This is a comprehensive presentation of how the National Fire Protection Association's standards are formulated, the committee process, and how anyone can participate. We will talk about the various opportunities for individuals to contribute, how the standards evolve, and the consensus-building approach. We will also touch on how the various review processes and appeals processes work.

After explaining how standards are written and revised, we will have an overview of the current edition of NFPA 1971: Standard on Protective Ensemble for Structural Fire Fighting and how it compares with NFPA 1976: Standard on Protective Ensemble for Proximity Fire Fighting. We will then review the 2001 edition of NFPA 1851: Standard for Selection, Care, and Maintenance of Structural Fire Fighting Protective Ensembles, and discuss its impact on fire departments.

"There are no people with disabilities in the fire service." This was said in 1999 by an equality advisor in the British fire service. Two years later, a lawyer acting for the FDNY made the same assertion in a Federal courtroom.

When someone says "disability," it often conjures up visions of people with impaired mobility, or those who have lost their sight or hearing, or who live with learning difficulties. It also becomes a label for second-class citizens or "invalids." But there are many medical conditions that meet the legal definition of disability and yet do not prevent someone from working in an unrestricted, operational firefighting position.

WFS has comprehensively documented the historic disadvantages women have had to overcome in order to enter the male-dominated profession of firefighting. Not surprisingly, employing other people who are also considered different from the "norm" has involved similar stories of conflict.

This workshop is designed to address medical conditions that qualify as disabling under U.S. and U.K. law but should not be considered an automatic exclusion from firefighting. We will look at strategies to overcome opposition from personnel officers, co-workers, and employers who practice blanket bans against employees with medical conditions, and review types of medical conditions that can be managed to very high standards of competence.

"Firefighter down!" is the worst nightmare of any incident commander, company officer, or firefighter. This situation can quickly overwhelm resources, the ICS, and the personnel involved. Any incident command system is only as strong as the understanding that everyone on the fire ground has about their role in the system.

This workshop will present a brief description of decision-making models and describe how the mayday requires a model different from everyday fire ground decision-making. We will discuss the need for a strong ICS and cover the role and responsibilities of all parties in a mayday event. The material will include training techniques for Rapid Intervention Teams and discuss how incident commanders and company officers can prepares themselves to manage a mayday.

This panel discussion deals with the nuts and bolts of planning and executing a mini-conference for female firefighters in any state, based upon New York's experience with the annual NYS Women Firefighters' Seminar Weekend. Designed specifically to meet the needs and interests of the distaff side of the fire service, the three-day program includes keynote speakers, seminars, workshops, hands-on training, competitions, an open forum and networking events.

Find out how to get started, organize the details, choose presenters, gain sponsors, do outreach, garner publicity and evaluate the final product. The panelists will describe what they have learned and what women firefighters are seeking in an educational weekend of their own.