Tag Archives: AFSA President’s Report

Despite the challenges we’re living through—from economic recession, war in Ukraine, and the nightly news showing criminal atrocities—not to mention the pandemic or the availability of trained people to hire—we need to remain optimistic to succeed. Let’s learn from the past… It’s a little-known fact that more millionaires were made …

As I write this column every few weeks, I often find myself searching for the creativity required to discuss something of value that our members might actually be interested in reading. I don’t mind sharing the fact that it can be a challenge. After all, I am the president, and …

I wake up most mornings thinking about how lucky I am to serve this industry as AFSA’s president. Our recent annual convention was an absolute grand slam home run on every level. I cannot say thank you enough to the more than 1,050 of you who attended AFSA40 live and …

It seems amazing that nine months have passed since I stepped into this new and exciting role as the president of the American Fire Sprinkler Association (AFSA). Having spent over 40 years in the fire and life safety world, I had assumed that when I threw my hat in the …

As we jump into 2021 with the hopes and dreams that always come with a new year, I want our members to know we are not resting on past accomplishments here at AFSA. In the last issue of Sprinkler Age, I touted the expansion and upgrading of our technical services …

Survey Says…  If you were around in the late 1970s through the mid-1980s, you probably remember that infamous line, “Survey Says…”.  This catchphrase was coined by the late Richard Dawson, who first hosted the popular game show “Family Feud,” as he revealed the results of a poll of 100 people …

Volunesia? Another Form of Leadership, Lest We Forget  When our AFSA communications team shared that “leadership” would be a key editorial focus for this issue of Sprinkler Age, my first reaction was how difficult it is to capture the essence of what defines a true leader. Many of us have …

“Location always has meaning.” As I listened to Travis Mack, SET—instructor for NFPA 13, Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems, Chapter 8: Spacing & Location of Sprinklers seminar when I was attending the Sacramento Valley (California) AFSA Chapter Meeting and Trade Show on March 7—I was thinking how apropos …

We’ve all heard the adage “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Often attributed to Benjamin Franklin—one of America’s most well-known founding fathers, who was also the genius behind Philadelphia’s first fire department, the Union Fire Company*—the saying rings true today, just as it has for hundreds …