June 22, 2015 – The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) presented four awards to recognize outstanding achievements in fire and life safety at NFPA’s Conference & Expo in Chicago.
Harry C. Bigglestone Award
The Harry C. Bigglestone Award is given annually to the paper appearing in Fire Technology that best represents excellence in the communication of fire protection concepts. The 2015 winner is ”Characterizing Firebrand Exposure from Wildland–Urban Interface (WUI) Fires: Results from the 2007 Angora Fire” by Ethan I. D. Foote, an active member of the California Fire Chiefs Association, Fire Prevention Officers Section and retired member of the International Association of Firefighters, CALFIRE Local 2881, and Samuel L. Manzello of the Fire Research Division of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The paper studied the problem of firebrand exposure from fires at the wild-urban interface, a very relevant and current issue, poorly studied to date. The winning paper was selected by the Fire Technology editorial board and associate editors out of the 82 papers published in 2014 which were eligible for the award.
The Harry C. Bigglestone award is presented annually, along with a $5,000 cash prize, to the author(s) of the most outstanding paper submitted to Fire Technology during the previous calendar year, as voted by the International Editorial Board. This award is named after the late Harry C. Bigglestone, a trustee of the Fire Protection Research Foundation, and fellow and president of the Society of Fire Protection Engineers.
Fire Protection Research Foundation Medal
The winning project of the 2015 Fire Protection Research Foundation Medal is “Development of Standardized Cooking Fires for Evaluation of Prevention Technologies Data Analysis.” The goal of this project was to develop standard fire scenarios and create test methods and performance criteria which feed into standards development, and thus provide a standardized approach for recognition of cooking fire prevention technologies. The Fire Protection Research Foundation Medal recognizes a project completed in 2014 that best expressed the Foundation’s safety mission, technical challenges overcome and collaborative approach to execution that is the hallmark of all Foundation projects.
This winning project was sponsored by the National Institute of Standards and Technology and was led by a multi-industry steering team, including government agencies and the insurance industry. Collaboration from the association of Home Appliance Manufacturers was key to the projects’ successful implementation. JENSEN HUGHES was the Foundation’s contractor for the project.
The project began in 2010 when the Foundation first initiated a program to review the potential effectiveness of various technologies capable of preventing cooking range top fires. A workshop conducted as part of that project considered the emergence of commercial products on the market and identified the need to develop standardized tests and criteria to evaluate the performance and effectiveness of such devices.
Industrial Fire Protection Section Fire Prevention Week Award
The winner of the Industrial Fire Protection Section Fire Prevention Week Award is McKee Foods Corporation for their exceptional Fire Prevention Week program and their keen awareness of the dangers that fires and aerosolized dust can pose in their baking facilities. During Fire Prevention Week 2014, McKee Foods displayed NFPA posters, banners and handouts in high traffic zones throughout their facilities. They also aired several PSA (public service announcement) spots on their closed circuit television, and hosted a giveaway contest for their nearly 6,000 employees, featuring eight combination carbon monoxide/smoke alarm units and two ABC-rated fire extinguishers.
In addition, McKee Foods partnered with Tri-State Mutual Aid Association in enlisting more than 40 regional fire departments to distribute McKee Foods’ products and some 60,000 home escape plans. The company also provided smoke alarm and fire safety education to its employees by enlisting the help of a local fire inspector and fire department.
Standards Medal
This year’s recipient of the Standards Medal is Kenneth W. Linder. Linder is honored with this award due to his leadership and continuous contributions to the NFPA standards development process. A fellow in the Society of Fire Protection Engineers, Linder is a renowned and highly respected leader and personal mentor to many members of the fire protection community. For more than 30 years, he has served on numerous NFPA technical committees, chairing several, including his current role as chair of the Correlating Committee on Automatic Sprinkler Systems. Linder is currently the vice president and natural catastrophe expert for Swiss Re in Windsor, Conn.
This award recognizes and honors outstanding contributions to fire safety, and the development of NFPA codes and standards. This award is the most distinguished award given by the NFPA Standard’s Council.
About the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
Founded in 1896, NFPA is a global, nonprofit organization devoted to eliminating death, injury, property and economic loss due to fire, electrical and related hazards. The association delivers information and knowledge through more than 300 consensus codes and standards, research, training, education, outreach and advocacy; and by partnering with others who share an interest in furthering the NFPA mission. For more information visit www.nfpa.org. All NFPA codes and standards can be viewed online for free at www.nfpa.org/freeaccess.
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Contact: Lorraine Carli, Public Affairs Office: +1 617 984-7275