Keeping It Safe Robert Tutterow
I recently read an article about the rising number of fires caused by electric bicycles and electric scooters. Granted, there has been a lot of study and research about electric car fires. However, there has not been much about the smaller electric modes of transportation.
There are a lot of shoddy batteries being manufactured overseas in use in this country. The bottom line of the article was that we should make sure that any battery being used is Underwriters Laboratories (UL) listed. And that is a notable example of why we need standards and why first responder personal protective equipment (PPE) is certified by an accredited independent third-party certification agency.
Unfortunately, there remains a lot of misinformation within the fire service about our standards, almost all of which are National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards. The fire service paid little attention to standards until the late 1980s, when NFPA 1500, Standard on Fire Department Occupational Safety, Health, and Wellness Program, was developed. It was the first time a standard was written that prescribed what we “shall” do to improve our safety and health. Prior to that, the existing standards were product standards that had minimal requirements, such as NFPA pamphlet 19, the precursor to NFPA 1901, Standard for Automotive Fire Apparatus. However, NFPA 1500 got our attention. It was met with a tremendous amount of resistance and resulted in the technical committee being dissolved and a new committee appointed. It was going to put some fire departments out of business, some claimed.
- Ensure NFPA Automotive Standards Reflect Your Perspective and Interests
- NFPA Standards: A Look Inside the Process
Trying to gain a grasp of the standards-making process was quite the challenge. As with a lot of “so-called news outlets,” there were partial truths and myths that had to be debunked. A couple of these myths still need to be addressed. The first myth is that standards are written by NFPA staff. This is totally false, as NFPA staff members have a lesser voice in the process than anyone else. The standards are developed by volunteer committees whose membership is divided among nine different membership classifications, with no one group having a majority membership.
A second myth to be debunked is the one that says standards are made by the manufacturers. Again, this is totally false. Yes, manufacturers are on technical committees, but they are only one of the nine classifications. Many firefighters think that manufacturers should not have a vote. Having been actively involved as a member of three different technical committees and one correlating committee, I have never known a manufacturer, or manufacturers, to control the decisions reached. In fact, if there is a controversial issue, the manufacturers will typically defer to the opinion of the fire service representative on the committee and vote with the fire service. The challenge is to get the fire service members to agree.
It is critical that manufacturers be involved in the standards development process as they have the expertise that fire service people do not have. There is a tremendous amount of science involved that is not covered in firefighter training and educational courses. It is often said that developing a standard is like making sausage. The process is not necessarily appealing but the end result is good. Therefore, learning the NFPA standards development process is not of interest to many in the fire service.
Nonetheless, every fire department should have at least one member with an understanding of the process and a working knowledge of the most applicable standards. Larger departments should have more than one person—for example, a knowledgeable person on apparatus, one on PPE, one on health and wellness, one on professional qualifications, and one on contamination. The use of NFPA standards is voluntary unless the “authority having jurisdiction” adopts them. If they are not adopted, they can still be held against fire departments in the judicial system. A key point to remember is that the lack of knowledge is not defensible in a court of law.
If the fire service did not have NFPA standards, what would fill the void? It would probably be the federal government. Do we want a bunch of herd-mentality politicians controlling our standards? The last thing we need is a bunch of power-hungry politicians standardizing what we do.
Imagine a world without standards. We would not be very functional, and we would be terribly inefficient and face endless hazards. Standards are a cornerstone of today’s society. We have electrical standards, highway marking standards, food standards, and the list goes on and on.
There are a lot of changes occurring within the NFPA that are applicable to the fire service. Many standards are being consolidated into one standard. The technical committees have been meeting virtually for past three years, and that is not conducive to quality well-thought-out decision making. In addition, the fire service section of the NFPA has not been able to meet in more than three years, and there is a fear the fire service is being neglected by the NFPA upper management. Because of COVID-19, the sausage is still being made but the taste of the end-product is not as good as it used to be.
More fire service participation is needed. Please know that you do not have to be a member of the NFPA to participate in the process. Anyone can submit a public input and comment on proposed new changes. To better understand the process, here is a link to download a brochure that provides an overview: https://www.nfpa.org/~/media/files/codes-and-standards/regulations-directory-and-forms/Stds_Dev_Process_Booklet_2018.ashx?la=en.
Why bother with standards? Consider the alternatives.
ROBERT TUTTEROW retired as safety coordinator for the Charlotte (NC) Fire Department and is a member of the Fire Apparatus & Emergency Equipment Editorial Advisory Board. His 44-year career includes 10 as a volunteer. He has been very active in the National Fire Protection Association through service on the Fire Service Section Executive Board and technical committees involved with safety, apparatus, and personal protective equipment. He is a founding member and president of the Fire Industry Education Resource Organization (F.I.E.R.O.).
