NFPA 80 at Intersec Conference in Dubai, UAE

Last week I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to travel with 3 other NFPA staff to the Intersec conference in Dubai, UAE.  Upon my arrival, I was excited to learn about the great interest in our fire door standards!

Intersec is a leading regional trade event in the security, safety and protection industries, featuring a brand profile of 4 vertical sections: Commercial and Information Security, Homeland Security and Policing, Safety and Health, and Fire and Rescue.   NFPA was in attendance in conjunction with NAFFCO.  NAFFCO serves as the distributor of NFPA codes and standards to the middle east region and is a great resource for those in the area wishing to have access to NFPA products without having to ship them internationally. 

I was most excited to see the NFPA 80 buzz as I attended the expo and various other events and meetings throughout the week.  I was able to attend a meeting where one of the topics discussed was the differences between the European standards and the US standards related to fire door testing.  As cities such as Dubai and Abu Dhabi grow, they are looking towards already established expert standards to implement in their country.  One area where significant differences occur is with fire door testing.  I plan to bring back my findings to the NFPA 80 Technical Committee this fall in hopes that we can help bridge the gap between Europe and the US in our fire door regulations. 

I also presented a short program on the inspection, testing, and maintenance provisions of the 2013 edition of NFPA 80.  The session was very well attended, with all seats full and even some standing room only attendees.  The genuine interest in NFPA 80 was very positive!

While in Dubai I also had the opportunity to do some sightseeing.  Highlights included going to the 124th floor of the Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building!  Dubai is a beautiful and unique city, with many engineering wonders!  It was a great trip!