The NFPA Standards Council: Who are the people shaping global fire and life safety standards?

What is the NFPA Standards Council?

Most NFPA standards never make headlines, but they influence decisions made every day in buildings, industrial facilities and fire grounds around the world.

Behind those documents is the National Fire Protection Association Standards Council, the body responsible for overseeing how NFPA standards are developed, interpreted and maintained.

Appointed by the NFPA Board of Directors, the 13-member Council provides governance for the standards process, appoints technical committee members and serves as the final appeals authority when questions or disputes arise.

Meeting three times each year and presiding over the annual NFPA Technical Meeting, the Council is responsible for ensuring that standards are developed in accordance with NFPA Regulations and Rules.

It appoints members to NFPA Technical and Correlating Committees and serves as the final appeals body for issues related to standards development.

Together, the Council brings decades of experience from engineering, enforcement, manufacturing, research and the fire service – a breadth of perspective designed to support balanced, consensus-based standards.

Leadership grounded in global fire engineering

Chairing the Council is James R. Quiter, whose career has spanned more than four decades at the forefront of fire protection engineering.

Recently retired as a Principal at Arup, Quiter previously led the firm’s 300-person Los Angeles office and remains affiliated with the company.

Widely recognised for his expertise in performance-based design and US codes, he has chaired multiple NFPA correlating committees and currently leads the NFPA High Rise Building Safety Advisory Committee.

His work with the Society of Fire Protection Engineers, including contributions to guidance on very tall buildings, reflects a career focused on translating engineering theory into practical safety outcomes.

Code enforcement and public administration expertise

From a municipal perspective, Anthony C. Apfelbeck brings more than 35 years of experience in building and fire codes.

As Director of the Building and Fire Safety Department for the City of Altamonte Springs, Florida, he oversees everything from construction plan review to investigations and code enforcement.

His career began in the fire service and has expanded into technical committee work, professional education and executive leadership – a combination that reflects the real-world challenges of applying codes consistently and effectively.

Engineering practice and complex risk environments

Industry engineering practice is represented by figures such as Tracey D. Bellamy, Chief Engineering Officer at Telgian Corporation.

Bellamy’s work focuses on fire protection engineering and life safety consulting for large construction projects and hazardous materials facilities.

His experience reflects the growing need to address complex risk profiles across diverse occupancies and industrial environments.

Similarly, Michael A. Crowley of Coffman Engineers brings more than 40 years of consulting experience, with a particular focus on healthcare occupancies and life safety systems.

A former president of the Society of Fire Protection Engineers, Crowley continues to work with architects, facility managers and owners globally, helping translate standards into operational safety.

Standards development from the inside out

Several Council members have spent significant portions of their careers embedded directly in standards development.

Guy R. Colonna, a former NFPA engineer and staff liaison, worked for more than three decades on documents addressing maritime fire protection and industrial hazards.

Since retiring from NFPA, he has remained active through consulting and technical committee participation, bringing historical knowledge of how standards evolve over time.

Raymond A. Grill, principal of Ray Grill Consulting, also represents this long-term engagement with NFPA’s technical process.

With more than 40 years in fire protection engineering, Grill has chaired and served on numerous NFPA committees, particularly those related to life safety, sprinklers and emergency communications.

Fire service and operational leadership

Operational fire service experience is represented by Randy J. Krause, Fire Chief of the Port of Seattle Fire Department.

Krause’s career includes service in the US Air Force, private-sector industrial fire protection and leadership at one of the country’s busiest aviation hubs.

His long-standing involvement with NFPA occupational health and safety committees reflects the importance of aligning standards with responder realities.

Catherine L. Stashak, now an engineer with the Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal, also brings frontline fire service experience.

After two decades with the Des Plaines Fire Department, she moved into regulatory and technical services, where her work now supports rulemaking, code interpretation and engineering review across a wide range of fire and life safety issues.

Science, testing and certification perspectives

The Council also includes members whose careers are rooted in testing, certification and research.

John A. LeBlanc, a senior engineering specialist at FM, has spent four decades developing property loss prevention guidance and supporting special hazard standards.

His work bridges chemical engineering, fire protection engineering and practical loss prevention strategies.

At UL Solutions, Dwayne E. Sloan serves as Technical Director for the Built Environment Division.

Over 37 years, his focus has included reaction-to-fire testing, exterior wall assemblies, ventilation systems and building materials.

His involvement across UL, NFPA and ASTM committees highlights the interconnection between testing, certification and code adoption.

Electrical safety and systems expertise

Electrical systems and power reliability are represented by Alan Manche of Schneider Electric.

With more than 30 years in the electrical industry, Manche has worked across product design, certification and standards development.

His long involvement with the National Electrical Code and emergency power system standards reflects the critical role of electrical safety within the broader fire protection landscape.

Industry association and system design insight

Rounding out the Council is Victoria B. Valentine of the American Fire Sprinkler Association.

A licensed professional engineer and Fellow of SFPE, Valentine has spent over two decades working with non-profit associations on professional qualifications, training and codes and standards development.

Her background in fire sprinkler systems and risk assessment adds a systems-based perspective to the Council’s work.