NFPA Journal - Summer 2021 - 23

heating or electrical problems before a
fire breaks out. "
The new inspection section embodies the overall strategy of NFPA 150,
which is to focus on reducing the risk
of a fire occurring in the first place. " It's
about being proactive rather than reactive, " Vecchiarelli said. That's because
when fires do occur, evacuation and
emergency response can be incredibly
challenging. Animal behavior varies
widely and can be unpredictable, and
with the exception of zoos, many animal
housing facilities are located in rural
areas where fire departments may take
longer than usual to respond.
Although NFPA 150 has existed in
some form since 1979, it wasn't until
2006 that the scope of the standard was
expanded beyond racehorse stables.
The 2019 edition reflected a comprehensive rewrite that was covered in
" Critter Life Safety Code " in the November/December 2018 NFPA Journal.
Since the new edition is essentially
only the second version of the modern
NFPA 150, Vecchiarelli said there is
still room for improvement when it
comes to increasing awareness of how
to use the document. But references
to the standard in NFPA 1, Fire Code,
and the International Building Code
have helped. " More attention is being
brought to it, and we're seeing more
adoptions, which is great, " she said.

staggering lack of concern only tolerable
in a culture with scant regard for safety, "
Barwise argued.
The Grenfell Tower Inquiry is a United
Kingdom government-led investigation
into the circumstances that led to the
deadly 2017 blaze. In the years since the
inquiry began, in May 2018, startling evidence related to the incident has come
to light, including the fact that manufacturers of the exterior wall components

that had been added to Grenfell during
a renovation project in 2016 knew they
weren't safe. Cladding that was being marketed as fire-resistant in reality " burned
like paper, " one company executive wrote
in an email, according to inquiry testimony
reported by BBC News.
The NFPA Podcast will air an episode
on the Grenfell Tower fire on June 22, one
week after the fire's four-year anniversary.
Listen at nfpa.org/podcasts.

The burned-out remains of Grenfell Tower in London in 2017. An inquiry
has revealed that government officials and the company that owned
and managed the building ignored warnings about its poor fire safety.

London, England

GETT Y IMAGES

Grenfell Tower inquiry continues,
NFPA podcast slated for June

In late March, the Grenfell Tower Inquiry
began hearing testimony related to the
role of the landlord and local government in the June 14, 2017, fire that killed
72 people living in London's 24-story
Grenfell Tower apartment building. The
testimony revealed that government officials and the company that owned and
managed Grenfell Tower ignored warnings about its poor fire safety, according
to an article published in The Guardian.
" [The Royal Borough of Kensington
and Chelsea] prioritized cost over
safety, " Stephanie Barwise, a representative of a group of Grenfell fire survivors,
said in opening statements, the newspaper reported. She was referring to
the officials charged with governing the
borough where Grenfell was located.
Barwise and others representing the
victims and survivors of the incident
presented testimony showing that,
among other warnings, the London
fire brigade told borough officials and
Grenfell's landlord that the building was
wrapped in combustible cladding and
other dangerous materials in April 2017-
just two months before the deadly fire.
But no actions were taken. It shows " a

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NFPA Journal - Summer 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NFPA Journal - Summer 2021
