Resources for specialists tasked with protecting people and property from fire, electrical and other emergencies

Severe weather has shown just how much communities need to work together to plan and prepare before a disaster strikes. It’s just as important to collaborate during and after a weather event to get operations back to normal as quickly as possible.

Whether you’re a building owner, facility manager, electrical professional, first responder, policymaker, or other specialist tasked with protecting people and property from fire, electrical and other related hazards, your role in helping keep citizens safe is a vital one. Learn what steps you can take before the next emergency threatens your area.

Free checklist

Emergency preparedness checklist

Created to simplify key aspects of NFPA 1600, Standard on Disaster/Emergency Management and Business Continuity/Continuity of Operations Programs, and help organizations identify where they might want to focus their emergency preparedness efforts.

Download the checklist.

Bulletin: Submerged hybrid/electric vehicles

Emergency responders face many hazards when working with vehicles that have been submerged in water, particularly with a hybrid or electric vehicle. Understanding common safety issues with these vehicles can help keep responders safe.

Download the bulletin.

Get Ready!

Preparing your community for a disaster

A free toolkit that gives first responders the tools they need to help local residents prepare for disaster — before disaster strikes.

Download free resources for first responders.

How to prepare your home for a wildfire

Here are some wildfire risk reduction steps that can make your home safer during a wildfire.

Download the fact sheet.

The following NFPA codes and standards, available in English and Spanish, apply to emergency preparedness topics:

• NFPA 70B, Recommended Practice for Electrical Equipment Maintenance. NFPA 70B details preventive maintenance for electrical, electronic, and communication systems and equipment -- such as those used in industrial plants, institutional and commercial buildings, and large multi-family residential complexes -- to prevent equipment failures and worker injuries.
  •  FREE! Chapter 32 of NFPA 70B provides a useful framework for recovering electrical equipment and systems after a disaster. Disponible en Español.
• NFPA 101®, Life Safety Code®. NFPA 101 is the most widely used source for strategies to protect people based on building construction, protection, and occupancy features that minimize the effects of fire and related hazards. Unique in the field, it is the only document that covers life safety in both new and existing structures
• NFPA 400, Hazardous Materials Code. NFPA 400 consolidates fundamental safeguards for the storage, use, and handling of hazardous materials in all occupancies and facilities. The Code does not apply to storage or use of hazardous materials for individual use on the premises of one- and two-family dwellings.
• NFPA 472, Standard for Competence of Responders to Hazardous Materials/Weapons of Mass Destruction Incidents. NFPA 472 identifies the minimum levels of competence required by responders to emergencies involving hazardous materials/weapons of mass destruction (WMD).
• NFPA 1600, Standard on Disaster/Emergency Management and Business Continuity/Continuity of Operations Programs. NFPA 1600 is widely used by public, non-profit, nongovernmental, and private entities on a local, regional, national, international and global basis
  • FREE! Download a free copy of NFPA 1600.

From the NFPA Today blog

• Disasters don’t plan ahead. You can. Help communities prepare for emergencies during National Preparedness Month

• California experience highlights the tremendous and humbling complexity of wildfire disasters

• Late-season wildfires recall 1947 blazes, stress importance of wildfire prep

• 5 things a facility manager should consider when preparing, responding, and recovering from a major hurricane

• After disaster strikes, rebuilding with the Life Safety Code®

From NFPA Journal®

• Storm Season, November/December 2017.
• Citizen, Help Thyself - A new federal message urges civilians to accept more responsibility in emergencies—but it’s an approach that can come with risks, November/December 2017.

• Business Plan - A Canadian wildfire highlights the need for business continuity awareness, July/August 2016.

• Single Source - With the creation of the new NFPA 1616, emergency officials now have a comprehensive guide for managing a program for mass evacuation and sheltering, May/June 2016.
• Powered Up: A look at Powered for Patients, a new effort to support more resilient backup power sources for critical healthcare facilities, March/April 2015.
• Big-picture look at one of the most compelling concepts in safety and emergency preparation, and the role codes and stands can play in making resilience happen, March/April 2015. Disponible en Español.
• Fortifying the New York City subway system following Hurricane Sandy, March/April 2015. Disponible en Español.

• Boston’s look into protecting the seaport against rising seawater, March/April 2015.  

• Prepping for the Worst - Can new provisions in NFPA 99 help ensure things go smoother the next time the weather gets heavy? January/February 2013.