NFPA Standards: numbers to remember

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Depending on the state you are in, some of these standards may be adopted as law.  Different states have adopted different standards.  It is up to you to know which ones apply in your situation.

The standards are considered professional standards and you may be held to them in a court of law, regardless of if your state has adopted them.  Every firefighter should be familiar with some of the basics.

You might need to know some of these in order to pass various fire service written exams.  You may need to know them as they might have requirements that you or your department must adhere to.  There are all sorts of reasons why these standards may be relevant to you.

This article has the intent of giving you a quick description of each standard so you can have a general idea about what it contains.  There are hundreds of standards and building codes out there, but these are some you may need to be aware of as a Firefighter I/II or Fire Officer.

1 - Fire Code

70 - Electric Code

101 - Life Safety Code

220 - Types of Building Construction

291 - Recommended Practice for Fire Flow Testing and Marking of Hydrants

472 - Competence of Responders to Hazardous Materials/Weapons of Mass Destruction Incidents

704 - Identification of Hazardous Materials

921 - Guide for Fire and Explosive Inventigations

1001 - Defines a Firefighter I and Firefighter II.  JPR’s (job performance requirements) for career and volunteer fire fighters.

1002 - Defines a driver/operator of a fire apparatus.  JPR’s (job performance requirements) for career and volunteer fire fighters.

1006 - Defines technical rescue operations.  JPR’s (job performance requirements) for career and volunteer fire fighters.

1021 - Standard for Fire Officer Professional Qualifications

1033 - Qualifications for Fire Investigator

1041 - Standard for Fire Service Instructor

1142 - Water Supplies for Suburban and Rural Fire Fighting

1403 - Standard on Live Fire Training Evolutions

1404 - Requires Air Management Program

1407 - Training for Rapid Intervention Crews

1451 - Vehicle Operations Training Program

1500 - Occupational safety and health requirements.  Training.  Protective clothing and equipment.  Medical and Physical requirements.  Health and Wellness programs.  Two in, two out rule.  Standard for IDLH environments.

1521 - Fire Department Safety Officer

1561 - Incident Management System

1581 - Infection control

1582 - Comprehensive occupational medical program

1583 - Health Related Fitness Programs for Fire Department members

1584 - On scene rehab

1600 - Standard on Disaster/Emergency Management and Business Continuity/Continuity of Operations Programs

1710 - Organization and Deployment of Fire Suppression Operations, Emergency Medical Operations and Special Operations by Career Departments

1720 - Organization and Deployment of Fire Suppression Operations, Emergency Medical Operations and Special Operations by Volunteer Departments

1852 - Requires you to confirm SCBA Operational before use

1901 - Fire apparatus

1906 - Wildland apparatus

1911 - Inspection, maintenance and testing of Fire Apparatus

1931 - Ladders

1932 - Maintenance and testing of Ladders

1936 - Rescue tools

1961 - Hose

1962 - Inspection, care and testing of hose

1963 - Hose Connections

1964 - Hose Nozzles

1965 - Hose Appliances

1971 - Structural fire gear

1977 - Wildland fire gear

1981 - SCBA

1982 - PASS Alarm

1983 - Life safety rope

This list is by no means exhaustive, just a summary of the key standards which you may be introduced to in your training as a firefighter.

The NFPA does provide free access to all of its standards. 

You can register on the NFPA site (http://www.nfpa.org) and view any standard for free.  To download the entire PDF or print each standard you will be required to subscribe/pay.  Many departments have at least a few of the standard books available for reference.