Sprinkler Age A Publication of the American Fire Sprinkler Association
Webinar Series Focuses on Sprinkler Fitter Training
A new webinar series focused on fitters’ continued workforce development has been prepared by American Fire Sprinkler Association (AFSA) in collaboration with its four California chapters to educate fire sprinkler contractors across the nation on installation issues. These webinars, which are recorded for on-demand learning, are part of the expanded online training opportunities offered by AFSA.
AFSA’s new Fitter Zone features live webinars, designed specifically for fire sprinkler fitters with CEUs, CPDs, and many offer CAL-FIRE approved CEUs. These live presentations are held on Saturdays whenever possible, so contractors don’t have to take their fitters out of the field during the workweek. And if you or your employees are unable to attend live sessions, these webinars will be recorded and can be purchased for on-demand access.
“There is a lot of interest by AFSA members in educating the field personnel, especially in states like California that have specific training requirements,” said Marlene Garrett, CMP, vice president of meetings & program operations. “As an association founded on the tenets of training, AFSA cannot overlook this vital portion of the industry—especially in the current economy. We encourage all AFSA members and potential members to participate.”
The first webinar in the series “NFPA 13, Technical Changes from 2013 to 2016 Edition,” presented by Travis Mack, CFPS, CWBSP, was held Saturday, August 29, 2020, and is available for purchase in AFSA’s on-demand library at firesprinkler.org/ondemand. Raymond Vidler, Red Pony Company, Paso Robles, California, participated in the presentation and commented: “The speakers were down-to-Earth, clear, and effective. I appreciated a number of good points brought out.”
Don’t Miss Future Fitter Zone Events
Sign-up the whole field team to attend these upcoming webinars—each offering CEUs, CPDs, and CAL-FIRE CEUs. (Note: All webinars are geared toward certified fitters and are CAL-FIRE approved.)
October 24, 2020 – Understanding NFPA 20, 2016 Edition Presented by John Denhardt, FPE, SFPE, this webinar will focus on the installation of stationary fire pumps and the requirements of the 2016 edition of NFPA 20. This lecture-based seminar will discuss pump types, electric motor, and diesel engine drivers along with their associated controllers. The installation requirements for fire pumps will also be reviewed.
November 21, 2020 – Ambiguities in NFPA 13, 2016 Edition There are criteria within NFPA 13 that leave many to wonder what is required. Whether it’s a tortured sentence or simply poor directions, you must figure it out. For example, when the aisles between racks are too narrow, we are to treat it as a multiple row rack. What does that tell us regarding the placement of in-rack sprinklers? Other installation topics will include obstruction rules for CMSA, concealed spaces with TJIs, and floating clouds. A discussion on design topics will include when the definitions for commodity classification do not apply, going up the design curves, and the owner’s certificate.
Fitter Zone webinars qualify for continuing education training as approved by the International Code Council (ICC) and are recognized by NICET for professional development. Many are approved by CAL-FIRE for CAL-FIRE-approved CEU credit to help fulfill the state’s requirements for the training, certification, and ongoing education of technicians working on water-based fire protection systems. Certificates will be issued to attendees following the webinar.
Register to attend these upcoming events online at firesprinkler.org/zone. While it may vary by length of the individual program, most current offerings are two hours and cost $35 with certificate for AFSA members and $70 for non-members.
Register Online to Receive Updates
Visit AFSA’s new Fitter Zone to sign up with your AFSA account to receive upcoming webinar information and ease future registration. AFSA will continue these presentations on Saturdays for fitters’ convenience, whenever possible. Sign up at firesprinkler.org/zone to be notified of new offerings or contact AFSA’s Education Department at training@firesprinkler.org or at (214) 349-5965.
