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January 2005 Top of Page
Results
Announced for Board of Directors Election
Jan. 6, 2005 - Russ Fleming, NFSA Executive
Vice President has announced the results of the elections held for vacancies
occurring from the expiration of office terms on the Association's Board of
Directors and Councils. Don DeLuca of SRI Fire Sprinkler Corporation was
reelected to the Contractor Council for Area 1, Aus Marburger of Fire Protection
Industries, Inc. was re-elected to represent Area 2, Mark Davis of Morristown
Automatic Sprinkler Company, Inc. was elected to the vacancy in Area 3, Wayne
Gey of Wayne Automatic Fire Sprinklers, Inc. was re-elected in Area 4, Gregg
Huennekens of United States Fire Protection, Illinois, Inc was re-elected
representing Area 6, Todd Little of RCI Systems, Inc. was re-elected to
represent Area 9 and Barry Waterman of Acme Sprinkler Service Company was
re-elected as Contractor-At-Large. Each will serve for a term of three years.
In addition, members elected Buck Buchannan of Hughes Supply, Jim Henry of
Potter-Roemer and Dennis Roberts of Sprinkfab to the Supplier and Manufacturers
Council. Their term of office will be two years.
Mr. Fleming noted that the Association wished to thank
retiring Director Claude Chafin and SAM Council members Terry Clark from Fire
End&Croker Corp. and Ed Hayes of North Alabama Pipe Corporation for their
service to the Board.
Another
Viniello Makes Good
If you tune in to the Sci-Fi Cable Channel on
Saturday, Jan. 29th, at 9 p.m. EST, you'll be watching Mark Viniello in the
starring role of Chupacabra: Dark Seas. You won't be able to notice
the family resemblance to NFSA President, John Viniello, his father, because
he'll be garbed in the make-up he developed for the title monster, Chupacabra.
Mark is enjoying a highly successful career in Hollywood working in special
effects and character make-up. He has worked on a number of major film
releases and heads his own business that has developed several computerized,
mechanical and prosthetic processes for this genre.
An
Educated AHJ is Your Best Friend
Every contractor knows that a dispute with the local
AHJ can cost thousands of dollars and turn a profitable job into a loser.
It's a greater frustration when these events are a result of the AHJ not
understanding or not being up-to-date with the codes. The NFSA has a great
solution. We're dedicating our 2005 online seminar series to a review of
NFPA 13 and combining it with an offer to enroll all AHJ's at the member
price. The first session will be held on January 25th and will be hosted
by Ken Isman, NFSA Assistant Vice President of Engineering, on the topic of Chapters 1
through 5 dealing with Fundamentals and Hazard Classifications.
There's still time to register your company's employees and call your local AHJ to let them know about this exciting opportunity for updating their skills. You can even invite them to your office to sit in with you; remember, we don't limit the number of people at each computer. To see the full schedule you can click on the link for the program in the panel on the right or email dawn@nfsa.org and we'll be happy to send you an electronic version of the program brochure that was mailed earlier. You can also call us at 845.878.4200, ext. 133.
NFSA Members Bring Fire Sprinklers to TV's Extreme Makeover
Jan. 14, 2005 - This Sunday, January 16, 2005, ABC TV's Extreme Makeover Home Edition program will feature it's second home with fire sprinklers installed. The materials were donated by NFSA Member Reliable Automatic Sprinkler Company and the drafting and installation were performed by NFSA Member Western States Fire Protection. Congratulations to the crew that completed the installation in the 1200 sq.ft. home in just seven hours!!!
The NFSA co-sponsored Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition is in discussions with the producers of the show to install fire sprinkler systems in all of the homes that they renovate for future shows.
Business Operations Survey Underway
NFSA contractor members have received a Business Operations Survey form. The survey is being
conducted by J.T. Shulman and Company, P.C., NFSA’s independent Certified
Public Accounting firm, and is similar to the one that was developed in
1998. As a result of the feedback from our workshop held at the annual
seminar in Hawaii, this form represents all of the input from our contractors
as to what information would be most beneficial in compiling a business
operations report.
All contractors are urged to take the time to complete
each item of the survey as it will provide them with extremely valuable
information about their business compared with businesses of similar size.
ALL INFORMATION WILL BE HELD STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL AND WILL NOT BE SEEN
BY ANY MEMBER OF THE NFSA STAFF.
The results will be compiled from all surveys completed
by the participating contractors and a final report will be produced.
There will be no record of any participating company names or any data
that could be specifically identifiable to any contributor within the report.
Those who participate in this survey, will receive a copy of the results
at no cost. Those not participating and who are members of NFSA
may obtain a copy for $750.00; nonmembers may obtain a copy for $1,500.00.
To obtain copies online or to fill out the forms
electronically, go to http://www.jtscocpa.com.
February 2005Top of Page
Psychiatric
Center Saved by Fire Sprinklers
Feb. 20, 2005- At approximately 9 pm a
fire spread from the outside of Unit K at the Capital District Psychiatric
Center on New Scotland Rd. to the interior. It has been reported that the
fire’s point of origin was in a smoking area’s trash container. The fire
grew to a proportion that it melted through shatter resistant window. The fire
progressed as an interior fire into the kitchen as it caught a set of drapes on
fire. Three fire sprinklers halted the progression of or extinguished the
fire until Albany Fire Dept units arrived. Local news that was on scene has
attributed the save to the fire sprinklers.
NFSA Member SRI Fire
Sprinkler Corp. of Central Ave. Albany, NY, owned by Don Deluca Sr., installed
and services the fire sprinklers at CDPC.
Firefighters Saved by Sprinkler Activation
Feb. 8, 2005 - The four firemen sleeping
in firehouse 91 in Palm Bay, FL are happy today that their lives were protected
by an automatic fire sprinkler system. An electric charger attached to the
department's $250,000 pumper apparently started a fire in the garage area that
could have had tragic results if the fire sprinklers had not activated. A
passerby who observed thick black smoke called 911 and rang the door bell to
awaken the occupants. Damage to the truck was extensive but the sprinklers kept
the fire contained avoiding further damage until the firemen could extinguish
the blaze.
"The sprinklers kept
the fire contained, and everything worked the way it was supposed to," said
Palm Bay Fire Chief Larry Hellman. "It
took a while before the heat could build up to the ceiling and activate the
sprinklers, but absolutely, lives were saved by the sprinklers."
Residential
Retrofit to be Shown on TV
On
March 6, 2005, Ron Hazelton's House Calls television program will be featuring a
segment in which he presents the fire sprinkler retrofit that he did in his own
home. Clearly, Ron doesn't just talk the talk and is committed to the life
and property saving protection offered by fire sprinklers.
More
than a year ago, a residential fire sprinkler system was retrofit in Ron
Hazelton's 35-year old home located in Fairfield, CT. Camera crews captured the
highlights of the retrofit including pipe installation in existing walls,
closets and attics. Since Ron's water pressure did not meet the requirements for
the NFPA 13D system, a 300 gallon tank and pump were installed in the
basement.
As
spokesperson for the Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition, Ron understands and believes
in the life-saving benefits of an automatic fire sprinkler system. With two
children under the age of four, he feels more comfortable now that the system is
complete.
The retrofit
was originally videotaped to produce a "How To Retrofit" video for
HFSC. The HFSC video will
include more details about the design and installation of the project. The HFSC
video will be available in April.
The show is syndicated so you should check your local
listings for the time and channel where you can see the program in your area or
use the schedule finder at www.ronhazelton.com.
Fire Sprinkler Incentive Act Introduced
On Thursday, March 3, 2005 at 2:15 PM on the grounds of the US Capitol, Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA), author of the Senate Bill, Congressman Curt Weldon (R-PA), author of the House Bill and Congressman Jim Langevin (D-RI) held a press conference to announce the introduction of the Fire Sprinkler Incentive Act of 2005 in both houses of the 109th Congress. Surrounded by representatives of the major national fire service organizations, representatives of the fire sprinkler industry and other support groups, the three legislators each spoke to emphasize the importance of this landmark fire protection legislation toward reducing the inexcusable loss of life and property in buildings built under older codes without fire sprinkler protection. The Fire Sprinkler Incentive Act will amend the 1986 Internal Revenue Code to accelerate the present depreciation schedule for the retrofit of fire sprinklers to five years at 20% per year. This accelerated depreciation schedule, coupled with insurance reduction savings, will allow building owners who retrofit their property with fire sprinklers to recover the cost over a much shorter time period.
Mr. John Biechman, NFPA Vice President of Legislative Affairs spoke on behalf of
the national fire service organizations and Mr. Todd Smith of the American
Health Care Association spoke on behalf of the over 50 other national
organizations who have come forward in support of the legislation. At the
conclusion of the press conference, representatives from the Maryland Fire and
Rescue Institute conducted a dynamic live burn demonstration to show the
effectiveness of fire sprinklers in controlling and extinguishing fires in their
insipient stage, thereby eliminating loss of life and major property loss. The
bills will now go to the Library of Congress to be registered and assigned a
number.
Monitor this site for further information
regarding advocacy of the bills.
March 2005 Top
of Page
Viniello to Receive Coveted Golden
Sprinkler Award
Friday, March 4, 2005, Patterson,
Viniello is a dynamic leader and as President of NFSA
since 1984, has skillfully guided its development as the fire sprinkler
industry's leading organization in promoting the fire sprinkler concept. Under
his watch, the fire sprinkler industry has experienced unprecedented growth and
fire sprinklers have earned the enviable reputation of being the undisputed best
in fire protection.
Commenting
on this year's decision naming Viniello, NFSA Awards Committee Chairman Barry
Waterman said, "Looking back over the tremendous advances the fire
sprinkler industry has made over the last 20 years in the model building codes,
installation standards and public awareness, it seems only fitting to this year
recognize the leadership of the man whose efforts in large part as President of
NFSA were responsible for making it all possible." He added, "With the
Association celebrating its 100th Anniversary this year, being punctuated by an
extravaganza in
CBS Early Show to Feature Sprinklers in College Dorms
Susan Koeppen, Consumer Reporter from the CBS Early Show, will be presenting a segment on campus fire safety on Friday, March 25th, at approximately 7:30 a.m (eastern time). The Center for Campus Fire Safety assisted with developing the program. It will include footage from several full-scale student room burns demonstrating the effectiveness of sprinklers. If you have a student in college or one going to attend in the future this programs is a must-see!
Viniello
to Receive Coveted Golden Sprinkler Award
Friday, March 4, 2005, Patterson, New York
- The National Fire Sprinkler Association Awards Committee has announced that
this year's recipient of the Golden Sprinkler award is John A. Viniello. The
presentation will take place during the opening session of NFSA's 100th
Anniversary Celebration & Exhibition at the Grand Hyatt New York. (read
more)
Latest
Seminar News Update-click here
It's Going to be SRO
With the start of this premier event growing
closer, it's clear that this event is going to be a total sellout. In
order to accommodate late registrations, additional rooms at the nearby Hotel
Roosevelt have been secured; check the Seminar News Update for details.
The Exhibit is fully subscribed by suppliers and manufacturers so you will have
the opportunity to view the latest and greatest in the fire sprinkler industry.
Event Sponsorships Available
Event
Sponsor Opportunities
2005
Seminar and Exhibition Brochure Available Online
An electronic
copy of the registration materials and brochure for the NFSA 100th Anniversary
Annual Seminar and Exhibition can be downloaded from the link below prior to the
mailing of the brochure. This tremendous celebration of the Association's
history and accomplishments will be held in New York City, April 29-May 3, 2005.
Among the highlights awaiting the attendees will be an
Evening at the Theater, a Yankee Baseball Game, a Contractor's Forum, Newcomers
Reception, highly informative technical presentations and a closing gala black
tie banquet.
Download
Brochure Here Register online here!
Register online here!
Congressman
Curt Weldon and Ron Hazelton to Address Attendees
Congressman Curt Weldon has accepted the
invitation to address our seminar. As the Co-sponsor of the Fire Sprinkler
Incentive Act of 2004, we are certain he well share important information on
both the history and future of Federal legislation supporting the installation
of automatic fire sprinkler systems.
We are experiencing substantial growth in the
residential fire sprinkler market and much of that success can be attributed
to the Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition and its national spokesperson, Ron
Hazelton. Ron is a strong believer in residential fire sprinklers and has taken
every opportunity to feature them on his home improvement television show,
"House Calls." In recognition of his work, NFSA will be making a
special Appreciation Award presentation to him at the Seminar.
Social
Events Compliment the Premier Fire Sprinkler Meeting
We
have planned outings for Saturday evening, April 30th, to provide attendees an
opportunity to enjoy part of the New York scene. In the afternoon, those
who ordered early will be attending a New York Yankee game; tickets are
available. For the evening,
we planned a theater party for the hit show, The Producers. The block of tickets
has sold out.
Registrants will be receiving an information packet around April 1st that will
contain all of the details.
April 2005 Top
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May 2005 Top
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June 2005 Top
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July 2005 Top
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August 2004 Top of Page
September 2005 Top of Page
October 2005 Top of Page
November 2005 Top of Page
Franson Appointed Chair of UL/FM/NFSA Standards Review
Committee
Scott Franson, Vice President of Design and
Development for the Viking Corporation, has been appointed the new chair of the
UL/FM/NFSA Standards Review Committee. He replaces Peter Thomas of Tyco Fire
and Building Products, whose job responsibilities no longer permitted him to
serve in that capacity.
The Committee operates as a subcommittee of the NFSA
Engineering and Standards Committee, and E&S Committee Chairman Dick Oliver made
the appointment after soliciting recommendations from within the committee. The
UL/FM/NFSA Standards Review Committee was first formed in 1974 as a mechanism
for producing a unified U.S. position on fire sprinkler product issues in the
activities of the International Standards Organization. Over the years it has
become an important forum by which representatives of the fire sprinkler
manufacturers and the product testing laboratories can discuss issues of
importance, and try to achieve consensus in test requirements and methods. The
Committee often develops proposals to the NFPA installation standards that
reflect the thinking of the product side of the industry.
Commenting on the appointment, NFSA Executive Vice
President Russ Fleming expressed his confidence that Scott Franson will carry on
the tradition of bringing the laboratories and manufacturers together. He also
thanked Pete Thomas for many years of service in that capacity, and noted that
Mr. Thomas will continue to represent NFSA in other technical activities,
including the Fire Sprinkler Expert Group of the British Loss Prevention
Certification Board (LPCB) and the NFPA Cultural Resources Committee.
NFSA SAM Council Elections Held
Jan. 5, 2006 - NFSA SAM member elections have been
completed. Gary Johnson of Noveon and Bob Bussiere of Allied Tube have be
re-elected to new 3-year terms. George McHugh of AGF Manufacturing has been
elected to the seat formerly held by Randy Greenslate of FPPI, who did not seek
re-election. Mr. McHugh is a member of the Council effectively immediately.
Congratulations go out to the three successful
candidates. NFSA would also like to thank Mr. Greenslate for his years of
service to the Council. Sincere gratitude is expressed to all of the other
candidates who showed their support for NFSA through their willingness to serve
on the Council.
The SAM Council of the Board of Directors is now
comprised of Michael Cabral, Chairman, Potter Electric Signal Company; Neil
Cahill, Secretary, NFSA; Michael Berkelhammer, United Brass Works; Buck
Buchanan, Hughes Supply; Bob Bussiere. Allied Tube & Conduit; George McHugh, AGF
Manufacturing; James Henry, Potter - Roemer; Gary Johnson, Noveon; Chuck Kitts,
System Sensor; Dennis Roberts, Sprinkfab.