2332_00001RESOLUTION NO.2332
A RESOLUTION OPPOSING NATIONAL FIRE PROTECTION ASSOCIATION
PROPOSED STANDARDS 1710 AND 1720
RECITALS:
1.The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)isan international association of individuals and tradeandprofessionalorganizations.
O 2.The mission of NFPA is "to reduce theworldwide burden offire and other hazards on the qualityof life
by providingand advocating scientifically-basedconsensus codes and standards,research,and
education".
3.NFPA has produced over 275 codes and standards that deal with every aspect of fire and life safety.
4.NFPA isan internationally recognized authorityin producing codes and standards dealing with fire and
life safety.
5.NFPA is currently proposing twonew standards:NFPA 1710,Organízationand Deployment of Fire
Suppression Operations,Emergency Medical Operations,andSpecialOperationstothePublic by Career
Fire Departments,and NFPA1720,Organizationand Deployment of Fire Suppression,Emergency
Medical operations,and SpecialOperationstothePublicby Volunteer Fire Departments.
6.Proposed NFPA standards 1710 and 1720 define minimumresponse times,minimum fire companystaffinglevels,initialfull alarm response levels,and extra alarm response levels.
7.Levels of service delivery for fire and emergency medical services (EMS)have always been
determined by local jurisdictions.
8.Proposed NFPA standards 1710 and 1720 would impose onerous,unfunded mandates upon local
governments to meet established response times and staffing levels,if adopted by NFPA with
subsequent consideration takenby federal agencies,such as the Occupational Safety and Health
Administration (OSHA)and insurance companies.
9.The NFPA has clearly gone outside its authority in proposing these national minimummanning,
response,and staffingstandards.
10.Because NFPA codes and standards are voluntary and need tobe adopted by local jurisdictions,thesestandardswillbe"the norm"because ofthestature of NFPA inthedevelopment and promulgation of
theircodes and standards.
11.These twoproposed standards willbe considered and voted on atthe NFPA annual conference on May
16,2001 in Anaheim,California.
12.Ifadopted and issued,theseproposed NFPA standards would force local governmentstoshift dollars
from fire preventionprograms to fire suppression activities,potentially increasing the risk offireand
thedanger tolocal firefighters.
RESOLVED:
1.The City of Moses Lake opposes any attempt by the NFPA to adopt standards for staffing or minimummanninglevelsoffire,specialized,or emergency medical services vehicles controlled by units of local
government.
2.The Cityof Moses Lake opposes anyattempt by the NFPA toadopt a standard dictating or affecting
theresponse timeof any fim,specialized,or emergency medical services vehicle.
3.The Cityof Moses Lake will send this resolution to the NFPA registering the city's oppositiontoproposedstandards1710and1720,which preempt local authority and place a one-size-fits-allmandateonourcityandonallcitiesandtowns.
Adopted by the City Council on April 24,2001.
A Mayor
AlfíanceDirector