The NFPA Podcast
237 episodes - English - Latest episode: 6 days ago - ★★★★ - 27 ratingsThe NFPA Podcast is the place for safety professionals to stay up to speed on the fast-paced world of electrical, fire, and life safety. Hear in-depth conversations with people out in the field about how they are confronting new challenges and staying on top of emerging technologies to keep the world safe. Listen the second and fourth Tuesday of every month.
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Episodes
Hoarding Risk-Reduction Strategies
April 23, 2024 05:00 - 49 minutes - 91 MBResidential hoarding poses numerous dangers and fire risks for residents and firefighters, yet communities have struggled to find meaningful solutions. Today on the podcast, two of North America’s most prominent hoarding researchers join us to talk about the causes and trendlines of hoarding (2:08), as well as the latest risk reduction strategies that communities are implementing to address it (16:27). Then, on a new code corner, NFPA engineer Val Ziavras tells us about strategies in NFPA ...
Moral Injury and Suicide
March 26, 2024 05:00 - 41 minutes - 76.3 MBIn most years, more firefighters die by suicide than from accidents or injuries that happen in the line of duty, according to the Firefighter Behavioral Health Alliance. It’s well understood that PTSD is a huge contributor to the problem, but recently a new concept called moral injury has also become recognized as a significant factor. Today on the podcast, we discuss moral injury and firefighter suicide with Jeff Dill, a licensed clinician and former battalion chief who is the founder the F...
What to Know About CO
March 12, 2024 06:00 - 26 minutes - 49 MBEach year, accidental carbon monoxide poisonings cause at least 430 deaths in the U.S., and send more than 100,000 people to emergency rooms, according to the CDC. Studies have found that the number of accidental CO deaths has increased over the last decade. Today on the podcast, we speak to Richard Roberts, a member of several NFPA committees on carbon monoxide, and an active participant in the National Carbon Monoxide Awareness Association. He dives into the science of how this deadly ga...
Doing It Right: Energy Storage and Solar Installs
February 27, 2024 06:00 - 38 minutes - 70.1 MBAs the number of energy storage and photovoltaic systems being installed across the world continues to rise dramatically, so does the need for trained professionals to ensure that these systems are reliable and safe for decades to come. Today on the podcast, we discuss the various codes and standards needed for the proper installation and maintenance of ESS and PV; and then our experts give advice on what you should know if you are involved with overseeing and implementing these projects (2:...
Where is AI Headed?
February 13, 2024 06:00 - 1 hour - 114 MBWe wrap up our two-parter about how AI technologies might impact fire and life safety by talking with Xinyan Huang, a fire protection engineer, professor, and AI researcher at the Research Centre for Fire Safety Engineering at Hong Kong Polytechnic University. He tells us about a few of the AI tools he and his colleagues are developing and how they may one day help with everything from designing safer buildings to guiding firefighter robots (2:54). And then, on a new Code Corner, eng...
Artificial Intelligence and the Fire Service
January 23, 2024 06:00 - 41 minutes - 76 MBToday’s podcast is the first in a two-part series looking at how artificial intelligence technologies could impact fire and life safety. In this episode, we focus on AI’s potential impact on the fire service. How might fire departments use AI? What are the dangers? What guardrails need to be in place to ensure that the technology is reliable and safe? We pose those questions and many more to Preet Bassi, the CEO of the Center for Public Safety Excellence. She tells us why caution is the op...
Sustainability vs. Fire Protection
January 09, 2024 06:00 - 40 minutes - 74 MBLithium-ion batteries and photovoltaic panels are technologies that may improve environmental sustainability, but also present challenges to fire protection engineers. Conversely, chemical flame retardants may lead to better fire outcomes, but also have potentially serious impacts on human health and the environment. Today on the podcast, we talk about some of the inherent frictions that exist between sustainability and fire protection efforts (2:43). Can we find the right balance to effecti...
Short-Term Rentals: Risky Business
December 26, 2023 06:00 - 39 minutes - 72.3 MBFrom elevators that can decapitate you to grills that can explode in your face, short-term rental properties aren’t short on things that can hurt you—or worse. In fact, short-term rental safety expert Justin Ford calls these properties the most dangerous sector of the travel and hospitality industry. In this episode, we sit down with Ford to discuss a brief history of the short-term rental market, what safety hazards can exist in these properties, and, importantly, what owners and renters al...
Re-Thinking Wildfire
December 12, 2023 06:00 - 50 minutes - 91.7 MBAs destruction from wildfire in the U.S. continues to set records, it’s become abundantly clear that the country’s current strategies are not working. But what should we be doing differently? Over the past year, a wildfire commission, comprised of 50 experts from a range of fields, met to try and answer that incredibly complicated question. In September, the commission sent Congress its final 300-plus page report, containing nearly 150 separate recommendations. Today on the podcast, we are j...
Trauma and Risk
November 28, 2023 06:00 - 39 minutes - 72.6 MBIt’s well understood that childhood trauma can have dramatic effects on a person’s adult life, and in recent years, risk prevention experts have started to recognize it as a sizeable contributor to both individual and community risk. Today on the podcast, we talk to a director at the University of Michigan Trauma Burn Center about the role that childhood trauma plays in increased community risk, and the programs that are starting to pop up to try and treat the problem at its source (2:03). ...
The Economic Impact of Fire Departments
November 14, 2023 06:00 - 38 minutes - 70.5 MBAt budget time, fire departments are listed as a cost on the city ledger, but that’s only part of the story. Firefighting and fire prevention also provide huge returns on investment by saving lives, buildings, businesses, and jobs. Is there a way to quantify these economic and social impacts? On today’s podcast, we talk to a Montreal fire chief who has conducted economic impact studies at several fire departments. He explains how he did it, and why the data gives chiefs a valuable tool durin...
Heat, the Silent Killer
October 24, 2023 05:00 - 53 minutes - 97.5 MBHeatwaves aren't just uncomfortable; they are deadly for millions of people around the globe each year. Recognizing this growing threat, governments and safety departments are starting to reconsider their vulnerabilities to heat and are taking action to protect their populations and infrastructure. Today on the podcast, we talk to Eleni Myrivili, who was appointed as the first ever World Chief Heat Officer by the United Nations last year. Her job is to help cities think harder about heat a...
The Survivors, Part 5: “Never Again”
September 26, 2023 21:58 - 22 minutes - 41.4 MBWe are replaying "The Survivors," an award-winning podcast series that NFPA first published in 2017. In the final episode, the van Dijks and other survivors want their experience to be the catalyst for the inclusion of fire sprinklers in all new homes. However, a powerful group has spent serious dollars preventing that from happening.
The Survivors, Part 4: “Back into the Lion’s Den”
September 12, 2023 05:00 - 30 minutes - 55.7 MBWe are replaying "The Survivors," an award-winning podcast series that NFPA first published in 2017. In Part 4, upsetting his family, Feike joins the fire service and places himself into one of America’s deadliest places for fire: homes. Fire service and safety advocates discuss today’s home fire problem and why the fire dynamics of new homes are a cause for concern.
The Survivors, Part 3: “Refinement by Fire”
August 22, 2023 05:00 - 33 minutes - 61.1 MBWe are replaying "The Survivors," an award-winning podcast series that NFPA first published in 2017. In Part 3, the van Dijk's emotional scarring from the fire seems to have taken a larger toll on the family than their physical injuries. They learn new coping tactics, as have many others impacted by home fire. But everyday has its challenges.
The Survivors, Part 2: “The Aftermath”
August 08, 2023 05:00 - 32 minutes - 60.1 MBFor the next five NFPA Podcast episodes we are replaying "The Survivors," an award-winning podcast series NFPA first published in 2017. In Part 2, impacted by the death of their two boys, the van Dijks go through the painstaking process of healing their physical injuries from a home fire. U.S. burn care experts weigh in on the prevalence and outcomes of these injuries and underscore a disconcerting trend across the nation.
The Survivors, Part 1: “One of 367,000”
July 25, 2023 05:00 - 26 minutes - 48.5 MBFor the next five NFPA Podcast episodes we are replaying "The Survivors," an award-winning five-part podcast series that first ran in 2017. In part 1, Feike and Noelle van Dijk’s sense of normalcy is shattered when a home fire killed two of their children in 2014. Three years after the incident, the family gives a rarely seen look at the lingering effects of American home fires, which claim seven people each day and injure 13,000 yearly. What’s discovered during a trip to their hometown is ...
A Battery in Every Garage?
July 11, 2023 05:00 - 51 minutes - 93.4 MBFew topics are as hot right now in the fire service as consumer lithium-ion batteries. While electric vehicles and e-bikes still get the bulk of attention, residential energy storage system (ESS) installations are also starting to skyrocket as homeowners realize the value of storing their solar power and having a reliable source of backup electricity. But when these large home batteries fail, it can present a host of difficult challenges for responders, and urgency is building to develop b...
How Virtual Reality Is Changing Firefighter Training
June 29, 2023 14:54 - 33 minutes - 60.6 MBIncredible advancements are being made around using virtual reality to bolster firefighter training. Some fire departments are even using VR to educate the public about fire safety. Today on the podcast, we talk to Ken Willette, executive director of the North American Fire Training Directors, about what’s available on the market now, where the technology is headed, and how fire departments can best implement this technology into their training programs (3:03). LINKS: Visit the Firefigh...
Is 911 In Trouble?
June 13, 2023 05:00 - 37 minutes - 68.6 MBIn the United States, when someone calls 911 the call is routed to an operator at a public safety answering point, or PSAP. But news outlets across the country are finding that local PSAPs are struggling, and that 911 callers are waiting longer to get help. Today on the podcast, we speak to a researcher who just surveyed dozens of PSAPs to find out how well they are able to meet the call answering and processing times required by NFPA standards (2:44). The results were eye-opening. Then, ...
Grilling Safety
May 23, 2023 05:00 - 31 minutes - 57.8 MBAn estimated 75 million households in the United States will fire up their grills this Memorial Day weekend. For most, the worst that will happen is a few burned hot dogs. But each year, about 22,000 people in the U.S. go to hospital emergency rooms with injuries related to grilling. Today on the podcast, we talk to NFPA’s director of public education about what can go wrong, and what fire prevention educators should be telling their communities about grilling and cooking safety as we head i...
Can We End Cancer in the Fire Service?
May 09, 2023 05:00 - 41 minutes - 76.9 MBLast month, the U.S. federal government launched the National Firefighter Registry for Cancer—the largest project ever undertaken to better understand and reduce the risk of cancer among firefighters. Today on the podcast, we talk to the leader of this effort, Dr. Kenny Fent (2:40). He tells us what the Firefighter Registry is, how it will work, and how it could eventually lead to reforms that help keep future generations of firefighters cancer free. Then, on a new Code Corner, NFPA electr...
Falls, Fires, and Older Adults
April 25, 2023 05:00 - 39 minutes - 72.7 MBFalls and fires kill and injure more older adults than many people realize. Not only are seniors twice as likely as the general population to experience a fatal fire, they suffer an estimated 36 million falls each year in the U.S., resulting in 8 million injuries. On today’s podcast, we talk to Dori Krahn, a community relations coordinator with the Saskatoon Fire Department, and an expert on senior fall and fire prevention education (2:50). She tells us why senior falls have increas...
Giving Dampers Their Due
April 11, 2023 05:00 - 37 minutes - 51.5 MBDampers are usually hidden away in ducts or ceiling cavities and seldom get much attention, but they’re a critical part of the fire protection strategy for many buildings. In a new Code Corner, NFPA Engineer Shawn Mahoney gives us a rundown of the different types of dampers, how they work, and what NFPA standards say (1:31). Then, we are joined by two experts from the National Energy Management Institute who tell us about the installation and maintenance of dampers, and some of the common pr...
Diversity and the Fire Service
March 28, 2023 05:00 - 47 minutes - 87.4 MBDiversity, 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...
The Persistent Problem of Construction Fires
March 14, 2023 05:00 - 34 minutes - 62.5 MBThe 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. O...
A Better Fit For Female Firefighters
February 28, 2023 06:00 - 37 minutes - 69.2 MBAbout 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...
America’s First Paramedics
February 14, 2023 06:00 - 53 minutes - 98.2 MBIn 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 ...
A New Fire Protection Handbook, 15 Years in the Making
January 24, 2023 06:00 - 34 minutes - 63.9 MBToday 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...
Heating or Eating: The Fire Risks of Inflation
January 10, 2023 06:00 - 49 minutes - 90 MBAs 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 ...
Riding the Tailboard
December 27, 2022 06:00 - 28 minutes - 46.2 MBWe are ringing in the New Year by rerunning one of our favorite episodes of all time, which originally aired in January 2017. It might seem strange now, but firefighters dying from falling off fire trucks used to be a huge problem—from 1977 to 1987, an average of nearly four firefighters died this way each year. That all changed after the 1987 publication of NFPA 1500, the first fire service occupational safety standard. In this episode, we talk to fire service veterans who used to “ride the...
The Rising Dangers of Home Fires
December 13, 2022 06:00 - 35 minutes - 64.2 MBBelieve it or not, a reported home fire in the US today is more likely to be fatal than it was in 1980. In fact, a new NFPA report reveals that the number of fire deaths per 1,000 reported home fires has risen 13 percent over the last 40 years. On today’s podcast, we talk to NFPA’s director of research and its vice president of Outreach and Advocacy about why home fires are more dangerous now, why so few people seem to know these surprising numbers, and what we can do to reduce home fire fat...
Cooking Fires and Turkey Fryers
November 22, 2022 06:00 - 44 minutes - 60.4 MBShockingly, cooking fires now kill more people on average per year in the US than they did in the 1980s. As Thanksgiving nears, we are re-airing this episode from November 2020 looking at this growing problem. First, Jesse talks to an NFPA communications manager about cooking fire causes and the resources available for prevention educators (1:57). Then we explore the science behind those viral videos of turkey-fryer fireballs (25:09). In a new Code Corner, NFPA engineer Brian O’Connor talks ...
Babcock Ranch and the Future of Resilient Design
November 08, 2022 06:00 - 43 minutes - 80.5 MBWhen hurricane Ian tore through Florida in September, it left a trail of destruction—but not at Babcock Ranch, a 2,000-home development designed to be both sustainable and to withstand the worst natural disasters. Today on the podcast, we speak to an engineer who lives in and helped design Babcock Ranch about the community’s unique features, as well as the growing trend toward building resiliency and what it could mean for the future of disaster recovery (1:06). Then, we debut a new segm...
Flame Retardant Chemicals in Furniture
October 25, 2022 05:00 - 31 minutes - 58 MBFor years, flame retardant chemicals have presented a catch 22. When applied to furniture they can help prevent fire ignition and potentially save lives, however, many scientists believe the chemicals are harmful to both human health and the environment. Today on the podcast, we talk to pair of experts about the ongoing debate over the use of flame retardants, as well as some exciting breakthroughs that could result in fire-resistant furniture without the health concerns. Links: Read more...
Energy, Climate, and California Burning
October 11, 2022 05:00 - 33 minutes - 61.6 MBA new book called California Burning details Pacific Gas & Electric’s 117-year rise to becoming one of the largest utilities in the United States—as well as how the company’s negligence, a changing climate, and state energy policy have all contributed to devastating wildfires in California. Today on the podcast, we welcome the book’s author, Wall Street Journal energy reporter Katherine Blunt, to discuss these trends, and why California’s experience could be a harbinger of things to come acr...
The Future of Fire Investigation
September 27, 2022 05:00 - 28 minutes - 52.7 MBThirty years ago, NFPA released NFPA 921, the world’s first comprehensive guide on fire and explosion investigation. Since then, the profession has advanced leaps and bounds. However, a recent report on the profession argues that fire investigation can still be more art than science, with a lack of consistency, no system of peer review, and no higher-education requirements for investigators. On today’s podcast, we talk about fire investigation with one of the experts who helped write that re...
Fire on Campus: Turning Pain into Purpose
September 13, 2022 05:00 - 52 minutes - 96.6 MBOn January 19, 2000, Shawn Simons and Alvaro Llanos, then 18- year- old freshman roommates at Seton Hall University, were severely burned when the residence hall they lived in caught fire. The blaze, one of the worst at a college campus in US history, killed three students and injured more than 50 others. Shawn and Alvaro now travel the country speaking to students and responders about their journey. Today on the podcast, we chat with them about the Seton Hall fire, their grueling recovery, ...
The New Foams
August 23, 2022 05:00 - 39 minutes - 73.1 MBFor more than 50 years, firefighters have relied on aqueous film forming foam—better known as AFFF—to quickly and effectively put out dangerous liquid fuel fires. However, due to health and environmental concerns, AFFF is now being rapidly phased out across the world. On today’s podcast, we talk with one of the world’s leading researchers on firefighting foams about why AFFF is going away, the work that has gone into finding suitable replacements, and what fire departments need to know as th...
The Dangers of Wildfire Smoke Inhalation
August 09, 2022 05:00 - 35 minutes - 65.8 MBAs the number and severity of wildfires increase in many parts of the world, experts have concerns over what the health impacts of wildfire smoke inhalation might be. In today’s episode, we hear from three researchers who are studying that topic by exposing mice to wildland fire smoke. So far, their research suggests inhaling wildfire smoke can lead to serious lung, heart, and even reproductive issues. Learn more about NFPA’s Outthink Wildfire™ program: https://www.nfpa.org/outthinkwild...
The Failures Before the Fires
July 26, 2022 11:34 - 49 minutes - 90.1 MBIn May, journalists Madison Hopkins and Cecilia Reyes were awarded a Pulitzer Prize for their investigative series, “The Failures Before the Fires,” which exposed dangerous systemic flaws in how Chicago handles building code enforcement. On today’s podcast, Hopkins and Reyes join us to discuss the details of their award-winning investigation, how the enforcement process can be biased in favor of landlords, and what lessons other cities can take from Chicago. Read the series, “The Failur...
Are SMART Sprinklers the Next Big Thing?
July 12, 2022 05:00 - 22 minutes - 40.6 MBSMART fire sprinklers, which use less water and can employ a range of sensors to target exactly where a fire is happening, have potential to be a game changer, according to some experts. Today on the podcast, Jesse talks to Dr. Yibing Xin, a research manager at FM Global, who has conducted numerous fire tests on these devices. He discusses how the technology works, and what these and other SMART innovations could mean for the future of fire protection. LINKS: Read a report on SMART ...
Safety in Short-term Rental Properties
June 28, 2022 05:00 - 37 minutes - 69.2 MBFrom elevators that can decapitate you to grills that can explode in your face, short-term rental properties aren’t short on things that can hurt you—or worse. In fact, short-term rental safety expert Justin Ford calls these properties the most dangerous sector of the travel and hospitality industry. In this episode, Angelo sits down with Ford to discuss a brief history of the short-term rental market, what safety hazards can exist in these properties, and, importantly, what owners and rente...
E-bike and E-scooter Fire Safety
June 14, 2022 05:00 - 31 minutes - 58 MBBattery-powered electric bicycles and scooters, collectively known as micromobility devices, have exploded in popularity in recent years, but so too have fires involving these devices. From New York City to India, e-bikes and e-scooters batteries have sparked fires that have killed dozens of people and destroyed hundreds of thousands of dollars of property. Today on the podcast, Angelo interviews an FDNY chief about New York’s experience over the past two years with electric micromobility de...
An Arc-Flash Survivor’s Story
May 24, 2022 05:00 - 42 minutes - 78.1 MBIn 2011, longtime electrician Brandon Schroeder was involved in an accident on the job that left him severely burned and without the use of his hand. After a long and grueling recovery, Schroeder became a vocal advocate for electrical worker safety and now travels the country to offer his own story as a warning. In honor of Electrical Safety Month, we invited Schroeder on the podcast to discuss his accident, the realities of safety culture on job sites, and what he sees as some of the main...
Lessons from Grizzly Flats
May 10, 2022 05:00 - 37 minutes - 69.1 MBFor more than a decade, the small, wooded town of Grizzly Flats, California has participated in Firewise USA, an NFPA program where residents voluntarily work together on community projects to lessen their risks from wildfire. In August 2021, however, the Caldor Fire tore through Grizzly Flats, putting its mitigation efforts through a major test. Today on the podcast, we talk to Megan Fitzgerald-McGowan, the manager of the Firewise USA program, about what she discovered on her recent v...
Under Fire: Life for Responders in Ukraine
April 26, 2022 05:00 - 53 minutes - 98.2 MBThe State Emergency Service of Ukraine (SES) has taken on an unrelenting burden since Russian forces invaded more than two months ago. Among other tasks, the SES’s 60,000 responders put out fires, search for survivors buried under rubble, clear landmines, and recover the dead—all while being shot at and shelled by the Russian military. On today’s episode, we speak with a top SES official about the situation for responders in Ukraine, how they are persevering, and how the global community c...
Drugs, Falls, and Fires
April 12, 2022 10:53 - 34 minutes - 63 MBResearch suggests that two-thirds of US adults aged 65 and older use at least three prescription medications. Meanwhile, older adults are twice as likely as the general population to experience a fatal fire, and deaths and injuries from accidental falls have skyrocketed in this age group over the last decade. It begs the question: Do certain prescription drugs increase the fall and fire risks for older adults? Our guest Jamie McAllister spent months working on a Fire Protection Research Fo...
40 Years of Fire Research
March 22, 2022 05:00 - 41 minutes - 75.5 MBSince 1982, the Fire Protection Research Foundation, the research affiliate of NFPA, has been instrumental in answering countless important questions about how best to protect the world from fire and electrical dangers. Its research has improved safety in countless industries and led to numerous changes to codes, consumer products, fire test standards, and more. Today on the podcast, we celebrate the Foundation’s 40th anniversary by speaking with its two most recent executive directors t...
Long COVID and the Fire Service
March 08, 2022 06:00 - 33 minutes - 61.2 MBDr. Denise Smith, who has spent decades researching the physiological impact of firefighting, joins The NFPA Podcast to discuss how firefighters who have been infected with COVID-19 could struggle for weeks or even months following acute illness as they return to work. Smith and other researchers are currently working on a project supported by the Fire Protection Research Foundation to study long COVID in the fire service. LINKS If you are a member of the fire service, help Smith and...