The FTA Office of Safety and Security has teamed with the National Association of State Fire Marshals. to update the Recommended Fire Safety Practices for Rail Transit Materials Selection Manual. The manual is comprised of research into the adequacy of existing railcar and bus fire safety standards and an investigation of potential improvements in test methods and criteria. These recommendations represent an upgrading of guidelines - Urban Mass Transportation Administration, Recommended Fire Safety Practices for Rail Transit Materials Selection, Federal Register, Volume 49, Number 158, Tuesday, August 14, 1984 - that are currently in place. Contact Iyon Rosario for more information, iyon.rosario@dot.gov
While the safety record of transit has been excellent and few major fires have occurred, it cannot be assumed that the many minor fires which do occur will not develop into life-threatening events. The FTA has recognized the need for transit systems to address the issue of fire protection, and has provided assistance by developing a variety of documents addressing areas such as threat identification, materials selection, and countermeasures.