Sprinkler Age A Publication of the American Fire Sprinkler Association
AFSA MEMBERSHIP REGIONS EXPAND TO BETTER SERVE MEMBERS
Keeping the American Fire Sprinkler Association’s (AFSA) focus on local chapters and events is critical to its mission and vision. Over the past months, the AFSA Board of Directors has been discussing ways to serve our communities better and be more in touch with our members. With this in mind, the Board recently decided to reorganize the AFSA regional map, which has grown from seven to ten regions. Each region will have a dedicated Regional Director (member of the Board) who will help to support the chapter leadership within each region, along with AFSA staff. This change is intended to increase communication between the Board, the staff, and the members in each chapter. The realignment was based partly on geography, but the number of chapters and members in each geographical area was also considered.
“We can all agree that as a national association, it’s easy to focus on broad-based national issues while local matters of concern go unnoticed. AFSA leadership wants to be national but act locally wherever and whenever possible. When you have a problem, we have a problem… we’re in this together,” comments AFSA President Bob Caputo, CFPS. “With 10 Regional Directors plus four At-Large Directors, our Board is fully committed to hearing about the needs of each chapter. It is dedicated to understanding your needs and hearing your suggestions. This reorganization ensures that your Board is better equipped to address these needs and suggestions, making AFSA a more responsive and supportive organization.”
NEW REGIONAL ALIGNMENT
Figure 1 shows the reorganized chapter layout and the following is a list of the current Regional Directors:
• Region 1 – Brooks Bayne, AFP Systems, Tualatin, Ore., covering Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington state;
• Region 2 – Wayne Weisz, Cen-Cal Fire/Sciens Building Solutions, Lodi, Calif., covering California, Hawaii, and Nevada;
• Region 3 – Don Kaufman, Kaufman Fire Protection, Albuquerque, N.M., covering New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming;
• Region 4 – Rod DiBona, Pye Barker Fire & Safety, Rapid City, S.D., covering Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin;
• Region 5 – Linda Biernacki, FireTech Systems, Inc., Shreveport, La., covering Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Texas;
• Region 6 – Jay Strickland, Pye Barker Fire & Safety, Forestville, Md., covering states Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, and Ohio;
• Region 7 – Chris Johnson, Piper Fire Protection, Clearwater, Fla., covering Alabama, Florida, and Georgia;
• Region 8 – Jeff Phifer, Crawford Sprinkler Co. of South Carolina, Lugoff, S.C., covering the states of North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia;
• Region 9 – Tommy Clements, VSC Fire & Security, Richmond, Va., covering states Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Maryland, and Pennsylvania
• Region 10 – Paul DeLorie, Hampshire Fire Protection Co., Londonderry, N.H., covering Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island.
At-Large Members:
• Jack Medovich, Summit Companies, Minneapolis, Minn.;
• Michael Meehan, VSC Fire & Security, Richmond, Va.;
• Mindy Buckley, Allsouth Fire Sprinkler Co., Buford, Ga.; and
• Hunter Brendle, Brendle Sprinkler Co., Montgomery, Ala.
Along with this realignment, AFSA plans to have a member of AFSA’s technical services staff visit each chapter occasionally to present updates to NFPA standards and other significant matters. Please submit your requests early to ensure that your chapter gets on the schedule for a visit. With 30-plus chapters and affiliates and only 12 months in the year, they may be unable to visit as often as they’d like, but AFSA is committed to supporting all its chapters.
Some AFSA committee members have asked if 10 regions will increase the number of apprentices AFSA may have competing at the National Apprentice Competition at future conventions.
“Unfortunately, not in the immediate future because we book our convention sites many years in advance and are limited in space and the number of structures we currently have,” comments AFSA Vice President of Education Services Leslie Clounts. “In addition, finalists are not solely selected by region, and we’ve often had two finalists from the same region.”
HERE TO SERVE
AFSA is the voice of the merit shop fire sprinkler contractor. It is dedicated to educating and training the industry, promoting fire protection systems to save lives and property, and serving its members. For comments or questions, please see the list of Board members and key staff on page 6 of every issue of Sprinkler Age or visit the Board of Directors’ webpage at www.firesprinkler.org/board-of-directors/ or the staff webpage at www.firesprinkler.org/afsa-staff/.
“I want to assure our members that this association continues to grow and prosper while finding the best ways to serve your needs to help strengthen your companies and our industry,” says Caputo. “Please reach out to any of the Board or myself with questions. Thank you for your membership!”
