NFPA Global Trends and Research online conference in November examines modern-day safety challenges and research being done to help reduce risk

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) will host Global Trends and Research, a one-day online programme covering contemporary life safety challenges and research efforts, to ensure that practitioners have the information and knowledge to succeed in their roles. The virtual conference on Tuesday, 2 November, will cover topics ranging from alternative energy solutions, green buildings, parking garages, to exterior facades. The programme, the sixth in an 11-event, year-long 125th Anniversary Conference Series, will feature educational sessions, presentations, an Ecosystem panel discussion, networking opportunities, live chat exchanges, sponsor demonstrations, and more.

The Global Trends and Research conference can be attended on the scheduled date or registrants can access the following sessions anytime in the next year:

• Energy Storage Systems (ESS) Explosion Risks – Victoria Hutchison, research project manager, Fire Protection Research Foundation (US), Ofodike (D.K.) Ezekoye, W.R. Woolrich professor at The University of Texas at Austin (US); Adam Baroway, research engineer, UL (US); Bob Zalosh, owner/SME, FireExplo (US); Dirk Long, senior technical leader, Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) (US); and Sean DeCrane, industry relations manager, UL (US).
• Impact of Modern Vehicle Hazards on Parking Garage Fire Safety – Stephen Olenick, principal engineer and Mike Klassen, principal research engineer, Combustion Science & Engineering (US); Ragni Fjellgaard Mikalsen, research scientist, RISE Fire Research (Norway) and Anne Steen-Hansen, chief scientist, RISE Fire Research (available online – Norway); Ged Knock, station manager, Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service (UK); and Stuart Lloyd, principal risk engineer, Zurich Risk Engineering (UK)
• Fire Safety Challenges in Low Income Areas – Rita Fahy, PhD, applied research manager, NFPA (US); Danielle Antonellis, founder and executive director, Kindling (US); Len Garis, director of research, National Indigenous Fire Safety Council (Canada); and Richard Walls, professor of Structural and Fire Engineering, Stellenbosch University (South Africa)
• Fire Safety Challenges of Green Buildings and Attributes – Brian Meacham, managing principal, Meacham Associates (US) and Margaret McNamee, professor of Fire Safety Engineering, Lund University (Sweden)
• Fire Safety of Facades – Matt Bonner, research assistant and Francesca Lugaresi, PhD student, Imperial College (London); Susan Lamont, director, Fire Engineering, ARUP (UAE); and Nicholas Ozog, associate principal, WJE, Holistic Building Assessment of Facade Fire Performance (US)
• Firefighting Foams: Transition to Fluorine Free Foams Through Research and Testing – Gerard Back, senior fire protection engineer, Jensen Hughes (US). Niall Ramsden, project coordinator, LASTFIRE (UK); Casey Grant, executive director, DSRAE, LLC (US); and Ed Hawthorne, principal, DFW Dynamics (US)
• International Fire Safety Standards Coalition – Common Principles – Dwayne Sloan, technical director, Building & Life Safety Technologies, UL (US) and Birgitte Messerschmidt, director, research, NFPA (US)
• The Role of the NFPA Fire & Life Safety Ecosystem – Moderator Birgitte Messerschmidt, director, research NFPA (US) with the following panellists: Susan Lamont, director, Fire Engineering, ARUP (UAE); Margaret McNamee, professor of Fire Safety Engineering, Lund University (Sweden); Anne Steen-Hansen, chief scientist, RISE Fire Research (Norway); Amanda Kimball, executive director, Fire Protection Research Foundation (US), Danielle Antonellis, founder and executive director, Kindling (US); and Dwayne Sloan, technical director, Building & Life Safety Technologies, UL (US)

‘Research helps professionals and practitioners tackle problems around the world in an educated and enlightened manner; but research is only of value if the knowledge it creates gets into the hands of the very people who can apply new findings and implement different safety strategies on a local level,’ Birgitte Messerschmidt, director of NFPA Research said. ‘This programme is designed to bring forward the latest findings in areas where the trends show increasing challenges. The sooner we respond to these challenges the better we can ensure that fire and life safety are keeping pace with progress.’

Attendees can tune in live to earn up to five credit hours (0.5 CEU) on the day of the programme and can then earn an additional five credit hours on-demand later for a total of 10 credit hours (1.0 CEU). Alternatively, the content can all be viewed on-demand later for a total of 10 credit hours (1.0 CEU). All programmes will be available on-demand for up to a year starting on 2 November.

Registration for Global Trends and Research is now open. Check out the full list of session descriptions and take advantage of EARLYBIRD125 incentives up until 19 October to attend the conference and invite a friend at no cost.

For more information about the entire NFPA 125th Anniversary Conference Series, visit www.nfpa.org/conferenceseries