The NFPA Podcast
The NFPA Podcast is the place for safety professionals to stay up to speed on the fast-paced world of electrical, fire, and life safety. Hear in-depth conversations with people out in the field about how they are confronting new challenges and staying on top of emerging technologies to keep the world safe. Listen the second and fourth Tuesday of every month. Email jroman@nfpa.org to send feedback or recommend a topic for future episodes.
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Cooking Fire Facts and Figures
11/25/2025
Cooking Fire Facts and Figures
Cooking is such a routine part of everyday life that it’s easy to overlook its potential dangers. According to NFPA research, cooking is the leading cause of reported home fires, home fire injuries, and home fire deaths in the United States. With Thanksgiving this week—the day with by far the most cooking fire incidents of any day on the calendar—we take a close look at NFPA’s latest cooking fire statistics to better understand how these fires start, who the victims tend to be, and what public educators should know (1:15). Then, we rerun a segment from 2020 exploring the science behind those viral videos of turkey-fryer fireballs (7:37). Then, in Code Corner, NFPA engineer Brian O’Connor talks about the different letters and numbers on fire extinguishers and what they mean (19:23). LINKS:
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Tilting the Wildfire Odds
11/11/2025
Tilting the Wildfire Odds
In even the most destructive wildfires, some structures survive untouched while everything around them is incinerated. It begs the question: What factors are most responsible for determining if a home is destroyed or survives during these events? A team of researchers spent years trying to answer that important question. They gathered massive troves of data from California’s most destructive wildfires, then used artificial intelligence machine learning to analyze what factors make the biggest difference in home survivability. On today’s podcast, we talk to wildfire researcher and study co-author Michael Gollner about what the team found out, how they did it, and how this valuable information will be used. We also discuss whether AI is changing the way we study and think about wildfire. LINKS: we discussed in this episode. about this project Learn more about the
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Fire Protection Engineering’s Shifting Landscape
10/28/2025
Fire Protection Engineering’s Shifting Landscape
The fire protection engineering profession is in a strange place right now. For one thing, there’s a growing global shortage of FPEs just as demand for their services is surging. Factors such as accelerating technology, global building booms, and intensifying natural disasters are making their work more challenging than ever. And on top of that, some predict that artificial intelligence will completely alter how FPEs do their jobs over the next decade. Today on the podcast, I talk about all of this with Bill Koffel, a veteran fire protection engineer and director of the new online fire protection engineering program at the University of Maryland. We discuss Maryland’s effort to expand access to FPE training, how the FPE profession is evolving, the challenges of attracting and educating the next generation, and what role AI might play in all of this for good and for bad. LINKS: A new NFPA Journal cover story on this topic will be out soon! Look for it and in the upcoming Winter 2025 issue. Learn more about the University of Maryland's in fire protection engineering
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How Clean is Clean?
10/14/2025
How Clean is Clean?
Not long ago, a dirty, sooty turnout coat and helmet was a badge of honor in the fire service—tangible proof that a firefighter was in the action. But as concern grew about the high levels of cancer in the fire service, that culture has totally flipped. Now, fire departments around the world are going to great lengths to ensure that their members never have to wear a uniform covered in carcinogens. But to do that, you need to know when it’s actually clean. That isn’t as easy as it sounds. For the past 10 years, PPE expert Jeff Stull has helped lead a Fire Protection Research Foundation project focused on answering those questions. Stull joins the podcast today to discuss the complexities of figuring out how clean is clean, the impacts the project has had on firefighter health, and what further research needs to be done as we move into the next generation of PPE. LINKS:
about the project and its impacts
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Lithium-Ion Safety Messaging
09/23/2025
Lithium-Ion Safety Messaging
Fire Prevention Week, which runs this year from October 5–11, is the longest running public safety observance in United States history. This year for the first time, the Fire Prevention Week theme will focus on lithium-ion battery safety. Even as the technology has become ubiquitous in modern life, the general public still remains largely unaware of the significant fire safety risks that batteries can pose. Today on the podcast we talk to Kelly Ransdell, NFPA’s director of public education, and Brian O’Connor, a technical services engineer at NFPA, about why NFPA is highlighting lithium-ion battery safety, why batteries have become such a prevalent home fire hazard, and what key safety points the public and fire educators need to know. Links: for tipsheets, campaign materials, and other resources See additional campaign resources at on the emerging hazards of consumer lithium-ion batteries and how it impacts the fire service
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Fire On Campus: Turning Pain Into Purpose
09/09/2025
Fire On Campus: Turning Pain Into Purpose
On January 19, 2000, Shawn Simons and Alvaro Llanos, then 18-year-old freshman roommates at Seton Hall University, were severely burned when the residence hall they lived in caught fire. The blaze, one of the worst at a college campus in U.S. history, killed three students and injured nearly 60 others. Shawn and Alvaro now travel the country speaking to students and responders about their journey. Today on the podcast, we chat with them about the Seton Hall fire, their grueling recovery, and what parents, students, and first responders need to know as students return to campuses this month. This episode first aired in September 2022. LINKS: and Campus Fire Safety Month and see clips from the documentary, “After the Fire” If you have questions, feedback, suggestions, or just want to say hello, you can reach The NFPA Podcast at .
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Lessons From Lewiston
08/26/2025
Lessons From Lewiston
In October 2023, a 40-year-old man armed with semi-automatic rifle opened fire inside a bowling alley and later at a nearby restaurant in the small city of Lewiston, Maine. Between the two incidents, 18 people died and 13 were injured. Disturbingly, the Lewiston shooting was one for more than 650 mass shootings in the United States in 2023, defined as a shooting event with four or more victims. With the U.S. continuing to experience hundreds of these incidents every year, police, fire, EMS, and organizations like the American Red Cross are refining how they prepare and respond to these incidents. On today’s podcast, we talk with John Montes, who led the Red Cross’s response and recovery efforts in Lewiston and was also instrumental in developing NFPA 3000, the standard for Active Shooter/Hostile Response program. I talked to Montes about the complexities of the Lewiston response, what lessons were learned, and what safety agencies should be doing now to prepare for mass shooting incidents. LINKS Learn more about Read up on , and Visit the
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Grenfell's Enduring Lessons
08/12/2025
Grenfell's Enduring Lessons
Decades from now when we name at the seminal fires from the 21st Century, the Grenfell Tower fire in London, which killed 72 people in June 2017, will certainly be the list. Today on the podcast, we consider Grenfell’s enduring lessons with Jose Torero, one of the world’s most prominent fire protection engineers and a key figure in the United Kingdom’s seven-year public inquiry into the tragedy. It’s safe to say that no one has a better technical understanding than Torero of the underlying causes and impactful lessons of Grenfell— lessons that have already reshaped how people across the world think about regulation and building protection. LINKS: from the United Kingdom's extensive inquiry into the causes of the Grenfell Tower Fire. exploring the UK's final Grenfell report. from the 2025 NFPA Conference & Expo.
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Fire Safety Challenges in East Africa
07/22/2025
Fire Safety Challenges in East Africa
More than 80 percent of the world’s population lives in low-and-middle income countries, according to the World Bank. In these nations, it's often a huge challenge to find the resources needed to build the systems of safety that people in higher-income countries take for granted. To put it in perspective, in the African nation of Uganda, there are just two fire trucks and 12 firefighters per million residents. In contrast, the U.S. has more than 1,000 firefighters and 200 fire trucks per million residents. Today on the podcast we talk to Samuel Nikoma, a fire safety advocate in Uganda who has an ambitious goal of slashing the fire deaths there in half. We discuss Eastern Africa’s significant fire safety challenges, and how he is trying to build more awareness and grassroots efforts to start addressing them. LINKS: about the enormous population growth expected in Africa over the next decade, and the fire safety challenges—and opportunities—that these trends present. where he writes on the challenges of fire safety in Africa and his ideas for building the resources to address them.
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FDNY's Lithium-Ion Task Force
07/08/2025
FDNY's Lithium-Ion Task Force
Since 2022, New York has experienced more than 800 fires sparked by lithium-ion batteries, leading to 30 deaths and more than 400 injuries. The sudden explosion of battery incidents led FDNY in 2023 to form the Lithium-Ion Task Force, a specialized unit dedicated to addressing the growing threat of fires caused by batteries, particularly those used in e-bikes and e-scooters. Today on the podcast, we talk to John Orlando, the FDNY fire marshal who led the Lithium-Ion Task Force until recently. We chat about the causes and scope of New York City’s battery problems, the work of the task force, and how other departments and jurisdictions can work together to achieve similar results, even without FDNY’s considerable resources. LINKS: Read NFPA Journal articles on: ; ; ;
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Safety Goes on Offense
06/24/2025
Safety Goes on Offense
As we’ve noted on the podcast a few times recently, standard development organizations and safety professionals are facing several significant challenges right now. In statehouses, lawmakers are increasingly passing bills that alter, delay, or even erase safety codes; fire marshals and other safety professionals say their voices are being increasingly marginalized; and court decisions involving copywrite protection threaten to disturb the century-old system under which safety standards are created and maintained. However, at last week's NFPA Conference & Expo, Jim Pauley, NFPA's president and CEO, unveiled an aggressive new public awareness campaign to try and reverse those trends. The day after the announcement, Pauley sat down with Jesse Roman to discuss the assault on safety and what NFPA and others are doing to combat these significant challenges. The interview was recorded live on June 17 at the 2025 NFPA Conference & Expo in Las Vegas. Links: Visit to see the new awareness ad, read about the campaign, and learn how you can make a difference.
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Heat, the Silent Killer
06/11/2025
Heat, the Silent Killer
As summer weather begins in the Northern Hemisphere, we revisit this very relevant episode from 2023. Heatwaves aren't just uncomfortable, they are deadly for millions of people around the globe each year. Recognizing this growing threat, governments and safety departments are starting to reconsider their vulnerabilities to heat and are taking action to protect their populations and infrastructure. Today on the podcast, we talk to Eleni Myrivili, who was appointed as the first ever World Chief Heat Officer by the United Nations in 2022. Her job is to help cities think harder about heat and come up with plans to mitigate its effects (3:30). Then, on a new Code Corner, engineer Val Ziavras answers specific questions about how to calculate occupant load in the Life Safety Code· (47:00). LINKS Read the heat action plans for and
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Risk Reduction on Tribal Lands
05/27/2025
Risk Reduction on Tribal Lands
Tribal nations and native communities across North America are consistently one of the highest-risk population groups for a range of health and safety issues, including fire incidents and casualties. And yet, developing and implementing community risk reduction programs in native communities can be daunting, especially for non-native fire departments that don’t understand native traditions, sensitivities, or histories. Our guest today, Monte Fronk, has been the lone fire safety expert in his native American tribe, the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, for over 30 years. On today’s podcast, I talk to Monte about his job, the challenges of poverty, generational trauma, and mistrust among native communities, and how he is working to turn the tide in his community one program and one conversation at a time. Links:
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The Mysteries of Electrical Injuries
05/13/2025
The Mysteries of Electrical Injuries
May is Electrical Safety Month, which is a good time to remember that dozens of people across the world suffer injuries from electrical hazards every single day. Survivors of these incidents list a range of devastating symptoms, from burns and chronic pain to insomnia, muscle spasms, depression, and various other mental health issues. Many of the full effects of these injuries are still not fully understood. Today on the podcast, we revisit a 2021 episode featuring three renowned doctors from the Chicago Electrical Trauma Rehabilitation Institute. They talk about what a powerful shock can do to the human body, the treatments available, and how our understanding of these injuries is still evolving. Links:
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Is It Alzheimer's, or Carbon Monoxide Poisoning?
04/22/2025
Is It Alzheimer's, or Carbon Monoxide Poisoning?
Carbon monoxide is known as the silent killer, but it doesn’t have to kill you to have permanent consequences. There is growing evidence that long-term exposure to CO, at concentrations that are too small for a typical household alarm to detect, can have serious and permanent impacts on human health, including cognitive decline, neurological issues, organ damage, and other ailments that are often misdiagnosed as unrelated chronic diseases. Today on the podcast, we talk to Charon McNabb, the founder of the National Carbon Monoxide Awareness Association, about her own experiences with long-term CO exposure, what the public needs to know, and efforts underway to reduce this under-the-radar health hazard. LINKS Watch about the latest carbon monoxide research Learn more about the
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The Construction Fire Problem
04/08/2025
The Construction Fire Problem
As the weather in the Northern Hemisphere starts to shift to spring and construction season gears up, we revisist an episode from 2021 about the costly ongoing problem of fires in buildings under construction. In the United States, there's a fire in a building under construction or renovation every hour and a half, according to NFPA data. On this podcast, Angelo speaks with Kevin Carr (4:15), NFPA staff liaison to NFPA 241, Standard for Safeguarding Construction, Alteration, and Demolition Operations, to learn more about construction site fires and how to prevent them. Plus, a safety executive with a large Maryland-based construction company and the chair of the NFPA 241 technical committee weigh in on why they think NFPA 241 is underutilized and how that could change (22:24). Links: Read more about the latest edition of NFPA 241 and NFPA trainings related to construction site fire safety:
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The Assault on Safety, Part 2
03/25/2025
The Assault on Safety, Part 2
This is the second part of our series looking at how fire and life safety codes are being delayed, erased, and watered down across the United States. On this episode, we talk to Ohio State Fire Marshal Kevin Reardon about some of the challenges he's facing in his state, strategies to counter misguided legislative efforts, and why the fire service needs to get more involved if we are to reverse this dangerous trend (1:36). Then, NFPA Southeast Regional Director Robby Dawson chats with building code officials from Texas and Iowa about their local code enforcement experiences, the broader challenges facing building officials, and how NFPA can help (32:11). LINKS:
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The Assault on Safety, Part 1
03/11/2025
The Assault on Safety, Part 1
There is a serious threat to safety happening now that isn’t getting nearly enough attention, according to many state fire marshals and fire service leaders. Across the U.S., anti-regulatory sentiments and well financed lobbying efforts are persuading lawmakers to weaken or erase the longstanding fire and life safety codes intended to keep the public safe. Today’s podcast is the first of two parts on this important issue, which is the also the topic of the cover story of the Spring 2025 issue of NFPA Journal. This week, we speak to Butch Browning, the executive director of the National Association of State Fire Marshals, about why safety codes are being delayed and dismantled, the effect it is having, and what fire and safety officials can do to reverse this dangerous trend. Links:
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Making LA More Resilient
02/25/2025
Making LA More Resilient
As the Los Angeles area wildfires exploded in early January, a nonprofit organization called MySafe:LA leapt into action, disseminating timely information to guide residents through the chaos. But public messaging is just one of countless ways the group has worked to boost safety in greater LA. Over almost 20 years, MySafe:LA has grown into one of the most unique and comprehensive public/private safety and resiliency organizations in the U.S. Today on the podcast, we talk to David and Cameron Barrett, the husband-and-wife duo who founded and run MySafe:LA, about their organization, its role during and after the LA wildfires, and how safety-minded citizens in other cities can build their own programs to boost resiliency where they live. Links: Check out the Check out the Check out the group’s Check out the See , and its
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The Act that Transformed Fire Safety
02/11/2025
The Act that Transformed Fire Safety
In 1973, fire killed and injured more people in the United States than in any other industrialized nation in the world. The next year, Congress passed the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act, a landmark bill that made significant investments in fire research, training, and education. Within a few decades, the U.S. had transformed from a fire-prone outlier, to arguably the safest country in the world. Today on the podcast, we talk to Dick Gann, one of the most prolific fire researchers in U.S. history, about a new paper that he co-authored that commemorates the 50th anniversary of the Fire Prevention and Control Act. We discuss the legacy of this legislation, and explore several of the research achievements — many of which Gann himself was directly involved with — that have dramatically improved fire safety in the United States over the last half century. LINKS: Read the NIST Report, about why the Fire Prevention and Control Act is still more relevant than ever
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Big Storage, Bigger Questions
01/28/2025
Big Storage, Bigger Questions
Modern warehouses and distribution centers are huge. Some have footprints larger than 60 American football fields and are filled with densely packed racks up to 100 feet tall. When a giant building like this catches fire, what can firefighters do? Today on the podcast, we talk to a veteran firefighter and a fire protection engineer who just co-authored a detailed report on the many challenges that the fire service faces in responding these storage fires. We find out what we know, what we need to find out, how modern warehouses are changing, and what fire departments should be doing now to prepare for fires in these giant facilities. LINKS:
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The LA Wildfires
01/14/2025
The LA Wildfires
In the last week, huge swaths of metro Los Angeles have been devastated by wildfires fueled by parched vegetation and hurricane force winds. The images and videos of once vibrant neighborhoods reduced to smoldering ash are, in a word, horrifying. Today on the podcast, we try to make sense of what is happening in Los Angeles and what may come next. I talk to NFPA’s wildfire expert Michele Steinberg about the speed of the fires, the response, the lack of water, the evacuation, and the critical decisions that must be made next to ensure that LA is prepared for future wildfires. LINKS Visit Read
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Artificial Intelligence and the Fire Service
12/24/2024
Artificial Intelligence and the Fire Service
You could make the argument that artificial intelligence was the most consequential new technology for fire and life safety in 2024. Several fire departments began dabbling with AI this year, and some even hope to have operational AI in the coming year. As we head into 2025, we thought it was a good time to revisit our most listened to episode of 2024, Jesse's interview with Preet Bassi, the CEO of the Center for Public Safety Excellence, about how artificial intelligence technologies could impact the fire service. How might fire departments use AI? What are the dangers? What guardrails need to be in place to ensure that the technology is reliable and safe? We pose those questions and many more to Preet. Links: on how fire departments, and others involved in life safety may soon be using artificial intelligence
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A New Dawn for Smoke Alarms
12/10/2024
A New Dawn for Smoke Alarms
This summer, long-awaited changes to the standard that sets the performance requirements for smoke alarms went into effect, marking a new era for the technology. For the first time, smoke alarms must now pass a test to show they are resistant to nuisance alarms triggered by cooking smoke. On today’s podcast, smoke alarm researcher Thomas Clearly from NIST joins to discuss the evolution of smoke alarm technology, the challenges of nuisance alarms, and how effective this new generation of smoke alarms are at reduceing nuisance alarms from cooking (4:44). Then, on Code Corner, engineer Shawn Mahoney discusses what NFPA standards say about smoke alarm placement (38:25).
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International Hospital Fires
11/26/2024
International Hospital Fires
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 around the world.
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The Single Exit Stair Debate
11/12/2024
The Single Exit Stair Debate
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 backdrop, NFPA recently held a symposium where experts from both sides of the debate gathered to make their case and come to a better understanding. Today on the podcast, we talk to an NFPA engineer who helped organize the symposium. She explains the reasoning on both sides of the argument, what was learned from the discussions, and why single exit stair rules are suddenly such a big deal in statehouses and the code development world. LINKS:
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Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems
10/22/2024
Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems
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 night (2:46). Then, on a new Code Corner, engineer Shawn Mahoney discusses another concern for warehouses: making sure there is enough water supply for their massive fire sprinkler systems (28:52). LINKS
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Babcock Ranch and the Future of Resilient Design
10/08/2024
Babcock Ranch and the Future of Resilient Design
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
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Make Smoke Alarms Work For You
09/24/2024
Make Smoke Alarms Work For You
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 where to locate smoke alarms in residential homes (33:27). LINKS: on smoke and CO alarm usage in the U.S.
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CRR's Hidden Challenges
09/10/2024
CRR's Hidden Challenges
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 integrated system testing in the Life Safety Code· (41:44). Extras: Gary Menard’s book list: Unconscious Bias, Annie Burdick. The Heart is Noble, Ogyen Trinley Dorje Testosterone Rex, Cordelia Fine Blindspot, Mahzarin Banaji Sway, Ori Brafman Why We Make Mistakes, Joseph Hallinan A Mind of Its Own, Cordelia Fine Quiet, Susan Cain Sway, Pragya Agarwal (yes, a different sway!) The Leader’s Guide to Unconscious Bias, Pamela Fuller, Mark Murphy, Anne Chow The Person You Mean to Be, Dolly Chugh Biased, Jennifer Eberhardt The Art of Active Allyship, Poornima Luthra Thinking, Fast and Slow, Daniel Kahneman Everyday Bias” Identifying and Navigating Unconscious Judgements in Our Daily Lives’ Howard J. Ross The Blindspots Between Us, Glen Tsipursky What Makes Your Brain Happy and Why You Should Do the Opposite, David DiSalvo You Are Now Less Dumb, David McRaney You Are Not So Smart, David McRaney How We Decide, Jonah Lehri
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