The NFPA Podcast National Fire Protection Association

Diversity, equity, and inclusion are three words that have quickly risen priority lists at fire departments across the world in recent years. While most agree on the importance of having a diverse and inclusive workforce, what do those words actually mean in practice for the fire service? Why has DEI increasingly become such an emphasis, and what does success in this area for the fire service ultimately look like? On this podcast we ask Kwame Cooper, who after 38 years with the Los Angeles City Fire Department, returned home to New York to become FDNY’s chief diversity and inclusion officer last November (3:55).
Then, on a new Code Corner, NFPA Engineer Brian O’Connor answers questions about requirements in NFPA 855 for mobile energy storage systems (43:16).
 
LINKS: 
Drexel University research project on DEI in the fire service
Urban Fire Forum position statement on DEI in the fire service

The latest data from NFPA shows that the number of fires in buildings under construction has been steadily rising over the past several years. On average, US fire departments respond to nearly a dozen such fires every single day. In this episode, we sit down with Kevin Carr, the NFPA staff liaison to NFPA 241, Standard for Safeguarding Construction, Alteration, and Demolition Operations, to discuss why construction sites are so prone to fires and what can be done to address the problem.

On March 21, Kevin and other construction fire safety experts will present on this topic in a webinar for NFPA titled "Tackling the Construction Fires Crisis." Register for that event here.

About 80 percent of female firefighters say that their personal protective clothing doesn’t fit right, and studies show that ill-fitting gear puts women at greater risk of being injured on the job. Today on the podcast, we talk to two textile researchers who measured dozens of female firefighters as part of a multi-year project on turnout gear for women. They tell us why designing protective clothing for women has historically been such a challenge, and how we can fix this widespread problem (2:51).
Then, on a new Code Corner, NFPA engineer Shawn Mahoney answers your questions about height requirements for wall-mounted manual pull-stations for fire alarm systems (32:31).
LINKS:
Watch a webinar with researchers Cassandra Kwon and Meredith McQuerry
Read an new NFPA Journal feature story about the project to understand and solve the problem of ill-fitting PPE for female firefighters.
If you have questions, feedback, suggestions, or just want to say hello, you can reach the NFPA Podcast at podcast@nfpa.org.

In his stunning new book, American Sirens: The Incredible Story of the Black Men Who Became America’s First Paramedics, former paramedic Kevin Hazzard explores the largely forgotten history of the Freedom House Ambulance Service. Hazzard joined the podcast to talk about his book, the early beginnings of EMS, and how a dedicated group of men from a downtrodden section of Pittsburg paved the way for a revolution in emergency medicine (1:56).
 
Then, on a new Code Corner, NFPA engineer Robin Zevotek answers your questions about how to safely conduct live fire training (47:40).

Today on the podcast we examine one of NFPA’s oldest and most significant publications, the Fire Protection Handbook. Guests Nick Dawe, a fire marshal in Georgia, and Casey Grant, a fire protection engineering consultant and longtime NFPA employee, discuss what the FPH means to them and what’s new in the new edition. It’s been 15 years since the last edition of the handbook was published. Copies of the new, 21st edition of the Fire Protection Handbook are available for pre-order at nfpa.org/fph. The FPH is expected to be in stock by early March.
  
In this episode’s code corner segment, NFPA engineer Shawn Mahoney addresses some misconceptions about fire alarm strobe lights.

As cold weather begins to move into the northern latitudes, families all over the world are struggling with high heating bills, leading some to make desperate choices that can dramatically increase fire risks. On today’s podcast, a prevention officer and public health expert from the United Kingdom’s National Fire Chiefs Council share the work being done in the UK to help firefighters reduce these risks in the vulnerable communities they serve. They also tell us what fire departments across the globe should keep in mind as they embark on what could be a difficult winter fire season.
 
Then, on a new code corner, engineer Shawn Mahoney addresses some misconceptions about the code requirements for residential smoke alarms.
 
LINKS:
See the assets created by the UK National Fire Chiefs Council for Cost of Living: Steps to Stay Fire Safe