Now look around your kitchen today. Lights are powered by electricity, which is monitored and controlled by circuit breakers. Cooking is done over electric coils or gas flame, while a smoke detector in the hall stands guard against smoke and flames. Heating is produced by gas, oil or electrical sources, which are conducted via enclosed, monitored means. A fire extinguisher is mounted on the wall in case of an emergency.
Clearly, fire safety in the home has increased dramatically over the past 100 years. While many improvements are the result of technological advances, a significant number are due to the efforts and diligence of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), the nonprofit, international organization dedicated to fire safety.
For most of its 100-year history, the NFPA has been the premier source of information on fire protection and safety. From codes and standards to fire safety curricula and other educational materials, NFPA has been helping keep Americans safe from fire.
In fact, many NFPA accomplishments impact your life every day. For instance, when you see lighted exit signs in a movie theater, you are seeing a direct example of NFPA's Life Safety Code. The emergency exits you see at malls, in your office, and at your children's school are also a result of the Life Safety Code.
Other NFPA codes that you benefit from are NFPA's National Fire Alarm Code, which requires working smoke detectors on every level of the home and the National Electrical Code, which also originated 100 years ago to standardize new electrical technology which was then just beginning to become widely available.
One of NFPA's major focuses is fire safety education. The well known directive `stop, drop and roll' is part of the NFPA's Learn Not to Burn program, which began in 1979, and has documented saving more than 300 lives.
While the NFPA has made tremendous strides toward improving fire safety (remember the kitchen of 1896?), there is still much to be done.
One area in which NFPA expects to see growth in the future is in residential automatic fire sprinkler systems. Currently only four percent of American homes are equipped with fire sprinkler systems, even though it is estimated that these sprinkler systems would reduce the national fire death rate by up to 55 percent.
By working on these and other fire safety and education issues, the NFPA is furthering its mission to ensure that future generations will continue to be safe from fire. You can obtain information on home fire safety by visiting your local fire department or by contacting NFPA in Quincy, Massachusetts. (NAPSI)
