Fire Service Links – National and International Associations

Emergency Responder Safety Institute
The Emergency Responder Safety Institute serves as an informal advisory panel of public safety leaders committed to reducing deaths and injuries to America's emergency responders when they respond to emergencies on or along our nation's streets, roads and highways.

Fire Department Safety Officers Association (FDSOA)
The Fire Department Safety Officers Association was established in 1989 as a non-profit Association, incorporated in Massachusetts. Its mission is to promote safety standards and practices in the fire, rescue and emergency services community.

Fire.Gov - Better fire fighting through research
The Fire.Gov website is maintained by NIST BFRL as a means to provide training materials, videos, fire reconstructions, and research reports that may be of interest to the fire service. The Fire.Gov electronic newsletter will continue to be an important part of the website.

Fire Marshals Association of North America (FMANA)
The International Fire Marshals Association (IFMA) Section seeks to minimize the loss of life and property by fire through advocating, promoting, and providing leadership in the prevention and mitigation of fire, explosion, and other hazardous conditions.

International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC)
Established in 1873, the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) is a powerful network of more than 12,000 chief fire and emergency officers. Our members are the world's leading experts in fire fighting, emergency medical services, terrorism response, hazardous materials spills, natural disasters, search & rescue, and public safety legislation.

IAFC Safety, Health & Survival Section
The IAFC Safety, Health and Survival Section was established to provide a specific component within the IAFC to concentrate on policies and issues relating to the health and safety of firefighters. The IAFC has always considered health and safety to be one of the most important areas of concern for all fire chiefs and has initiated or participated in a long list of programs related to health and safety.

IAFC Volunteer Chief Officers Section
The mission of the IAFC Volunteer & Combination Officers Section is to provide Chief Officers who manage volunteers within the Fire/Rescue/EMS delivery system with information, education, services, and representation to enhance their professionalism and capabilities.

International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF)
The International Association of Fire Fighters has more than 2,700 affiliates, representing fire fighters in more than 3,500 communities in the U.S. and Canada. The 263,000 members of the IAFF are the nation’s full-time professional fire fighters and paramedics, who protect the lives and property of 80 percent of the nation’s population.

National Association of State Fire Marshals
The National Association of State Fire Marshals (NASFM) represents the most senior fire official of each of the 50 United States and District of Columbia. State Fire Marshals' responsibilities vary from state to state, but Marshals tend to be responsible for fire safety code adoption and enforcement, fire and arson investigation, fire incident data reporting and analysis, public education and advising Governors and State Legislatures on fire protection. Some State Fire Marshals are responsible for fire fighter training, hazardous materials incident responses, wildland fires and the regulation of natural gas and other pipelines.

National Fallen Fire Fighters Foundation
The United States Congress created the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation to lead a nationwide effort to remember America’s fallen firefighters. Since 1992, the Foundation has developed and expanded programs to honor our fallen fire heroes and assist their families and coworkers.

National Fire Fighter Near-Miss Reporting System
The National Fire Fighter Near-Miss Reporting System is a voluntary,
confidential, non-punitive and secure reporting system with the goal
of improving fire fighter safety.

National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
A worldwide leader in providing fire, electrical, and life safety to the public since 1896. The mission of the international nonprofit NFPA is to reduce the worldwide burden of fire and other hazards on the quality of life by providing and advocating scientifically-based consensus codes and standards, research, training and education.

National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Building and Fire Research Laboratory
The Building and Fire Research Laboratory studies building materials; computer-integrated construction practices; fire science and fire safety engineering; and structural, mechanical, and environmental engineering. Products of the laboratory's research include measurements and test methods, performance criteria, and technical data that supports innovations by industry and are incorporated into building and fire standards and codes. The BFRL Mission is to promote U.S. innovation and competitiveness by anticipating and meeting the measurement science, standards, and technology needs of the U.S. building and fire safety industries in ways that enhance economic security and improve the quality of life.

National Interagency Fire Center
The National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) in Boise, Idaho is the nation’s support center for wildlandfirefighting. Seven federal and state agencies call NIFC home and work together to coordinate and support wildland fire and disaster operations. These agencies include the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Land Management, Forest Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, National Association of State Foresters, National Weather Service, and Office of Aircraft Services.

National Volunteer Fire Council
The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) is a non-profit membership association representing the interests of the volunteer fire, EMS and rescue services. The NVFC serves as the information source regarding legislation, standards and regulatory issues.

National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG)
The purpose of NWCG is to establish an operational group designed to coordinate programs of the participating wildfire management agencies.

Society of Fire Protection Engineers
The Society of Fire Protection Engineers was established in 1950 and incorporated as in independent organization in 1971. It is the professional society representing those practicing the field of fire protection engineering. The Society has approximately 3500 members in the United States and abroad, and 51 regional chapters, 10 of which are outside the US.

The purpose of the Society is to advance the science and practice of fire protection engineering and its allied fields, to maintain a high ethical standard among its members and to foster fire protection engineering education.

U.S. Fire Administration (USFA/FEMA)
As an entity of the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the mission of the USFA is to reduce life and economic losses due to fire and related emergencies, through leadership, advocacy, coordination, and support