New Program Offers Scholarships

One challenge facing the fire sprinkler industry is the need for designers. The American Fire Sprinkler Association (AFSA) is pleased to announce a scholarship program for designers employed by AFSA Category 1-3 contractor members to help meet that demand. For 2023, a limited number of scholarships will be awarded for both AFSA’s Beginning and Intermediate Design Schools.

Each scholarship will cover registration fees and travel expenses, including airfare, hotel, and meals, for one of AFSA’s 2023 schools. Applications are submitted online and include questions for both the contractor and designer. A subcommittee of AFSA’s Public Education & Awareness Committee will review the applicants and award the scholarships. The retail value of each scholarship is $4,500.

“The AFSA Technical Services and Engineering team has revamped and revised our Design School offerings, and we’re proud to have this new scholarship program in the hope of helping to deliver more layout technicians to our members,” says AFSA President Bob Caputo, CFPS.

AFSA’s Beginning Design School presents a comprehensive, practical approach to preparing fire sprinkler system drawings. This class is designed for trainees and entry-level technicians with at least six months of experience as well as those with experience in the sprinkler trade looking to make the transition to system layout.

Experienced layout technicians will find AFSA’s Intermediate Design School useful to understand the tools they utilize in-depth and gain a deeper knowledge of layouts for standpipe systems, fire pumps, and seismic protection, along with the design requirements for general storage. This class is designed for competent trainees and technicians with at least one year of system layout experience. No prior Hydratec or Autodesk® Revit® experience is required. Students should be computer literate.

For more information on AFSA’s Beginning Design School, visit firesprinkler.org/design. For details on AFSA’s Intermediate Design School, visit firesprinkler.org/nextlevel.

Applicant Eligibility Requirements

The AFSA Design School Scholarship is open to designers employed by Category 1-3 AFSA Member Contractor companies. Scholarship funds are payable to the designer’s employer; the designer must enroll within the calendar year.

Recipients will be ranked based on the level of demonstrated need deemed by the committee.

Entry Details

Scholarship entries are ONLY accepted online through the AFSA Design School Scholarship website at www.firesprinkler.org/designscholarship and will be accepted year-round.

Entrants must submit a completed entry form with all required information. Before design school scholarship funds are awarded, all information submitted on the entry form by the entrant will be verified.

Notification

AFSA will contact each winner’s employer by email and phone. Once winners are confirmed, AFSA will send the appropriate forms to complete. AFSA will cover the design school registration fee, and a check will be issued to the employer to be used for travel expenses, including airfare and hotel. All forms and processes must be completed within sixty (60) days of the winner notification, or your scholarship is forfeited.

AFSA’s design school scholarships are only for contractor members in tier 1-3 categories. For more information and to apply, visit firesprinkler.org/designscholarship. Questions? Email scholarships@firesprinkler.org.