Sprinkler Age A Publication of the American Fire Sprinkler Association

Retired Fire Marshal Dedicated to Life Safety As a proponent for total life safety, retired Aspen, Colorado Fire Marshal Ed Van Walraven has embraced all aspects of fire prevention. His work at the city, state and national level has helped establish ordinances and shape standards for those in the fire …

The Best From the Best It is a sad fact that the majority of companies that install fire sprinklers do not belong to either national association. Generally speaking, most of the “non-joiners” are smaller companies that are so busy staying one step ahead they think they don’t have the luxury …

A side-by-side demonstration is one of the best education tools to show the power of fire sprinklers. Two rooms are constructed: one with a fire sprinkler system, the other without. Then, a fire is lit in each room. Home fire sprinklers are designed to activate when the air in the …

AHJ Perspective Back in the good old days, all it took to solve a problem was a Swiss Army knife, a roll of duct tape and a guy named MacGyver. But, nothing is sacred, and MacGyver eventually went off the air. His reputation of being an expert at Rube Goldberg …

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 …

Member Testimonial  My company has been a member of AFSA since 2004. I had no idea at the time we joined just how beneficial the membership would become. I was aware that the American Fire Sprinkler Association (AFSA) was a good, member-oriented organization for the merit shop contractor because I …

A Handy Tool to Identify Your Customer’s Financial Condition Over the years I have found customers fall into three specific stages while doing business on open credit with our clients. Learning how to identify these stages “arms” my clients so they know exactly what to do and when – and their …

Costly Consequences for Worker Misclassification When business is growing and companies are adding workers, classifying employment status of each one can be tricky. Accidental misclassification of workers carries penalties and payment of back wages. Intentional misclassification of workers can carry criminal penalties and back wages. Since the Fair Labor Standards …

Packed Exhibition Complements Seminars, Social Events The American Fire Sprinkler Association’s (AFSA) 2015 convention, AFSA in Phoenix: Rising to Excellence, provides numerous ways to grow your business: 55 hours of educational seminars, many networking opportunities, and a sold-out exhibit hall. Offering the latest products and services available to the fire …

The American Fire Sprinkler Association (AFSA) is making a new effort to attract the next generation of fire protection professionals. This year’s convention, AFSA in Phoenix: Rise to Excellence, will feature several networking opportunities for the Next Generation group. Sunday, October 11 at 8:00 a.m. with the seminar “Real Talk: …