Management

Sprinkler Age Goes Bimonthly

going bimonthly

Respected Publication Expands, Diversifies Online After 33 years as the premier monthly magazine for the fire sprinkler industry, Sprinkler Age is going bimonthly. Starting with its January/February 2016 issue, Sprinkler Age’s print edition will be published six times a year in a larger format, which will allow it to run longer …

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Chairman’s Message – January/February 2016

appreciate life's encounters

Sometimes in the course of the day, news comes in, or a comment or gesture takes place that makes me take pause and appreciate all the encounters and all the people that I have crossed paths with along the way. Sometimes it is meeting a new hire on his or …

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Executive Vice President’s Report – January/February 2016

Baptism by fire. That phrase has profound meaning for me as I celebrate having served my initial year in the merit shop fire sprinkler contractor industry as the American Fire Sprinkler Association’s (AFSA) executive vice president. The common definition for baptism by fire, an employee who learns the craft by …

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Meehan Elected AFSA Chairman

VSC Fire

Virginia Contractor Leads Members Into 2016 Michael F. Meehan, senior vice president and a co-owner of VSC Fire & Security, Virginia Beach, Virginia, has been elected Chairman of the American Fire Sprinkler Association’s (AFSA) 2015- 2016 Board of Directors, leading the association into its 35th year serving the interests of …

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Chairman’s Message – November 2015

Training for New Designers

I remember so well my first day on the job. I was going to college and was hired as an apprentice for the summer. I was sent to a strip mall in Alexandria, Virginia, my blue jeans held a brand new Craftsman stick ruler and a pair of channel locks, …

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Affordable Care Act Options

MMIC Offers Advice on Individual and Group Insurance Plans Individual Insurance Plans The Affordable Care Act (ACA) mandates that all eligible Americans must have health insurance or pay a tax penalty. However, you just can’t go out and purchase health insurance whenever you want. There are two options available: • …

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President’s Report – October 2015

The 2015 AFSA convention theme, “Rising to Excellence,” is an appropriate theme for the times we face. In these competitive times, growth and success for many companies will hinge on their ability to improve quality, expand training and provide better management. Over the years a number of studies comparing quality …

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Chairman’s Message – September 2015

To remain consistent with my recent theme beginning articles, once again I must reflect upon how quickly time is passing. We are now already into September, more than two-thirds of the year in the books. WOW! For me, it is also a reflection on nearly two years in the books …

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Ratings, Fire Testing and Standards – Part Three

Are you tired of testing yet? I hope not, because continued testing of materials and assemblies is absolutely critical to fire safety engineering. The future calls for more and more precise use of test data to support decisions that we make for approving installations. And our ability to understand the …

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President’s Report – August 2015

The Best From the Best It is a sad fact that the majority of companies that install fire sprinklers do not belong to either national association. Generally speaking, most of the “non-joiners” are smaller companies that are so busy staying one step ahead they think they don’t have the luxury …

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