The mission of the international nonprofit NFPA, established in 1896, is to reduce the worldwide burden of fire and other hazards on the quality of life by providing and advocating consensus codes and standards, research, training, and education.
.jpg) | Lauren Backstrom, Manager, Social Media |
 | Linda Bailey, Division Manager, Meetings & Conferences |
 | Lorraine Carli, Vice President, Communications |
 | Joanne Durham, Senior Project Manager, Conferences & Meetings |
 | Fred Durso, NFPA Journal staff writer |
 | Kitt Farrington, Public Affairs intern |
 | Bob Finn, Sr. Online Editor |
.jpg) | Kate Greene, Manager, Marketing and Sales Support |
 | Mike Hazell, Division Manager, Web |
 | Erik Holden, Sr. Product Manager Training Development |
| Joanne Durham, Senior Project Manager, Conferences & Meetings |
 | Courtney O'Neill, Project Coordinator, Sections and Trade Shows |
 | Eileen Scafidi, Communications Manager |
 | Anna Thompson, Senior Project Manager, Conferences & Meetings |
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Be sure to visit "NFPA Today", our blog that will feature all of the latest news and project updates from NFPA, the authority on fire, electrical, and buildling safety. We've assembled a team of bloggers who'll keep you informed of the latest happenings from all around our Association.
- Mike Hazell
NFPA Division Manager, Web
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During NFPA's upcoming Conference & Expo in Boston (June 12-15), we'll be celebrating Sparky the Fire Dog's 60th birthday. Visit our special booth in the Expo Hall to see our special Sparky museum, and then get your picture taken with our iconic mascot. All of the photos from the booth will be posted on NFPA's Facebook page for everyone to enjoy!
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Possibly the best views of Boston are from our busy, storied harbor. Boston Lobster Tours offers a unique experience – touring the harbor on an authentic down-east style lobster boat! The only lobster boat tour in Boston Harbor is just a short trip from the Boston Convention and Expo Center, the site of the 2011 NFPA Conference & Expo.
These 75-minute tours, while providing great sights, also explore the past. You’ll learn about the history of lobster fishermen and their trade…if you sign up for the “Keep the Catch” cruise, you’ll even get to take those tasty lobsters home with you! If you're lucky, Boston Lobster Tours is also raffling off tickets at the conference through NFPA's booth.
For more information and to book a cruise, go to www.bostonlobstertours.com.
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NFPA will once again offer a mobile application for the annual Conference. This year's 2011 NFPA Conference & Expo app will also have a few updates. Access all the information you need to make the most of your conference experience onsite right from the palm of your hand. Add the NFPA Conference & Expo mobile app to your phone and find registration location and hours; look for sessions, speakers and section meetings; create a personal event schedule; map out booth visits; check out the conference blog and Boston tourist information.
New updates to the mobile application for 2011 include consolidated channels and the following additional information: Registration Hours, Exhibitors by Product Category, NFPA Journal Channel, You Tube Feed, Links to Boston USA & BCEC Website, and each document being discussed at the Association Technical Meeting is now listed by day with a brief explanation of the document.
To download the NFPA C&E mobile application, simply scan the QR code shown here. If you do not have a QR code reader, you can also download the app from http://nfpa.boopsie.com, or it can be found in the iTunes App Store, Android Market, or Blackberry App World through your mobile phone.
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Join us at our "Standards Forum" on Monday, June 13, at 2:00 pm, at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center for an update on the proposed reengineering of NFPA's codes and standards development process.
NFPA's Board of Directors has approved a comprehensive set of revisions to the regulations that govern our standards development process. The new regulations, called "Regulations Governing the Development of NFPA Standards", which include changes to some familiar terms and adds some new terms, and will be in effect for standards reporting in the Fall 2013 Revision Cycle and all subsequent revision cycles.
Attend our Standards Forum to see how the new regulations will affect the standards revision process.
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One event that draws a lot of attention in Boston is the Boston Early Music Festival, held every other June. The celebration of Renaissance- and Baroque-era music has been called “the world’s leading festival of early music” by The Times of London. It features a fully-staged baroque opera, concerts by some of the world’s leading musicians, and nearly 100 smaller fringe concerts. This year, the festival happens to take place during the NFPA Conference & Expo!
From their site: Join us in Boston for the most engaging, inspiring, and exciting early music celebration in North America. Experience the spectacle of our fully-staged operatic centerpiece, Agostino Steffani's Niobe, Regina di Tebe, hear distinguished artists and ensembles in Festival Concerts throughout the week, try out exquisitely crafted instruments at the world-famous Exhibition, shop at the BEMF CD Store, and more.
The Festival takes place June 12-19. It is held at many different venues across the city, with directions on the website. Check out the schedule of events, or get tickets.
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NFPA recognizes that fire and life safety may be more important to people with disabilities because of the barriers to accessing information and the physical barriers within the built environment.
Manufacturers of “Stair descent devices” (evacuation chairs) used to assist in the emergency evacuation of people with mobility functional needs from buildings, will be demonstrating their devices during the 2011 Conference & Expo.
The demonstration “stage” is a 6 foot high, 8 foot by 8 foot platform with a set of stairs. Visitors will be able to see the devices in action and talk with the vendors and ask any and all questions you might have.
Stryker, Evac+Chair, Garaventa and Creative Safety Solutions (from left to right) Evacuation Chairs
While not endorsing any particular manufacturer or stair descent device, NFPA is facilitating these demonstrations to help educate users, assistants, caregivers, building owners and managers and first responders about this evacuation option. You are invited to see, in general, through these demonstrations, how these devices are used and how users and operators can practice transferring into and out of the devices and operating the devices during the descent process.
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In the May/June issue of NFPA Journal, the Perspectives column takes a look at “Safer Alternatives” as Chemical Safety Board Chair Rafael Moure-Eraso and investigator Donald Holmstrom are interviewed on how the CSB and NFPA are working together to address gas-release practices in industrial settings.
The article takes a look at two catastrophic explosions in industrial settings, which involved a common practice of intentionally releasing natural gas near work settings, even though safer alternatives exist. Moure-Eraso and Holmstrom are interviewed about these two incidents, how they were preventable, how CSB and NFPA responded to them, and what is now being done to prevent similar incidents from occurring.
Rafael Moure-Eraso will be giving the 2011 Conference & Expo’s featured presentation on "Lessons Learned Regarding Industrial Gas Safety Practices." His presentation takes place Monday, June 13 at 9:30 a.m.
Chemical Safety Board investigator Donald Holmstrom (left) and CSB Chair Rafael Moure-Eraso.(Photo: John Harrington)
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Author/Historian Stephanie Schorow takes us on a walking tour of three infamous fires that took place in the city of Boston: The Great Boston Fire of 1872, the 1942 Cocoanut Grove Fire, and the fire and collapse at the Vendome Hotel in 1972.
Read more about the various stops on Stephanie Schorow's "Boston Fire Trail" in the latest issue of NFPA Journal®.
On Sunday, June 12th, from 3:30-4:30 PM, Stephanie Schorow will be hosting a book signing at NFPA's Conference & Expo in Expo Hall A.
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As part of our recent "Win a free conference registration" contest, we recently asked attendees why they attended the NFPA Conference & Expo. Here are some excerpts from the many comments we received:
"I would like to attend a conference because of our ever changing community needs. To be able to attend a conference and bring back any and all helpful information to my fellow brothers in the EMS/Fire Community would help us all evolve and allow uo to better serve our communities in the state of Texas. We are all eger to learn as much as we can."
- Eloisa Martinez
"Attending the NFPA Conference and Expo would be an excellent educational opportunity. Having the chance to learn from some of the most respected individuals in the field of Fire Protection and Life Safety is one that is too good to pass up"
- Justin Harbinger
"I’m currently a volunteer firefighter and Fire Protection is my major in college. I wish to gain more knowledge in this field and learn from the professionals what the fire protection industry is really like."
- John Briguglio
"I will be a rookie at the conference but think I can hit one out of Fenway Park with the knowledge I will gain. I have recently gotten into the game of safety compliance. My stance is primarily OSHA but am looking to be a utility player."
- Theresa Jones
"Attending the NFPA Conference & Expo is as important to my business as defraging and updating my computer! Plus, there are the many real and intangible benefits of making and renewing my relationships with colleagues and friends in the fire protection industry."
- Vincent J. DePalma
"This is simply "la Mecca" for the Fire Protection & Life Safety Engineer; the place where the brilliant and dedicated people meet to analyze the past, the present and the future of our beloved profession."
- Ernesto Vega Janica
"Since I am a part of a large engineering firm, the knowledge I gain can help facilitate the need for inter-office education on specific subject matters across all engineering disciplines."
- John Bachoua
"As a professional engineer, it is my responsibility to educate myself as much as possible in order to prevent a catastrophe. If I can prevent just one loss, by attending this year’s event, that is the best reason of all to attend."
- John Hudacek
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