NFPA -- Friend or Foe to the Volunteer Fire Department

Do you feel the NFPA and the NFPA Standards, are a Friend or a Foe, to the Volunteer Fire Departments.

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Dennis Brown on December 31, 2008 at 11:55am

I say friend if we did not have them there would more LODD .and to help better Departments with better gear and equipment

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Permalink Reply by Fireyladd - Retired Chief Sharp on January 1, 2009 at 10:48pm

It is like the golden rule. Everybody strives for it but realistically we cant attain it all the time. Its like a grand ideal. NFPA isnt entirely the real world. About like the Gov telling you and I how to live our daily lives. It is tough for volunteer Departments to attain NFPA standards.

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Permalink Reply by Fireyladd - Retired Chief Sharp on January 1, 2009 at 10:51pm

can you say "OVERKILL"
If OSHA had its way we would not be able to fight fires period!

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Permalink Reply by Fireyladd - Retired Chief Sharp on January 1, 2009 at 10:53pm

I couldnt agree more.

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Permalink Reply by Andrew Tator on January 2, 2009 at 2:24pm

The ONLY argument to that it is a foe to the Volunteer Fire Department is the fact that we don't have the money that the paid Departments have...yes some get higher budgets than others, but for the most part the Small Town Volunteers just don't have the Tax Base and money (if I am worng, let me know...) and we have to do more fundraising, cause everyone knows how hard it can be to get a Grant...my only argument...

Now, to some of the other "Foe Bandwagoneers"...to me...it is all about ego and being afraid of change. Last time I checked the fire Service is ever changing and ever evolving...you gotta stay with the times. That is what, for the most part, these Standards are trying to do (CBRNE Pack, for instance). The "old timers" who live on the excuse that "we have never needed that in the past" or "we won't ever have to worry about that here" need to seek employment elsewhere...same with the ones who say they don't want people telling them what to do...well, let a Firefighter (one of your brothers or sisters) get injured, or god forbid, killed and you will see very fast how many people will be telling you what to do (Judge and maybe even some Prison Gaurds)...

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Permalink Reply by roy yoder on January 2, 2009 at 5:26pm

its a foe and i am a electrician. just kidding it does take a lot to keep up with and the elec. get paid for the work they are not vol. now the NFPA is a standard but electric code is law that makes a big difference. if the chief is trying to meet and cannot because money or city hall he don't git throwed out.

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Permalink Reply by Brian Grace on January 3, 2009 at 6:50pm

IT IS A FOE to all fire departments. Who ever heard of a industry standard that is written by the manufacturers that make the equipment. I know personally of NFPA standards that have been altered to specifically meet one companies equipment. It is not law, but it is recognized as standard by courts. It is a joke.

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Permalink Reply by lutan1 on January 3, 2009 at 6:52pm

IT IS A FOE to all fire departments. Who ever heard of a industry standard that is written by the manufacturers that make the equipment.
But it's not only the manufacturers- it does include FD representatives and others....

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Permalink Reply by Ben Waller on January 3, 2009 at 7:13pm

Brian,

Could you cite the specific NFPA standard or standards that have been altered to meet one company's equipment? I'd be very interested in knowing exactly which NFPA committee did that.

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Permalink Reply by Mick Mayers on January 3, 2009 at 7:59pm

Brian,

I posted an earlier reply on here and thought my answer wasn't very helpful, so I deleted it. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't the tone I like to use. Seeing as you and I like beer and Notre Dame and we're both truckies, we have a lot in common, so I know if we ran into each other in a bar, we'd be civil, and that's what this should be all about.

We have covered the discussion about the percieved manufacturer inbalance on committees in a lot of detail in the previous five pages, so I'd ask that you look through those to see where I'm going with this, rather than my restating the facts. If you then think that there is a discrepancy, I'd love to talk about it and cover some other points here as well. I'm always up for discussions, especially over a subject as important as this.

Especially over beer (by the way, have you tried out the Beer Group? We're a lot of fun.)

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Permalink Reply by Bill Brierton on January 3, 2009 at 8:46pm

Well after reading all the posts it is an interesting subject. The NFPA may have good intentions but beset by rumor, misunderstanding, and questions that sometimes never get answered. I'm not an NFPA member but I wonder when they come out with their set of standards or recommendations do they consider the financial impact it will have on a volunteer fire department let alone a career department that is currently undergoing financial cuts. It's one thing to establish a set of standards/recommendations it's another ball of wax when it comes to funding them. So in my opinion the NFPA is both friend and foe.