Quincy, MA – At its regular meeting in early March, the board of directors of the NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) voted to approve the consolidation of its Fall Education Conference into its World Safety Conference and Exposition(r) (WSCE), also known as the annual meeting.
The move, designed to ease member schedules and travel, will allow Association business to be carried out in one meeting starting in 2005, eliminating the need for attendance at two meetings. Meanwhile, NFPA’s 2004 WSCE will take place May 23-26 in Salt Lake City. The 2004 Fall Education Conference will be held November 13-17 in Miami Beach.
The board also voted to change the annual meeting month from May to June, effective next year, in order for the Association to have more flexibility in selecting sites. Typically, fewer large conferences take place in the summer months, including June. By moving the conference to June, there would also be more review-time for the codes and standards-making process.
Detailed information on these changes, as well as a full listing of NFPA document revision cycles and procedures, will soon be available in various NFPA publications and on the Web site,www.nfpa.org.
“We are extremely pleased to offer these changes to our members,” said James M. Shannon, NFPA president. “Most recently, we have heard from members who have found attending two conferences very difficult, given demanding work and family schedules. This consolidation will provide needed relief without compromising our mission and important NFPA programs.”
