Don't Leave It In Vegas - NFPA Conference & Expo 2018

“What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas”,  may be a great slogan for your evening activities, but not for the content of the 2018 annual NFPA Conference and Expo. Every attendee receives valuable knowledge, tools, and resources that they should bring back to their respective fire departments and organizations. Educational sessions, vendors, and networking opportunities abound for all functions and components of fire protection and life safety:

• Healthcare
• Fire Service
• Emergency Management
• Fire Protection Engineering
• Fire Protection and Alarm Systems
• Facilities Management

General sessions featured two speakers that focused on the theme of future innovations. Futurist, Jim Carroll, provided a broad overview of the future of technology, and how that future is already here. He challenged attendees to stay attuned to the world around us and strive for continuous growth and development with the quote, “The future belongs to those who are fast.”

Keller Rinaudo inspired the audience with the accomplishments of his company, Zipline. Zipline is utilizing “futuristic” drone technology to bring life saving medical supplies to the most remote parts of the world. The company is currently in the process of opening its second distribution center which will provide the entire country of Rwanda with readily available blood and medicines.

NFPA President, Jim Pauley, introduced the “fire and life safety ecosystem” concept. The ecosystem is eight elements that must work in harmony to protect people and property. Pauley stated, “We have forgotten that safety is a system – not a singular action, piece of equipment, or event.”

My particular interests led me to presentations on pre-incident planning, human factors and behaviors, risk and resilience, media relations, and training and development.  Two of the most impressive presentations were case studies, one from Uber and the other from Carvana.

In “The eVTOL Revolutions: How the Next Generation of Air Travel Will Impact Fire and Life Safety”, representatives from Uber presented the next phase in their growth strategy and its impact on the fire and life safety industry. Celina Mikolajczak, Director of Engineering, painted a picture of the what Uber plans to do with electric VTOL travel and transportation. Rex Alexander, Head of Aviation Infrastructure, discussed the impact that this new form of public transportation would have on codes, standards, and FAA regulations.

Carvana, the online-only used car dealer, created the innovative concept of the car vending machine.  Their presentation, “Carvana: Performance-Based Design of an Automated Vehicle Storage and Retrieval System” demonstrated how they were able to implement the performance-based design process to create a product that would garner acceptance from a variety of local officials and regulatory agencies.  

The NFPA Conference & Expo is one of the world’s biggest and most comprehensive fire, electrical, and life safety events. It's an opportunity to gain valuable insights, meet with industry experts and learn about new products and solutions.  With 110 knowledge enhancing presentations, several hundred vendors exhibiting in the expo hall, and more than 1,000 attendees to network with, the NFPA Conference and Expo should be the primary event on the fire and life safety professional’s calendar.  

Handouts of the all presentations are available for download from, NFPA.org/conference.

Featured New Developments:

• NFPA Codefinder Tool
• NFPA 78, Guide to Electrical Inspections
• NFPA 1078, Standard for Electrical Inspector Qualifications
• NFPA 3000, Standard for an Active Shooter/Hostile Event Program

2014 NFPA Conference and Expo - Review

The Venue

The site of the 2014 NFPA Conference and Expo was the Mandalay Bay, in Fabulous Las Vegas.  This was my first visit to Las Vegas.  It is a great place! There are lots of things to do to occupy your time.  It is enjoyable just walking the strip and visiting the different hotels, casinos, and bars. The weather was amazing (even at 103 degrees, it’s not an oppressive heat). I stayed at the Luxor.  The room was low priced ($55), comfortable, and clean.  I look forward to visiting this location again in the future.  There is not much more I can say, because as you know…what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas!

The Value

The 2014 NFPA Conference and Expo provides great value in the number of educational sessions that are offered.  There are sessions that appeal to every part of the fire protection industry.  

The general session was highlighted by speaker, Michael Beschloss author of, Presidential Courage.  A vivid story teller, he reveals the qualities that have made great presidents in history and shows how to apply these qualities to leadership today.

Kurt Schwartz, Director of Homeland Security for Massachussettes during the Boston Marathon bombings gave an in-depth presentation on the local, regional, and state planning process for the 2013 marathon. He discussed the multi-jurisdicational/multi-agency response, challenges encountered, lessons learned, and best practices for response to and recovery from an attack.

A few of the sessions that I found interesting included:

NFPA 1730 and the Identification, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation of a Fire Prevention Program -  Referencing the requirements of NFPA 1730, Standard on Organization and Deployment of Code Enforcement, Plan Review, Fire Investigation, and Public Education Operations to the Public, this program outlined the steps used to analyze data from a community risk assessment, identify appropriate fire prevention programs, and develop, implement, and evaluate those programs. This session also served to provide a guide for the conduct of a community risk assessment.

Management of the Complex Fire Scene: Lessons Learned From the West Texas Explosion -  utilizing NFPA 921:26, this session addressed many of the challenges raised by the complex fire scene where multiple federal, state, and local entities, together with private parties, each have a legitimate interest in the fire scene.

Revisiting Analysis of Potential Fire Sprinkler Performance in the Great Adventure Fire of May 11, 1984 – using computer modeling,  this presentation was able demonstrate what the results of this tragic fire could have been had fire sprinklers been installed. The presenters shared A history of the fire including construction details, interior finish, travel distance and available exits. Exhibits also included, pre- and post-fire photographs, facility plans, re-creation of the sprinkler plan used in the trial, and a smokeview movie of the fire timeline.

Aircraft Down--Are You Ready? – this session, presented by Duane Kann, Fire Chief, for Orlando International Airport, provided an overview of preparedness considerations, and applicable NFPA standards and FAA regulations for emergency response.

Life Safety for the Vegas High Roller Observation Wheel - This presentation described the safety analysis conducted, including the redundant power drive systems, external drive mechanism, and quality control measures. Also discussed was the emergency procedures for unloading passengers and methods for emergency passenger extractions. The Vegas High Roller is the world’s tallest observation wheel.

The Visitors

At the 2014 NFPA Conference and Expo, as with all conferences, the greatest value is in the people that you meet and the connections that are made.  Besides the opportunity of receiving an eclectic learning experience by sitting under the instruction of those who are more knowledgeable, provide a different perspective, or perform in another sector, is the opportunities to meet others in your field.  Its always interesting to hear how others are doing things, how other departments function, how the private sector and public sectors differ in their thinking.  From the speakers to the people you meet on the plane, these introductions serve to add as much value as the conference presentations itself.