The International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) joined the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) in calling upon the House of Representatives and the Senate today to enact the Safe Building Code Incentive Act (SBCIA), which provides financial incentives for states to adopt and enforce strong building codes.

Greg Havel takes a look at lightning protection systems on buildings and what they might mean for firefighting operations and fire safety.

Greg Havel discusses the characteristics of flat roof membranes and their implications for firefighting operations.

Greg Havel reviews a variety of roof coverings and their implications for firefighting operations.

During firefighting operations, any door can provide the building's occupants (and firefighters) with some protection against smoke and heat. Greg Havel reviews fire resistance of doors in residential occupancies.

The bowstring truss is neither the most common type of truss nor the type most likely to kill firefighters, Greg Havel writes.

Greg Havel takes a look at the features of cantilevered roofs and the dangers they may pose to firefighters.

Federal and local investigators are looking for a suspect who is setting fires at the construction site of a new dormitory on Temple University's (PA) campus.

Radon gas in emergency responders' residences can affect their health and that of their families, Greg Havel writes.

Greg Havel discusses the effects of fire on combustible building siding and what that can mean for firefighters.

Gregory Havel examines some of the resulting code changes caused by the Our Lady of the Angels Catholic School Fire in 1958.

Saturday, December 1, was the 54^th anniversary of the fire at Our Lady of the Angels Catholic School in Chicago, Illinois. Three of the sisters who taught at the school and 92 children died. Many more were injured by heat, smoke, and jumping from windows to escape the fire.

The presence of fuel pipes throughout a building is significant for firefighters, Greg Havel writes.

This type of heating/air-conditioning system in a building is worth a note on the building's preincident plan, Gregory Havel writes.

At fires and other types of incidents, firefighters sometimes get into trouble because we make incorrect assumptions about the structure that we will be working in or near, Greg Havel writes.

Gregory Havel discusses the differences between early and modern building codes and what they mean for structural firefighting.

A retired New Jersey locksmith has agreed to stop using eBay to sell sets of master keys that are given to New York City firefighters

Precast and tilted-up concrete walls may pose dangers to firefighters under fire conditions. Greg Havel discusses potential hazards with this construction feature.

Once an incident is under control, the fire is out, and energy sources are isolated and locked out, firefighters must continue to use our risk evaluation and management procedures, Greg Havel writes.