by Brianna Crandall — July 28, 2017 — In light of a recent series of high-rise fires in buildings with combustible façades, including the Grenfell tower fire, the global nonprofit National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has initiated a project to develop a fire risk assessment tool for these types of buildings to assist local authorities globally with fire safety in their communities. This project builds on previous NFPA work begun over the past few years, related to growing concerns about fire risks associated with combustible wall insulation components.
According to Jim Pauley, NFPA president:
NFPA is committed to helping communities respond to current fire threats. Given several recent tragic high-rise fires, this resource couldn’t be more needed or timely.
The fire risk assessment tool will help authorities having jurisdiction (AHJs) prioritize mitigation by incorporating a methodology that identifies key variables (such as wall materials, building fire protection systems, etc.). The tool helps characterize those variables in terms of risk or mitigation potential, and incorporates them into an engineering-based risk model.
The project will be conducted by a global engineering team whose work will be overseen by an advisory panel of global stakeholders and experts. It is scheduled to be completed by the end of the year.
Pauley continued:
The deadly fires that have occurred around the globe reflect a need to recommit and promote a full system of fire prevention, protection and education in order to help save lives and reduce loss. At NFPA, we’re doing all we can to support and provide jurisdictions with the tools they need to assess risk and deliver the level of safety people expect and deserve.
For more information on the fire risk assessment tool project, contact NFPA Research by e-mail.
