NFPA Journal - May/June 2013 - (Page 6)

>> FIRSTWORD BOARD OF DIRECTORS OFFICERS Chief Philip C. Stittleburg Chair La Farge Fire Department La Farge, Wisconsin BY NFPA PRESIDENT JAMES M. SHANNON Ernest J. Grant First Vice-Chair North Carolina Jaycee Burn Center Chapel Hill, North Carolina Philip J. DiNenno Second Vice-Chair Hughes Associates, Inc. Baltimore, Maryland No Time for Indifference Randolph W. Tucker Secretary ccrd partners Houston, Texas In this issue of Journal we reflect on the 40th anniversary of the historic America Burning report. Issued by the National Commission on Fire Prevention and Control in May of 1973, America Burning came about because our nation’s leaders were finally willing to admit that the country’s record on fire safety was appalling, a national embarrassment, compared to other industrialized nations. While much has changed since then— we have far fewer fire deaths and injuries than we did in the 1970s, though we still compare unfavorably with many other countries—there remain problems that in the fire service and see the human and financial costs of fire every day. Yet others are health care providers who deal with the horrific burn injuries caused by preventable fires. And we are thankful to have so many teachers who work with us to get the right fire safety messages to our kids. No matter what they do or how they got here, our members are not willing to accept the status quo, especially when they know that simple measures can make such a difference. It is not our job to try to move fire prevention to the top of the public’s list of concerns. Our job is to be the ones who are not indifferent to fire and its costs, and who never quit in our efforts to reduce its tragic effects. Every code adopONLINE tion we achieve makes the world For a collection of short video interviews safer. Every time someone installs a smoke alarm in a home, it is offering perspectives on the 40th far less likely that the family that anniversary of America Burning, lives in that home will perish in a visit nfpa.org/americaburning. fire. Every child who experiences the important lessons of fire have resisted solutions. One of those safety from Sparky in the classroom stands problems is the apparent indifference in a better chance of avoiding fire’s often devthis country to the costs of fire. The first astating impacts. Efforts like our residential paragraph of America Burning is as true now fire sprinkler initiative might take years to as it was then: “The striking aspect of the achieve, but NFPA is in it for the long haul Nation’s fire problem is the indifference because we know how effective sprinklers with which Americans confront the subject. are in saving lives. Destructive fire takes a huge toll in lives, Even if America Burning never fully became injuries, and property losses, yet there is no the call to arms for the nation that many in need to accept those losses with resignathe fire protection community hoped, it has tion. There are many measures—often very nevertheless helped shape our responses to simple precautions—that can be taken to an array of fire and life safety challenges over reduce those losses significantly.” the past four decades. It has also helped genNFPA members come from diverse erations of safety professionals understand backgrounds and career paths, but one how devastating fire is for those it touches. characteristic they share is that none of With the continued dedication of NFPA them are indifferent. Some are experts in members and our allies, we will continue our fire alarm or sprinkler systems who got here progress toward preventing unnecessary because of their technical curiosity, knowldeaths, injuries, and loss of property by fire. edge, and training. Others found careers It is no time for indifference. H. Wayne Boyd Treasurer U.S. Safety & Engineering Corporation Sacramento, California James M. Shannon President President and CEO, NFPA *Bruce H. Mullen Staff Officer Sr. Vice-President and CFO, NFPA *Dennis J. Berry Assistant Secretary Secretary of the Corporation, Director of Licensing, NFPA dIRECTORS Thomas W. Jaeger Past Chair Jaeger and Associates, LLC Great Falls, Virginia Terms Expire in 2013 Donald R. Cook Shelby County Department of Development Services Pelham, Alabama John C. Dean Office of Maine State Fire Marshal Augusta, Maine Chief Rebecca F. Denlinger Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General Victoria, British Columbia, Canada Chief Ned Pettus, Jr. Columbus Division of Fire Columbus, Ohio Dean L. Seavers Pinecrest, Florida Keith E. Williams Underwriters Laboratories Inc. Northbrook, Illinois Terms Expire in 2014 Amy Acton The Phoenix Society Grand Rapids, Michigan James M. Clark Management Consultant Germantown, Tennessee Kwame Cooper Los Angeles Fire Department Los Angeles, California Julie A. Rochman IBHS Tampa, Florida Terms Expire in 2015 Peter Holland Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service Lancashire, United Kingdom Brian Hurley Palm Beach, Florida William McCammon East Bay Regional Communications System Authority Dublin, California Harold A. Schaitberger International Assoc. of Fire Fighters Washington, D.C. William A. Stewart Toronto Fire Services (retired) Toronto, Ontario, Canada Peter J. Gore Willse XL GAPS Hartford, Connecticut 6 NFPA JOURNAL MAY/JUNE 2013 Photograph: dave Yount/NFPA *Not a member of the Board of Directors http://www.nfpa.org/americaburning

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NFPA Journal - May/June 2013

NFPA Journal - May/June 2013
Contents
First Word
In a Flash
Perspectives
Firewatch
Research
Heads Up
Structural Ops
In Compliance
Buzzwords
Outreach
Electrical Safety
Wildfire Watch
Treasurer's Report
Work in Progress
Amping It Up
Drill Team
Working Together
Code Process 2.0
Routine Maintenance
Here, There, Everywhere
Section Spotlight
Expo Preview: Exhibitors' Showcase
Looking Back

NFPA Journal - May/June 2013