As NFPA 1983 has continued to undergo updates and revisions, the standard has grown to encompass a much broader range of equipment, now stipulating requirements for design, construction, and performance.Īt the time of creation of NFPA 1983, 10:1 safety factors were commonly observed in many other industries, but the NFPA committee pushed to have that requirement raised to 15:1 specifically for ropes. However, it quickly became apparent that requirements for all other rigging components - hardware, software, and harnesses - would also be needed. The first edition of the NFPA 1983 was originally intended to give requirements only for ropes used by the fire service.

So where do the numbers 15:1 come from? It's hard to say for certain but we do know that in the wake of the public deaths of FFs Frisby and Fitzpatrick, fire services recognized the need to standardize how rescue operations, specifically those involving ropes, were conducted. Nearly 30 years later, this document has seen many revisions and updates, and has become an important driving force for the continued improvement in rescue equipment capabilities. Prior to this standard, fire rescue services had no agreed-upon definitions or standards for the equipment used in rescue-type scenarios. NFPA 1983, the Standard on Life Safety Rope and Equipment for Emergency Services (originally called Standard on Fire Service Life Safety Rope and System Components) was created and first released on June 6, 1985. This tragic event was one of the reasons that prompted fire services to request the NFPA Technical Committee to develop a standard for rescue ropes. But under the combined weight of both men, the rope snapped, sending both falling to their death. During the incident, firefighter Gerry Frisby became trapped by the fire on the 7th storey and the Rescue 3 crew, using a 1/2' diameter 150' long nylon rope, lowered firefighter Larry Fitzpatrick down to pull out Frisby. On JFDNY Rescue 3 was called out to a high-rise fire in Harlem, New York City. Thanks a lot to Martin Côté-Brazeau from Haut Acces (QC) for the question that prompted us to refresh the post Watch for upcoming information on the NFPA 2500 that is to supercede this standard - due 2022

To reflect changes to the NFPA 1982 (2017 ed.), this blog has been updated.

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