NFPA Journal - January/February 2020 - 17

Dispatches Briefs
McRaven tapped
as 2020 NFPA
C&E keynote
speaker

William McRaven, a
retired US Navy admiral, former chancellor
of the University of
Texas system, and
author of two books,
will serve as the
keynote speaker
at the 2020 NFPA
Conference & Expo
in Orlando, Florida,
in June.

the missions that will
go down in the history books," McRaven
says in the interview. "My proudest
achievement, frankly,
is having the opportunity to lead the great
[enlisted] men and
women of this nation
after 9/11. The things
they did every single
day and night were
just incredibly heroic.
They will never make
the history books,

associated with fire,
electrical, or other
hazards.
"We are looking for
those unsung heroes
who are diligently
working to create
safer communities,"
said Lorraine Carli,
NFPA vice president
of Outreach and
Advocacy. "Their
strong voices backed
by action are having
a profound impact on
life safety, either on

GETT Y IMAGES

Leadership and safety: Retired US
Navy Admiral William McRaven will
deliver the C&E keynote in June.

The four-star officer will speak during
the conference's general session, which
this year will focus on
the leadership principles that can create a
safer world.
McRaven served
during Desert Storm
and in both the Iraq
and Afghanistan
wars, eventually
taking charge of all
US Special Operations forces. He
oversaw the capture
of Saddam Hussein
in 2003, the rescue
of Captain Richard
Phillips from Somali
pirates in 2009, and
the mission to kill
Osama bin Laden
in 2011. He's even
the reason why we
have to take our
shoes off at airport
security, according
to a May 2019 USA
Today interview with
McRaven.
"My proudest
achievements aren't

but of everything I
did, just my time with
those young men
and women, that's
what makes me the
proudest."
To learn more
about McRaven and
the 2020 Conference
& Expo, go to nfpa.
org/conference.

NFPA accepting
nominations for
2020 Shannon
Advocacy Medal

Do you know
somebody who's contributed to making
the world a safer
place? Nominate
them for it, and their
actions could be recognized by NFPA.
Through January
24, NFPA is accepting nominations for
the 2020 James M.
Shannon Advocacy
Medal, which recognizes outstanding
advocacy efforts
to reduce losses

the local or national
level. The Shannon
Advocacy Medal is
our way of expressing our gratitude for
their efforts."
The medal is
awarded each year
at the NFPA Conference & Expo in
June. This year, the
event takes place
in Orlando, Florida.
Previous Shannon
Advocacy Medal
winners include Jon
Nisja, who played an
integral role in changing model codes and
strengthening Minnesota's fire code, and
Jim Dalton, whose
career-long commitment to fire safety led
to the passage of the
Fire Sprinkler Incentive Act.
Nomination
applications can be
downloaded online
(search "Shannon
Medal" on nfpa.org)
and submitted to publicaffairs@nfpa.org.

'Overzealous'
medical device
cleaning could
spark fires,
group says

Kimball takes
helm at Research
Foundation

When cleaning fluid
from spray bottles or
moistened disinfectant wipes seeps into
the electrical components of medical
devices, it can cause
equipment malfunction, damage, and
even fires.
That's according
to a new report by
the ECRI Institute,
which included this
threat on its list of
the top 10 health
technology hazards
of 2019.
"Overzealous or
improper cleaning of
electrical equipment
can result in equipment malfunction,
damage, or fire,"
ECRI says. "The
use of cleaning or
disinfectant wipes
that are dripping
with excess fluid,
or spraying liquids
directly onto powered medical devices
and equipment,
can cause fluid to
enter electrical
components such
as plugs, sockets,
or power supplies.
Repeated fluid
ingress, and the residue it leaves behind,
can create errant
current pathways
around the electrical
component. These
additional currents
can eventually generate sufficient heat
to cause a device
failure, or worse."
The institute, a
global authority on
medical practices
and products, says it
is aware of "multiple
instances" in which
damage or fire has
resulted from cleaning fluid seeping into
the electrical components of infusion
pumps, operating
room tables, infant
warmers, and other
medical equipment.
Learn more at ecri.
org/2019hazards.

Amanda Kimball
has been named
executive director of
the Fire Protection
Research Foundation,
the research affiliate of the National
Fire Protection
Association.
Kimball, an eightyear veteran of the
Research Foundation,
succeeds Casey
Grant, who retired
in December after a
30-year career with
NFPA.
Kimball holds a
master's degree
in fire protection
engineering from
Worcester Polytechnic Institute and is
a registered professional fire protection
engineer in Massachusetts. Before
coming to NFPA, she
worked as a consultant for Arup.
"Amanda Kimball
is well-suited to lead
the Research Foundation into the future,"
said Jim Pauley,
NFPA president
and the chairman
of the board of the
Research Foundation. "Her ability
to collaborate with
different entities and
generate research
that addresses safety
gaps, informs audiences, and tackles
emerging issues has
been consistently
demonstrated over
the years. The board
of directors is confident that she will
build on the Research
Foundation's solid
legacy by proactively
addressing issues
that threaten building and life safety."
Kimball called her
new appointment "an
honor" and indicated
that she has "big
shoes to fill" following Grant's long and
respected career.
Learn more about
the Research Foundation at nfpa.org/
foundation.

N F PA . O R G / J O U R N A L * NFPA JOURNAL

| 17
http://www.nfpa.org http://www.nfpa.org/foundation http://www.nfpa.org/foundation http://NFPA.ORG/JOURNAL
NFPA Journal - January/February 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NFPA Journal - January/February 2020
