Two representatives fromNational Fire Protection Association(NFPA) serve on international teams examining the September 11th collapse of the World Trade Center towers. Robert E. Solomon, P.E., NFPA ' s chief building fire protection engineer, is a member of the special task force on the Future of Tall Buildings, formed by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH). Robert F. Duval, NFPA's senior fire investigator, serves on the FEMA-designated Building Performance Assessment Team (BPAT) for the World Trade Center.

Solomon's group is focusing on new strategies that may be considered in tall building design, including means of egress and performance-based design, in hopes of increasing the performance of tall buildings subjected to extreme events. Also of interest to the group are global changes for future building design, potential for enhanced use of vertical transportation systems, and the practicality of incorporating these measures. NFPA has been a member of CTBUH since 1997. CTBUH comprises the architectural, structural, mechanical, electrical and fire protection engineering communities, as well as building profession constituents.