Featured Articles

And Some Don’t Every fire protection contractor I talk to wants to grow. The ambition is never the problem. What holds most companies back isn’t a lack of effort. It’s the absence of the operational infrastructure that makes growth possible without everything falling apart. After working with hundreds of fire …

Chapter Members Answer the Call If you are reading this, chances are you have heard about some of the community projects and exciting opportunities the Virginia Chapter of the American Fire Sprinkler Association (AFSA) has had the privilege of taking part in. Some have been featured in articles, convention seminars, …

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 …

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. …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …