Nfpa 1500 Impacts on the Fire Service

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NFPA 1500 Impacts on the Fire Service May 2011 Some fire departments may resent the requirements set forth in NFPA 1500 as an infringement on their authority and another unfunded mandate. The proof, however, lies in the data collected since it was instituted that clearly shows the positive effects. This research paper will look at the affects the standard has had on the American Fire Service while also attempting to define it. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) is an organization dedicated to creating and maintaining minimum standards and requirements for fire prevention and suppression activities, training, and equipment, as well as other life-safety codes and standards. NFPA 1500 outlines the minimum requirements for fire department Occupational Safety and Health Programs. The NFPA is not alone in providing regulations concerning safety and health in the fire service. Two federal agencies, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), part of the United States Department of Health and Human Services and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), part of the United States Department of Labor, both gather statistical data and require employers to provide a safe working environment. The NFPA though, is specific to the fire service (Tutterow, 2003). Additionally, NFPA standards are not laws. NFPA standards must first be adopted by the local jurisdiction in order to be enforced. Unlike, NIOSH and OSHA whose regulations become law once voted on by congress and are enforceable without local adoption. Over the past several decades the number of deaths in the fire service has remained relatively the same while the number of injuries has decreased dramatically. This may be due to a shift in the type of calls to which firefighters respond. There has been a steady shift from fire incidents to vehicle accidents

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