Did You Know? offers a quick look at the broad scope of activities underway within the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Federation of members and partners, highlighting recent accomplishments and new resources related to standardization.
IEC White Paper on Smart, Sustainable Cities Available for Free Download
The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) has published a white paper on "Orchestrating Infrastructure for Sustainable Smart Cities," the sixth in a series of documents addressing how the IEC can help solve global challenges through international standards and conformity assessment activities. The smart cities paper summarizes the core advancements needed to make cities smarter and more sustainable, and calls for broad collaboration between stakeholders, including other international standardization bodies, for the strongest standardization solutions.
The white paper's development was led by the IEC Market Strategy Board (MSB) Project Team on Smart Cities in cooperation with the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPs). Download "Orchestrating Infrastructure for Sustainable Smart Cities."
TIA Launches Industry-Wide Campaign in Support of Play
ANSI member and accredited standards developer the Toy Industry Association (TIA) recently launched The Genius of Play, a collaborative toy industry campaign intended to explore and promote the value of play to a child's intellectual and psychological development. The interactive website offers research and data as well as an entertaining one-minute video demonstrating the benefits of play, and invites viewers to share the resources through social media.
The campaign was developed with the input of TIA members, industry professionals, play-focused organizations, and academics, and took into account survey information from parents about their lifestyles, views on play, spending habits, and purchasing decisions. The objective is to broaden engagement between the toy industry and parents, teachers, consumers, and kids in order to further the value of play and the toys that enable it. Visit www.TheGeniusOfPlay.org.
National Restaurant Association Releases Facebook App as Part of Alcohol Safety Campaign
As part of an initiative promoting responsible alcohol service in restaurants and bars during the holidays, ANSI member the National Restaurant Association (NRA) released the Serving It Up with ServSafe Facebook app. The app provides fun seasonally themed games that reinforce key concepts of responsible alcohol service for the restaurant community.
NRA's ongoing ServSafe alcohol campaign offers interactive tools and tips that help promote alcohol responsibility among restaurateurs and restaurant employees. In addition to the app, NRA partnered with Anheuser-Busch to develop a "Responsible Serving Tips" video. Visit www.servsafe.com/holiday.
New Children's Videos from NFPA Help Families Reduce Wildfire Risk
Three new videos on the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)'s "information for youth and families" webpage show parents and children how they can work together to help reduce the risk of wildfire damage to their homes and neighborhoods. The videos, "Sparky's Wildfire Safety Home Projects for Kids and Parents," "Sparky's Neighborhood Wildfire Safety Tips for Families," and "Sparky and NFPA's Wildfire Safety Checklist" feature NFPA's Sparky the Fire Dog, who teaches young children the importance of wildfire safety.
The videos complement other youth-related wildfire information, including interactive games, quizzes and artwork, and teaching materials. For more information, visit NFPA's youth and family webpage. NFPA is an ANSI member and audited designator.