Residents of Louisiana are now protected by the most up-to-date editions of two safety codes - the 2003 editions of NFPA 1, "Uniform Fire Code," and NFPA 101, "Life Safety Code."

Both codes are used across the country to protect people and property in new and existing buildings. The latest edition of NFPA 1 provides requirements necessary to establish a reasonable level of fire safety and property protection from hazards created by fire and explosion. NFPA's Life Safety Code mandates building design construction, operation, and maintenance requirements to protect building occupants from the dangers caused by fire, smoke, and toxic fumes.

"Safety is our top priority," said State Fire Marshal V.J. Bella. "The latest editions of these widely used codes will allow us to provide the highest level of protection for the people of Louisiana. When such important codes are updated with the latest safety advancements, our citizens deserve to have those protections."

NFPA 1 and 101 are part of a full set of codes for the built environment developed by NFPA and its partners. The Comprehensive Consensus Codes (C3) have been developed through processes accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). The 300 NFPA technical committees responsible for developing and updating its codes and standards include 6,000 volunteers, representing enforcing authorities, installation and maintenance, labor, research and testing, insurance, special experts, consumers, and other users.

For more information, visit www.nfpa.org.

Publication date: 03/01/2004