Sprinkler Age A Publication of the American Fire Sprinkler Association

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 …

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 …

For a very long time, I owned a 1983 Jeep CJ7 Renegade, which is now in the possession of my daughter and son-in-law, who enjoy weekends in the desert. I bought that vehicle in early 1990 from a Marine who was deploying, and it’s since been driven by multiple friends, …

I am sitting in California in early February as I write this column. The AFSA Board of Directors is meeting, and I have the opportunity to present the status of work in progress and answer questions regarding the Engineering & Technical Services Department. To prepare for this discussion, my department …

CATCHING UP WITH PAST NATIONAL APPRENTICE COMPETITION COMPETITORS Thirty years ago, the American Fire Sprinkler Association (AFSA) launched the National Apprentice Competition in 1994 at the 13th Annual AFSA Convention & Exhibition in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. That inaugural year, the competition was well represented, with seven apprentice finalists from member …

CAN YOU MEET THE CHALLENGE? Each issue, AFSA’s Engineering & Technical Services Department staff present technical challenges. Besides testing yourself and your co-workers, these exercises are excellent preparation for professional certification tests and may count as CEUs. Check with your certification organization. To participate, read through and work the problems. …

Review of NFPA 20 First Draft Report For the installation of water-based fire protection systems, the NFPA standard development process aligns every three years. During this time, NFPA 13, NFPA 13R, NFPA 13D, NFPA 14, NFPA 20, and NFPA 24 are all under the microscope, with the technical committees reviewing …

Welcoming A&E Design Firms and Facility Managers The American Fire Sprinkler Association (AFSA) Board of Directors has approved two new categories for membership: A&E Design Firms and Facility Managers while redefining the Designer category to be for independent designers with more than two people. “AFSA offers education and technical support …

Live and On-Demand Webinars Offer CEUs, CPDs, and Cal Fire-Approved Courses The American Fire Sprinkler Association (AFSA) is pleased to offer live and on-demand webinars on technical and managerial topics related to the fire sprinkler industry. These programs offer Continuing Education Units (CEUs), Continuing Professional Development points (CPDs), and/or CAL …

New Program Offers Scholarships One challenge facing the fire sprinkler industry is the need for designers. The American Fire Sprinkler Association (AFSA) is pleased to announce a scholarship program for designers employed by AFSA Category 1-3 contractor members to help meet that demand. For 2023, a limited number of scholarships …

AFSA42 OFFERS CEUS AND CONNECTIONS IN ORLANDO When many think of Orlando, Disney World and Universal Studios usually come to mind. While memories of Mickey Mouse or heart-racing roller coasters might be floating around in your mind, we hope to rewrite that top-of-mind recall this year at AFSA42: Convention, Exhibition, …