NFPA Journal - September/October 2013 - (Page 75)

>> the sections NEWS FROM THE NFPA SECTIONS SPOTLIGHT On InDUSTRIAL FIRE PROTECTIOn SECTIOn Scott Lord Scott Lord is executive officer at All Systems in Kansas City, Kansas. All Systems provides solutions access control, nurse call, fire alarm, mass notification, paging and intercom, and video surveillance technology for hospitals, universities, school districts, factories, corporate buildings, and government facilities. Lord has been in the fire protection industry for 15 years and is a member of the Building Fire Safety Systems Section. What codes and industries are important to your section? NFPA 99, Health Care Facilities Code; NFPA 101, Life Safety Code; and NFPA 72, National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code, are the most relevant for my industry, as my company provides life safety fire protection technology to health care and other facilities. The growing need for emergency communication systems has been the biggest code area I have been studying and presenting on for the last four years. How do codes affect your work on a regular basis? The codes affect every technological design and installation that my company does. Whether it is fire detection, emergency communication, or security, all of the systems we design, install, and support are affected by the NFPA codes. Can you give an example of an event recently in the news or of an ongoing trend that provides a real-world connection to your industry? The most significant event was the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, on December 14, 2012. It prompted a large number of our customers in the K-12 market to contact us seeking information about how to better secure their buildings, as well as about any codes that recommend how to properly secure a school for an emergency. The bombing during the Boston Marathon was another event that highlights the need for emergency communication systems and protocols in large venues. What NFPA or NFPA Section events or activities have you recently attended? The most recent event I attended was the tion systems should be installed in all public facilities. This is by far the best aspect of my job. I have the opportunity to interact with end-users ranging from Virginia Tech to Microsoft, as well as the pioneer manufacturers of the industry. What is your best advice for someone getting started in your field? The best advice I have for someone starting out in this field is to learn not only about the NFPA codes, but about how the codes affect the end-users in each marketplace. Truly understanding how an end-user’s business operates day to day, coupled with the information from the codes, will allow someone starting out in the life safety the most significant (recent) event was the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut on December 14, 2012. “Office Hours” for NFPA 99, a webinar on the interoperability of emergency responder electronic safety equipment, held in March. What is the best part of your job? The best part of my job is educating the end-users about the codes and explaining how the codes help them secure their employees, visitors, patients, students, and residents against not only fires, but all types of emergencies that can endanger lives. I am part of the National Systems Contractors Association’s Mass Notification and Emergency Communications Committee, which was founded to provide information on changes to NFPA 72, as well as new technology for emergency communications systems, and I speak around the country about the reasons emergency communica- technology field to truly grasp how best to design a life safety system that is appropriate for the client’s occupancy. One thing you want others to know about NFPA? I want end-users and life safety integrators to be aware of the wealth of knowledge NFPA has. My experience is that many fire alarm and emergency communication integrators have a “seasoned” person that tells them how to put a system together. However, NFPA has so much more information that anyone can use with just a little training on how to read the codes. To join nFPA or add a section to your membership, go to nfpa.org and click on the membership tab or call 1-800-344-3555. SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2013 NFPA JOURNAL 75 http://www.nfpa.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NFPA Journal - September/October 2013

NFPA Journal - September/October 2013
Contents
First Word
In a Flash
Perspectives
Firewatch
Heads Up
Research
Structural Ops
In Compliance
Buzzwords
Outreach
Electrical Safety
Wildfire Watch
Cover Story: Furniture Flamability
Special Report
NFPA Reports
NFPA Reports
Fire Analysis + Research
Section Spotlight
What’s Hot
Looking Back

NFPA Journal - September/October 2013