We need to fight for fire safety: Jim Pauley, NFPA President and CEO, calls for global action to uphold fire safety standards amid growing risks
Iain Hoey
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By Jim Pauley, NFPA President and CEO
As the world grapples with today’s challenges—climate disasters, a housing crisis, and rapid technological advancements—one critical issue demands our immediate attention: safety.
A troubling trend has emerged in legislative arenas where life-saving fire safety codes and standards are being dangerously disregarded.
The Grenfell Tower fire was a horrific reminder of what happens when safety is sidelined.
Seventy-two lives were lost in a fire that was entirely preventable if proper fire safety standards had been followed.
The Phase 2 report released earlier this year condemned organizations for prioritizing speed and profit over lives.
Progress across Europe on eliminating external cladding at the center of the Grenfell tragedy has been too slow, and other parts of the world remain at risk, as seen in recent fires where outdated standards played a role.
Similar negligence was at play in the 2016 Ghost Ship fire in California, where thirty-six people died in a building that failed to meet basic fire safety standards.
In response to these tragedies, NFPA developed the Fire and Life Safety Ecosystem™ in 2018 , a framework of eight components that work together to protect people and property.
However, disasters like Grenfell and the Ghost Ship fire can occur when even one component is compromised.
Yet, despite these lessons, there are active efforts to bypass the consensus-based codes that form the backbone of fire safety.
Across the United States, we’ve seen legislative initiatives seek to replace time-tested codes with rushed alternatives, often led by building industry interests that view safety measures as too costly or slow.
As part of their strategy, these special interests are sidelining fire safety professionals whose expertise is vital for informed decision-making.
These efforts jeopardize lives by weakening fire safety regulations or halting updates to critical provisions.
Recent legislative actions in states have diluted established fire safety standards.
For example, in New Jersey, a recent law allows architects and engineers to self-certify compliance with building safety codes, weakening independent oversight.
By prioritizing expediency and cost-cutting over rigorous, consensus-based standards and procedures, these measures put lives at risk and compromise the integrity of fire safety protections that communities depend on.
Fire safety professionals must be included in these decisions, as sidelining their expertise increases fire risks and endangers lives.
The complexity of modern risks—such as wildfires, lithium-ion batteries, and green energy—demands that we preserve the consensus-driven process for developing fire codes and standards.
Safety often comes at a cost, but it pales in comparison to the costs associated with catastrophic loss.
Historic tragedies like the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, the Cocoanut Grove fire, and Grenfell have shown us the devastating consequences of neglecting safety.
We cannot afford to forget these lessons.
The fight for safety is bigger than any one organization.
It requires the collective effort of fire professionals, lawmakers, and citizens around the world.
If we continue to ignore lessons from the past, we invite the next great tragedy.
But together, advocating for safety, we can prevent it.
About the IFSJ Influencer
Jim Pauley is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA).
NFPA is a global, non-profit organization devoted to eliminating death, injury, property and economic loss due to fire, electrical and related hazards.
He also serves as chair of the Board of Trustees of the NFPA-affiliated Fire Protection Research Foundation.
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