Economists, Contractors, Manufacturers and Suppliers Report on 2015 and Forecast 2016 After a year of finally seeing signs of recovery and growth in 2015, the construction and fire protection industries seem to be at the same pace or better for 2016. Dodge Data & Analytics forecasts that overall U.S. construction starts …

Committee Spotlight: Apprenticeship & Education Committee When fire sprinkler professionals are looking for the best in education and apprenticeship training, they will find it with the American Fire Sprinkler Association (AFSA). A great deal of planning, development and administration goes into training the finest fire sprinkler specialists in the country. Behind …

Dodge Data & Analytics Predicts $712 Billion in 2016 Dodge Data & Analytics (construction.com) has released its 2016 Dodge Construction Outlook, a mainstay in construction industry forecasting and business planning. The report predicts that total U.S. construction starts for 2016 will rise 6 percent to $712 billion, following gains of …

AFSA Has the Solution “I need help.” I think I say this to myself at least once a week. Early in my career I would just bang my head on the desk for a few hours; now I just pick up the phone. Being one of the young(er) professionals in …

New Criteria in the 2016 Edition of NFPA 13 When using angle iron as a trapeze member, slots in the angle would provide some flexibility during installation. The problem was that criteria were provided for holes for bolts, but there were no criteria for slots. Information for slots in angle …

Honoring Those Who Lead, Educate The American Fire Sprinkler Association (AFSA) is accepting nominations for the prestigious Henry S. Parmelee and Fire Sprinkler Advocate of the Year awards. The awards are presented during AFSA’s Annual Convention & Exhibition and the recipients are featured in Sprinkler Age magazine. The Fire Sprinkler Advocate …

Respected Publication Expands, Diversifies Online After 33 years as the premier monthly magazine for the fire sprinkler industry, Sprinkler Age is going bimonthly. Starting with its January/February 2016 issue, Sprinkler Age’s print edition will be published six times a year in a larger format, which will allow it to run longer …

Changes to the 2016 Edition of NFPA 13 in Two Parts The American Fire Sprinkler Association (AFSA) is excited to announce its upcoming two-part live webinar event: “Changes from the 2013 Edition of NFPA 13 to the 2016 Edition”. The NFPA 13: Standard for the Installation of Fire Sprinkler Systems 2016 Edition has been released …

AFSA Member Participates in National Apprenticeship Week Last year, the United States Department of Labor established the week of November 1-7 as National Apprenticeship Week 2015. The event is an opportunity for the national apprenticeship community to tell the story of registered apprenticeship and is an invitation to business and industry, …

Sometimes in the course of the day, news comes in, or a comment or gesture takes place that makes me take pause and appreciate all the encounters and all the people that I have crossed paths with along the way. Sometimes it is meeting a new hire on his or …