NFPA 1600 +1610 +1616 = NFPA 1660

NFPA 1660, Standard for Emergency, Continuity, and Crisis Management: Preparedness, Response, and Recovery, 2024 edition has been approved by the National Fire Protection Association as an American National Standard. 

NFPA 1600, “Standard on Continuity, Emergency, and Crisis Management,” 2019 edition, NFPA 1616, “Standard on Mass Evacuation, Sheltering, and Re-entry Programs,” 2020 edition, and NFPA 1620, “Standard for Pre-Incident Planning” 2020 edition, have been consolidated into a new standard, NFPA 1660. The technical committees responsible for these standards worked together to complete the consolidation, and the three committees continue to exist at this time.

The National Fire Protection Association’s consolidation plan for its Emergency Response and Responder Safety standards with “similar content areas” is intended to “increase usability, reduce errors and conflicts, and ultimately produce higher quality standards.” 

NFPA 1600 2019 edition’s chapters 4 through 10 are almost without change within the new 1660 and have retained their numbering. Chapter 1, “Administration” has been expanded to encompass the broader scope, purpose, and application of the three predecessor standards. An expanded list of publications can be found in Chapter 2, and a much longer list of definitions can be found in Chapter 3. A new section 4.1 “Administration” encompasses the scope, purpose, and application from 1600-2019 requiring subsections to be renumbered 4.2 through 4.9. Otherwise, there are no significant changes to the text from chapters 4-10 of NFPA 1600-2019.

A digital version of the new NFPA 1660 is viewable on the NFPA website, and the printed and PDF versions will be available from NFPA on January 27.

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Donald L. Schmidt, CEO of Preparedness, LLC has been a member of the NFPA 1600 technical committee since 1994 and served as chair for the 2010, 2013, and 2016 editions. He has also been a member of the NFPA 1620 technical committee since 1995.

Download Preparedness, LLC’s program self-assessment checklist that is based on NFPA 1600 (and chapters 4-10 of NFPA 1660). It includes more than 200 questions to help you evaluate your preparedness program.

2013 Edition of NFPA 1600 Close to Publication

The 2013 edition of NFPA 1600, "Standard on Disaster/Emergency Management and Business Continuity Programs" is complete. NFPA did not receive any "Notices of Intent To Make A Motion" (NITMAM), which would have required action at NFPA's annual meeting. Therefore, NFPA 1600-2013 will be approved by NFPA's Standards Council on or about November 27, 2012. The 2013 edition should become available in December or January.

If you would like to preview the 2013 edition, you can review the "Report on Comments" draft that was developed at the technical committee meeting March 20-22, 2012. You can monitor the progress of the technical committee by visiting the NFPA website.

Numerous resources pertaining to NFPA 1600 “Standard on Disaster/Emergency Management and Business Continuity Programs” can be found on the “NFPA 1600” page of the Preparedness, LLC website.

Donald L. Schmidt, ARM, CBCP, CBCLA, CEM® is the chair of NFPA’s Technical Committee on Emergency Management and Business Continuity, which is responsible for NFPA 1600. Mr. Schmidt has been involved in the development of every edition of NFPA 1600. He is the editor of “Implementing NFPA 1600 National Preparedness Standard," and he is also the lead instructor for NFPA’s professional development course on NFPA 1600.

NFPA 1600 Report on Comments Published

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has posted the “Report on Comments” for the 2013 edition of NFPA 1600. This report includes much of the text of the proposed document.
The official NFPA 1600 committee web page provides information on the current edition, the status of the next edition, information on the technical committee, and guidance on how to post questions. You can also view the NFPA 1600 page on the Preparedness, LLC website to obtain information.
If you would like to view and listen to a presentation by NFPA 1600, committee chair Don Schmidt, visit the Emergency Management Forum website.
NFPA 1600 is revised every three years. The technical committee encourages you to submit your thoughts regarding the next edition.

NFPA 1600-2010 edition for iPhone

The iPhone app for the 2010 edition of NFPA 1600 “Standard on Disaster/Emergency Management and Business Continuity Programs” is now available in the iTunes App Store

Please note there is a $4.99 fee for this app.

If you want details on NFPA 1600 from the committee chair, go to the NFPA 1600 resource page on the Preparedness, LLC website.

NFPA awarded contract to update FEMA’s Ready Business web content

June 23, 2011 – The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has been awarded a contract by FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) to update the web-based content of Ready Business, part of the Ready.gov website. This effort will bring the content of Ready Business into alignment with the current (2010) edition of NFPA 1600, Standard on Disaster/ Emergency Management and Business Continuity Programs.

The Ready Business website is designed to assist small and mid-size businesses in preparing for emergencies such as natural occurrences, technology failures, and accidental or intentional human-caused incidents. It addresses the concepts of business continuity and crisis management. The current Ready Business content was designed around the requirements of an earlier edition of NFPA 1600.

NFPA president James Shannon said: “We are pleased that FEMA has again chosen to use NFPA 1600 as the basis for the content in Ready Business. It is a unique preparedness standard as it addresses both business continuity and protection of employees – businesses’ and communities’ most valuable resource.”

NFPA 1600 has been recognized in the 9/11 Commission Report as well as the Homeland Security Act and its subsequent amendments, as a national standard for preparedness programs to protect enterprises and people. The FEMA Private Sector Preparedness Program, PS Prep, recognizes NFPA 1600 as a standard to which preparedness plans should be structured and measured. NFPA 1600 is available as a free PDF download or as a mobile app.

Update on NFPA 1600 2013 Edition

Here is an update on the 2013 edition of NFPA 1600 that I wrote for the "Meet the Experts" column in the April 27th issue of Continuity e-Guide, Disaster Resource Guide.

Work on the 2013 edition of NFPA 1600 "Standard on Disaster/Emergency Management and Business Continuity Programs" is well underway. The technical committee met in Orlando in late March to continue the research and development of what will become the sixth edition of the standard. The technical committee is also asking for public input for new content or revisions to existing text.

Technical Committee

The technical committee that writes NFPA 1600 was formed in 1991 by the National Fire Protection Association, a 115 year old non-profit organization dedicated to reducing the worldwide burden of fire and other hazards on the quality of life. It includes up to 36 principal, voting members plus alternates representing a broad spectrum of private sector companies, and federal, state, and local government. In addition to the principal and alternate committee members, the committee has formed numerous task groups comprised of non-member, subject matter experts to research and develop content for the standard. The standard is written in accordance with NFPA's ANSI accredited standards development process ensuring there is wide participation and consensus.

The committee is sensitive to the balance between writing prescriptive requirements and writing a standard that is widely applicable and not overly burdensome. Achieving this balance has resulted in just over six pages of concise requirements in chapters 1 through 8 and numerous annexes, which provide explanatory and supporting information. This approach continues with the 2013 edition.

Changes for the 2013 Edition

The technical committee has organized 14 task groups to research new content and revisions for the 2013 edition. Task groups are developing new and revised language on family preparedness, information technology, measurement, partnerships, and requirements for small “entities.” In addition, other task groups are working to expand the annexes, which provide nonmandatory guidance for users.

Recognizing that the availability of members of emergency management and business continuity teams is dependent on the preparedness of these employees, their families, and their homes, a task group on family preparedness was organized. The task group has drafted text to address the need for family preparedness (which will probably appear in the body of the standard) and additional explanatory text that will be included in the non-mandatory annexes.

Information technology is essential to every organization, so a task group of IT professionals was organized to review existing text on risk assessment, business impact analysis, recovery strategies, and the annexes to ensure that text adequately and appropriately addresses current and emerging technologies. The task group has submitted recommendations for additional text to be added to the body of the standard and additional supporting guidance in the annexes.

The 2010 edition of NFPA 1600 was reordered to follow a program development and continuous improvement process. A crosswalk between the program elements of NFPA 1600 and the ordering of a management system standard was introduced with the 2010 edition. The committee is taking this effort to the next level by rewriting Annex C to become a standalone management system standard that can be adopted by the entity in place of chapters 1 – 8.

Standards alone do not achieve preparedness. NFPA 1600 calls for the creation of a program committee of persons to develop the program and keep it current. For the 2013 edition, a task group has been researching how to define competencies for persons involved in the program. Another task group is addressing the subject of “measurement,” which is central to the need of determining whether the emergency management and business continuity program meets the needs of the entity. At this point in time it remains to be seen whether the committee will vote to accept substantial changes to the requirements of the standard in these two areas. It’s likely that supporting and explanatory text will be added to one or more annexes to assist the user of the standard.

The need for a “scalable” standard for smaller organizations was identified following the passage of Title IX of Public Law 110-53 and its language regarding small business preparedness. In response, another task group is writing a draft standard for small entities.

Continuing the evolution of the standard, the committee is looking for requirements that are unclear or incomplete, and this is always an area where users can provide input. Terminology is a challenge within the practice of emergency management and business continuity. A definitions task group continues to look at the use of terms within the standard and the need to include additional definitions—even though the committee has generally resisted defining words that are adequately defined in the dictionary. Another area of focus is the definition of planning requirements for all phases of the program. Are requirements for plans and procedures clear? If you don’t think so, let the committee know.

Public Proposals and Comments Requested

Since its first edition, the technical committee has received hundreds of proposals and comments from professionals that use the standard. The committee is soliciting your input on the 2013 edition. The 2010 edition is available for free download. You can submit your proposals and comments by downloading, completing, and return a Document Proposal Form (Microsoft Word format). Instructions for submitting the form via mail, fax, or email are included at the bottom of the form. The deadline for submissions is May 23, 2011.

The first draft of the 2013 edition will be published for public review by December 23. Once published, public comments on the draft will be accepted until March 2, 2012. Following the second round of public comments the committee will meet to finalize and vote on the draft prior to issuance by NFPA as early as November 2012.

Submit Proposals for 2013 Edition of NFPA 1600

The National Fire Protection Association is in the process of developing the 2013 edition of NFPA 1600 “Standard on Disaster/Emergency Management and Business Continuity Programs.” Originally published in 1995, development of the 2013 edition (its 6th edition) is well underway.

We encourage our readers to review the 2010 edition of NFPA 1600 and submit suggested revisions to NFPA. You can submit your suggested additions or revisions online via NFPA’s Online Submission System (see links below), or you can download and complete a Document Proposal Form (Microsoft Word format). Instructions for submitting the form via mail, fax, or email are included at the bottom of the form.

The deadline for submissions is May 23, 2011.

The NFPA 1600 technical committee will meet over the summer to review all submissions and issue a first draft of the 2013 edition. Committee action on your suggestions will be published for public review. Following publication of the first draft, there will be a second opportunity to submit commits before the 2013 edition is published around the end of 2012.

Links

• NFPA 1600 Document Information Page
• NFPA’s Online Submission System
• NFPA’s Document Proposal Form (Microsoft Word format)

Questions

If you have questions, please contact Mr. Orlando Hernandez, NFPA’s staff liaison to the NFPA 1600 technical committee. He can be reached at (617) 984-7482 or ohernandez@nfpa.org.

NFPA 1600-2010 Edition Released

The 2010 edition of NFPA 1600 “Standard on Disaster/Emergency Management and Business Continuity Programs” has been published by the National Fire Protection Association. Download the 2010 and 2007 editions from the NFPA website.

The 2010 edition has undergone significant revisions as a result of the record number of public proposals and comments and committee activity. Changes include:

• The standard has been reordered following a program development process. Chapter 4: Program Management, Chapter 5: Planning, Chapter 6: Implementation, Chapter 7: Testing & Exercises, and Chapter 8: Program Improvement.
• Many new definitions have been added
• Program management has been expanded to address Leadership and Commitment, Performance Objectives, and Records Management.
• Planning now includes a separate section on Business Impact Analysis.
• Chapter 6, Implementation, has been expanded to include a new section on Employee Assistance and Support. Existing sections of this chapter have been expanded.
• New Chapter 7, Testing & Exercises, expands significantly on the requirements for exercises.
• New Chapter 8, Program Improvement, expands on the requirements for program reviews and corrective action.
• The annexes now include a self-assessment checklist and a crosswalk to management system guidelines.

Additional information on the latest edition of NFPA 1600 can be found in our eNewsletter. Also, check out the "NFPA 1600" page on the Preparedness, LLC website. Resources to help with the development of your emergency management and business continuity program can be found on the “Resources” page.

NFPA 1600-2010 Edition Effective December 5, 2009

NFPA 1600-2010 edition has been forwarded to NFPA’s Standards Council for issuance and will carry an effective date of December 5, 2009. NFPA advises me that the 2010 edition will be available for free download probably by the second week in January.

For updates on NFPA 1600 and to learn about the 2010 edition, please check out the “NFPA 1600 Resource Page” on the Preparedness, LLC website.

NFPA 1600 and 14 NFPA first responder codes and standards receive DHS designation as “Qualified Anti-Terrorism Technology”

November 20, 2009 – NFPA 1600, Standard on Disaster/Emergency Management and Business Continuity Programs and 14 other NFPA codes and standards have been designated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as “Qualified Anti-Terrorism Technology” (QATT) under the Support Anti-terrorism by Fostering Effective Technologies Act of 2002 (SAFETY Act). This is the first block of standards to receive this designation by DHS. Under the provisions of the SAFETY Act, these standards were also certified as “Approved Product(s) for Homeland Security.”

In September of 2008, NFPA was the first standards development organization to receive this designation for its codes and standards development process.

According to DHS, the SAFETY Act encourages the development and deployment of new and innovative anti-terrorism products and services by providing liability protections. Designation as a QATT and certification as an approved product for homeland security under the SAFETY Act provides legal protections for the NFPA codes and standards development process and now these 15 individual codes and standards as applied to anti-terrorism.

The 15 standards are listed in the NFPA press release linked to the title of this blog. They address emergency preparedness, first responder competencies and professional qualifications, personal protective equipment and specialized tools. NFPA 1600 is also one of three standards that DHS has announced it intends to adopt for application to the PS-Prep Program, a voluntary private sector preparedness program designed to improve the ability of private sector entities to withstand and recover from disasters including terrorism.

“NFPA is pleased to have these standards recognized as anti-terrorism technologies which are important in protecting first responders to terrorist events and also in improving the ability of our infrastructure to mitigate and recover from such events while protecting people and property,” said James M. Shannon, NFPA president.

Federal protections under the DHS designation and certification are retroactive and recognize NFPA’s technologies “earliest date of sale” as September 11, 2001.

All NFPA safety codes and standards are developed through a process accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). The more than 250 technical committees responsible for developing and updating all 300 codes and standards include approximately 4,000 volunteers, representing enforcing authorities, installers and maintainers, labor, research and testing laboratories, insurers, special experts, consumers and other users.

NFPA has been a worldwide leader in providing fire, electrical, building, and life safety to the public since 1896. The mission of the international nonprofit organization is to reduce the worldwide burden of fire and other hazards on the quality of life by providing and advocating consensus codes and standards, research, training, and education.

DHS announces intent to adopt NFPA 1600 standard for the Voluntary Private Sector Preparedness Accreditation and Certification Program

"October 28, 2009 – NFPA 1600, Standard on Disaster/Emergency Management and Business Continuity Programs has been designated for adoption under the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Voluntary Private Sector Preparedness Accreditation and Certification Program (PS-Prep).

DHS/Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has published a request for comments in the Federal Register seeking public input on NFPA 1600 and two other standards that it intends to use as the criteria for certification of private sector preparedness programs as mandated by Congress in legislation that implemented the 9/11 Commission’s recommendations. The agency considered 25 standards and selected three based on scalability, balance of interest, and relevance to the PS-Prep program. NFPA encourages all interested parties to provide input to DHS/FEMA concerning the selection of standards for the PS Prep Program and to support the use of NFPA 1600 for this national program.

NFPA has made NFPA 1600 available for free viewing and PDF downloads. Since making it publicly available in 2005, there have been over 120,000 PDF downloads. It is also available as a free iPhone application.

Please submit your comments to FEMA by November 16, 2009. An electronic comment form and instructions are available at http://www.regulations.gov/ in Docket ID: FEMA-2008-0017-0100. Additional information on the PS-Prep program is available from FEMA.

Following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, NFPA 1600 was endorsed in the 9/11 Commission’s report. The 9/11 Commission’s recommendation on private sector preparedness and NFPA 1600 was reiterated in Public Law 108-458 in 2004 and most recently in Title IX of Public Law 110-53. Title IX calls for the voluntary certification of private sector preparedness programs. In addition to the endorsement of the 9/11 Commission, NFPA 1600 has been adopted by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security under the category of Incident Management System Standards along with 26 other NFPA standards.

Development of NFPA 1600 began in 1991, and the first edition was promulgated in 1995. New editions have been published in 2000, 2004, and 2007. The 2010 edition has just been completed. Throughout its history, NFPA 1600 has been developed by subject matter experts from both the private and public sectors. Private sector input has come from a broad range of industries including those that control our nation’s critical infrastructure.

NFPA 1600 addresses emergency management, business continuity, crisis communications, and recovery in a holistic framework that includes organization, management, risk assessment, prevention, mitigation, resource management, response, continuity, and recovery. NFPA 1600 is aligned with the Disaster Recovery Institute’s 10 Professional Practices for Business Continuity. The standard recognizes and provides the flexibility entities need when developing individual preparedness programs and does not preclude the use of corporate or industry best practices.

The Canadian Standard Association’s Z1600 standard correlates with NFPA 1600 and was developed under license from NFPA to be used as the national preparedness standard in Canada. Besides becoming the most widely used preparedness standard in North America, NFPA 1600 has gained significant attention in Latin American and Asia. Most recently NFPA 1600 has been adopted as the national preparedness standard in Argentina. It is translated and used by national standards bodies in Chile, China, Colombia, Ecuador, Korea, Thailand, Tobago, and Trinidad. It is also being used by European insurance companies.

NFPA has been a worldwide leader in providing fire, electrical, building, and life safety to the public since 1896. The mission of the international nonprofit organization is to reduce the worldwide burden of fire and other hazards on the quality of life by providing and advocating consensus codes and standards, research, training, and education."

Links to Title IX of Public Law 110-53, NFPA 1600, the designated standards, and resources for development of your emergency management and business continuity program can be found on the Preparedness, LLC website.

Proposed Standards for Voluntary Private Sector Preparedness Certification Program Announced

WASHINGTON—Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano today announced new proposed standards for a 9/11 Commission-recommended program for the private sector to improve preparedness for disasters and emergencies.

“Preparedness is a shared responsibility and everyone—including businesses, universities and non-profit organizations—has a role to play,” said Secretary Napolitano. “Ensuring our private sector partners have the information and training they need to respond to disasters will strengthen our efforts to build a culture of preparedness nationwide.”

DHS published a notice in the Federal Register today seeking public comment on three new standards identified for adoption under the Voluntary Private Sector Preparedness Accreditation and Certification Program (PS-Prep). PS-Prep is a partnership between DHS and the private sector that enables private entities—including businesses, non-profit organizations and universities—to receive emergency preparedness certification from a DHS accreditation system created in coordination with the private sector.

The notice proposes new PS-Prep standards to enhance operational resilience, business continuity management, and disaster and emergency management among participating private sector partners.

The notice proposes new PS-Prep standards to enhance operational resilience, business continuity management, and disaster and emergency management among participating private sector partners.

The notice proposes new PS-Prep standards to enhance operational resilience, business continuity management, and disaster and emergency management among participating private sector partners.

• NFPA 1600 “Standard on Disaster/Emergency Management and Business Continuity Programs”
• BS 25999
• ASIS SPC.1

The proposed standards, developed by the National Fire Protection Association, the British Standards Institution and the ASIS International, were selected based on their scalability, balance of interest and relevance to PS-Prep from a group of 25 standards proposed for consideration following the publication of a Federal Register notice in December 2008 announcing the program.

In addition to the standards in the notice posted today, DHS is establishing classifications and methods of certifications that recognize the unique needs and characteristics of small businesses.

Individuals wishing to submit comments on the proposed standards, recommend additional standards for consideration or comment on other programmatic aspects of PS-Prep may obtain a comment form and instructions for submission online at www.regulations.gov, in Docket ID: FEMA-2008-0017. DHS requests comments by Nov. 15, though it will accept submissions at any time thereafter.

For more information, visit http://www.fema.gov/privatesectorpreparedness/.

As chair of NFPA’s Technical Committee on Emergency Management and Business Continuity, which is responsible for NFPA 1600, I have been involved in the PS-PREP program since the legislation was been written by Senator’s Lieberman’s staff. I have posted links to all of the related documents and organizations to the "Standards" and "Public Law 110-53" section of “Resources” page of the Preparedness, LLC website. In addition, I have posted a self-evaluation checklist on NFPA 1600 to the website.

After the 30 day comment period is over, DHS will finalize the list of standards. ANAB now has to finalize the accreditation rule and begin the process of certifying third parties to evaluate private sector programs. Only then can the certifying bodies begin evaluating any programs.

NFPA 1600-2007 Edition iPhone Application

The National Fire Protection Association, an ANSI accredited standards developing organization, has made the 2007 edition of NFPA 1600 "Standard on Disaster/Emergency Management and Business Continuity Programs" available as an application for your iPhone.

Through this application NFPA 1600 is fully searchable and is equipped with active links as well as phone numbers for NFPA and other agencies involved with emergency management programs, risk mitigation, and response.

A link to download the application, an introduction to NFPA 1600, the history of NFPA 1600, news, resources to assist with implementation of NFPA 1600, and other information can be found on the Preparedness, LLC website.

NFPA 1600-2010 Edition "Report on Comments" Posted to NFPA's Website

NFPA's Technical Committee on Emergency Management and Business Continuity, which is responsible for NFPA 1600 "Standard on Disaster/Emergency Management and Business Continuity Programs," met in St. Louis March 17-19 to act on a record number of public comments. The committee's report (known as the "Report on Comments") developed during the St. Louis meeting has been posted to the NFPA website. The "Report on Comments" incorporates the technical committee's actions on the public and committee comments, and it includes a "preprint" edition of the 2010 edition of NFPA 1600.

An introduction to NFPA 1600, the history of NFPA 1600, news, resources to assist wtih implementation of NFPA 1600, and other information can be found on the Preparedness, LLC website.

Comment Period on NFPA 1600 "Report on Proposals" has Closed

Development of the 2010 edition of NFPA 1600, "Standard on Disaster/Emergency Management and Business Continuity Programs" is well underway with an expected publication date of April 2010. NFPA's Technical Committee on Emergency Management and Business Continuity completed work on the initial draft of the 2010 edition at its August meeting. This draft, also known as the committee's "Report on Proposals," has been posted to the National Fire Protection Association's website.

The technical committee met in St. Louis March 17 - 19 to act on a record number of public comments. The committee's report (known as the "Report on Comments") developed during the St. Louis meeting will be posted to the NFPA website late in August. A link will be provided as soon as it becomes available.

Continuity Insights Webinar: "The Experts Debate Business Continuity Standards"

Want to know what's really going on when it comes to business continuity standards? Attend this free panel discussion for a behind-the-scenes, straight-from-the-experts look at business continuity standards development. The session will answer questions about ASIS proposed standard, NFPA 1600, DRI International's position on standards development, and ANAB's role in the standards process. This panel discussion will feature Dr. Marc Siegel, ASIS, Don Schmidt, Preparedness LLC, and Al Berman, DRI International.

Emergency Management Forum Hosts Discussion on NFPA 1600 2010 Edition

Updated, 27 February. The Emergency Management Forum hosted a one hour presentation and interactive discussion on February 25, 2009. The topic was the current status of the 2010 edition of the National Fire Protection Association's standard NFPA 1600. Highlights of the proposed changes were presented by Donald L. Schmidt, chair of the NFPA's Technical Committee on Emergency Management and Business Continuity. A recording of the forum (large Windows Media audio file), the presentation slides (Adobe PDF), links to related information, and a transcript can be accessed from the Emergency Management Forum's website.

Comment Period Open for Title IX Voluntary Private Sector Preparedness Accreditation and Certification Program

The Department of Homeland Security has posted a Federal Register notice seeking public comments about the Voluntary Private Sector Preparedness Accreditation and Certification Program. The program is mandated by the Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007 to establish a common set of criteria for private sector preparedness, including disaster management, emergency management, and business continuity programs. The goal of this voluntary program is to enhance nationwide resilience in an all hazards environment by improving private sector preparedness.

DHS has posted the Federal Register notice at http://www.regulations.gov/. (Identify Docket ID FEMA-2008-0017.) Comments may be submitted to http://www.regulations.gov or FEMA-POLICY@dhs.gov.

For more information on the program, check out the "Resources" page of the Preparedness, LLC website. It includes links to Public Law 110-53, the ANAB Accreditation Program, NFPA 1600 (the standard recommended by the 9/11 Commission and under consideration for this program), and presentations on what it all means.

I will be testifying on behalf of the National Fire Protection Association at the January 13 hearing in Washington, DC. I will provide updates on the program as information becomes available.

NFPA 1600 2010 Edition Available for Public Comment

Development of the 2010 edition of NFPA 1600, "Standard on Disaster/Emergency Management and Business Continuity Programs" is well underway with an expected publication date of April 2010. NFPA's Technical Committee on Emergency Management and Business Continuity, which I chair, completed work on the initial draft of the 2010 edition at its August meeting. This draft, also known as the committee's "Report on Proposals," has been posted to the National Fire Protection Association's website.

Posting of this draft opens the period for submission of public comments. The comment period closes on March 6, 2009. Following the close of comments, the technical committee is scheduled to meet in St. Louis March 17 - 19 to review and act on all public comments. The document produced from that meeting will also be posted by NFPA late in August.

NFPA and the technical committee encourage all users to submit comments on the latest draft of NFPA 1600. In the past the technical committee has received hundreds of public proposals and comments, input which the committee has used to make the document better. I encourage everyone to review the latest draft and favor us with your comments.

You can submit comments on the ROP draft electronically using the NFPA's online submittal process, via email (proposals_comments@nfpa.org) outlining your comment on the NFPA's form, or via the U.S. Post Service also using NFPA's form.

In accordance with NFPA's regulations, the technical committee must act on every public comment. We can accept or reject. We can also accept in part, accept in principle, or accept in part in principle. It sounds complicated, but the process ensures that your voice will be heard.

I am developing a new page on the Preparedness, LLC website titled "NFPA 1600" to provide detailed information on NFPA 1600. Although a work in progress, I hope it will be helpful to those organizations evaluating or developing their preparedness program.

U.S. Department of Homeland Security Standards Adoption

Ten years ago, the National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act (NTTAA), Public Law 104-113, was signed into law, and implemented using Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-119, “Federal Participation in the Development and Use of Voluntary Consensus Standards and in Conformity Assessment Activities.” NTTAA requires all federal agencies and departments to use technical standards, unless their use is impractical or inconsistent with law. NTTAA is the basis for Department of Homeland Security (DHS) adoption of Non-Government Standards (NGS).

The Emergency Management and Response—Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EMR-ISAC) examined DHS standards adoption and its meaning for the nation’s Emergency Services Sector (ESS). The standards adoption and maintenance program is managed by the DHS Test & Evaluation and Standards Division of the Science and Technology Directorate.

DHS has so far adopted at least 35 responder-relevant standards that pertain to personal protective gear, radiation and nuclear detection equipment, incident management, and biometrics, developed by organizations such as the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), and the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Adopted most recently were NFPA 472, “Standard for Competence of Responders to Hazardous Materials/Weapons of Mass Destruction Incidents,” and NFPA 473, “Standard for Competencies of EMS Personnel Responding to Hazardous Materials/Weapons of Mass Destruction Incidents,” that set minimum requirements for responders to incidents that involve hazardous materials and weapons of mass destruction (WMD).

When DHS formally adopts an NGS, it is designated a “DHS National Standard.” Its use is not mandatory, but strongly encouraged. Once adopted, DHS National Standards boost limited federal resources by increasing DHS access to subject matter experts, thus enabling resources that would be devoted to internal standards development to be applied to other critical areas. For responder personnel and other homeland security professionals, DHS National Standards offer best practices that support national initiatives (e.g., the National Incident Management System (NIMS) and the National Preparedness Goal) that enable implementing a preparedness and response system that includes a common language and standard operating procedures. By identifying minimum performance and describing best practices, DHS National Standards bolster interoperability of products and practices, as well as interchangeability, durability, flexibility, portability, dependability, survivability, sustainability, scalability, and maintainability of homeland security products and services. For additional information about ESS-related DHS National Standards, visit http://www.dhs.gov/xfrstresp/standards/editorial_0420.shtm.