About Us
HELP is a project of USDOT's Research and Innovative Technologies Administration (RITA) and the National Association of State Fire Marshals (NASFM) and is managed by the International Consortium for Fire Safety, Health and the Environment (ICFSHE).
HELP's overall strategic direction is set by RITA and NASFM. HELP priorities and projects are adopted annually to reflect the on-going needs of the transition.
HELP task groups are formed to manage the projects defined in the annual plan. These groups consist of experts from industry, government agencies, emergency response organizations and other stakeholders. They may produce best practices, curricula, data, recommendations for standards development organizations and regulatory bodies or other resources that facilitate the transition.
Task group recommendations are subject to public comment and are evaluated by two HELP advisory groups: Safe Energy Emergency Responder Advisors (SEERA) provide real world observations and Safe Energy Science Advisors (SESA) provide technical and scientific input.
NASFM
The membership of the National Association of State Fire Marshals (NASFM) comprises the most senior fire officials in the United States. State Fire Marshals' responsibilities vary from state to state, but Marshals tend to be responsible for fire safety code adoption and enforcement, fire and arson investigation, fire incident data reporting and analysis, public education and advising Governors and State Legislatures on fire protection. Some State Fire Marshals are responsible for fire fighter training, hazardous materials incident responses, wild land fires and the regulation of natural gas and other pipelines.
Most of our members are appointed by Governors or other high-ranking state officials. Some are state police officers. Many are former fire fighters. Some are fire protection engineers, while others are former state legislators, insurance experts and labor union officials.
RITA
The Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA) is a focused research agency within the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), created to coordinate and manage the Department's research portfolio and to advance the development and implementation of innovative technologies.
Secretary Mineta envisions RITA to be "part Silicon Valley entrepreneurial company" and "part university research lab." By forming strategic partnerships with transportation-related industries, academic research institutions, federal, state and local agencies, and other public and private stakeholders, RITA will be able to more effectively coordinate research and technology solutions to the transportation challenges of the 21st century.
RITA's cross modal approach will enable the Department to pursue timely, effective research and technology deployment in areas such as public safety, mobility and global connectivity, economic growth, environmental stewardship, and ultimately in delivering a better-integrated transportation system.
One of RITA's primary program areas is in leading DOT's Hydrogen program. This program is seeking to effectively facilitate integration of hydrogen technologies and maintaining the confidence of the Public.
For more information on DOT's Hydrogen Program go to the DOT Hydrogen Portal.
Click here for more information on RITA.
ICFSHE
The International Consortium for Fire Safety, Health and the Environment (ICFSHE) is an organization committed to the integration, within national and international safety standards, of policies that will encourage the simultaneous achievement of the highest levels of fire safety, health and environmental quality. We intend to accomplish this through the collaborative efforts of all stakeholders: fire safety professionals; environmentalists, toxicologists and other health experts; industry executives; government regulators; academicians; materials scientists; engineers; and economists. Our stakeholders share a serious interest in the safety, health and environmental quality of the most important and popular products in the world and are in a position to contribute to our success.
Founded in 2001 as the Transatlantic Fire Safety Consortium, the name of this U.S.-based not-for-profit corporation was changed in the following year to reflect an essential broadened scope. The mission of the consortium remains the same, to promote balanced, science-based public safety, environmental and health policies and manufacturing practices.
ICFSHE also has set out to eliminate the economic barriers that discourage industry from going beyond the current minimum, mandatory standards for safety, health and environmental quality. We seek to harness the incredible power of the marketplace to encourage industries to compete with each other to produce the safest and cleanest possible products and materials.
