Sprinkler Age A Publication of the American Fire Sprinkler Association

The State of the Standard NFPA 14, Standard for the Installation of Standpipe and Hose Systems, has been radically revised since I first came onto the committee in the second half of the 2000 cycle. The 1996 edition contained less than one page of definitions, did not make specific provisions for high-rise buildings, and referred …

I write this message on the Fourth of July weekend and contemplate leadership. When our association was founded in 1981 we did so as a group of open shop contractors whose business needs and demands were not being addressed. Our founders felt compelled to figure out a way to give open shop …

Despite widely varying projections for growth of the economy and the dramatic ups and downs in the stock market, 2015 became the year we could say “we’re back” from the Great Recession. We are seeing much greater optimism among contractors and suppliers. AFSA’s year-end numbers for 2015 confirm that the trend starting in 2013 has …

Thank You for Investing in the Future of Fire Protection The Center for Life Safety Education (CLSE), an educational affiliate of the American Fire Sprinkler Association (AFSA), is proud to sponsor two scholarship programs: the Philip L. DeCamara, Jr. Scholarship and the Thomas S. Waller Memorial Scholarship. These programs honor …

Informal Interpretations Offer Assistance on Technical Questions The informal interpretations featured in this post address NFPA 13, Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems, early suppression fast response (ESFR) sprinklers. AFSA’s informal interpretations are provided to AFSA members by Vice President of Engineering & Technical Services Roland Huggins, P.E. and Manager …

The nation’s largest fire sprinkler industry group, the American Fire Sprinkler Association (AFSA), is pleased to announce the growth of its Membership Department with the hiring of Bradley Elliott as director of member services, further bolstering the organization’s commitment to its membership experience. As director of member services for AFSA, …

Commitment to Codes and Standards The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) is, among other things, the leading authority on all fire codes and standards. These codes and standards are kept up to date by NFPA Technical Committees (TCs), which serve as the principal bodies responsible for the development and revision …

Retired State Fire Marshal Receives Fire Sprinklers Save Lives Award On Tuesday, April 5, Charles E. Altizer (Ed), P.E., C.B.O., C.F.O., retired state fire marshal of the State of Virginia, received the “Fire Sprinklers Save Lives Award” from the Virginia Chapter of the American Fire Sprinkler Association (AFSA). He was …

Bill Defeated That Would Have Weakened Home Sprinkler Requirement A legislative bill that riled fire sprinkler advocates for its ability to eliminate a crucial piece of life safety for Maryland residents has been defeated. Pre-filed in 2015 and sponsored by Maryland Delegate Christopher Adams, the bill would have given local …

Some people say that size doesn’t matter. They often quarrel over the significance of scale when arguing about quality. Bigger is not always better. In a sense, we engage in this argument all the time when arguing about whether sprinklers are a good idea or not. Are they good enough …