The
Commerce Department's National Institute of Standards and
Technology (NIST) will hold a public meeting on April 22,
2002, in New York City to gather technical information for
its proposed building and fire safety investigation of the
World Trade Center (WTC) collapse following the terrorist
attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
The
meeting will be held at the New York Marriott Hotel Financial
Center, located at 85 West St. in New York City from 8 a.m.
until 4 p.m.
Individuals
and representatives of organizations who have technical
information that could be helpful to such an investigation
are invited to request a place on the agenda. The total
number of speakers and organizations, and the time available
for each, will be determined by the number of requests,
but the time is likely to be five to 10 minutes each.
Specific
technical issues of interest to NIST are the following:
-
the
probable technical causal factors for the collapse of
the World Trade Center towers following the airplane impacts;
-
the
factors that led to the injuries and fatalities, including
all technical aspects of fire protection, response, evacuation,
and occupant behavior and emergency response;
-
the
procedures and practices used in the design, construction,
operation and maintenance of the World Trade Center towers;
-
new
technologies and procedures emerging that might be employed
in the future to reduce the potential risks of such a
collapse; and
-
building
and fire codes, standards and practices that might warrant
revision.
To
request an opportunity to speak, NIST must receive the following
information via e-mail (wtc@nist.gov)
or fax (301-975-4052) no later than 5 p.m. on April 17,
2002:
-
the
name and contact information (including phone number,
fax number and/or
e-mail address) of the individual who will be speaking;
-
the
name and complete address of the organization(s) that
the speaker represents; and
-
the specific technical issue that will be discussed (see
previous list).
Those requesting an opportunity to speak are encouraged to
submit a 150 to 200 word summary of their key points to assist
in the selection of speakers. Selected speakers will be contacted
by noon on April 19, 2002. Speakers who wish to expand upon
their oral statements, those who cannot be accommodated on
the agenda due to the constraints of time, and those who are
unable to attend are invited to submit written statements
and supporting material to:
Regular
Mail
The
WTC Technical Information Repository
Building and Fire Research Laboratory
NIST
MS 8610
Gaithersburg, MD 20899-8610
Electronic
Mail
wtc@nist.gov
Fax
(301)
975-4052.
Statements made at the meeting and/or submitted to NIST will
be recorded, transcribed and made available to the public
at a later date. The meeting may be Webcast and linked to
the NIST home page, www.nist.gov.
Details will be available on that Web site before the meeting.
As a non-regulatory agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce's
Technology Administration, NIST develops and promotes measurements,
standards, and technology to enhance productivity, facilitate
trade and improve the quality of life.
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