The formation of the National Fire Protection Association goes back to 1895. In the 1890s, factory fires were becoming a common occurrence throughout the U.S. The fires were causing significant property damage and tremendous loss of life. One of the fire-fighting tools used at the time was the fire sprinkler system. Sprinkler technology can be traced back as far as 1806 to John Carey of England. This concept eventually found its way to the shores of North America, and credit for the first sprinkler system to be used in the United States belongs to James Bichens Francis. Francis was responsible for a perforated pipe system installed in 1852. However, there was a problem with the life-saving fire sprinkler systems. By the 1890s, there were just too many different standards of design and installation for these systems. It was causing everyone, including the plumbers who installed the systems, great difficulty. For example, there were nine such standards in effect within 100 miles of Boston, Massachusetts, each with its unique way of sizing the pipes and spacing of the sprinklers.
In 1895, a Committee on Automatic Sprinkler Protection was formed in Massachusetts by men affiliated with several fire insurance companies and a pipe manufacturer. Their goal was to develop a uniform standard for the design and installation of fire sprinkler systems. This meeting took place at the Boston office of the Underwriters Bureau of New England. The meeting was hosted by Everett Crosby of that office, and was attended by the following five other individuals: John Freeman of the Factory Mutual Fire Insurance Companies (known today as Factory Mutual), Uberto C. Crosby, Chairman of the Factory Improvement Committee of the New England Fire Insurance Exchange (and Father of host Everett Crosby); W. H. Stratton of the Factory Insurance Association (renamed in later years to Industrial Risk Insurers); Frederick Grinnell of the Providence Steam and Gas Pipe Company (known today as Grinnell Fire Protection); and F. Eliot Cabot of the Boston Board of Fire Underwriters. In 1896, the committee published its initial report on a uniform standard.
This group went on to form the National Fire Protection Association in late 1896. The committee’s initial report evolved into NFPA 13, Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems, which is now the most widely used fire sprinkler standard.
The twenty original members of the National Fire Protection Association were:
New York Board of Fire Underwriters
South-Eastern Tariff Association
Boston Board of Fire Underwriters
Underwriters Association of the Middle Department
Philadelphia Fire Underwriters Association
Suburban Underwriters Association
Insurance Association of Providence
Board of Underwriters Allegheny County
Underwriters Bureau Middle & Southern States
Middle States Inspection Bureau
New Hampshire Board of Fire Underwriters
Western Factory Insurance Association
Improved Risk Commission, Chicago
Underwriters Bureau of New England
Chicago Underwriters Association
Factory Insurance Association
Cleveland Board of Underwriters
New England Insurance Exchange
St. Louis Board of Underwriters
Canadian Fire Underwriters Association
What follows below is a brief outline of some of the key moments in the history of the NFPA:
1895: A meeting of 6 individuals from various stock fire insurance companies is held at the Underwriters Bureau of New England, hosted by Mr. Everett Crosby, to discuss the inconsistencies in fire sprinkler manufacture and installation.
1896: The first official rules are developed and published governing the installation of fire sprinkler systems. This first set of rules would eventually become NFPA 13: Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems. Later that year, articles forming a new association were reviewed and adopted, and the National Fire Protection Association was formally born with 20 separate members, all Stock Fire Insurance Organizations.
1903: The first international members of the NFPA were welcomed in 1903: Mr. John Smith from London, a Mr. George Smith from Sydney, Australia, and a Mr. Nicolas Sergowsky from St. Petersburg, Russia.
1904: Rules were revised regarding qualifications for membership. This revision opened the NFPA up to more than just stock fire insurance agencies. At this time, new active members representing the National Electrical Contractors Association, the American Water Works Association, the International Association of Fire Engineers (Fire Chiefs), and the American Institute of Architects, among others, were welcomed in. The first individual representing the Federal Government joined, Captain J. S. Sewell of the Corps of Engineers in Washington, DC. The first actual fire department officers and state fire marshals would not join the NFPA until the following year in 1905.
The National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) is a non-profit organization and not a government body. Its history and rich expertise in fire protection and safety code development have made it the leading authority in all things related to ensuring fire safety for the public. This history includes over a hundred years of diligent work and thousands of contributing members who have created and researched over 300 codes and standards. NFPA’s mission also includes training, outreach, education, and advocacy.