Released January 21, 2025

Wet collections are natural history specimens immersed in liquid preservative solutions and typically stored or displayed in glass or plastic containers. The preservative solutions are predominantly ethanol, formalin or isopropanol.

The primary purpose of wet collections is for scientific research. In some instances, wet collections may be of species that are rare or extinct. These collections are not only irreplaceable, but they are also inherently hazardous to store and handle without proper precautions.

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.

FSSA is in the process of preparing the agenda for the division meetings at the 2025 Annual Forum. If you are a FSSA Installer or Manufacturer Member, please take a minute to submit topics that you'd like to have discussed during the March 3 meeting. (Member login is required.)

MANUFACTURER MEMBERS SUBMIT TOPICS HERE

INSTALLER MEMBERS SUBMIT TOPICS HERE

The deadline to submit topics is January 13, 2025.

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:

• Effective January 1, 2030, only recycled HFCs may be used for the “initial fill” of newly manufactured fire suppression systems;
• Effective January 1, 2026, only recycled HFCs may be used to recharge and service fire suppression systems;  
• Effective January 1, 2026, fire suppression systems technician training is required, and
• Recycling of HFCs prior to the disposal of fire suppression equipment containing hydrofluorocarbons in compliance with the rule is mandatory.

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

Calling FSSA Members in the NJ area:

The New Jersey Division of Fire Safety's Fire Protection Equipment Advisory Committee is looking for applicants that are members of FSSA to serve on this New Jersey committee.

The purpose of the committee is to make recommendations to the Commissioner of the Department of Community Affairs. Recommendations may include rules and regulations pertaining to professional training, standards, identification, and record keeping procedures for certificate holders and their employees, classifications of certificates necessary to regulate the work of certificate holders and other matters necessary to effectuate the sections of the Uniform Fire Safety Act. Pursuant to N.J.S.A.52:27D-25o, the Director of the Division of Fire Safety shall serve ex officio, as well as eleven public members appointed by the Governor.

Hello FSSA Members,

Are you attending the upcoming NFPA 2024 Conference June 17-19 in Orlando? If so, we invite you to join us for the following FSSA sessions:

Please share this information with anyone you may know who is or will be enrolled in a fire protection program and/or any schools that have a fire  protection program.  To qualify for a scholarship, the applicant must complete the FSSA Scholarship Application online form and upload the necessary documents to FSSA Educational Foundation Headquarters by Saturday, June 1, 2024.

As part of FSSA's partnership with FPA Australia, the Global Outreach Committee is sharing this event with our members. Fire Australia 2024 will be held May 7-9 at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre. If any FSSA members are attending, feel free to comment on this post so you can connect with each other. Visit the FPA Australia website for event details.

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

FSSA has filed petitions in Maine and Minnesota, seeking a Currently Unavoidable Use (CUU) exemption from the Maine PFAS law and the Minnesota PFAS law that seek to regulate products containing “intentionally added PFAS.”  These laws define PFAS so broadly they would encompass certain clean agent fire suppressant agents, including HFC-227ea, FK-5-1-12 and HFC-125.

Copies of the FSSA petitions are linked below.

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?

The FSSA Global Outreach Committee is connecting with other like organizations with the goal of sharing information across the industry.  The Fire Protection Association of Australia published the following information bulletin, Selection and Use of Firefighting Foams.

The purpose of this Information Bulletin is to increase awareness of the issues surrounding the selection and use of firefighting foams based on their: