NFPA Conference & Expo

Firefighters of Southern Nevada Burn Foundation asks for your support

NFPA Conference & Expo attendees will have an opportunity to support a noteworthy charitable organization when they're in Las Vegas.  Representatives from the Firefighters of Southern Nevada Burn Foundation (FFBF) will be on hand in the expo hall collecting donations to fulfill their mission of providing assistance to burn victims and their families.  Over the course of the 3-day expo they hope to raise $15,000 for their "After the Fire is Out" program and to support their partnership with the American Red Cross.  FFBF is asking you to help them reach their goal by visiting them at booth #272 and making a $1 - $5 donation.  Contributions of any amount will be accepted.

--Linda Bailey

Hallway sessions at NFPA's Conference & Expo in Las Vegas

With more than 130 sessions in 12 tracks, there is a lot of learning taking place at the NFPA Conference & Expo. I just wanted to take a moment to remind you of one more learning opportunity, the “hallway session.” Hallway sessions are those informal conversations that take place between education sessions at a conference. They often take place in (you guessed it), the hallway. Since the C&E brings thousands of like minded professionals together, hallway sessions are incredible opportunities to learn from industry experts including conference speakers, NFPA staff, exhibitors, and other attendees.

If you're the type of person who likes to plan in advance, you can schedule your own hallway sessions before the conference. One way to do that would be through NFPA’s LinkedIn group. You could ask the group members who will be attending the conference, and then try to schedule a convenient time and location for people with interests similar to yours to meet.

Hallway sessions don’t need to be planned in advance. While you are at the conference, just take a moment to introduce yourself to the people sitting around you in the sessions. Since you are sitting in the same session, you have something in common, which is always a good starting point for a conversation. Ask questions such as what sessions they have attended and what they have learned, or what session they are going to next and why. Personally, I like to hear about what prompted people to attend the conference, and what they hope to get out of it.

Hallway sessions are a great opportunity to tap into the collective experience of your peers and they make for a much richer conference experience.

-Erik Holden 

FDNY Deputy Fire Chief and 9/11 survivor Jay Jonas will share his harrowing story of survival at NFPA's Conference & Expo

Jay Jonas of the New York City Fire Department (FDNY) was a captain with Ladder 6 in Chinatown when he and five fellow firefighters ascended the World Trade Center’s North Tower on September 11 on a search-and-rescue operation. Their orders immediately changed once the South Tower came crumbling down. Heading down the stairs, they stopped to assist an elderly woman when what they feared ultimately occurred only four floors from the exit—the building began to disintegrate.

Now a deputy chief with the FDNY, Jonas will share his survival story while highlighting improvements to the fire service and built environment since 9/11 during the featured presentation “9/11: Leadership Before and After the Crisis” at NFPA’s Conference & Expo on June 12.

NFPA Journal staff writer Fred Durso, Jr. interviewed Jonas at the 9/11 Memorial in New York City about some of the safety upgrades he's seen since the terrorist attacks. Watch the following video, and be on the lookout for a more in-depth conversation with Jonas in the upcoming issue of NFPA Journal:

-Fred Durso, Jr.

Deputy Chief Jay Jonas of FDNY to give NFPA Conference & Expo's Feature Presentation

"9/11: Leadership Before and After the Crisis"

Deputy Chief Jay Jonas of the New York City Fire Department will give the 2012 NFPA Conference & Expo Featured Presentation at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center, Las Vegas on Tuesday, June 12 from 8:00-9:00 AM. 

Only 20 people who were still inside the Twin Towers when they collapsed made it out alive, including Deputy Chief Jay Jonas.

You won't want to miss this inspiring story of bravery and recovery that has been indelibly etched into FDNY history. The lessons in leadership will be applicable for all who deal with life safety issues.

Have you heard Deputy Chief Jonas speak before?  Let us know what some of the highlights where!

~Courtney O'Neill

Gordie Brown to perform at NFPA Conference & Expo in Las Vegas

The entertainment during the NFPA Conference & Expo general session is an annual highlight, so get ready to laugh this year with award-winning Gordie Brown!  He’s a multi-talented impressionist, comedian, and musician who has appeared on many television shows.  Currently headling at The Golden Nugget Casino in Las Vegas, Gordie Brown has developed a show that is constantly evolving to incorporate fresh, new impressions so guests never get the same performance twice.  Attendees are in for a real treat!

- Linda Bailey

 If you haven't registered for the 2012 Conference & Expo, do so now!

Barbara Rice of Arizona tells us what the NFPA Conference & Expo means to her

Barbara Rice of the Cape Verde, Arizona, Fire Department recently won a contest we posted on our Conference blog. We asked readers to tell us, in 75 words or less, why they attend the NFPA Conference & Expo. The prize? Free registration to this year's event in Boston!

Here was Barbara's winning entry:

"I attend the NFPA Conference to network with peers who share ideas about how best to educate and protect our diverse communities. The education programs and life safety topics discussed are so varied and these programs provide the most current information on latest strategies, technology and publications relevant to every aspect of fire and life safety. Where else can you get all of that for the price? It is the most comprehensive conference I attend."

We ran into Barbara at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center - here's what she had to say:

Having your cake and NOT eating it (yet)

NFPA’s ever-vigilant Ben Evarts volunteered to guard Sparky’s 60th birthday cake earlier today. People tend to get excited about cakes from Carlo’s in Hoboken, NJ, the bakery of TLC’s Cake Boss – we thought someone might try to take an early bite, or dip their finger in the cake to taste of the icing.

But this isn’t a first-grade birthday party; this is NFPA Conference & Expo 2011, so we called in extra security. As he kept an eye out for sketchy looking (or just hungry-looking) characters, Ben was asked how far he’d go to protect the cake.

"If I saw someone running at the cake, I’d probably do a quick spin-move and block them…if they came too close, I would not hesitate to tackle them."

Of course, attendees will be allowed to have their cake and eat it too, on Monday morning, when it will be cut in the lobby of the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center. Until then, Ben says, "don’t even try it."

- Jon Palmer

Sparky's Cake Boss 60th birthday cake has arrived!

Last week, Sparky visited Hoboken, NJ to stop by Carlo's Bake Shop, home of TLC's The Cake Boss. While there, he got a chance to meet some of the stars of the show and see the beginning of his 60th birthday cake being made.

The finished cake has now arrived at the 2011 Conference & Expo! The cake will be on display in the BCEC lobby throughout the day - so be sure to stop by and take your photo with it while you can.

 

For more information on the activities and events being held for Sparky's birthday, visit www.nfpa.org/sparkysbirthday or stop by his booth #1007.

-Lauren Backstrom
 

Join us in Boston and get your photo taken with Sparky®!

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!

 

Featured Presentation: Rafael Moure-Eraso on “Lessons Learned Regarding Industrial Gas Safety Practices”

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)

-Lauren Backstrom