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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 …

Multi-Phase Project From NFPA Research Affiliate Early suppression fast response sprinklers (ESFR) are high-volume, high-pressure sprinklers that are often used to protect combustible storage as an alternative to installing in-rack sprinklers. Compared to the standard spray sprinkler, ESFR sprinklers have a significantly different spray pattern and they apply much larger …

Lee, Nelson Take Home Medals in Fire Sprinkler Competition In the first week of March, 11 fire sprinkler apprentices from all over the United States descended upon Fort Lauderdale, Florida for the 2016 National Craft Championships (NCC). Held during the Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc. (ABC) Workforce Development Conference, the …

Making Them Work for You Since the late 1980s, early suppression, fast response (ESFR) sprinklers have been viewed as one of the greatest innovations in fire protection since Henry Parmelee first introduced the automatic sprinkler in 1874. Since NFPA 13, Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems, indicates that you …

Can ESFR Sprinklers Be Used? Historically if you wanted to use early suppression fast resonse (ESFR) sprinklers but had solid shelving, you were out of luck (go directly to jail – do not pass go – do not collect $200). Up until the 2010 edition of NFPA 13, Standard for …

Seize the Opportunity at AFSA’s Annual Convention in Nashville Grow your business and set your sights on success by attending the American Fire Sprinkler Association’s (AFSA) 35th Annual Convention & Exhibition “A Grand Ole Opportunity: AFSA in Nashville.” Offering 60 hours of technical and managerial seminars, this year’s event promises …

RB129-16 Defeated in Online Vote The American Fire Sprinkler Association applauds the recent vote by the International Code Council (ICC) to retain the code provision in the next edition of the International Residential Code (IRC) that all new one- and two-family homes be equipped with home fire sprinklers. An ICC …

AFSA Announces Next Gen Initiative With SkillsUSA One of the greatest challenges our industry faces today is the sustainability of our workforce. As more and more of our experienced employees are retiring, contractors and suppliers across all regions are struggling to find quality young tradesmen, drafters, project managers, estimators, salesmen and …

I am not sure whether every state practices this, but in California there is a system whereby friends and family members can place a memorial on a highway indicating where someone had died in a traffic collision. Often the memorial is a wooden cross and some plastic flowers. Sometimes it …

Catching Up With Apprentice Competition Alumni The American Fire Sprinkler Association’s (AFSA) National Apprentice Competition began in 1994 at the 13th Annual AFSA Convention & Exhibition in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. That year, for the first time ever, seven apprentice finalists representing member companies from across the country competed to become …