NFPA's Mark Earley wrote a nice tribute

H. Brooke Stauffer, NFPA Electrical Section's Chairman, and Fiancee Missing after Plane Crash

By Mark Earley, P.E.

I know that many of you have been following news reports that indicate Brooke Stauffer and his fiancée, Karen Dodds, were reported missing on a flight over Lake Huron . I am sad to report that some aircraft wreckage has been found; however, the search is still in progress and we remain hopeful.

Brooke has worked in the electrical industry for most of his career. He had spent many years at NEMA, the Smart House Development Venture, worked for the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers, and most recently, the National Electrical Contractors’ Association. He serves on the National Electrical Code®’s (NEC ®’s) CMP 1 and NFPA 70E, Electrical Safety in the Workplace®. He has previously served on CMP 2, CMP 20, NFPA 70B, Electrical Equipment Maintenance®, and NFPA 73, Electrical Inspection for Existing Dwellings®. He is the Chairman of the NFPA Electrical Section.

Brooke cares deeply about the electrical industry. He was the driving force behind the formation of the Inspection Initiative and the Electrical Code Coalition, which both sought to strengthen electrical inspectors and to promote adoption of the NEC.

Brooke is an accomplished writer. He has written for a number of magazines. He has written a couple of novels, including a science fiction novel for children. He also wrote a handy pocket travel guide to the Washington , DC area. Most recently, he wrote several books on the NEC.

Brooke also completely rewrote the National Electrical Code Style Manual. This was a tedious and thankless job. However, it is now readable and very user friendly.

Those of us who attended this year's World Safety Conference and Exposition remember his smooth and articulate leadership of the Electrical Section's business meeting.

Brooke is an accomplished writer in another unique way. In this day of modern email communication, he is known for his hand written notes and cards. Several people that I have spoken to this week had stories about an uplifting card that they had received from Brooke. If you had a young child, Brooke would send him/her an autographed copy of his science fiction book.

Karen Dodds is a talented graphic artist who serves as president of Dodds Design, a graphic arts company that designs web sites and brochures. I have known Karen for a few years. We have had a few long conversations about our mutual love of flying. Brooke and Karen developed a passion for exploring the country by air. I enjoyed the time that I spent with Brooke and Karen immensely. They are a great couple!

Brooke has two sons, Christian and Gregory and a daughter, Hillary.

Brooke is a good friend to many in this industry on a professional level and a personal level. Please keep Brooke and Karen in your thoughts and prayers.

Brooke’s son Christian set up a blog where he is providing updates on the search. You may find it at:

http://karenandbrooke.blogspot.com.

You can also send a note of support to the family on the blog.

Information may also be found on the NECA website at:www.necanet.org.