Sprinkler Age A Publication of the American Fire Sprinkler Association
FLASHPOINT
A good friend asked me the other day if I liked my position with AFSA. I thought about it for a minute or so before responding, “Absolutely, I’m living my dream job!” I started as an employee with AFSA in 2020. However, I started as a volunteer with AFSA in 1996. Where has the time gone? How things have changed!
All my adult life, I have always wanted to teach the next generation whatever I was doing. I never understood how some do not want to show others how something is done for fear that someone might replace them. My parents instilled in my sister and me the desire to work to the best of our abilities no matter the task involved. I have always driven for perfection, but as I grew older, I realized perfection was not always needed or desired. For example, a great friend and the best sprinkler designer I have ever worked with is Dale. Dale’s designs fit like a glove. He could even cut the rod for the field if desired. However, his attention to every detail usually resulted in him pushing the allotted design hours to the upper limit. While his work was close to perfection, a project that went over budget was not satisfactory.
What makes a good employee? In my opinion, it is a person who gives everything to a job, learns the specifics of a trade, and never says no to assignments or new opportunities. But learning does not stop. Processes, equipment, methods, and standards are consistently changing. Sometimes, the changes account for new challenges, but the majority of the changes lower the cost of the finished product by saving labor. In most projects, labor is the majority of the project’s cost. Labor time saved will make the boss happy, but who has time for training? The simple truth is you must make time, or you will stagnate in your role. This applies to all areas of the industry, not just designers. I hear from the managers of an organization that they do not have time to slow down and train. “We will train when we slow down.” In the meantime, what does it cost you to have a workforce that is not the most up-to-date in their job? Rejected submittals, a more costly installation method, someone getting injured, or a lawsuit for failure will always cost you more than the training would have cost.
As a supervisor, I always appreciate an employee who is willing to attempt a new task. I fully understand that the knowledge to complete the task might be lacking, but with their determination and my coaching, the learning process goes forward. Of course, not all employees will succeed in every assignment. However, when an employee masters a new task, that is something I can have confidence in giving the employee that task again. As the supervisor, you need to set your employees up for success. I love the saying, “Give a man a fish and feed for a day. Teach a man to fish and feed him for a lifetime.” Does your company reward certifications or achievements? Who covers the cost of testing, training, or, if necessary, the reference material needed? If the employee is willing to put his or her time into an effort, the company should cover all direct costs.
So, back to the opening of this column: why do I love my job? When I go to work, I get to teach! I teach fitters, designers, ITM technicians, engineers, managers, supervisors, and fellow NFPA technical committee members. I enjoy bringing my technical expertise with my hands-on contractor experience to my assignments. I also hear from family and friends, “What about all the travel?” I respond by saying I have met so many people that I never would have had the opportunity to meet. My traveling allows me to reach and teach as many people as possible. As my good friend, mentor, and boss Bob Caputo says, “From the north, south, east, and west, the problems do not change, just the accents.”
In my opinion, AFSA has the best sprinkler education programs out there. Our Vice President of Education Services, Leslie Clounts, leads this effort as she has been doing for the last 20-plus years. Our Apprenticeship & Education Committee, chaired by AFSA First Vice Chair and Region 10 Director Paul DeLorie, vice president of Hampshire Fire Protection Co., Inc., Londonderry, N.H., steers us on the path toward the future of the industry, and my technical team assists in making the program come to life. Our volunteers (just like I was for over 24 years) assist in the process of this development to ensure we are serving the needs of our members.
As I start my fifth year at AFSA, I continue to look forward to educating the next generation of sprinkler professionals. My one daughter is an elementary special education teacher, and my other daughter and her husband are in the sprinkler business working for a contractor. My son-in-law joined the sprinkler industry after marriage and now has his NICET Level 2 in ITM and Level 1 in Layout. We need more bodies in the sprinkler industry. Recruit your friends, neighbors, family members, and anyone else who will listen. This is a great industry with nothing but more growth in the future. However, I do have a major project on my plate; I need to educate my grandson in all ways possible. I pray I’m up to it!
Thank you for allowing me to be part of the AFSA team.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
John August Denhardt, P.E., ET, CWBSP, FSFPE, is the vice president of engineering and technical services for the American Fire Sprinkler Association (AFSA). He is responsible for strengthening AFSA’s engineering and technical approaches to meeting member, industry, and operational priorities, with an emphasis on service, quality, and integrity. Denhardt is a registered professional engineer (P.E.) in the District of Columbia and the states of Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. He is NICET Level III certified in water-based systems layout, NICET Level III certified in inspection and testing of water-based systems, and a certified water-based system professional through NFPA. Denhardt is a member of the NFPA 13 technical committee on sprinkler system discharge criteria, a fellow in the Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE), a member of the SFPE Board of Directors, a member of the Board of Trustees for NFPA’s Fire Protection Research Foundation and sits on the University of Maryland Department of Fire Protection Engineering’s Board of Visitors. A native of Maryland, Denhardt holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Maryland College Park in fire protection engineering. Prior to this role, Denhardt was employed by Strickland Fire Protection in Forestville, Maryland, since 1994, overseeing large-scale projects and assisting with design and installation technical issues.
