The American Innovation and Manufacturing (AIM) Act, enacted on December 27, 2020, authorizes the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to address hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) in three main ways:
This bill establishes a licensing system for fire suppression equipment professionals in Indiana, creating both business licenses and technician licenses for individuals and companies involved in the service, repair, recharging, inspection, installation, maintenance, and hydrostatic testing of various fire suppression systems and extinguishers. The Board of Firefighting Personnel Standards and Education (referred to as "the board") will be responsible for administering these licenses, setting standards for competent practice, issuing and revoking licenses, and establishing fees. The bill also outlines different classes of business and technician licenses based on the types of equipment handled, including standard fire extinguishers, pre-engineered systems, engineered systems, and systems using carbon dioxide. To obtain a license, applicants must meet age requirements, demonstrate experience and insurance (for businesses), complete training, pass an exam, and undergo a criminal background check. The board will also have the authority to take disciplinary action against licensees for violations, and engaging in unlicensed activities or misrepresenting credentials will be considered a Class B misdemeanor. Learn more here.
This bill modifies existing Maryland law concerning fire prevention by updating the qualifications and designation process for assistant state fire marshals, requiring the state fire marshal to adopt regulations for their training and certification and allowing for the designation of special assistant fire marshals for specific roles like arson investigations. It also redefines "high-rise building" for fire safety purposes to be based on the height above fire department vehicle access and mandates the installation of smoke detectors in public corridors of residential rental high-rise buildings by July 31, 2025, with automatic fire sprinklers and additional fire protection features required in such buildings undergoing substantial renovations (defined as permanent alterations costing 40% of the building's assessed value) starting October 1, 2026. Furthermore, the bill establishes a licensing and regulatory program for fire alarm system technicians and companies, defining their roles and outlining requirements for licensure, similar to the existing program for fire sprinkler contractors. Learn more here.
Critical Action Needed: The fire safety standards system that has protected lives for over 125 years is under attack. Your voice is needed now.
The Situation: NFPA's ability to develop and maintain the 300+ fire, life, and electrical safety codes our industry depends on is being threatened by recent court decisions and legislative attacks. For-profit companies are selling unauthorized copies of safety codes, multiple states are freezing code updates for years, and special interests are exploiting public misunderstanding to weaken the consensus-based standards development system. Without the Pro Codes Act (H.R. 4072), we risk losing the self-funded system that has prevented countless tragedies like the Grenfell Tower fire (72 deaths) and Ghost Ship fire (36 deaths). The Pro Codes Act preserves copyright protection for standards developers while ensuring free public access—protecting both the funding model that supports rigorous safety standards and public transparency.
The FSSA PFAS Task force continues to monitor regulations across the US. The focus of this update is on Nonessential Consumer Products (carpets, clothes, ski wax). States including Connecticut, Colorado, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, and Rhode Island have proposed broad OECD style bans but have so far paused or rejected them.
FSSA recently submitted CAM 855-15 to help ensure that NFPA 12, 2001, and 2010 remain referenced in the upcoming 2026 edition of NFPA 855. These standards are essential for maintaining options when it comes to providing automatic fire control and suppression systems.
At the NFPA Technical Meeting, several FSSA members stood up to speak in support of the CAM - and it paid off with a favorable vote. This wasn’t a one-person effort. It came together because our members worked closely with one another and with other associations to get the language right and build support. It’s a great example of what can happen when we coordinate, collaborate, and speak with a unified voice.
Attached below is the final New Mexico PFAS bill that passed both houses and was signed by the Governor. The law prohibits the sale of certain products containing PFAS in 2027 and 2028, and all products containing PFAS in 2032. The law contains numerous exemptions including the following exemption for products listed as acceptable under SNAP:
(12) a product that contains intentionally added per- or poly-fluoroalkyl substances with uses that are currently listed as acceptable, acceptable subject to use conditions or acceptable subject to narrowed use limits in the United States environmental protection agency's rules under the significant new alternatives policy program; provided that the product contains per- or poly-fluoroalkyl substances that are being used as substitutes for ozone-depleting substances under the conditions specified in the rules.
The FSSA Technical Committee reviewed the possibility of having an abort switch override a manual release for instances including:
FSSA has received a request from Tom Cortina, representing the Fire Fighting Foam Coalition (FFFC), asking FSSA members to consider financial support to oppose legislation in New York State (Senate Bill 3659) that requires the manufacturer to recall AFFF sold into the state.
The existing NY law is here and the bill amending the law is here. Though the recall obligation is squarely on the agent manufacturer it is not entirely clear that downstream sellers also share this responsibility.
The following is a summary of new regulations published October 11, 2024 affecting companies that fill, recharge, recycle, and/or service fire suppression equipment containing HFCs. Note that these reporting and recordkeeping requirements are in addition to agent test and recordkeeping requirements which became effective September 18, 2023 and the reporting requirements for recyclers of fire suppression HFCs which became effective in 2022.
Attached below is a copy of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Final Rule (89 Fed. Reg. 82682, Oct. 11, 2024) on the management and reclamation of HFCs under the AIM Act. The Rule goes into effect on December 10,2024.
Here is a summary of the Rule’s requirements applicable to use of HFC (Hydrofluorocarbons) agents in fire suppression systems. References below are in 40 CFR Part 84 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
Tuesday, October 8, 2024 14:00 BST | 9:00 a.m. EDT
FSSA Members are invited for a kick-off event hosted by Latam PCI to mark the start of a series of international activities celebrating the official recognition of International Fire Prevention Day by the United Nations.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has issued regulations to implement certain provisions of the American Innovation and Manufacturing Act of 2020. This rulemaking establishes an emissions reduction and reclamation program for the management of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) that includes requirements for:
The Rule will go into effect 60 days after it is published in the Federal Register.
The July 2024 Halon Alternatives Research Corporation (HARC) Newsletter provides a very valuable and timely snapshot of where the industry is today on the regulation of PFAS substances used in fire protection. Read the full newsletter.
For the latest news and resources surrounding PFAS, visit the FSSA PFAS Resource Center.
Due to combined efforts, proposed legislation in Alaska was amended to remove “firefighting substance” and replace with “firefighting foam.” In early 2023, an Alaskan Senate bill was introduced with the intention of regulating the use of firefighting foams, but the wording referred to “firefighting substances.” There was concern that that this could be interpreted to also regulate clean agents.
As reported by HARC, there were combined efforts by a local fire equipment distributor in Alaska and lobbyists that work for the American Chemistry Council (ACC) to convince legislators to change the language so as to focus on firefighting foams containing PFAS and not clean agents. In the spring of 2024, an amendment was introduced and SB 67 was enrolled as a Law to become effective January 1, 2025.
Two certified amending motions on NFPA 72 will be balloted at the technical meeting on June 20, following the NFPA Conference (June 17-19 in Orlando, FL). The Automatic Fire Alarm Association (AFAA) has recommended to its members the following positions on these CAMs.
CAM 72-2 Support
CAM 72-6 Oppose
On July 20, 2023, the EPA published an update to (40 CFR Part 84) which implements the American Innovation and Manufacturing Act. The updated regulations, effective September 18, 2023, include new requirements to verify the quality of HFC fire suppressant agents by laboratory testing as well as additional recordkeeping requirements. These updated regulations affect FSSA members who fill or recharge HFC fire system cylinders. An overview of the EPA regulation was given at the FSSA Annual Forum and discussed at the division meetings. (88 Fed. Reg. 46836)
SUMMARY OF THE REGULATORY UPDATES
NFPA 855 What To Do for Data Centers When They Want to Change Out the Lead Acid Batteries to Lithium Ion?
NFPA 855 Partnering with AHJs to Implement Local Codes
NFPA 855 Why is Partnering with Organizations like FSSA, NFPA & ICC Important?
NFPA 855 How to Work with Your AHJ on an HMA
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