According to NFPA, once a standard has been adopted, it has the force of what?

According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), once a standard has been adopted, it carries the force of law. This means that the adopted standards must be followed and enforced, just as legal requirements must be adhered to. The NFPA develops standards that are intended to promote safety and protect life and property, and when these standards are formally adopted, they become legally binding for those entities or jurisdictions that accept and implement them.

In this context, most regulatory bodies will incorporate NFPA standards into their own regulations, making compliance not just a best practice but a legal obligation. This underscores the critical nature of the NFPA's standards and the importance of adherence to them within the relevant industries, thereby ensuring consistent safety measures across various jurisdictions.

The other options do not accurately reflect the authoritative nature of NFPA standards once adopted. They typically suggest lower levels of obligation, such as recommendations or guidance, which do not convey the same legal enforceability as the term “law.”