The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) announced the establishment of a $6 million endowment for the Fire Protection Research Foundation (FPRF). The Foundation, an affiliate of NFPA, is an independent nonprofit that plans, manages, and communicates consortium-funded research on a broad range of fire safety issues in collaboration with scientists and laboratories around the world.
“The work directed by the Fire Protection Research Foundation over a span of 25 years has resulted in significant improvements in fire and life safety across the globe,” said James M. Shannon, president of NFPA. “Today, it is a unique institution within the fire protection community and through this endowment, we ensure it will continue to provide important research well into the future.”
NFPA’s board of directors approved the formation of the Foundation in 1982 to encourage and support independent research that would coincide with its mission to reduce the worldwide burden of fire and other hazards. In addition to a diverse audience involved in fire protection, research findings from Foundation projects are also used by NFPA codes and standards technical committees as they develop new documents and update existing versions.
“These funds will help to solidify operations that make the development of research possible, research that will ultimately be used by many to influence and shape the future of fire protection,” said Kathleen Almand, executive director of the Fire Protection Research Foundation. “We are grateful to NFPA for its generous gift to the Foundation and its longstanding support of our efforts.”
The Foundation’s work supports NFPA’s advocacy initiatives such as home fire sprinklers, as well as major research programs on fire detection and suppression systems. One of the more notable projects in the history of the Foundation involved halon, a chemical widely used in fire protection communities, which was found to contribute to the depletion of the Earth’s protective stratospheric ozone layer. During the 1980’s, the Foundation directed research to identify best practices in the management of existing halon resources.
For more information on the Fire Protection Research Foundation or to view its research reports, visit www.nfpa.org/foundation.
