loader from loading.io

Falls, Fires, and Older Adults

The NFPA Podcast

Release Date: 04/25/2023

International Hospital Fires show art International Hospital Fires

The NFPA Podcast

Although hospital fires are rare in the United States, that’s not the case around the world. Recent deadly fires at hospitals in India —including a fire in November that killed 10 newborn babies — show how hard it is to protect these complex facilities. In light of these recent tragedies, we are revisiting an episode from 2020 that looks at the reasons behind the higher occurrences of fire in hospitals around the world, compared to the U.S., and the initiatives and trends that experts hope will help fix the problem.   about the high occurance of fire in health care facilities...

info_outline
The Single Exit Stair Debate show art The Single Exit Stair Debate

The NFPA Podcast

Nearly all jurisdictions in the United States enforce codes that require two exit stairwells in residential buildings above three or four stories. Housing advocates say that increasing the cap to six stories will lead to better housing options and lower costs. That logic has persuaded lawmakers in some U.S. states to pass laws that raise the allowed height of single exit stair buildings, bypassing state building codes. These changes have alarmed fire officials, who say that having taller buildings with only one stairwell puts the lives of residents and firefighters at risk. With that as the...

info_outline
Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems show art Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems

The NFPA Podcast

As online retail flourishes, distribution centers are installing new and more advanced automated storage and retrieval systems (or ASRS). These systems are like enormous vending machines that store, organize, and move product around the facility. The systems save time and space but have also introduced several new fire risks into storage operations. Today on the podcast, we talk to a safety risk consultant and engineer who has worked on numerous ASRS projects. We discuss how these systems work, the safety challenges, and some of the new designs that are keeping fire protection engineers up at...

info_outline
Babcock Ranch and the Future of Resilient Design show art Babcock Ranch and the Future of Resilient Design

The NFPA Podcast

When hurricane Ian tore through Florida in September 2022, it left a trail of destruction—but not at Babcock Ranch, a 2,000-home development designed to be both sustainable and to withstand the worst natural disasters. Today on the podcast, we speak to an engineer who lives in and helped design Babcock Ranch about the community’s unique features, as well as the growing trend toward building resiliency and what it could mean for the future of disaster recovery (3:46). This episode first aired in November 2022.   Links
  

info_outline
Make Smoke Alarms Work For You show art Make Smoke Alarms Work For You

The NFPA Podcast

This month, a comprehensive new survey on smoke alarm use in the U.S. found that 16 percent of households—as many as 53 million people—do not having working smoke alarms. The new report comes just in time for Fire Prevention Week (Oct. 6-12), which will focus on smoke alarm use and maintenance. On today’s podcast, two NFPA experts discuss the findings of the new report, and why it is more critical than ever for residents to be educated about how to keep their smoke alarms working (3:04).    Then, on a new Code Corner, engineer Shawn Mahoney tells us what the code says about...

info_outline
CRR's Hidden Challenges show art CRR's Hidden Challenges

The NFPA Podcast

As fire departments increasingly focus on fire prevention and community risk reduction (CRR), several new challenges have emerged. In some cases, firefighters may resist or be apathetic to these tasks. In other cases, less obvious hurdles like hidden biases can cause departments to make missteps. Today on the podcast, a safety and wellness captain from Georgia joins us to discuss the small and big ways these factors can impact prevention work, and how departments can work to overcome them (2:45). Then, on a new Code Corner, NFPA engineer Shawn Mahoney talks about the requirements for...

info_outline
AI and Safety Education show art AI and Safety Education

The NFPA Podcast

For fire safety educators, breaking through the noise to deliver the right messages to the people who need to hear it can be an enormous challenge. Some are increasingly turning to artificial intelligence to discover new insights and strategies. Today on the podcast, we talk to Brene Duggins, a former NFPA Educator of the Year and an early adopter of using AI tools to hone and refine fire education messaging (2:00). She tells us what she’s learned, how you can experiment with these tools, and crucially, what you need to know to avoid making mistakes.  Then, on a new Code Corner,...

info_outline
Protecting Micro-Distilleries show art Protecting Micro-Distilleries

The NFPA Podcast

The number of micro-distilleries in the U.S. has ballooned from just 500 in 2014, to more than 2,700 today, according to the American Craft Spirits Association. Like micro-breweries, these small-batch liquor production facilities are often tucked into urban spaces like strip malls, but unlike breweries, the beverages they produce are quite flammable. Today on the podcast, we are joined by an architect that specializes in micro-distillery design. He tells us more about how these distilleries operate, the associated hazards and fire protection considerations, and what AHJs should know...

info_outline
Can You Save Your Home from a Wildfire? show art Can You Save Your Home from a Wildfire?

The NFPA Podcast

Research has shown that doing wildfire mitigation work, like replacing wooden shingles or removing dead leaves from the gutters, drastically reduces the chances of your home becoming a heap of ash when a wildfire strikes. But how much does the public know about these potentially life-saving activities? Today on the podcast, we dig into a comprehensive new survey that asked residents in wildfire-prone areas what they know about mitigation, how motivated they are to act, and what obstacles stand in their way (2:04).  Then, on a new Code Corner, NFPA engineer Val Ziavras, talks about the...

info_outline
How Can We Get More New Homes Sprinklered? show art How Can We Get More New Homes Sprinklered?

The NFPA Podcast

Despite overwhelming proof that home fire sprinklers save lives, fewer than 10 percent of all new homes being built in the United States today are equipped with sprinklers, and most states refuse to mandate their use. However, fire marshals and others are finding creative ways to incentivize developers to include fire sprinklers in new housing projects, leading to thousands more protected homes. Today on the podcast, we talk to Thomas Poirier, a fire prevention officer and chair of the Massachusetts Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition, about developer incentives and tradeoffs, and what tips he has...

info_outline
 
More Episodes

Falls and fires kill and injure more older adults than many people realize. Not only are seniors twice as likely as the general population to experience a fatal fire, they suffer an estimated 36 million falls each year in the U.S., resulting in 8 million injuries.

 

On today’s podcast, we talk to Dori Krahn, a community relations coordinator with the Saskatoon Fire Department, and an expert on senior fall and fire prevention education (2:50). She tells us why senior falls have increased across North America, why fires are so dangerous for this population, and talks about an updated NFPA program aimed at teaching older adults how to be safer in their homes.

 

Then, on a new Code Corner, NFPA engineer Val Ziavras answers a question about how to make sense of occupancy classifications (34:34).

 

LINKS

Learn more about the new NFPA program, Steps to Safety

 

Read a 2022 NFPA Journal feature exploring the growing problem of falls and fires among older adults