Sprinkler Age A Publication of the American Fire Sprinkler Association

Honoring a Contractor Who Helped Educate the Industry Becoming a leader doesn’t happen overnight. Leaders work their way through the ranks and rise to the top thanks to a combination of hard work, perseverance, and traits and qualities that make them a true trailblazer. In recognition of his dedication and …

When does fire prevention end and fire suppression begin? The flippant answer is: when someone calls 911 reporting a fire. The fire has occurred. Prevention implies that it wouldn’t happen. But, it did. Now, someone has to go put it out. And now, the outcome may well be determined by …

Different Construction Materials Create Different Issues I may be aging myself, but do you remember the days of using the maximum spacing for hangers and the 40, 80 rule? There was no concern that the building structure would not support the sprinkler pipe, and we spaced lateral braces 40 ft …

Additional Rigid Braces are Required Using 2013 NFPA 13, Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems, as a reference, I will discuss this common tension-only sway brace misapplication. Many manufacturers of tension-only brace product incorrectly specify the installation of a rod hanger with a rod stiffener to resist upward vertical …

On Tuesday, September 22, Congressmen Tom Reed (NY-23) and James “Jim” Langevin (RI-2), AFSA’s 2007 Advocate of the Year, introduced the Fire Sprinkler Incentive Act (H.R. 3591).  Senators Susan Collins (ME) and Thomas Carper (DE) introduced identical legislation, S. 2068, in the Senate on the same day. As introduced, the …

Significant Changes Coming in 2016 NFPA 13 If you’ve ever installed or designed a system with a fire pump or a header then you’ve probably used pipe stands in some form or fashion. But how did you know how to design the pipe stands? Sure, there have been several manufactured pipe …

Carolinas Chapter Becomes First Award Recipient The Membership & Chapter Development Committee of the American Fire Sprinkler Association (AFSA) recently selected its Carolinas Chapter as the first recipient of the Outstanding Chapter of the Year Award. The award was established to recognize excellence in chapter administration and programs. Selection criteria …

Free training is available to Authorities Having Jurisdiction (AHJs) during the American Fire Sprinkler Association’s (AFSA) 34th Annual Convention & Exhibition, AFSA in Phoenix: Rising to Excellence. To be held at the award-winning JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort & Spa October 10-13, AFSA’s convention draws over 1,100 participants from …

“Rode hard and put away wet.” That was a cliché that I have heard many times when witnessing something that had undergone a severe test and was just about ready to fall apart. The cliché started out describing horses that were put away without proper grooming, but the imagery matches …

Electronic Review Considerations If you are an employee or supervisor of a reviewing agency and are thinking about going to electronic review (and you should be), there are some things that need to be taken into account. Following are things I have experienced that will help you avoid potential problems. …