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A Brief History of the Premier Fire Sprinkler Association Before there was ever an American Fire Sprinkler Association (AFSA), there was the Independent Sprinkler Training Committee (ISTC). During the 1981 NFPA convention in Dallas, ISTC held its third meeting, with over 60 people in attendance. At the time, the ISTC’s …

Don’t Miss Your Chance to be Part of the Celebration The American Fire Sprinkler Association (AFSA) welcomes everyone to celebrate its 40th anniversary in 2021! The highlight of this special year will be AFSA40: Convention, Exhibition, and Apprentice Competition to be held at the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country …

Competition Showcases the “Best of the Best” This year marks the American Fire Sprinkler Association’s (AFSA)’s 28th Annual National Apprentice Competition. This year’s live, in-person competition will be held in the exhibit hall at AFSA40: Convention, Exhibition & Apprentice Competition September 18-21, 2021, at the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill …

Now that we’ve put 2020 in our rearview mirrors, it’s clear that most of us have seen changes, disruptions, and unforeseen problems as we’ve struggled to hold onto the business plans we developed and thought were solid when we left 2019 behind. Can you remember pre-COVID-19, when our markets were …

The process of creating the 2022 edition of NFPA 13, Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems, is winding down. Public inputs, public comments, technical committee meetings and discussions, and the voting process have been completed. Overall, the AFSA technical services staff is satisfied with the results. However, there is …

On this page, you will see a picture of myself from back in 1990 when we had just celebrated our ninth year as an association. Hard to believe I look exactly the same today as I did back then (just kidding), but what I have lost since then I have …

AFSA’s Dallas School Goes on Following Historic 100-Year Winter Event As Texas faced record-low temperatures and snow and ice made roads impassable, the state’s electric grid operator lost control of the power supply, leaving 4.5 million without access to electricity and many subject to boil orders. Due to the prolonged …

Learn About NFPA Standards and Meet AFSA Leadership Webinars have become increasingly popular during the past year. This type of training offers education from the comfort of your office or home and cost savings, especially for members of the American Fire Sprinkler Association (AFSA), as most association webinars are offered …

Nominate Online for 2021 AFSA Awards The American Fire Sprinkler Association (AFSA) is accepting online nominations for its top honors: the Henry S. Parmelee award, Fire Sprinkler Advocate of the Year award, and Young Professional of the Year award. Awards will be presented during AFSA40: Convention, Exhibition & Apprentice Competition, …

Program Development and Maintenance Process The National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET) develops certification programs that recognize individuals who meet industry-established standards of job knowledge and work experience. The success of these programs is based on the expertise of the industry professionals who work together to define the …