Jaime Moncada-Pérez passed away on August 31, 2020 in Bogotá, Colombia at almost 89 years of age. Don Jaime, as he was usually known, is recognized for introducing NFPA and modern fire protection to Latin America, an effort he began more than 40 years ago.
At the end of the 1970s, he founded Pirocontrol, perhaps the first fire protection engineering firm in Latin America. He managed these companies throughout his professional life.
In 1981, OLAPCI was founded, the predecessor of the Ibero-American Fire
Protection Organization (OPCI), a not-for-profit association over which Don Jaime presided with distinction until the day of his passing.
Under his leadership, the first NFPA standards were translated into Spanish, seminars and conferences were launched throughout Latin America in Spanish.
During his career, Don Jaime was recognized with many international distinctions: he is the only Latin American to be elected to the Board of Directors of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA); he was co-editor of NFPA’s Fire Protection Handbook in Spanish, the only document written for the fire safety practitioner in Latin America; he was awarded the prestigious H.W. Harryatt Award.
Our hearts go out to the family at times like this.
