Summaries of these reports are available on line.

Technical reports

• Cook County Administration Building Review  This fire killed six people in a high-rise office building in downtown Chicago.  The governor retained James Lee Witt Associates to study this incident and develop a comprehensive report.  Ed Comeau was the Operations Team Leader and principal author of the report.
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• NEC/IEC Comparison and Contrast © 1999 NFPA Used with permission Ed Comeau was retained by NFPA International Operations to conduct a comparison and contrast between NFPA's National Electrical Code and the IEC 60364. This also served as the basis for an article that appeared in the November/December, 1999, issue of NFPA Journal.

Articles

• Fire Protection at the Kennedy Space Center  NFPA Journal  © 2004  How is America's spaceport protected from fire?

• Constant Vigilance  NFPA Journal © 2003 NFPA The importance of ongoing fire inspections for fire safety

• The Big Dig NFPA Journal © 2003 NFPA NFPA 502 drives safety in the world's largest tunnel system.

• Terrorism has changed the face of the world  Fire International Magazine © 2002 writer-tech.com, llc  Terrorism has forever changed how the fire service goes about its business of saving lives and protecting property.

• Revamping Duesseldorf Airport  An exclusive NFPA Online Article  © 2002 NFPA  In 1996, a catastrophic fire at Dusseldorf International Airport in Germany killed 17 people and injured 87 others. When the new terminal opened last summer, significant changes, prompted by that fire, had been made?  Ed Comeau traveled back to Germany to find out.

• Rescue Air Systems Fire Engineering, Fire Australia Journal, Fire Prevention (UK)  © 2002 writer-tech.com, llc  This innovative air replenishment system is finding its way into high-rise buildings in the United States.

• Chunnel Vision  NFPA Journal © 2002 NFPA The English Channel Tunnel fire forced British and French officials to revamp their safety procedures and training practices.

• Olympic Sized Fire Protection  NFPA Journal © 2002 NFPA  How did Sydney plan for the Olympics, and what does Salt Lake City have in store for fire protection?

• Searching for Survivors  NFPA Journal © 2002 NFPA  What rescue personnel were facing at the World Trade Center.

• Combustible Storage  NFPA Journal © 2001 NFPA Improperly stored oxidizers can pose a fire risk in warehouse occupancies. 

• Preventing Wildfire Meltdown  NFPA Journal © 2001 NFPA  A progressive wildfire suppression plan pays off for nuclear lab.
  
  
• Colocation Facilities  NFPA Journal © 2001 NFPA  The growth of businesses’ computers sharing space in remote data centers outpaces fire protection standards.
  
  

• Working Against Arson, NFPA Journal © 2000 NFPA  Activated in August 1999, the DuPage County, Illinois, fire investigation task force is hoping to have an impact in the fight against arson.
  

• NIST Simulator Provides New Picture of LODDs,  firefighting.com  Determining the contributing factors to fire fighter fatalities has just received a high-tech boost.
  

• Capitol Challenge, NFPA Journal © 2000 NFPA  Protecting the United States Capitol means dealing with a historic building filled with priceless artwork and Congress, which can’t be interrupted for every renovation.
  

• What's New at ATF, NFPA Journal © 2000 NFPA  A new research laboratory will allow more thorough fire investigations.
  
  
• interFIRE VR, NFPA Journal © 2000 NFPA  More on this cutting-edge training tool for fire investigators.
  
  
• Staying  Connected, NFPA Journal © 2000 NFPA  NFPA 76 addresses the growing need for fire protection requirements in telecommunications facilities. 
  
  
• Gothenburg Disco Fire, NFPA Journal © 2000 NFPA  On October 28, 1998, a disastrous arson fire occurred during a Halloween party at a nightclub in Gothenburg, Sweden. Of the estimated 400 young people in attendance, 63 died in the blaze.  This article is based on Ed Comeau's investigation of this tragedy.
  
  
• A Field Guide to Incident Analysis, National Fire & Rescue Magazine  This article, co-authored by Ed Comeau, provides a description of the indicators a first-due officer should use when sizing up the fire investigations potential of a fire scene.
  
  
• The integrated chain of survival - paramedic care in the US, Fire International (UK)  In the US, the role of paramedics and first responders increasingly involves hospital levels of care en route to emergency departments. 
  
  
• The Evolution of Technical Rescue,  NFPA Journal © 2000 NFPA Technical rescue has come a long way since its origins, and today it's a mainstay in the fire and rescue services.
  
  
• Virtual Reality Learning in Fire Investigation, Fire International (UK) This article covers the new CD-based training tool, interFIRE VR.
  
  
• Roof Collapse Kills Three, NFPA Journal © 1999 NFPA This article outlines the tragic fire in Lake Worth, Texas, that claimed the lives of three fire fighters who died when a lightweight wood truss collapsed upon them.
  
  
• Action required to reduce US firefighter fatalities, Fire International (UK) This article is an overview of the factors contributing to fire fighter fatalities and some of the measures that could be taken to help reduce their occurrence.
  
  
• ATF National Response Team, NFPA Journal © 1998 NFPA This article was based on Ed Comeau's firsthand experience with the ATF NRT at a number of incidents.
  
  
• Board and Care Fires, NFPA Journal © 1998 NFPA There is a growing problem of fatal fires in board and care facilities, and this article outlines not only the past incidents that have occurred, but the potential problem that we face as society ages.
  
  
• Düsseldorf Airport Terminal Fire, Fire Prevention (UK) An article based on the report by Ed Comeau appeared in the professional journal, Fire Prevention in the United Kingdom.
  
  
• English Channel Tunnel Fire, NFPA Journal © 1998 NFPA   An account of the events that led up to the fire that occurred in the 51 mile tunnel underneath the English Channel and the fire fighting operations that ensued.
  
  
• Florida Tornadoes, NFPA Journal An article based on the investigation conducted by Ed Comeau detailed the emergency services operations that occurred on this widespread disaster.
  
  
• Tempe Bulk Retail Fire, International Fire Engineers Journal (UK) The full report on this fire was reprinted in this UK professional Journal.

Books

• Structural Fire Fighting  Ed Comeau was the developmental editor for a textbook on structural fire fighting published by the NFPA.  Ed provided not only editing services, but contributed a significant number of case studies from his experience at NFPA to augment the points covered by the authors.

Video Projects

Ed Comeau has served as both a subject matter expert and onscreen talent for a number of video projects.

• Graduation-Fatally Denied  An innovative campus fire safety program designed to drive home the importance of campus fire safety to students.  This program was conceived and produced by Ed Comeau
  
  
• Blaze A four part series that was aired in the UK on Channel 4 and in the United States on The Learning Channel. This was a series that explored the causes of fires. Ed Comeau served as both a technical resource and an onscreen talent for this international project.
  
  
• Fire Investigations A six part series produced by NFPA based on its best-selling guide, NFPA 921, Guide to Fire and Explosion Investigations. This projected required extensive script review and editing as well as working with the production company at filming sites across the United States and Canada.
  
  
• NFPA Special Reports A five part series based partly on fire investigations reports produced by NFPA's Fire Investigations Department. This project entailed significant research, script review and production assistance.
  
  
• Fire-The Nature of the Beast A documentary produced by the Discovery Channel for broadcast in the United States and the United Kingdom. Ed Comeau served as a subject matter expert by providing the production company with background information on a number of significant NFPA fire investigations reports. He also served as an onscreen talent, providing information on several of these incidents.
  
  
• Firecops A documentary produced by the Discovery Channel for broadcast in the United States and Canada. Ed Comeau assisted the production company by providing background information based on NFPA's fire investigations reports.

Interactive Education and Training Programs

• Living With Fire  Hosted by the U.S. Fire Administration, this site is a comprehensive suite of "tools" that can be used by campus fire safety educators in developing their own fire safety programs.

• Campus Housing Fire Safety The Campus Safety, Health and Environmental Managers Association (CSHEMA) contracted with writer-tech.com to develop an interactive, 2-day campus fire safety training program.  This program is designed to train and educate campus housing officials on the importance of campus fire safety and how to best implement the many facets of an effective program on their campus.

• interFIRE VR Ed Comeau served on the project team that is developing an interactive CD to train fire investigators in the steps to follow to properly investigate a fire scene. Using virtual reality technology, it takes the fire investigator inside of an actual fire scene where subjects can be interviewed, the scene can be analyzed, photographed, and "dug out." It is a public/private partnership between NFPA, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, American Reinsurance, and the United States Fire Administration that brought together the top experts in the fields of fire investigations and interactive education. 

College Fire Safety Forum-Final Report

• A forum organized by the US Fire Administration and the National Fire Protection Association was held at NFPA headquarters in 1999. This forum was coordinated by Ed Comeau, who also wrote the final report detailing the findings of this forum. The report is available, on-line, through this site.

Campus Firewatch Newsletter

• Ed Comeau is the publisher of a monthly newsletter that focuses on the complex issues of campus fire safety.  Visit the site by clicking here.