Sprinkler Age A Publication of the American Fire Sprinkler Association
In the world of fire protection, codes, standards, and committee statements each play a distinct role in ensuring safety and reliability. Codes tell you when something is required, standards tell you how to comply, and committee statements explain why specific requirements exist. Without clear technical substantiation, these essential elements of the standards development process risk becoming arbitrary and ineffective.
Installation standards serve as the foundation for ensuring that fire protection systems function as intended. They are not arbitrary rules but carefully developed guidelines based on technical data, research, and field experience. Their purpose is to provide repeatable, effective, and safe methods of system design and installation. When requirements within these standards lack technical justification, they lose credibility and may lead to unnecessary costs, inefficiencies, or even reduced effectiveness in fire protection.
Technical substantiation is critical at all levels of standards development, from public inputs and comments to first and second revisions. Without supporting data, proof, or sound technical reasoning, the foundation of a requirement can become as arbitrary as selecting the temperature rating of sprinklers based on a favorite color or determining the number of design area sprinklers using a lucky number. If standards were developed without robust substantiation, inconsistencies would arise, and the entire industry would suffer from a lack of reliability and trust in the requirements.
Committee statements provide the reasoning behind actions taken in response to public inputs and comments. Per NFPA guidelines, committee statements must be technical in nature and sufficiently detailed to convey the committee’s rationale. These statements should not be vague dismissals but should instead include references to existing research, performance data, or field experience to justify the committee’s decision. If a section of a standard is to be changed, the committee must ask:
- What is the technical substantiation from the submitter?
- What is the committee’s technical rationale for approving or rejecting the input?
Without well-documented committee statements, users of the standard are left without a clear understanding of why changes were made, potentially leading to confusion and misapplication of the requirements.
Technical substantiation is the backbone of a credible and effective standards development process. By ensuring that public inputs, public comments, and committee statements are grounded in data and technical rationale, we maintain the integrity and reliability of installation standards. Without it, we risk basing critical fire protection decisions on subjective preferences rather than sound engineering and science. The industry must continue to emphasize the importance of technical substantiation to ensure that standards remain robust, defensible, and effective in safeguarding lives and property.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Kevin Hall, M.Eng., P.E., ET, CWBSP, PMSFPE, is the senior manager of engineering and technical services for the American Fire Sprinkler Association (AFSA). He is a member of several National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) technical committees responsible for developing the model codes and standards, including, NFPA 1 Fire Code, NFPA 13/13R/13D Installation of Sprinkler Systems, NFPA 20 Installation of Stationary Fire Pumps for Fire Protection, NFPA 25 Inspection, Testing, and Maintenance of Water-Based Fire Protection Systems, and NFPA 200 Hanging, Bracing, and Anchorage of Water-Based Fire Protection Systems. He also represents AFSA on numerous UL technical committees responsible for revising and maintaining the product standards used in the sprinkler industry. He is a registered professional engineer in Delaware and Maryland, NICET III certified in water-based system layout, a certified water-based system professional through NFPA, and a professional member of the Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE). He earned his Bachelor of Science and Master of Engineering degrees from the University of Maryland College Park in fire protection engineering. In 2021, he was recognized as one of SFPE’s “5 Under 35” award recipients. Prior to his association and committee work, he worked for Reliance Fire Protection in Baltimore, Maryland as a project manager overseeing projects of various sizes and complexity.
