NFPA Journal - Winter 2022 - 11

NEWS FROM NFPA
AND BEYOND
temperatures that intensify wind speeds and precipitation
amounts. Multiple reports from the United
Nations have warned that overall global temperatures
could rise by as much as 3 degrees C by the end
of this century. Hurricanes aren't the only natural
calamities that could be affected; floods, droughts,
and wildfires will also likely increase, scientists say.
For the global safety community, experts say
now is the time to act on preparing for these
events. The specifics of what preparedness looks
like will vary from country to country and region
to region, but in general it will involve a multifaceted
approach of investing in safety and making
sound policy decisions.
" We have to evolve. We have to understand the
context in which we are now responding, " US Fire
Administrator Lori Moore-Merrell said during the
annual Urban Fire Forum (UFF), hosted at NFPA
headquarters in September. " The hazards are
changing, and they're becoming more frequent.
This is only going to escalate. "
RESOURCE INVESTMENT
When Hurricane Harvey struck Texas in August
2017, the slow-moving Category 4 storm dumped
an astonishing 60 inches of rain onto parts of the
Houston metro area. With no high-water rescue
vehicles in its fleet at the time, the Houston Fire
Department wasn't as prepared as it could have
been. But in the five years since that storm, the
department has invested roughly $10 million in
high-water vehicles, fire boats, natural-disaster
response training, and other resources aimed at
enhancing local responders' preparedness.
" We have to invest in the expected risks in
our communities, " Houston Fire Chief Samuel
Peña said at the UFF. " And in Houston, if someone
spits, it floods. "
Peña and several other members of the Metropolitan
Fire Chiefs Association shared their experiences
with extreme weather events during a presentation
led by Moore-Merrell on climate change at the
forum. Many stories were similar to Peña's. The fire
service leaders described how, over roughly the past
five years, extreme weather events have opened their
communities' eyes to the hazards the future may
hold. In many cases, those experiences have also led
to conversations about how to better invest in safety,
one of the eight key components outlined in the
NFPA Fire & Life Safety Ecosystem™
.
In Arizona, for example, the growing number
of extreme heat incidents has prompted efforts to
pursue landscaping designs that mitigate street
heat. In Chicago, recent winters that have brought
deadly cold snaps and pummeling snowstorms to
the region have officials considering how to better
weatherize fire apparatus. And in Europe, the need
to become better prepared for a number of previously
unprecedented weather threats has become
NFPA.ORG/
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apparent in recent years.
" We've had more floods,
wildfires, and even hurricanes-that's
a new one for
the continent of Europe, " said
Stephan Wevers, a fire chief
from the Netherlands and
president of the Federation of
European Fire Officers. " When
extreme flooding occurred in
Germany last year, it lasted for
three weeks. Staffing during
that time was a challenge. " It's events like this that
European safety officials are analyzing as they plan
for the next 30 years, Wevers said.
Ideally, though, it wouldn't take an event or series
of events to trigger efforts to become more prepared
for extreme weather threats, and Moore-Merrell
stressed that point in her UFF presentation. Using
data, she said, is the main way departments can
anticipate and prepare for events before they occur.
For responders in the US, a website has been
launched to help departments achieve that goal.
The Climate Mapping for Resilience and Adaptation
(CMRA) Assessment Tool, available at
resilience.climate.gov, gives users a broad overview
of the current situation nationwide and
allows them to zero in on specific areas to see
which extreme weather threats are most likely
to affect their communities in the coming years.
" This is your way to prepare for a budget ask, "
Moore-Merrell said, referring to the tool. " This is
your way to prepare for a grant application. "
Investing in safety isn't just about investing in
equipment and training for responders, either.
Whole communities, and even entire countries,
may need to assess the strength of their emergency
communications infrastructure and public
awareness of weather hazards, too, and make the
investments necessary to fill in the gaps.
In India, for instance, lightning strikes kill thousands
annually, and the number is climbing. In 2016,
about 1,500 Indians were killed by lightning; last
year, that number was nearly 3,000. Over a five-day
span in September, lightning strikes killed 39 people
across the country, more than the number of people
who typically die from lightning strikes in an entire
year in the US. Experts say one of the biggest reasons
so many people continue to die from lightning
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NFPA Journal - Winter 2022

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