NFPA (Fire) 418 Historical

Provide fire protection and life safety in heliports with essential provisions only in NFPA 418: Standard for Heliports. 

A unique tool for fire protection and life safety, NFPA 418: Standard for Heliports establishes minimum fire safety requirements for operation at heliports for the protection of people, aircraft, and other property. Engineers, designers, contractors, and installers need these vital requirements to ensure a minimum level of safety in all types of heliports or helipads, including in hospitals, airports, offshore platforms, and tourist attractions. 

The Standard is also essential for code officials and facility managers -- such as in hospital settings where additions or modifications could dramatically impact the safety of patients and health care or aircraft personnel. The fire service relies on NFPA 418 for pre-incident planning, with provisions concerning fire-fighting access points, egress routes, and fixed fire protection systems, as well as aircraft refueling equipment. 

Facilities and equipment covered include:

• General requirements for land-based facilities including egress systems
• Rooftop landing facilities
• Rooftop hangars
• Offshore heliports
• Foam protection systems, standpipe systems, and water supply
• Fire alarm systems
• Portable fire extinguishers
• Helicopter refueling equipment and fuel storage tanks

New in the 2016 edition:

• A retroactivity clause clarifies whether or not existing heliports must be updated according to newer provisions.
• Changes clarify how to determine the fire resistance of materials and coatings for landing pads.
• New requirements for manual controls of foam protection systems help users ensure that personnel can safely initiate and stop the discharge of fire-fighting foam.
• New provisions for a longer foam discharge duration will provide adequate fire protection until fire service responds.