James M. Shannon, President 2010
WHAT IS NFPA?
The National Fire Protection Association, NFPA, is recognized around the world as the premier authoritative source of technical knowledge, data, and consumer advice on fire and protection and prevention. Headquartered in Quincy, Massachusetts, USA, the NFPA is an international organization that develops standards to protect people, their property, and the environment from fire.
HISTORY
The National Fire Protection Association, NFPA, was formally represented for the first time, on November 6, 1896 under the presidency of C.C. Little, but several months later and without having the opportunity to provide any meaningful involvement, the president passed away. At the First Annual Meeting of the NFPA, on May 18 and 19, 1897, in New York, Uberto Crosby was named the new president.
In its early days, the NFPA only accepted fire insurance organizations and their representatives as members. However, the momentum of the new NFPA standard soon became a magnet for many who were not prospects to be active members; in 1902, this group was known as "Associate Members" and already numbered more than 100. In 1903 the first foreign members joined. The NFPA opened its doors to large groups in 1904.
PARTNERS
Currently, the NFPA brings together more than 75,000 members, representing 107 nations that are part of the global fire protection network.
MISSION AND OBJECTIVE
The mission of the NFPA is to reduce globally, the heavy burden of fires and other dangers that threaten the quality of life. To this end, the Association develops codes and standards through an open consensus-based process that has produced some of the most referenced materials in the fire protection industry, including the National Electrical Code, the Life Safety Code, the Fire Prevention Code, and the National Fire Alarm Code.
CODES AND STANDARDS
NFPA develops, publishes and disseminates more than 300 codes and standards. Virtually every building, process, service, design and installation in today's society is affected by NFPA documents. The NFPA Codes and Standards are periodically reviewed to keep up with the latest technological discoveries related to fire protection.
MEMBERSHIP
Membership is for natural persons rather than for a company, but with one of the people in the company joining, the rest can use the number to obtain the benefits it offers.
NFPA LATIN AMERICA
In 1997, the Latin American Section of the NFPA was created to focus on that region of the world and "increase the technological level of fire protection and human security in Latin America by sharing knowledge and experiences." Since 2002, there have been regional chapters of the NFPA in the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Colombia and Argentina.
BENEFITS FOR LATIN AMERICAN PARTNERS
- Access the journal in Spanish and Portuguese: the NFPA Journal Latinoamericano.
- Participate in the annual congress and exhibition exclusively focused on Latin America, the Americas' Fire & Security Expo, which takes place in Miami, Florida. The conferences are in Spanish or have simultaneous translation.
- Be part of technical professional development seminars in Spanish with the same quality and lower cost than those offered in the U.S. in English.
- Consult the more than 60 codes, standards, and resource books in Spanish.
- Access the information in Spanish on the main page www.nfpa.org/espanol
CEPI
The CEPI program was created in 1971 in the U.S. under the name Certified Fire Protection Specialist (CFPS). The goal of the Fire Protection Specialist Certification (CEPI) program is to foster the development of the discipline of fire protection and prevention in Spanish-speaking countries.
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