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Animal Safety

“One of the Family” 1880 | Frederick George Cotman

NFPA 150 Fire and Life Safety in Animal Housing Facilities Code has entered its s025 revision cycle.   Many education communities are responsible for animal safety in academic units, research enterprises. museums and even — as in the United Kingdom — large farm animals that wander freely on campus with students, faculty and staff.  The number of colleges and universities that permit students to live with their pets has expanded; and with it the responsibilities of university administration.

From the document scope:

This standard shall provide the minimum requirements for the design, construction, fire protection, and classification of animal housing facilities.  The requirements of NFPA 150 recognize the following fundamental principles:

(1) Animals are sentient beings with a value greater than that of simple property.

(2) Animals, both domesticated and feral, lack the ability of self-preservation when housed in buildings and other structures.

(3) Current building, fire, and life safety codes do not address the life safety of the animal occupants. The requirements found in NFPA 150 are written with the intention that animal housing facilities will continue to be designed, constructed, and maintained in accordance with the applicable building, fire, and life safety codes.

The requirements herein are not intended to replace or rewrite the basic requirements for the human occupants. Instead, NFPA 150 provides additional minimum requirements for the protection of the animal occupants and the human occupants who interact with those animals in these facilities. 

 

A full description of the project is linked below:

Fire and Life Safety in Animal Housing Facilities Code

Access to the 2025 Edition is linked below:

FREE ACCESS NFPA 150

We provide the transcript of the back-and-forth on the current 2022 edition to inform how education communities can contribute to the improvement of this title; a subject that stirs deep feelings about animal safety in research enterprises.

NFPA 150 First Draft Agenda

NFPA 150 Second Draft Report

Public comment on the Second Draft of the 2025 Edition will be received until March 27, 2024.   

We have been advocating risk-informed animal safety concepts in this document since the 2013 Edition and have found that it is nearly impossible to overestimate the sensitivity of educational communities to the life safety of animals — either for agriculture or medical research.

We maintain the entire NFPA catalog on the standing agenda of our Prometheus colloquia.  See our CALENDAR for the next online meeting; open to everyone.

"i thank You God for most this amazing day:for the leaping greenly spirits of trees and a blue true dream of sky;and for everything which is natural which is infinite which is yes" -- e.e.cummings ('Seventy-One Poems' 1950)

 

Issue: [11-1] and [19-5]

Category: Fire Protection, Facility Asset Management, Academic, Risk Management

Colleagues: Mike Anthony, Josh Elvove, Joe DeRosier

More:

Protecting Animals When Disaster Strikes

Animals 300

 

Bibliography:

25 Most Pet-Friendly Colleges

National Institute of Health: Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals

International Building Code: Section 304 (Business Group B): Animal hospitals, kennels and pounds

Terrestrial Animal Health Code

IEEE Guide for Animal Deterrents for Electric Power Supply Substations

ASHRAE Animal Facilities

IEEE Livestock Monitoring System

Ventilation Design Handbook on Animal Research Facilities

HVAC Design in Animal Facilities

USDA Animal Welfare Information Center

ISO Assistance Dogs

US Department of Agriculture: Animal Welfare Act and Animal Welfare Regulations

S. 4288: Reducing Animal Testing Act

Guaranteeing safety of animals under risk of fire: conceptual framework and technical issues analysis

Protecting Animals When Disaster Strikes

 

Community Risk Assessment

Château de Meudon

We have advocated education community risk management concepts since 2007; primarily in NFPA Standard 1300 — Standard on Community Risk Assessment and Community Risk Reduction Plan Development (formerly NFPA 1600).  The content of this title is close-coupled with FEMA’s National Incident Management System.   

Recently the National Fire Protection Association Standards Council moved to consolidate its community risk management titles as described below.  

“NFPA 1660 is in a custom cycle due to the Emergency Response and Responder Safety Document Consolidation Plan (consolidation plan) as approved by the NFPA Standards Council.  As part of the consolidation plan, NFPA 1660 (combining Standards NFPA 1600, NFPA 1616, and NFPA 1620) is open for public input with a closing date of November 13, 2020.”

Thus, NFPA 1600 is being sunsetted as a separate consensus product, its substance rolled into the new NFPA 1660.  CLICK HERE for the new landing page for NFPA 1660.

Two links below provide a sense of the back-and-forth in the technical committee meetings:

1600_F2018_EMB_AAA_FD_PIResponses

1600_F2018_EMB_AAA_SRReport

Discussion about school and university security are noteworthy.

As described on its title page, this product will be reconfigured as NFPA 1660 Standard on Community Risk Assessment, Pre-Incident Planning, Mass Evacuation, Sheltering, and Re-entry Programs.   The title suggests that NFPA 1660 is being developed to meet market need for conformance and teaching tools.  You may track movement in the concepts in the links below; many of them administrative:

Emergency Management and Business Continuity

Mass Evacuation and Sheltering

Pre-Incident Planning 

NFPA 1660 will likely require one or two more revision cycles to stabilize

Public consultation on the Second Draft (NITMAM) closes September 9th.  You may submit public input directly to NFPA by CLICKING HERE.  We will have hosted several Security colloquia ahead of this deadline during which we will drill into technical and policy specifics.

University of Tennessee

 

We maintain this title on our periodic Security, Disaster and Risk colloquia during which time  our thoughts on the economic burden of the expanding constellation of risk management standards will be known.  Thoughts that we are reluctant to write.   See our  CALENDAR for the next online meeting; open to everyone.

Issue: [13-58] and [18-151]

Category: Security, Risk

Colleagues: Mike Anthony, Robert G. Arno, Jim Harvey, Richard Robben

MORE >> Disaster Resiliency and NFPA Codes and Standards

ARCHIVE / Emergency Management and Business Continuity

 

Fireplace Safety


Many accommodations such as dormitories, fraternities and sororities have working fireplaces — wood burning and natural gas.  Community spaces such as student unions, libraries and recreation spaces also have fireplaces as a central feature.

The purpose of NFPA 211 is to reduce fire hazards by discovering and promulgating best practice for the safe removal of flue gases, the proper installation of solid fuel-burning appliances, and the correct construction and installation of chimneys, fireplaces, and venting systems.  The current 2019 Edition is linked below:

Free Access: NFPA 221 Standard for Chimneys, Fireplaces, Vents, and Solid Fuel-Burning Appliances

The 2024 has been released.  To guide our inquiry into safety and sustainability concepts for the 2027 Edition we like review the developmental transcripts of previous edition:

Public Input Report

Second Revisions Report

Public comment on the First Draft of the 2027 Edition will be received until June 3, 2025. 

Public comment on the Second Draft of the 2027 Edition will be received until March 31, 2026. 

We encourage facility managers to recommend improvements to this standard by setting up a (Free) NFPA account the link below:

Online submission of public input and public comments

We maintain this standard on our periodic Prometheus and Housing colloquia.  Consult our CALENDAR for the next online meeting, open to everyone

Link to parent standard:

Code ignis MMXXVII

NFPA 211: Articles and News

University of Rochester Fireplace Safety

American Gas Association: How Natural Gas Fuels Your Holiday Traditions

Natural Gas Transmission & Distribution

 

Life Safety Code

Today at the usual hour we sort through the NFPA stack for fire safety system aspects during renovation, alteration, or rehabilitation of buildings.  Two sections come to mind:

Chapter 43 (NFPA 101): Building Rehabilitation

 

NFPA 241: Safeguarding Construction, Alteration, and Demolition Operations
Use the login credentials at the upper right of our home page.

Educational and Day-Care Occupancies (July 23, 2025 Second Draft Transcript)

The Life Safety Code addresses those construction, protection, and occupancy features necessary to minimize danger to life from the effects of fire, including smoke, heat, and toxic gases created during a fire.   It is widely incorporated by reference into public safety statutes; typically coupled with the consensus products of the International Code Council.   It is a mighty document — one of the NFPA’s leading titles — so we deal with it in pieces; consulting it for decisions to be made for the following:

(1) Determination of the occupancy classification in Chapters 12 through 42.

(2) Determination of whether a building or structure is new or existing.

(3) Determination of the occupant load.

(4) Determination of the hazard of contents.

There are emergent issues — such as active shooter response, integration of life and fire safety systems on the internet of small things — and recurrent issues such as excessive rehabilitation and conformity criteria and the ever-expanding requirements for sprinklers and portable fire extinguishers with which to reckon.  It is never easy telling a safety professional paid to make a market for his product or service that it is impossible to be alive and safe.  It is even harder telling the dean of a department how much it will cost to bring the square-footage under his stewardship up to the current code.

The 2021 edition is the current edition and is accessible below:

NFPA 101 Life Safety Code Free Public Access

Public input on the 2027 Revision will be received until June 4, 2024.  Public comment on the Second Draft 2027 Revision will be received until March 31, 2026.

 

Since the Life Safety Code is one of the most “living” of living documents — the International Building Code and the National Electric Code also move continuously — we can start anywhere and anytime and still make meaningful contributions to it.   We have been advocating in this document since the 2003 edition in which we submitted proposals for changes such as:

• A student residence facility life safety crosswalk between NFPA 101 and the International Building Code

• Refinements to Chapters 14 and 15 covering education facilities (with particular attention to door technologies)

• Identification of an ingress path for rescue and recovery personnel toward electric service equipment installations.

• Risk-informed requirement for installation of grab bars in bathing areas

• Modification of the 90-minute emergency lighting requirements rule for small buildings and for fixed interval testing

• Modification of emergency illumination fixed interval testing

• Table 7.3.1 Occupant Load revisions

• Harmonization of egress path width with European building codes

There are others.  It is typically difficult to make changes to stabilized standard though some of the concepts were integrated by the committee into other parts of the NFPA 101 in unexpected, though productive, ways.  Example transcripts of proposed 2023 revisions to the education facility chapter is linked below:

Chapter 14 Public Input Report: New Educational Occupancies

Educational and Day Care Occupancies: Second Draft Public Comments with Responses Report

Since NFPA 101 is so vast in its implications we list a few of the sections we track, and can drill into further, according to client interest:

Chapter 3: Definitions

Chapter 7: Means of Egress

Chapter 12: New Assembly Occupancies

Chapter 13: Existing Assembly Occupancies

Chapter 16 Public Input Report: New Day-Care Facilities

Chapter 17 Public Input Report: Existing Day Care Facilities

Chapter 18 Public Input Report: New Health Care Facilities

Chapter 19 Public Input Report: Existing Health Care Facilities

Chapter 28: Public Input Report: New Hotels and Dormitories

Chapter 29: Public Input Report: Existing Hotels and Dormitories

Chapter 43: Building Rehabilitation

Annex A: Explanatory Material

As always we encourage front-line staff, facility managers, subject matter experts and trade associations to participate directly in the NFPA code development process (CLICK HERE to get started)

NFPA 101 is a cross-cutting title so we maintain it on the agenda of our several colloquia —Housing, Prometheus, Security and Pathways colloquia.  See our CALENDAR for the next online meeting; open to everyone.

 

Issue: [18-90]

Category: Fire Safety, Public Safety

Colleagues: Mike Anthony, Josh Elvove, Joe DeRosier, Marcelo Hirschler

More

ARCHIVE / Life Safety Code 2003 – 2018

 

Fire and Life Safety in Stadiums

Farm Electrical Power

Many land grant colleges and universities are stewards of agricultural facilities that require reliable electrical power that is safe and sustainable for livestock well off the core campus distribution grid. Today we examine the 2026 National Electrical Code safe electric service rules with an eye toward the close date of April 6th for public input on the 2029 NEC.

2029 National Electrical Code

 

Updated: September 3, 2024

ACTION ITEMS:

Article 547: Agricultural Buildings

Public Input with Responses from CMP-7 (Start at PDF Page 187)

Public Input with Responses from CMP-2 Article 220 Part V: Farm Load Calculations (Start at PDF Page 28)

Related: National Electrical Safety Code (Higher Voltage Distribution Wiring from Merchant Utility to Off-Campus Agricultural Outbuildings)

Sunday, Animal, Farm, Agri august

Many land grant colleges and universities are stewards of agricultural facilities that require reliable electrical power that is safe and sustainable for livestock and animal habitat for sporting.

FREE ACCESS: 2023 National Electrical Code

The premise wiring rules for hazardous university owned buildings have been relatively stable.  Electrical professionals are guided by:

  1. Farm Load Calculations of Part V of Article 220,
  2. Corrosion mitigation with appropriate specification of power chain wiring
  3. Stray voltage and the equipotential plane
  4. Interactivity with regulated utility power sources.

Public response to the First Draft of the 2026 National Electrical Code will be received until August 28, 2024.  We coordinate our approach to the entire NFPA electrical suite with the IEEE Education & Healthcare Facilities Committee which meets 4 times monthly.  We typically refer to previous transcripts of technical committee actions to inform any changes (improvements) that we propose, if any.

2026 National Electrical Code Workspace

We maintain this issue on the standing agenda of our Power and Nourriture (Food) colloquia.  Feel free to join us with the login credentials at the upper right of our home page.

More:

2028 National Electrical Safety Code

Stray Voltage: Sources and Solutions

University of Nebraska: G87-845 Electrical Systems for Agricultural Buildings (Recommended Practices)

Cornell University Agricultural Safety and Health Program

Mike Holt

Fred Hartwell

National Safety Council  (22 deaths by electrocution on farms per 100,000 in 2017)

National Agricultural  Safety Database

Electrical Wiring for Barns, Riding Arenas, Animal Habitat and Feed Storage

 

Electric Service Metering & Billing

Electrical Safety

Today at 16:00 UTC we review best practice for engineering and installing the point of common coupling between an electrical service provider its and an purchasing — under the purview of NEC CMP-10.

Committee topical purviews change cycle-to-cycle.  Here’s the transcript for today’s session:  CMP-10 Second Draft Report (368 pages)

Use the login credentials at the upper right of our home page.

The relevant passages of the National Electrical Code are found in Article 230 and Article 495.  We calibrate our attention with the documents linked below.  These are only representative guidelines:

University of Michigan Medium Voltage Electrical Distribution

Texas A&M University Medium Voltage Power Systems

University of Florida Medium Voltage Electrical Distribution

Representative standards for regulated utilities for purchased power:

Detroit Edison Primary Service Standards (Green Book)

American Electric Power: Requirements for Electrical Services

Pacific Gas & Electric Primary Service Requirements

The IEEE Education & Healthcare Facilities Committee curates a library of documents similar to those linked above.

Design of Electrical Services for Buildings

We are in the process of preparing new (original, and sometimes recycled) proposals for the 2026 National Electrical Code, with the work of Code Panel 10 of particular relevance to today’s topic:

2026 National Electrical Code Workspace

First Draft Meetings: January 15-26, 2024 in Charleston, South Carolina

Electrical meter billing standards are generally regulated at the state or local level, with guidelines provided by public utility commissions or similar regulatory bodies.  These tariff sheets are among the oldest in the world.  There are some common standards for billing and metering practices, including:

  1. Meter Types: There are various types of meters used to measure electricity consumption, including analog (mechanical) meters, digital meters, and smart meters. Smart meters are becoming more common and allow for more accurate and real-time billing.
  2. Billing Methodology:
    • Residential Rates: Most residential customers are billed based on kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity used, which is the standard unit of energy.
    • Demand Charges: Some commercial and industrial customers are also subject to demand charges, which are based on the peak demand (the highest amount of power drawn at any one point during the billing period).
    • Time-of-Use Rates: Some utilities offer time-of-use (TOU) pricing, where electricity costs vary depending on the time of day or season. For example, electricity may be cheaper during off-peak hours and more expensive during peak hours.
  3. Meter Reading and Billing Cycle:
    • Monthly Billing: Typically, customers receive a bill once a month, based on the reading of the electricity meter.
    • Estimation: If a meter reading is not available, some utilities may estimate usage based on historical patterns or average usage.
    • Smart Meter Readings: With smart meters, some utilities can provide daily or even hourly usage data, leading to more precise billing.
  4. Meter Standards: The standards for electrical meters, including their accuracy and certification, are set by national organizations like the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). Meters must meet these standards to ensure they are accurate and reliable.
  5. Utility Commission Regulations: Each state has a utility commission (such as the California Public Utilities Commission, the Texas Public Utility Commission, etc.) that regulates the rates and billing practices of electricity providers. These commissions ensure that rates are fair and that utilities follow proper procedures for meter readings, billing cycles, and customer service
  6. Large University “Utilities”.   Large colleges and universities that generate and distribute some or all of their electric power consumption have developed practices to distribute the cost of electricity supply to buildings.  We will cover comparative utility billing practices in a dedicated colloquium sometime in 2025.

Michigan Public Service Commission | Consumer’s Energy Customer Billing Rules

Electrical Safety

Starting 2025 — and continuing through 2026 — we change our approach to responding to public consultation in the development of the NFPA catalog.  Draft proposals are listed at the bottom of this page.

NFPA 70 National Electrical Code

2029 Public Input Closing Date: April 9, 2026
 NFPA 70B Standard for Electrical Equipment Maintenance

Second Draft Comment Closing Date: January 3, 2025
 NFPA 70E Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace

Public Input Closing Date: June  4, 2025

 NFPA 72 National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code

Public Input Closing Date: June 4, 2025
NFPA 78 Guide on Electrical Inspections

Public Input Closing Date: June 4, 2025

 NFPA 79 Electrical Standard for Industrial Machinery

Public Comment Closing Date: January 6, 2026

NFPA 110 Standard for Emergency and Standby Power Systems

Public Input Closing Date: June 4, 2025

NFPA 111 Standard on Stored Electrical Energy Emergency and Standby Power Systems

Public Input Closing Date: June 4, 2025

NFPA 730 Guide for Premises Security

NITMAM Close Date October 31, 2025

NFPA 731 Standard for the Installation of Premises Security Systems

NITMAM Close Date October 31, 2025

NFPA 780 Standard for the Installation of Lightning Protection Systems

NITMAM Close Date March 27, 2025

NFPA 855 Standard for the Installation of Stationary Energy Storage Systems

NITMAM Close Date March 27, 2025

NFPA 1078 Standard for Electrical Inspector Professional Qualifications

Public input June 4, 2025
Lorem ipsum

 

NFPA 101 Life Safety Code § UpCodes Free Access (Michigan 2012)

Means of Egress | Chapter 7

 First Draft (167 pages)

NFPA 70 National Electrical Code §  Upcodes Free Access (Michigan 2023)

Elevators | Article 620

Second Draft Report

National Electrical Definitions

Electric Vehicle Power Transfer System

Hospital Plug Load

Stationary Energy Storage Systems

Luminaires, Lampholders, and Lamps

Data Center Wiring

Electric Service Metering & Billing

Information & Communication Technology Cabling

Reconditioned Electrical Equipment

Landscape Lighting

Solarvoltaic PV Systems

Arenas, Lecture Halls & Theaters

Campus Electric Bulk Distribution

Farm Electrical Power

Marina & Boatyard Electrical Safety

Pool, Fountain, Agriculture & Water Infrastructure Electrical Safety

Lightning Protection Systems

Kitchen Wiring

Interconnected Electric Power Production Sources “Microgrids”

Outdoor Deicing & Snow Melting

NFPA 72

Definitions. 3.3.89 Dormitory Suite (NEW)

Here are 10 possible definitions or terms for college student housing facilities shared by 4 to 6 unrelated students:
  1. Dormitory Suite: A shared living space within a dormitory building, featuring individual or shared bedrooms, a common living area, and sometimes a small kitchen or bathroom, designed for 4–6 students.
  2. Apartment-Style Housing: On-campus or off-campus apartments with multiple bedrooms, a shared kitchen, living room, and bathroom(s), accommodating 4–6 students.
  3. Cooperative Housing (Co-op): A student-managed housing unit where 4–6 unrelated students share responsibilities for chores, cooking, and maintenance while living together in a house or apartment.
  4. Shared Residence Hall Unit: A section of a residence hall with private or semi-private bedrooms and shared common areas like a lounge or kitchen, housing 4–6 students.
  5. Cluster Housing: A group of bedrooms clustered around a shared living space, often including a kitchenette or bathroom, designed for 4–6 students in a residence hall or apartment complex.
  6. Pod-Style Housing: A modern dorm layout where 4–6 students share a compact unit with individual or paired bedrooms, a common area, and shared facilities like a bathroom or kitchen.
  7. Student Townhouse: A multi-level housing unit, typically off-campus or in university-owned complexes, with shared living spaces and multiple bedrooms for 4–6 students.
  8. Quad or Hex Apartment: An apartment specifically designed for 4 (quad) or 6 (hex) students, featuring shared amenities like a kitchen, living room, and bathroom(s).
  9. Communal House: An off-campus house leased by 4–6 students, with shared spaces like a living room, kitchen, and bathrooms, often independently rented but sometimes university-affiliated.
  10. Living-Learning Community Unit: A shared housing arrangement for 4–6 students in a residence hall, centered around a specific academic or thematic focus, with shared common areas to foster collaboration.
These definitions reflect common housing arrangements for unrelated college students, based on typical university housing structures and off-campus options.

Should show up in NFPA 101 and referral to them is appreciated.

Annex G.

Settlement.

 

Campus Fire Pump Network.

 

NFPA 110/111

 

NFPA 78 and 1078

Hegemon Cuyahoga & County Dublin

Financial Presentations & Webcasts

2025 Third Quarter Report

Here we shift our perspective 120 degrees to understand the point of view of the Producer interest in the American national standards system (See ANSI Essential Requirements).  The title of this post draws from the location of US and European headquarters.  We list proposals by a successful electrical manufacturer for discussion during today’s colloquium:

2026 National Electrical Code

CMP-1: short circuit current ratings, connections with copper cladded aluminum conductors, maintenance to be provided by OEM, field markings

CMP-2: reconditioned equipment, receptacles in accessory buildings, GFCI & AFCI protection, outlet placement generally, outlets for outdoor HVAC equipment(1)

(1) Here we would argue that if a pad mount HVAC unit needs service with tools that need AC power once every 5-10 years then the dedicated branch circuit is not needed.  Many campuses have on-site, full-time staff that can service outdoor pad mounted HVAC equipment without needing a nearby outlet.  One crew — two electricians — will run about $2500 per day to do anything on campus.

CMP-3: No proposals

CMP-4: solar voltaic systems (1)

(1) Seems reasonable – spillover outdoor night time lighting effect upon solar panel charging should be identified.

CMP-5: Administrative changes only

CMP-6: No proposals

CMP-7: Distinction between “repair” and “servicing”

CMP-8: Reconditioned equipment

CMP-9: Reconditioned equipment

CMP-10: Short circuit ratings, service disconnect, disconnect for meters, transformer secondary conductor, secondary conductor taps, surge protective devices, disconnecting means generally, spliced and tap conductors, more metering safety, 1200 ampere threshold for arc reduction technology, reconditioned surge equipment shall not be permitted, switchboard short circuit ratings

CMP-11: Lorem

CMP-12: Lorem

CMP-13: Lorem

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2029 National Electrical Code Panel 3

Electrical Safety Stack

Brown University Electrical Design Criteria | Information Technology Resources Policy

The University of Michigan has supported the voice of the United States education facility industry since 1993 — the second longest tenure of any voice in the United States.  That voice has survived several organizational changes but remains intact and will continue its Safer-Simpler-Lower Cost-Longer Lasting priorities on Code Panel 3 in the 2029 Edition.

Today, during our customary “Open Door” teleconference we will examine the technical concepts under the purview of Code Panel 3; among them:

Article 206 Signaling Circuits

Article 300 General Requirements for Wiring Methods and Materials

Article 335 Instrumentation Tray Cable

Article 590 Temporary Installations

Chapter 7 Large sections of limited energy cabling for signaling and information technology

Chapter 9 Conductor Properties Tables 11A & B, Tables 12A&B

Public Input on the 2029 Edition will be received until April 9, 2026.

Related:
  • Since the lifespan of educational buildings make the building core and shell susceptible to multiple changes not typically associated with commercial buildings, additional pathways should be placed in areas where the core and shell components of the facility are likely to re-main for extended periods of time
  • It is recommended that all areas of an educational building have wireless coverage unless prohibited

Fire Alarm & Signaling Code

“Prometheus Bound” | Thomas Cole (1847)

NFPA 72 National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code is one of the core National Fire Protection Association titles widely incorporated by reference into public safety legislation.   NFPA 72 competes with titles of “similar” scope — International Fire Code — developed by the International Code Council.  We place air quotes around the word similar because there are gaps and overlaps depending upon whether or not each is adopted partially or whole cloth by the tens of thousands of jurisdictions that need both.

Our contact with NFPA 72 dates back to the early 2000’s when the original University of Michigan advocacy enterprise began challenging the prescriptive requirements for inspection, testing and maintenance (IT&M) in Chapter 14.  There are hundreds of fire alarm shops, and thousands of licensed fire alarm technicians in the education facility industry and the managers of this cadre of experts needed leadership in supporting their lower #TotalCostofOwnership agenda with “code-writing and vote-getting”.   There was no education industry trade association that was even interested, much less effective, in this space so we had to do “code writing and vote getting” ourselves (See ABOUT).

Code writing and vote getting means that you gather data, develop relationships with like minded user-interests, find agreement where you can, then write proposals and defend them at NFPA 72 technical committee meetings for 3 to 6 years.  Prevailing in the Sturm und Drang of code development for 3 to 6 years should be within the means of business units of colleges and universities that have been in existence for 100’s of years.  The real assets under the stewardship of these business units are among the most valuable real assets on earth.

Consider the standard of care for inspection, testing and maintenance.  Our cross-cutting experience in over 100 standards suites allows us to say with some authority that, at best the IT&M tables of NFPA 72 Chapter 14 present easily enforceable criteria for IT&M of fire alarm and signaling systems.  At worst, Chapter 14 is a solid example of market-making by incumbent interests as the US standards system allows.   Many of the IT&M requirements can be modified for a reliability, or risk-informed centered maintenance program but fire and security shops in the education industry are afraid to apply performance standards because of risk exposure.   This condition is made more difficult in large universities that have their own maintenance and enforcement staff.  The technicians see opportunities to reduce IT&M frequencies — thereby saving costs for the academic unit facility managers — the enforcement/compliance/conformity/risk management professionals prohibit the application of performance standards.  They want prescriptive standards for bright line criteria to make their work easier to measure.

While we have historically focused on Chapter 14 we have since expanded our interest into communication technologies within buildings since technicians and public safety personnel depend upon them.  Content in Annex G — Guidelines for Emergency Communication Strategies for Buildings and Campuses — is a solid starting point and reflects of our presence when the guidance first appeared in the 2016 Edition.  We shall start with a review of the most recent transcript of the NFPA Technical Committee on Testing and Maintenance of Fire Alarm and Signaling Systems

NFPA 72 First Draft Meeting (A2024)

Public Emergency Reporting Systems (SIG-PRS) First Draft

Public comment of the First Draft of the 2025 Edition is receivable until May 31, 2023.   As always, we encourage direct participation in the NFPA process by workpoint experts with experience, data and even strong opinions about shortcomings and waste in this discipline.  You may key in your proposals on the NFPA public input facility linked below:

https://www.nfpa.org/login

You will need to set up a (free) NFPA TerraView account.   Alternatively, you may join us any day at 11 AM US Eastern time or during our Prometheus or Radio colloquia.   See our CALENDAR for the online meeting.

Issue: [15-213]

Category: Fire Safety & Security, #SmartCampus, Informatics

Colleagues: Mike Anthony, Joe DeRosier, Josh Elvove, Jim Harvey, Marcelo Hirschler

More

2013 NFPA 72 National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code (357 pages)

TIA-222 Standard For Towers And Antenna Supporting Structures

 

Emergency Communication Strategies for Buildings

 

ARCHIVE / NFPA 72

National Center for Spectator Sports Safety and Security

 

 

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