We are ringing in the New Year by rerunning one of our favorite episodes of all time, which originally aired in January 2017. It might seem strange now, but firefighters dying from falling off fire trucks used to be a huge problem—from 1977 to 1987, an average of nearly four firefighters died this way each year. That all changed after the 1987 publication of NFPA 1500, the first fire service occupational safety standard. In this episode, we talk to fire service veterans who used to “ride the tai...
Dec 27, 2022•29 min
Believe it or not, a reported home fire in the US today is more likely to be fatal than it was in 1980. In fact, a new NFPA report reveals that the number of fire deaths per 1,000 reported home fires has risen 13 percent over the last 40 years. On today’s podcast, we talk to NFPA’s director of research and its vice president of Outreach and Advocacy about why home fires are more dangerous now, why so few people seem to know these surprising numbers, and what we can do to reduce home fire fatalit...
Dec 13, 2022•35 min
Shockingly, cooking fires now kill more people on average per year in the US than they did in the 1980s. As Thanksgiving nears, we are re-airing this episode from November 2020 looking at this growing problem. First, Jesse talks to an NFPA communications manager about cooking fire causes and the resources available for prevention educators (1:57). Then we explore the science behind those viral videos of turkey-fryer fireballs (25:09). In a new Code Corner, NFPA engineer Brian O’Connor talks abou...
Nov 22, 2022•44 min
When hurricane Ian tore through Florida in September, it left a trail of destruction—but not at Babcock Ranch, a 2,000-home development designed to be both sustainable and to withstand the worst natural disasters. Today on the podcast, we speak to an engineer who lives in and helped design Babcock Ranch about the community’s unique features, as well as the growing trend toward building resiliency and what it could mean for the future of disaster recovery (1:06). Then, we debut a new segment on t...
Nov 08, 2022•44 min
For years, flame retardant chemicals have presented a catch 22. When applied to furniture they can help prevent fire ignition and potentially save lives, however, many scientists believe the chemicals are harmful to both human health and the environment. Today on the podcast, we talk to pair of experts about the ongoing debate over the use of flame retardants, as well as some exciting breakthroughs that could result in fire-resistant furniture without the health concerns. Links: Read more about ...
Oct 25, 2022•32 min
A new book called California Burning details Pacific Gas & Electric’s 117-year rise to becoming one of the largest utilities in the United States—as well as how the company’s negligence, a changing climate, and state energy policy have all contributed to devastating wildfires in California. Today on the podcast, we welcome the book’s author, Wall Street Journal energy reporter Katherine Blunt, to discuss these trends, and why California’s experience could be a harbinger of things to come acr...
Oct 11, 2022•34 min
Thirty years ago, NFPA released NFPA 921, the world’s first comprehensive guide on fire and explosion investigation. Since then, the profession has advanced leaps and bounds. However, a recent report on the profession argues that fire investigation can still be more art than science, with a lack of consistency, no system of peer review, and no higher-education requirements for investigators. On today’s podcast, we talk about fire investigation with one of the experts who helped write that report...
Sep 27, 2022•29 min
On January 19, 2000, Shawn Simons and Alvaro Llanos, then 18- year- old freshman roommates at Seton Hall University, were severely burned when the residence hall they lived in caught fire. The blaze, one of the worst at a college campus in US history, killed three students and injured more than 50 others. Shawn and Alvaro now travel the country speaking to students and responders about their journey. Today on the podcast, we chat with them about the Seton Hall fire, their grueling recovery, and ...
Sep 13, 2022•53 min
For more than 50 years, firefighters have relied on aqueous film forming foam—better known as AFFF—to quickly and effectively put out dangerous liquid fuel fires. However, due to health and environmental concerns, AFFF is now being rapidly phased out across the world. On today’s podcast, we talk with one of the world’s leading researchers on firefighting foams about why AFFF is going away, the work that has gone into finding suitable replacements, and what fire departments need to know as they m...
Aug 23, 2022•40 min•Ep. 54
As the number and severity of wildfires increase in many parts of the world, experts have concerns over what the health impacts of wildfire smoke inhalation might be. In today’s episode, we hear from three researchers who are studying that topic by exposing mice to wildland fire smoke. So far, their research suggests inhaling wildfire smoke can lead to serious lung, heart, and even reproductive issues. Learn more about NFPA’s Outthink Wildfire™ program: https://www.nfpa.org/outthinkwildfire If y...
Aug 09, 2022•36 min
In May, journalists Madison Hopkins and Cecilia Reyes were awarded a Pulitzer Prize for their investigative series, “The Failures Before the Fires,” which exposed dangerous systemic flaws in how Chicago handles building code enforcement. On today’s podcast, Hopkins and Reyes join us to discuss the details of their award-winning investigation, how the enforcement process can be biased in favor of landlords, and what lessons other cities can take from Chicago. Read the series, “The Failures Before...
Jul 26, 2022•49 min
SMART fire sprinklers, which use less water and can employ a range of sensors to target exactly where a fire is happening, have potential to be a game changer, according to some experts. Today on the podcast, Jesse talks to Dr. Yibing Xin, a research manager at FM Global, who has conducted numerous fire tests on these devices. He discusses how the technology works, and what these and other SMART innovations could mean for the future of fire protection. LINKS: Read a report on SMART fire sprinkle...
Jul 12, 2022•22 min
From elevators that can decapitate you to grills that can explode in your face, short-term rental properties aren’t short on things that can hurt you—or worse. In fact, short-term rental safety expert Justin Ford calls these properties the most dangerous sector of the travel and hospitality industry. In this episode, Angelo sits down with Ford to discuss a brief history of the short-term rental market, what safety hazards can exist in these properties, and, importantly, what owners and renters a...
Jun 28, 2022•38 min
Battery-powered electric bicycles and scooters, collectively known as micromobility devices, have exploded in popularity in recent years, but so too have fires involving these devices. From New York City to India, e-bikes and e-scooters batteries have sparked fires that have killed dozens of people and destroyed hundreds of thousands of dollars of property. Today on the podcast, Angelo interviews an FDNY chief about New York’s experience over the past two years with electric micromobility device...
Jun 14, 2022•32 min
In 2011, longtime electrician Brandon Schroeder was involved in an accident on the job that left him severely burned and without the use of his hand. After a long and grueling recovery, Schroeder became a vocal advocate for electrical worker safety and now travels the country to offer his own story as a warning. In honor of Electrical Safety Month, we invited Schroeder on the podcast to discuss his accident, the realities of safety culture on job sites, and what he sees as some of the main chall...
May 24, 2022•43 min
For more than a decade, the small, wooded town of Grizzly Flats, California has participated in Firewise USA, an NFPA program where residents voluntarily work together on community projects to lessen their risks from wildfire. In August 2021, however, the Caldor Fire tore through Grizzly Flats, putting its mitigation efforts through a major test. Today on the podcast, we talk to Megan Fitzgerald-McGowan, the manager of the Firewise USA program, about what she discovered on her recent visit to th...
May 10, 2022•38 min•Ep. 47
The State Emergency Service of Ukraine (SES) has taken on an unrelenting burden since Russian forces invaded more than two months ago. Among other tasks, the SES’s 60,000 responders put out fires, search for survivors buried under rubble, clear landmines, and recover the dead—all while being shot at and shelled by the Russian military. On today’s episode, we speak with a top SES official about the situation for responders in Ukraine, how they are persevering, and how the global community can hel...
Apr 26, 2022•54 min
Research suggests that two-thirds of US adults aged 65 and older use at least three prescription medications. Meanwhile, older adults are twice as likely as the general population to experience a fatal fire, and deaths and injuries from accidental falls have skyrocketed in this age group over the last decade. It begs the question: Do certain prescription drugs increase the fall and fire risks for older adults? Our guest Jamie McAllister spent months working on a Fire Protection Research Foundati...
Apr 12, 2022•34 min
Since 1982, the Fire Protection Research Foundation, the research affiliate of NFPA, has been instrumental in answering countless important questions about how best to protect the world from fire and electrical dangers. Its research has improved safety in countless industries and led to numerous changes to codes, consumer products, fire test standards, and more. Today on the podcast, we celebrate the Foundation’s 40th anniversary by speaking with its two most recent executive directors to learn ...
Mar 22, 2022•41 min
Dr. Denise Smith, who has spent decades researching the physiological impact of firefighting, joins The NFPA Podcast to discuss how firefighters who have been infected with COVID-19 could struggle for weeks or even months following acute illness as they return to work. Smith and other researchers are currently working on a project supported by the Fire Protection Research Foundation to study long COVID in the fire service. LINKS If you are a member of the fire service, help Smith and other resea...
Mar 08, 2022•33 min
Static electricity doesn’t usually get a lot of attention, but maybe that should change. One tiny spark, many times smaller than what a human can perceive or feel, can cause huge industrial accidents with deadly consequences. And the findings of a new study by the Fire Protection Research Foundation suggest that incidents involving static are much more common than most experts previously believed. On today’s podcast, we talk to an expert about the science behind static, what causes it, how can w...
Feb 22, 2022•39 min
Dr. Lori Moore-Merrell, who was appointed as the US fire administrator in October, joins The NFPA Podcast to discuss her priorities for the US Fire Administration in 2022 and beyond—from the need to focus on first responder health and safety to the need to better train our nation’s firefighters on a wide range of emerging hazards. LINKS: Watch Moore-Merrell, NFPA President Jim Pauley, and others discuss last month’s tragic fires in the Bronx and Philadelphia: https://nfpa.org/er-track Learn more...
Feb 08, 2022•47 min
In early January, two of the deadliest residential fires of the past 40 years in the US happened just days apart in Philadelphia and the Bronx. A total of 29 people died, including more than a dozen children. On today’s podcast, we look at the factors that led to such a tragic loss of life (0:52) and ask what we might learn from these incidents. NFPA experts on codes, firefighting, fire investigations, and public safety education, share their observations and takeaways from the Bronx and Philade...
Jan 25, 2022•54 min
January is National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month. In today's episode of The NFPA Podcast, we revisit an interview NFPA Journal Executive Editor Scott Sutherland conducted with Jeremy Inglis in October. Inglis, a Canadian fire chief, discusses how firefighters, building inspectors, and others can learn to better identify and help prevent human trafficking. LINKS: Read the NFPA Journal feature article and explore resources on human trafficking prevention: https://www.nfpa.org/pla...
Jan 11, 2022•24 min
Two important figures in the US Fire Service, Russ Sanders and Gregory Cade, have announced they will be retiring at the end of 2021 after a combined 105 years of service to the fire profession. In today’s Part 2, we talk to Greg Cade, who rose from a volunteer firefighter to big city fire chief, and eventually to US Fire Administrator, the top-ranking fire officer in the nation. Cade has also served in leadership roles at the International Association of Firefighters and at NFPA. He shares his ...
Dec 28, 2021•36 min
Two important figures in the US Fire Service, Russ Sanders and Gregory Cade, have announced they will be retiring at the end of 2021 after a combined 105 years of service to the fire profession. In today’s Part 1, we talk to Russ Sanders, who has helped guide the influential Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Association for the last 26 years. Before that, Sanders was a firefighter at the Louisville (Kentucky) Division of Fire for 27 years, including nearly a decade as its chief. He shares his thoughts on...
Dec 14, 2021•36 min
A significant effort is underway to combine and consolidate dozens of NFPA emergency response standards; the aim is to streamline the number of documents that departments need to consult on a given topic. In this episode, we talk to the leaders of the consolidation project (1:08) to learn how and why it’s happening, and how it will improve the lives of those who use the codes. Then, (10:02) we talk to the chair of the newly consolidated document, NFPA 470, Hazardous Materials/Weapons of Mass Des...
Nov 23, 2021•39 min
When the Richard Spring Fire tore through southwestern Montana in August, Clint McRae, a 4th generation Montana cattle rancher, feared he’d lose not only his home, but possibly hundreds of animals and the vital grasslands they depend on for survival. On the podcast, McRae talks about that fire, his role as first responder on his property, and the desperate strategies he and other ranchers use to try and keep their cattle alive as fire approaches (1:17). Then, we speak to Michele Steinberg (20:15...
Nov 09, 2021•52 min
An estimated 1 billion people worldwide currently live in informal settlements, including slums and shantytowns. Experts believe that number could double or even triple over the next 30 years. In today’s episode, Professor Richard Walls of South Africa’s Stellenbosch University discusses his research on the fire problem in informal settlements and some of the proposed solutions to address the problem. The cover story for the Winter 2021 issue of NFPA Journal will examine how global urbanization ...
Oct 26, 2021•30 min
The theme to this year’s Fire Prevention Week is “Learn the Sounds of Fire Safety,” but what if you can’t hear, or have a mobility issue that makes it difficult evacuate? For the estimated 1 billion people with disabilities worldwide, being notified of a fire and getting out of a building in an emergency often requires much more preplanning. Mark Larson, a former Idaho state fire marshal who has become an advocate and consultant for the National Disability Rights Network, explains common misconc...
Oct 12, 2021•33 min
