The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) is a U.S.-based international nonprofit organization devoted to eliminating death, injury, property damage, and economic loss due to fire, electrical, and related hazards. , the NFPA claims to have 50,000 members and 9,000 volunteers working with the organization through its 250 technical committees.

History

In 1895, a Committee on Automatic Sprinkler Protection was formed in Massachusetts by men affiliated with several fire insurance companies and a pipe manufacturer to develop a uniform standard for the design and installation of

fire sprinkler A fire sprinkler or sprinkler head is the component of a fire sprinkler system that discharges water when the effects of a fire have been detected, such as when a predetermined temperature has been exceeded. Fire sprinklers are extensively used ...

systems. At the time, there were nine such standards in effect within of

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...

, and such diversity was causing great difficulties for plumbers working in the

New England New England is a region consisting of six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York (state), New York to the west and by the ...

region. The next year, the committee published its initial report on a uniform standard, and went on to form the NFPA in late 1896. The committee's initial report evolved into NFPA 13, ''Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems,'' the most widely used fire sprinkler standard. Around 1904, the NFPA began to expand its membership from affiliates of fire insurance companies to many other organizations and individuals, and also expanded its mission beyond promulgating fire sprinkler standards. In 2024, the Grenfell Tower Inquiry's final Phase 2 report noted that the NFPA's prescriptive approach to drafting its standards "reflects a conservative approach to fire safety which is embedded in North American culture" and the NFPA standards "allow little scope for independent design choices". The Inquiry found that it would be inappropriate to transpose the NFPA approach to fire safety into the British context where the functional approach has been prevalent for many decades, but also found that the UK could learn something from the American tradition that those persons "involved in the design, construction and inspection of buildings" must have a license or certification to establish a minimum level of competence in their field.

Codes and standards

The association publishes more than 300 consensus codes and standards intended to minimize the possibility and effects of fire and other risks. The codes and standards are administered by more than 250 technical committees consisting of approximately 9,000 volunteers.

Mascot

Sparky the Fire Dog is the official mascot of the National Fire Protection Association. Created in 1951 to promote fire safety education for children, he is a Dalmatian dressed in firefighting gear. A children's book about Sparky by Don Hoffman was published in 2011. He serves as the spokesdog for Fire Prevention Week each October in the United States and Canada.

References

External links

*
Official website for Sparky the Fire Dog

Child education resources
{{authority control Electrical safety standards organizations Fire protection organizations Firefighting in the United States Non-profit organizations based in Massachusetts Occupational safety and health organizations Organizations established in 1896 Quasi-public entities in the United States Quincy, Massachusetts Standards organizations in the United States