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Fire

News and Updates

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NIST Researcher Dan Madrzykowski Named Fire Service Instructor of the Year

May 5, 2009

Daniel Madrzykowski of the National Institute of Standards and Technology was named George D. Post Instructor of the Year for 2009 by the International Society

During a fire safety experiment, a firefighter ventilates the building to let smoke and heat out to improve conditions inside.

Live Fire Experiments Examine Impact of Changes in Firefighting Resources

February 10, 2009

Minutes after a two-story townhouse caught fire on Feb. 5, engines and crews raced to the townhouse to extinguish the fire and search for victims. No one was

Carbon Nanofibers Cut Flammability of Upholstered Furniture

December 9, 2008

Carbon, the active ingredient in charcoal, is normally not considered a fire retardant, but researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology

Fire Videos Dramatize Christmas Tree Safety Measures

October 28, 2008

As the weather grows cold and people start planning for the holidays, researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have released two

High Rise Fire Fighting—Effective Use of Positive Pressure Ventilation

June 24, 2008

National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) engineers recently released a two-disk DVD set that demonstrates how Positive Pressure Ventilation (PPV)

High rise building with smoke coming out of upper windows. Two people in bucket trucks.

NIST Evaluates Firefighting Tactics In NYC High-Rise Test

March 18, 2008

National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) fire protection engineers turned an abandoned New York City (NYC) brick high-rise into a seven-story fire

Photo of a mounted fan outside of a building

Fans Clear High-Rise Stairwells of Smoke

June 21, 2007

High pressure fans that direct air flow up the stairway of a burning high-rise building can increase the effectiveness of firefighters and the survivability of

Photo of NIST firefighters performing a positive pressure ventilation test at an abandoned apartment building

NIST Test Fans the Flames for High-Rise Fire Safety

November 22, 2006

The blow-torch-like flames erupting from the windows of an abandoned, 16-story Chicago apartment building on Nov. 10 were certainly dramatic to watch from the

Firefighter Radios May Fail During High-Temp Fires

September 28, 2006

Firefighters sometimes find themselves fighting blazes in temperatures as high as 500 degrees F (260 degrees C). Firefighter gear and self-contained breathing

NIST Software Makes Fire Gear Choice Easier

June 8, 2006

Firefighters know that protective "turnout gear" (pants and coats) can save their lives. Yet because there are several different attributes of protective

Fire Panel Changes Offer Real-Time Fire Status Data

February 2, 2006

Fire panels, or "annunciators," are electronic devices that display data on building conditions in one easily accessible location. When used by first responders

Updated Fire Modeling Software Released

November 3, 2005

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) released in September an updated version of a popular computer program that fire investigators, safety

NIST Urges Implementation of Recommendations from World Trade Center Investigation Final Towers Report Released Today at Congressional Hearing

October 26, 2005

WASHINGTON, D.C.— William Jeffrey, director of the U.S. Commerce Department's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), today called on the

Meeting Slated to Discuss Structural Steel and Fire

June 2, 2005

The World Trade Center (WTC) terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, showed the critical importance of fire resistant materials for structural steel. To accelerate

Federal Investigators Classify WTC Victims' Locations Within Collapsed Buildings

July 20, 2004

As part of its building and fire safety investigation of the World Trade Center (WTC) disaster, the Commerce Department's National Institute of Standards and

NIST Issues Guidelines to Protect First Responders Exposed to Chemical, Biological, Radiological or Nuclear Agents

September 19, 2002

A new report issued today by the Commerce Department's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is the first comprehensive set of basic procedures

Commerce's NIST Details Federal Investigation of World Trade Center Collapse

August 21, 2002

More information on the investigation is available at http://wtc.nist.gov. The Commerce Department's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) today

NIST Fire Research Seeks a Safer Night's Sleep for All

July 17, 2000

Engineers at the Building and Fire Research Laboratory (BFRL) of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, an agency of the Commerce Department's

Snell Named to Head NIST Building and Fire Research Laboratory

August 2, 1999

Ray Kammer, director of the Commerce Department's National Institute of Standards and Technology, has named Jack E. Snell as director of the agency's Building

NIST Will Lead Study on Dangers of Fire Smoke

April 22, 1999

The Commerce Department’s National Institute of Standards and Technology and the Fire Protection Research Foundation announced a research initiative to study

NIST Computer Program Spurs Decision to Set Leaking Cargo Ship Afire

February 12, 1999

A computer program developed by fire scientists at a federal laboratory played a key role in the decision last night to ignite a huge explosion on a cargo ship

NIST Presents Safety Awards to Two Fire Engineering Technicians

December 10, 1997

The National Institute of Standards and Technology today recognized two employees for superior efforts in creating and maintaining a safe working environment

NIST And USFA Strengthen Fire-Fighting

November 5, 1997

American fire prevention and firefighting efforts took a step forward today when the Commerce Department’s National Institute of Standards and Technology and

NIST Astronaut's Shuttle Research Seeks Better Understanding of Combustion

April 2, 1997

Gregory T. Linteris, a 39-year-old engineer at the Commerce Department's National Institute of Standards and Technology, will be conducting experiments in outer

Advances in Sprinkler and Water Mist Fire Suppression Systems Tested

March 12, 1996

Firefighters and fire researchers today witnessed demonstrations of prototype fire sprinkler and water mist systems with the potential to suppress home fires

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