Raymond O’Brocki
December 19, 2019
As we conclude 2019 and look forward to 2020, we’re looking back on highlights from the Construction Fire Safety Coalition and the progress we’ve made throughout the year.
We’ve shared new fire safety content and guidelines while also learning from and collaborating with industry experts. Together, we have helped bring best management practices to fire services and those employed on work sites across the nation. A few standouts from the year include:
Construction Fire Safety Trainings
Over the course of 2019, Ray O’Brocki held brought fire safety best practices and trainings across the country. Highlights include:
- Maine Building and Fire Inspectors Annual Conference
- New York State Association of Fire Chiefs Annual Conference – Syracuse, NY
- Fire Marshals of Northern Virginia Biannual Training Session – Fairfax County, VA
- ICC Annual Conference in Las Vegas, NV
- Maryland Fire Chief’s Association Annual Training Weekend – Ocean City, MD
In 2020, Ray will deliver the keynote address at the Tall Building Fire Safety Conference in London. In its sixth year, the conference seeks to improve and enhance the current processes and equipment used to address tall building fires as new innovations and code changes shape the future of tall buildings.
For more information on fire safety and trainings, view our training videos or contact us to request trainings from Ray O’Brocki.
Construction Fire Safety Best Practices – Hot Work, Developing Fire Safety Plans, Risk Identification and more!
As one of the leading causes of construction fires, hot work safety practices are necessary and highly important. In 2019, we created a hot work factsheet which included the top five practices to keep construction sites safe.
- Preparing for hot work
- Clearing the worksite of hot work hazards
- Securing and controlling a water source
- Using safety procedures during hot work
- Safely concluding hot work
Don’t forget to catch up on all our latest blogs for best practices and guidelines for safeguarding construction sites. This year we covered critical topics, including Equipment Safety: Best Practices to Reduce Risk, Site Security and Fire Watch: 4 Steps to Safer Construction Sites, How to Develop a Fire Safety Plan – Steps for Fire Safety and more!
Fire Safety Toolkit
To help the industry stay up-to-date and increase awareness on the latest fire safety codes and standards, we created the Fire Safety Toolkit. The toolkit includes construction site checklists, evacuation plans, policies and more to help prevent fires. Download the toolkit here to support your fire safety prevention program.
CFSC New Members
In 2019, more than 60 new members joined the Construction Fire Safety Coalition. There is no financial commitment to become a member and the Construction Fire Safety Coalition is open to any interested persons or organizations that wish to help reduce the frequency and severity of construction fires. Coalition members will be asked to align on best construction site fire prevention practices and agree to promote awareness of the coalition. The Coalition also fosters knowledge and resource sharing. We encourage members to share the Coalition’s educational materials and programs to benefit their audiences.
To become a member in 2020, visit https://constructionfiresafety.org/member.
Raymond O’Brocki, is the manager of fire service relations for the American Wood Council. Before that he was the chief building official for the City of Rockville, MD. He retired as the assistant fire chief the Baltimore City Fire Department in 2013. He was appointed fire marshal for Baltimore City in 2008. During his tenure as fire marshal, Baltimore City recorded the three lowest annual fire fatality totals in its history. O’Brocki has served on the Maryland State Child Care Advisory Council, Maryland State Fire Code Update Committee, State Fire Marshals Legislative Working Group in Annapolis and the steering committee for the Mid-Atlantic Life Safety Conference. He has served on the NFPA Urban Fire Safety Task Force and has presented at the National Fire Academy. Ray is currently a sitting member of the NFPA 1 technical committee. He is a graduate of the University of Baltimore School of law and a licensed attorney.