign largely comes as the result of an NFPA survey, which showed that most firefighters either don’t know how to get involved in NFPA’s standards-making process or don’t think their voices will be heard. According to the survey results, 86 percent of the respondents had never participated in NFPA’s codes and standards process. Meanwhile, 75 percent said they’d like to know more about how the standards process works, while 81 percent said they’d like to be notified on deadlines for input and comments.
“Letting the fire service know that we truly want their input and feedback on our standards is a priority, and we need to make the process as easy and straightforward for them as possible,” said Willette. “That’s what the Standards in Action campaign is all about.”
Along with the launch of a new web page (www.nfpa.org/standards-in-action) dedicated to streamlining and simplifying the process for firefighters to provide public input and comment on NFPA standards in the revision cycle, NFPA will be more consistently reaching out to the fire service through social media and other communications outreach efforts to make sure they’re aware of opportunities to participate in our standards as they arise. The campaign also works to encourage firefighters to get involved in NFPA standards in other ways, such as participating in committee meetings.
For more information on “NFPA Standards in Action: Your Voice Matters,” visit www.nfpa.org/standards-in-action.
About the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
NFPA is a worldwide leader in fire, electrical, building, and life safety. The mission of the international nonprofit organization founded in 1896 is to reduce the worldwide burden of fire and other hazards on the quality of life by providing and advocating consensus codes and standards, research, training, and education. NFPA develops more than 300 codes and standards to minimize the possibility and effects of fire and other hazards. All NFPA codes and standards can be viewed at no cost at www.nfpa.org/freeaccess.
Contact: Lorraine Carli, Public Affairs Office: +1 617 984-7275