NFPA releases 21st edition handbook

January 26, 2023

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has released its 21st edition of the Fire Protection Handbook (FPH).

The two-volume printed set is now available for pre-order. One of the organisation’s most significant publications, the Handbook is a comprehensive, one-of-a-kind reference guide of fire and life safety prevention and protection information for students and professionals across a wide range of industries worldwide.

“The NFPA Fire Protection Handbook is the most comprehensive industry resource for professionals who need to be well informed and stay current in their field,” said NFPA President and CEO Jim Pauley. “It is the fire protection encyclopaedia and there is no other resource like it anywhere in the world.”

First published in 1896 as the Handbook of the Underwriter’s Bureau of New England, the NFPA Fire Protection Handbook provides exclusive content unparalleled anywhere else in the industry.

Across 21 editions and its 126 years of impact on safety, NFPA has regularly updated the Handbook’s contents according to industry trends, the latest training methods, case studies, and code requirements at the time of publication. The new edition reflects the very latest fire protection and fire safety information, research and data, emerging technologies, and safety practices. The last edition was published in 2008.

As industry practitioners advance in their careers and new workers enter the labor force, professionals including engineers, designers, building managers, fire prevention managers, fire service members, insurance agents, inspectors, students, and other individuals who have responsibilities related to fire prevention and protection can use the Fire Protection Handbook to get the answers they need to their fire protection questions.

The information and methodologies used for calculations, system designs, and related processes give students and professionals not only the opportunity to enhance their understanding of a given concept, but they also can put that knowledge into practice to help safeguard lives and property and mitigate hazards in their communities.

Included in the 21st edition of the Handbook are 14 new chapters that address many of the current and emerging issues and related hazards in a rapidly changing world:

Wildland Fires and the Wildland/Urban Interface
The Interconnected All-Hazards Fire Department
Smart Infrastructure and Fire Protection
Facilitating Occupant Movement During Emergencies
Additive Flame Retardants
Solid and Liquid Oxidizers
Organic Peroxides
Photovoltaic Systems
Energy Storage Systems
Fuel Gases Detection
Cannabis Processing Facilities
Active Shooter/Hostile Event Operations
Modular Construction
The NFPA Fire & Life Safety Ecosystem

The handbook also forms the required body of knowledge for candidates pursuing the NFPA Certified Fire Protection Specialist (CFPS) exam, internationally recognised as the gold standard in certification for fire protection professionals to demonstrate their proficiency in fire safety, protection, prevention, and suppression technologies. A newly revised certification exam that aligns with the updated Fire Protection Handbook will be available in Fall 2023.

With input from more than 200 industry specialists and NFPA subject matter experts, the 21st edition of the Fire Protection Handbook consists of two volumes featuring 210 revised and updated chapters, 21 sections grouped by industry topic, full-colour images, and accompanying index tabs for navigation.

The 21st edition of the Fire Protection Handbook is now available for pre-order, with an expected delivery date around February 23, 2023.

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