Sprinkler Age A Publication of the American Fire Sprinkler Association
On behalf of the AFSA team, it is my great pleasure to welcome you to AFSA44. We are delighted to have you join us for what promises to be an inspiring and unforgettable event. Our shared commitment to advancing fire protection, life safety, and our mission of protecting people and property provides a unique opportunity to connect, learn, and grow together. With a diverse lineup of educational sessions and an exhibit hall showcasing the latest innovations in our industry, we are confident you will find new ideas, valuable tools, and fresh perspectives to bring back to your teams and communities.
Equally important, this convention is about relationships—strengthening the bonds that make our association a family. Whether you are a first-time attendee or a long-time member, we encourage you to take full advantage of the networking events, share your experiences, and collaborate with colleagues who share your passion for fire and life safety. Together, we will explore emerging technologies, evolving codes and standards, and the future of fire protection in a rapidly changing world. Thank you for being here and for the role you play in advancing our industry and our association, as well as for the lives and property we save through the work we love doing. We also wish to extend our deepest gratitude to our sponsors and partners, whose generous support has helped make this event possible. We look forward to a memorable convention filled with learning, inspiration, and fellowship. Welcome, and let’s make this our best convention yet!
For those of our members who are not fortunate enough to be able to attend this year’s event, let me take a few paragraphs to talk about what you can expect to see from your association as we move into 2026. First and foremost, we are proud to announce that our Virtual Instruction Program (VIP) for Fire Sprinkler Fitter Apprenticeship is growing rapidly. The latest Phase One class, which was recently started, has over 60 registered apprentices from across the country, and our ever-growing cadre of incredible instructors is increasing with it. For those of you unfamiliar with this program, it allows your apprentices to attend the required classroom sessions remotely, from anywhere with a live instructor via connected devices. This is a benefit for those companies and apprentices working in remote locations, as well as those where traffic makes attending an actual classroom difficult after an eight-hour workday.
Our 20-month ITM program is easily the most well-enrolled, and the last few classes have had 100% pass rates for NICET Level II test takers. Attendance in our programs for layout technicians and fire pump testing has also seen a sharp rise, and the feedback we’ve been receiving is an indicator of great successes for our instructors and the participants who have attended. Our lab space is being booked almost every week with open registration and private training programs.
But that’s not where the success stories end. AFSA staff, under the guidance of our Board of Directors, have plans to expand our lab and our training programs to include ITM for fire alarm (low voltage), kitchen hoods, fire extinguishers, fire doors, and dampers to help increase opportunities for our members to add services and for AFSA to become your one-stop shop for training and education for your staff. I invite everyone to visit our website, firesprinkler.org, and click on the Education & Training tab to see the many options at your disposal.
As we’ve noted in the recent past. AFSA would love to hear and publish your story in Sprinkler Age. How did you get into this industry? Why are you a member of AFSA? Is there something our Engineering & Technical Services Department has done to save you time or money? What’s next for your region or this industry? We want to know, so please tell us your story so we might share it with others.
Finally, I’d like to say thank you to Linda Biernacki, who has served as Chair of the Board these past two years. Linda brought her unique style and panache to the role, while keeping everyone on their toes and helping to guide the Board and the staff to reach a little further and accomplish their goals. Enjoy the convention, and don’t forget to have a little fun!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Bob Caputo, CFPS, is president of AFSA. He has been an important part of the fire sprinkler industry for over 41 years and is a long-time member of AFSA and promoter of merit shop contracting. He has chaired and served on many NFPA committees. Caputo has written and presented seminars throughout the world on fire protection and life-safety systems and is a regular speaker at AFSA and NFPA conventions. He has developed AFSA education and training materials, and chaired two chapters of AFSA—Arizona and Southern California. Caputo is the recipient of numerous awards, including Fire Protection Contractor magazine’s “Industry person of the Year,” San Diego County Fire Chief’s Association’s “Fire Prevention Officer of the Year,” and AFSA’s highest honor, the Henry S. Parmelee Award.