The American Fire Sprinkler Association (AFSA) has elected its 2015-2016 Board of Directors. Newly elected directors include Rod DiBona of Rapid Fire Protection in Rapid City, S.D. (Region 3) and Lyle Hall of Western Fire Protection in Poway, Calif. (At Large). DiBona will take over the Region 3 director position …
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The Impact of Group A Plastics One of the most critical variables necessary to define the right design basis for the protection of storage is the commodity classification. In evaluating an individual pallet load, Class III and IV commodities have pretty much always been allowed to have some Group A …
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Lessons Learned with Full-Scale Fire Tests on Mattresses There were many quips I heard my parents rattle off in response to the trouble I got myself into, but one of them recently came back to haunt me. And, now having kids of my own, I find myself saying it as …
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Three Decades of Home Sprinkler Education Thirty years ago, the American Fire Sprinkler Association (AFSA), the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), and the National Fire Sprinkler Association (NFSA) pooled their resources to create the Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition (HFSC), a single entity for the sole purpose of educating on the …
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AFSA staff represented the association and AFSA’s Technical Advisory Council (TAC) at the 2026 NFPA Technical Meeting in Las Vegas. In addition to the results of the 2026 NFPA Technical Meeting, a summary of the discussions during the meeting and future action plans will be discussed in this issue’s column. …
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Why the NextGen Committee Exists The fire sprinkler industry sits at a quiet but consequential crossroads. We all know about the labor shortage in our industry, and if you’re reading this, you’ve probably seen the statistics: more fire protection engineers are retiring than graduating; 25% of our workforce is nearing …
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Running a small fire sprinkler contracting business is rewarding, but it can also be lonely. When you own or lead a small company you wear every hat there is. You build a team, chase work, watch your margins, and try new technology, all while still answering the phone when something …
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Apprentices Take the National Stage Seven of the nation’s top fire sprinkler apprentices are headed to San Antonio, Texas, to compete in the 33rd Annual National Apprentice Competition (NAC) to be held during AFSA45: Convention, Exhibition & Apprentice Competition, Sept. 27-30. After earning their place as a finalist, they’ll face …
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A Legacy of Leadership, Service, and Giving Back For more than four decades, Jack Medovich, P.E., has dedicated his career to protecting lives, advancing the sprinkler industry, and serving the people within it. From his early days as a volunteer firefighter and fire protection engineer to building a successful sprinkler …
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Welcome to AFSA45 in San Antonio! On behalf of the AFSA Board of Directors, our Convention Committee, staff, exhibitors, sponsors, and volunteers, I am pleased to welcome you to this year’s convention, exhibition, and apprentice competition in the heart of Texas. This gathering is always one of the most important …
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Welcome back to San Antonio, Texas, and AFSA45! If this is your first opportunity to attend AFSA’s annual convention, you’re in for an awesome experience! Whether you’re a competitor in this year’s apprentice competition, a new member, associate, guest, or just here for the CEUs, this convention and its opportunities …
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You’ve registered for an annual convention; now what? Whether this is your first convention or your tenth, it’s natural to feel a little overwhelmed. Which education sessions should you attend? Will you know anyone there? How to be efficient with your time? With so many options and opportunities, it’s easy …
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Our company has a research and training committee. One of its responsibilities is to schedule instructors and develop material for seminars and webinars that are conducted internally and for outside organizations. In the past, most of the instruction was done by a small group of senior associates. We recently expanded …
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Sprinkler Age A Publication of the American Fire Sprinkler Association