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The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) is a U.S.
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
 organization (albeit with some international members) charged with creating and maintaining minimum standards and requirements for fire prevention and suppression activities, training, and equipment, as well as other life-safety codes and standards. This includes everything from building code
Building code

A building code, or building control, is a set of rules that specify the minimum acceptable level of safety for constructed objects such as buildings and nonbuilding structures....
s to the personal protective equipment utilized by firefighter
Firefighter

Firefighters are rescuers extensively trained primarily to put out hazardous fires that threaten civilian populations and property, to rescue people from car accidents, collapsed and burning buildings and other such situations....
s while extinguishing a blaze.

History
The NFPA was formed in 1896 by a group of insurance
Insurance

Insurance, in law and economics, is a form of risk management primarily used to Hedge against the risk of a contingent loss. Insurance is defined as the equitable transfer of the risk of a loss, from one entity to another, in exchange for a premium, and can be thought of as a guaranteed small loss to prevent a large, possibly devastating los...
 firm representatives with the stated purpose of standardizing the new and burgeoning market of fire sprinkler
Fire sprinkler

A fire sprinkler system is an active fire protection measure, consisting of a water supply, providing adequate pressure and flowrate to a water distribution piping system, onto which fire sprinklers are connected....
 systems. The scope of the NFPA's influence grew from sprinklers to include building electrical systems (another new and fast-growing technology), and then all aspects of building design and construction.

Its original membership consisted of, and was limited to, insurance underwriting firms. There was little representation from the industries the NFPA sought to regulate.






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The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) is a U.S.
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
 organization (albeit with some international members) charged with creating and maintaining minimum standards and requirements for fire prevention and suppression activities, training, and equipment, as well as other life-safety codes and standards. This includes everything from building code
Building code

A building code, or building control, is a set of rules that specify the minimum acceptable level of safety for constructed objects such as buildings and nonbuilding structures....
s to the personal protective equipment utilized by firefighter
Firefighter

Firefighters are rescuers extensively trained primarily to put out hazardous fires that threaten civilian populations and property, to rescue people from car accidents, collapsed and burning buildings and other such situations....
s while extinguishing a blaze.

History


The NFPA was formed in 1896 by a group of insurance
Insurance

Insurance, in law and economics, is a form of risk management primarily used to Hedge against the risk of a contingent loss. Insurance is defined as the equitable transfer of the risk of a loss, from one entity to another, in exchange for a premium, and can be thought of as a guaranteed small loss to prevent a large, possibly devastating los...
 firm representatives with the stated purpose of standardizing the new and burgeoning market of fire sprinkler
Fire sprinkler

A fire sprinkler system is an active fire protection measure, consisting of a water supply, providing adequate pressure and flowrate to a water distribution piping system, onto which fire sprinklers are connected....
 systems. The scope of the NFPA's influence grew from sprinklers to include building electrical systems (another new and fast-growing technology), and then all aspects of building design and construction.

Its original membership consisted of, and was limited to, insurance underwriting firms. There was little representation from the industries the NFPA sought to regulate. This changed in 1904 to allow other industries and individuals to participate actively in the development of the standards promulgated by the NFPA. The first fire department to be represented in the NFPA was the New York City Fire Department
New York City Fire Department

The New York City Fire Department or the Fire Department City of New York has the responsibility for protecting the citizens and property of New York City's five borough from fire fighting, providing emergency medical services, technical rescue as well as providing first response to biological, chemical and radioactive hazards....
 in 1905. Today, the NFPA includes representatives from many fire departments, insurance companies, manufacturing associations, unions
Trade union

A trade union or labor union is an organization run by and for workers who have banded together to achieve common goals in key areas such as wages, hours, and working conditions....
, trade organizations, even average people.

The NFPA today


Headquartered in Quincy, Massachusetts
Quincy, Massachusetts

Quincy is a city in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, Massachusetts, United States. Its nicknames are "The City of Presidents", "City of Legends", and "Birthplace of the American Dream"....
, U.S.A., the NFPA oversees the development and maintenance of over 300 codes and standards. A cadre of over 6000 volunteer
Volunteer

A volunteer is someone who works Community service or for the benefit of environment primarily because they choose to do so. The word comes from France, it can also be translated as "will" ....
s representing the fire service, insurance, business, industry, government, and consumers develops these documents. Many state, local, and national governments incorporate the standards and codes developed by the Association into their own law either verbatim, or with only minor modifications. Even when not written into law, the Association's standards and codes are typically accepted as a professional standard, and are recognized by many courts as such. This widespread acceptance is a testament to the broad representation and input received on all the NFPA's projects.

There is a growing controversy regarding the presence of manufacturers on NFPA's committees. Some first responders see the profit motivation of corporate employees as a conflict of interest.

Sparky the Fire Dog

NFPA's official mascot since 1951, Sparky hosts his to teach children about fire safety and other important safety topics. Sparky has starred in his own series of TV public service announcements.

Access to NFPA Codes and Standards

The complete text of all NFPA standards documents are therefore available without restriction for download, offline viewing and printing, from any jurisdiction that has accepted it as law. The most recent code models are also available for free but restricted access on the NFPA website. Links to the codes as both unrestricted public law and as restricted code models are listed at the end of this article.

The NFPA provides free but restricted access to view its documents on the . Document access requires the reader to first register and identify themselves to the NFPA, and requires the acceptance of a license agreement that states, in part:
GRANT OF LICENSE. NFPA grants you, the NFPA visitor, a nonexclusive and nontransferable license to view online the content of the Online Document. The Online Document is designed to be viewed online only - there are no “print,” “save,” or “cut and paste” options - and the license granted to you by this agreement does not include the right to download, reproduce, store in a retrieval system, modify, make available on a network, use to create derivative works, or transmit the content of the Online Document in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise.


See also

  • NFPA 70
    National Electrical Code (US)

    The National Electrical Code , or NFPA 70, is a United States standard for the safe installation of electrical wiring and equipment. It is part of the National Fire Codes series published by the National Fire Protection Association ....
     - National Electrical Code (NEC)
  • NFPA 70B
    NFPA 70B

    NFPA 70B is a standard of the National Fire Protection Association that addresses recommended electrical equipment maintenance....
     - Recommended Practice for Electrical Equipment Maintenance
  • NFPA 70E
    NFPA 70E

    NFPA 70E is an United States standard from the National Fire Protection Association that addresses electrical safety requirements for employees....
     - Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace
  • NFPA 72
    NFPA 72

    The NFPA 72 is a standard published by the National Fire Protection Association....
     - National Fire Alarm Code
  • NFPA 77 - Static Electricity
  • NFPA 79 - Restriction of Access to Hazardous Energy
  • NFPA 325, Fire Hazard Properties of Flammable Liquids, Gases and volatile solids
  • NFPA 704
    NFPA 704

    NFPA 704 is a standard maintained by the United States-based National Fire Protection Association. It defines the colloquial "fire diamond" used by emergency personnel to quickly and easily identify the risks posed by nearby hazardous materials....
     - Standard System for the Identification of the Hazards of Materials for Emergency Response
  • NFPA 853
    Standard for the installation of stationary fuel cell power systems

    Standard for the installation of stationary fuel cell power systems is an United States fuel cell standard published by the National Fire Protection Association....
     - Standard for the installation of stationary fuel cell power systems
    Stationary fuel cell applications

    Stationary fuel cell applications are stationary fuel cell applications that are either connected to the electric grid to provide supplemental power and as emergency power system for critical areas, or installed as a grid-independent generator for on-site service....
  • NFPA 921
    NFPA 921

    NFPA 921, "Guide for Fire and Explosion Investigations", is a National Fire Code published by the National Fire Protection Association . Its purpose is "to establish guidelines and recommendations for the safe and systematic investigation or analysis of fire and explosion incidents" ....
     - Guide for Fire and Explosion Investigations
  • NFPA 101
    Life safety code

    Administered, copyrighted, and published by the National Fire Protection Association , the Life Safety Code, known as NFPA 101 is the registered trademark of an American consensus standardization which, like many NFPA documents, is systematically revised on a three year cycle....
     - Life Safety Code
  • NFPA 1123
    NFPA 1123

    Administered, copyrighted, and published by the National Fire Protection Association , the Code for Fireworks Display, known as NFPA 1123 is the registered trademark of an American consensus standardization which, like many NFPA documents, is systematically revised on a three year cycle....
     - Code for Outdoor Firework Displays
  • NFPA 1901
    NFPA 1901

    NFPA 1901, the Standard for Automotive Fire Apparatus, is published by the National Fire Protection Association to outline the standard for firefighting apparatus....
     - Standard for Automotive Fire Apparatus
  • Fire apparatus
    Fire apparatus

    A fire apparatus, fire engine, fire truck, or fire appliance is a vehicle designed to assist in fighting fires, by transporting firefighters to the scene, and providing them with access, water or other equipment....
  • Fire extinguisher
    Fire extinguisher

    A fire extinguisher is an active fire protection device used to extinguish or control small fires, often in emergency situations. It is not intended for use on an out-of-control fire, such as one which has reached the ceiling, endangers the user , or otherwise requires the expertise of a fire department....
     - The NFPA classifies extinguishers into the familiar ABCD use system


External links