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AFSA President Given Association’s Top Honor Throughout his 28-year career with the American Fire Sprinkler Association (AFSA), Steve Muncy has consistently focused on the future of the automatic fire protection industry. And the best means to an end were education and training, according to Muncy. The longtime AFSA president has …

Engagement. Relationships that result in actions taken to enhance membership value. That mantra has become a core statement repeated frequently at the AFSA office recently. Whether servicing a member inquiry, informal interpretation, educational need, or any of the valuable benefits offered by the association, member engagement “touch points” are a …

We have come a long way from our humble origins 35 years ago to this vibrant city of Nashville in 2016. Vibrant is a good word to describe our convention and our association. By all measures this convention is a record breaker. The number of registrants, exhibitors and rooms booked …

State Fire Council Fights the BIA to Protect its Residents Since the mid ‘70s, fire sprinklers have been required in large capacity public and commercial occupancies by national building codes. Retroactive compliance to new codes requiring sprinklers is not normally applied, unless a state or local regulation was enacted or an incentive is provided. The MGM Grand and Las …

In The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, there is a line that reads, “Water, water everywhere, and all the boards did shrink; water, water everywhere, nor any drop to drink.” If we were to write an epic poem about fighting fires in high-rise buildings, we might change the rhyme to read, “Water, water somewhere, and we need …

Assisting Firefighters from Construction Through Demolition Firefighters who respond to an emergency at a building with sprinkler and standpipe systems can perform their life-saving work (figure 1) with much greater efficiency if their first-responder needs have been considered by the building’s designers and code officials. OSHA’s manual, “Fire Service Features …

Next Gen Chair, Contractor Shines on National Stage It’s safe to say that Meaghen Wills has fire sprinkler contracting in her blood. The third-generation contractor has literally grown up surrounded by the fire protection industry and is now making her own distinct mark on the industry she loves. The petite …

Although the requirements for standpipe systems are contained in the adopted building code and the installation requirements are contained within the referenced edition of NFPA 14, Standard for the Installation of Standpipe and Hose Systems, there is often disagreement between the responsible design professional, the fire protection contractor, and the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) on the proper design and installation of …

Retired Fire Marshal Dedicated to Saving Lives After spending over 40 years in fire protection and life safety, retired Virginia Fire Marshal Ed Altizer can safely say that he has shaped the course of Virginia’s fire safety landscape. From his beginnings as a field engineer to his two decades as state fire marshal, there …

The State of the Standard NFPA 14, Standard for the Installation of Standpipe and Hose Systems, has been radically revised since I first came onto the committee in the second half of the 2000 cycle. The 1996 edition contained less than one page of definitions, did not make specific provisions for high-rise buildings, and referred …