NAFED

SKILLED LABOR DEMAND IS EXPLODING—AND AI IS PART OF THE REASON.

An NFPA survey found that 88% of skilled trades workers say demand for their work has increased over the past three years. At the same time, AI and massive data center growth are creating even greater demand for qualified professionals.

But there’s an interesting twist: AI may also be part of the solution.
How are skilled trades using AI to work smarter, access codes faster, and keep up with growing demand?

👉 Read the article:
https://www.facilitiesdive.com/news/skilled-labor-demand-is-exploding-ai-is-both-a-cause-and-a-solution-nfpa/828258/

🔥🔊 WHAT IF YOU COULD FIGHT FIRE… WITH SOUND?

It sounds futuristic, but an Ohio startup is developing a fire protection system that uses infrasonic sound waves to attack flames—and investors just put $15 million behind the technology.
According to TechCrunch, Sonic Fire Tech's system uses sensors to detect a fire and then sends sound at around 20 Hz through piping toward the flames. The company says the technology can deploy within seconds, without the water or chemical residue associated with conventional suppression methods.

And here's where it gets even more interesting:
🔥 Systems are being developed for commercial buildings, kitchens and homes
🔋 Early testing is exploring whether the technology could help contain lithium-ion battery fires and limit cell-to-cell spread
🌲 The company is also exploring applications for protecting homes from wildfires
💰 Insurers are reportedly discussing whether the technology could eventually qualify for premium discounts

The technology is still being tested and working through the approvals needed for broader use—but the concept raises a fascinating question for our industry:

Could SOUND become another tool in the future of fire suppression?

👉 Fire protection professionals—you'll want to read this one:
https://techcrunch.com/2026/08/17/sound-powered-fire-protection-startup-gets-15m-to-snuff-out-fires-before-they-turn-catastrophic/

READY TO TAKE YOUR KITCHEN EXHAUST KNOWLEDGE TO THE NEXT LEVEL?
The IKECA 2026 Fall Technical Seminar is coming to Greenville, South Carolina, October 28–30, 2026 at the Hyatt Regency Greenville.

This is an opportunity for kitchen exhaust cleaning professionals to step away from the day-to-day and spend time learning, connecting and strengthening their industry knowledge.

Why attend?
🔥 Expand your technical knowledge
🤝 Connect with other kitchen exhaust cleaning professionals
💡 Exchange ideas and learn from industry peers
📚 Stay focused on industry standards, safety and professional development
🎓 Attendance at IKECA's Fall Technical Seminar can also qualify for up to 2.0 CEUs toward IKECA certification renewal, based on registration and confirmed attendance.
The better trained our industry becomes, the better we can protect lives and property.

📅 October 28–30, 2026
📍 Hyatt Regency Greenville | Greenville, SC

👉 Get the details and register:
https://www.ikeca.org/page/IKECA2026FT

PROTECT LIVES WITH PRECISION.

When it comes to automatic sprinkler systems, precision matters.
Fire protection professionals responsible for the design, installation, and testing of sprinkler systems need to stay current with changing requirements. The 2025 edition of NFPA 13, Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems, includes important updates that could impact the way systems are designed and installed.

🔎 WHAT'S NEW IN NFPA 13?
🔹 New Vacuum System Concept
New provisions address the use of vacuum systems to reduce oxygen in piping for dry pipe and preaction sprinkler systems—helping reduce corrosion and potentially extend piping life.
🔹 More Accurate Water Supply Calculations
Clarified guidance for supplemental sprinklers can support more precise water supply calculations, improved system efficiency, and potential cost savings.
🔹 Updated Installation Requirements
Changes include revised criteria for sloped ceilings, omission of sprinklers in elevator hoistways in most situations, and new guidance involving low-piled storage.
🔹 Alignment with Seismic Standards
Revisions to Chapter 18 and Annex E update seismic load tables and coefficient values to better align with applicable ASCE standards.
Codes change. Technology changes. Our responsibility to protect lives and property doesn't.

👉 Learn more about the 2025 edition of NFPA 13:
https://www.nfpa.org/product/nfpa-13-standard/p0013code

HEALTHCARE FIRE & LIFE SAFETY CODES ARE CHANGING. ARE YOU KEEPING UP?

Healthcare facilities present unique life-safety challenges—and recent model code updates reflect what research and new technology are teaching the industry.

According to Facilities Dive, recent ICC and NFPA model code updates address areas including fire alarms, sprinkler systems, carbon monoxide detection, emergency responder communications and lithium-ion batteries.

One especially interesting example: research cited by NFPA indicates that low-frequency fire alarm tones around 520 Hz can be more effective at waking people who are under sedation, intoxicated, hearing impaired or otherwise impaired.

The article also discusses changes involving:
🔥 Fire alarm notification
💧 Sprinkler system supervisory signaling
⚠️ Carbon monoxide detection
📡 Emergency responder communications (ERCES)
🛏️ Areas of refuge and healthcare occupancies
🔋 Lithium-ion battery considerations

For fire protection professionals working in hospitals, nursing homes, assisted living facilities and other healthcare environments, these are developments worth understanding.

👉 What’s changing—and why? Read the full article:
https://www.facilitiesdive.com/news/healthcare-facility-code-updates-reflect-evidence-based-findings-life-safe/827902/

FIRE SPRINKLER PROFESSIONALS: THIS IS ONE YOU NEED TO SEE.

A fitting may look legitimate. It may even carry a UL Certification Mark.

But is that mark actually authorized?
UL Solutions has issued a public notice involving certain YUK pipe fittings used in fire sprinkler systems that bear unauthorized UL Certification Marks for the U.S. and Canada. According to UL Solutions, these products have not been evaluated against the appropriate safety standards, and it is unknown whether they meet safety requirements.

UL Solutions is advising building inspectors, fire protection professionals and code authorities to remove affected fittings from service and replace them with properly certified products.

🔥 Could these fittings be installed on a system you're inspecting or servicing?

The notice includes the identifying markings and photos fire protection professionals should know.

👉 Read the UL Solutions public notice and see what to look for:
https://www.ul.com/news/ul-solutions-warns-unauthorized-ul-certification-marks-pipe-fittings

🟥NFPA 13: Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems

New information has been added to the pages of NFPA 13. Use this link:
➡️https://www.nfpa.org/codes-and-standards/nfpa-13-standard-development/13

2025 and 2028 editions:
Posted under Current & Prior Editions tab and the Next Edition tab:
Proposed Tentative Interim Amendment: Soliciting public comments on the 2025 and proposed 2028 editions: Proposed TIA No. 1945, Reference: 19.2.2.2, comment closing date: 10/14/2026

⚡🔥 ELECTRICAL FIRES DON’T ALWAYS START WITH FLAMES.

A loose connection. An overloaded circuit. Damaged equipment. A wiring fault.
Electrical hazards can develop behind walls, inside panels, and within equipment—often before anyone realizes there’s a problem.
That’s why understanding the relationship between electrical safety and fire prevention is so important.

This article from Fire & Safety Journal Americas takes a closer look at fire and electrical safety data and why electrical risks deserve serious attention.

⚡ What are the fire risks associated with electrical systems?
🔥 What does the data tell us?
🏢 Where should businesses and safety professionals focus their attention?
🛡️ And what can be done to help reduce the risk?
Fire prevention starts long before the first sign of smoke.

👉 Read the full article:
https://fireandsafetyjournalamericas.com/fire-and-electrical-safety-data/

🔥🪣 BEFORE FIRE EXTINGUISHERS… THERE WAS THE FIRE BUCKET.

It may look simple today, but the humble fire bucket played an important role in the development of the American fire service.
In early colonial communities, homes and businesses were actually required to keep fire buckets available. When fire broke out, citizens formed bucket brigades—passing water from wells and other water sources person-to-person until it reached the fire.
But there’s much more history behind these buckets than you might expect.

🪣 Why were early fire buckets made from leather?
🔥 How did the famous bucket brigade actually work?
🤔 Why did some metal fire buckets have rounded bottoms?
🚂 Why were cone-shaped buckets used by railroads?
🚒 And how did the fire bucket help pave the way for the modern fire service?

Some of the answers—and even a little controversy—may surprise you.

From a simple bucket to today's sophisticated fire protection equipment, every generation helped build the fire service we know today.

👉 Take a few minutes and read this fascinating piece of fire service history:
https://www.ffam.org/the-fire-bucket-a-part-of-fire-service-history/

FIXED OR PORTABLE GAS DETECTION — WHICH IS RIGHT FOR THE JOB?

When combustible or toxic gases are a potential hazard, choosing the right detection strategy can make a critical difference.
Fixed and portable gas detectors aren’t interchangeable. Each serves a different purpose—and in many facilities, the strongest safety strategy may involve both.

This Fire Safety Search article breaks down:
🔹 When continuous fixed gas detection makes sense
🔹 Where portable detectors provide greater flexibility
🔹 Confined-space and personal monitoring considerations
🔹 Sensor technologies and detector placement
🔹 How fixed systems can trigger alarms, ventilation, shutdowns and other safety functions
🔹 Why combining fixed and portable detection can provide a more complete approach to gas safety

Are you using the right type of gas detection for the hazards you face?

👉 Read the full article:
https://www.firesafetysearch.com/fixed-vs-portable-gas-detectors-making-the-right-safety-choice/