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REGIONAL REPORT
November 2014
Southwest Edition
Bruce Lecair
Regional Manager
California, Hawaii,
Arizona, Nevada, New
Mexico
25417 Hyacinth Street
Temescal Valley, CA 92883
Phone: (951) 277-3517
Fax: (951) 277-3199
Cell: (951) 805-8992
Email: lecair@nfsa.org
Arizona NFSA Chapter is Official!!
The Executive Board of Directors for the Arizona State
National Fire Sprinkler Association officially announced that
on October 21st they have signed the Memorandum of
Understanding with the parent Association and are now
chartered as an official chapter representing the State of
Arizona’s National Fire Sprinkler Association membership.
Pictured above right receiving the Official Chapter Charter are
from left to right Mark Solomon, Ferguson Fire & Fabrication, Chapter Vice President, Bruce Lecair,
NFSA Regional Manager, Aaron Bennett, RCI Fire Protection, NFSA Area Director and member of
the Board of Directors, Fred Graves, RCI Fire Protection, Chapter President, Russell Fleming,
President of the National Fire Sprinkler Association and John Allen, Simplex-Grinnell, Chapter
Secretary-Treasurer. Not pictured but in attendance was newly appointed
NFSA Executive Vice President Shane Ray.
The process of forming the Arizona State NFSA Chapter began 3-years
ago with Area Interest Meetings and training and educational
opportunities. The intent of forming the Chapter was to provide Arizona
with a formal association consisting of members who are contractors,
supply and manufactures, fire sprinkler professional designers and
Authorities having Jurisdiction who can meet regularly to discuss and
address issues and common concerns affecting fire sprinklers in the State
of Arizona.
At left signing the MOU is Chapter President Fred Graves with Mark
Solomon looking on.
The next meeting of the newly formed Chapter will be held on December 16th in Phoenix for a lunch
meeting. The location is yet to be announced.
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Exclusive Advanced Notice for NFSA Members!!
Grab Your North American Fire Sprinkler Expo
Sponsorship!
Friday, October 31, 2014, Patterson, New York - We're mixing it up here at NFSA! This year, in an
effort to generate more non-dues revenue, we will be asking our vendors to purchase sponsorships for
the North American Fire Sprinkler Expo to be held May 2015 in Orlando, Florida. Today we are
giving you exclusive advanced notice that sponsorships will be available for purchase on Monday,
November 3rd, 2014 at 12 noon EST.
Details on available sponsorships are available in our media kit at http://www.nfsa.tv/mediakit2015/.
There's no better way to show your support for your Association, gain peer recognition and impress
current and potential customers. Take some time to check them out today, so you'll be ready to make
your purchases as soon as the sponsorships go live.
Be sure to take note of our new sponsorship levels and all the perks that go with them. Together we
can make this upcoming Expo the biggest and best the fire sprinkler industry has ever seen. It all starts
with your support! To purchase sponsorships go to our online store at https://nfsa.siteym.com/store/default.aspx? Get excited! We are!
Los Angeles Area NFSA Chapter
Concludes 2014 with a Huge Meeting!
The Los Angeles Area NFSA Chapter met in Downey, California on
October 22nd at the Rio Hondo Golf and Event Center for a very special
dinner meeting with several guests and speakers in attendance.
The first speaker to be welcomed was Deputy Division Chief Gordon
Oakley (left) from the Office of Statewide Health and Planning
(OSHPD) who gave an excellent presentation on OSHPD’s mission and
the processes for plan review and construction inspections. Chief
Oakley outlined in his presentation the various methods to schedule and
work through challenges affecting fire sprinkler contractors and provided those in attendance with
contact information and the detailed process for each type of inspection and plan review.
Also in attendance was NFSA President Russell Fleming who provided a short update on new
developments at the NFSA and introduced the Association’s new Executive Vice President Shane Ray
to the group. Mr. Ray gave everyone a short bio and his vision for his new position as well as his plans
for the future within the Association.
The meeting also featured presentations from Area Director Jack Thacker and Regional Manager
Bruce Lecair on local code adoptions, meetings and new developments affecting the fire sprinkler
industry in California.
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Arizona Chapter hosts ITM 3rd
Party Discussion
For the first time in the NFSA Southwest Region, a formal,
albeit open and casual discussion on 3rd Party NFPA 25 ITM
reporting was held in Phoenix at the Phoenix Fire Department
Training Center on October 1st.
The discussion was conducted by NFSA’s Director of ITM
Jason Webb (right) and was conducted at the request of local NFSA members from fire departments in
Arizona who were considering 3rd Party Reporting and needed additional information to help make an
informed decision.
The content consisted of a discussion of exactly what 3rd Party reporting is, what 3rd Party reporting
does and does not do for local government, various methods of 3rd Party reporting and the pros and
cons. The discussion led by Mr. Webb followed the NFSA White Paper published by the NFSA
Engineering and Systems Committee. Those in attendance consisted of local AHJ’s and Fire Sprinkler
Contractors.
Fire at the Tucson Doubletree
Controlled by Fire Sprinkler
In a recent article reported by Ina Ronquillo from KGUN9-TV
in Tucson, Arizona on October 16th, a fire was reported to be
confined to a single room on the sixth floor of the Doubletree
Hotel in Tucson, Arizona.
Captain Barrett Baker with Tucson Fire reported that the fire department was called to the Doubletree
Hotel in the 400 block of South Alvernon Way after a fire sprinkler was activated. Doubletree staff
told firefighters on scene that there was smoke on the roof of the building and when fire units arrived
on scene, they formed an attack team to go to the sixth floor, where they discovered that a fire
sprinkler had activated.
When the attack team entered the room where the fire sprinkler activated, they were able to determine
that the fire was out. Captain Baker reported that the room was heavily charged with smoke and that
visibility was extremely poor. Efforts were immediately taken to shut off the sprinkler system to
prevent water from continuing to pour out of the activated fire sprinkler head.
Hotel staff and firefighters evacuated roughly 200 guests while firefighting operations were taking
place. The cause of the fire is under investigation and no determination has been made yet in regards to
a damage estimate.
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Merced classes were Awesome!
After several months of anticipation and planning, we ended
our long drought (again, no pun intended) of Central Valley
NFSA training with 3-very good days of NFSA Training.
The classes were each at full capacity with students from
both the fire sprinkler industry and local governments in
attendance at each of the two classes.
The classes were instructed by NFSA Director of Training
John Corso and began on October 28th with the NFPA 25 California edition Update that contained the
California amendments and instructed students on the State’s new forms and processes as well as
information on the expected publish dates for later this year.
The second class consisted of the 2-day Fire Sprinkler Plan Review class that took students through
some of the changes in NFPA 13 and ended with a hands-on step by step plan review of a mock plan
with several obstacles for the students to find and address.
The classes were held in Merced at the Merced Fire Department. Thanks again to our sponsor Fire
Marshal Tracey Staiger and to all those who attended for making this seminar successful!
New Seminar Scheduled for Tucson!
We are planning on finishing strong in training and education in 2014 with a new 2-day seminar
planned on December 9th and 10th! The Northwest Fire District Training Facility located at 5125 W
Camino Del Fuego in Tucson, Arizona will be the site of a new 2-day seminar that will provide
attendees with vital information on Fire Sprinkler Installation Requirements and Rough and Final
Inspection Requirements for Fire Sprinkler Systems. To sign up go to our website at: www.nfsa.org.
December 9, 2014 – Fire Sprinkler System Installation Requirements
There are hundreds of types of sprinklers in use today. Determining where to locate them can be a
complex task. They need to be spaced properly and installed in specific locations to ensure coverage of
the protected area and located far enough away from obstructions to ensure that the spray pattern can
adequately develop and control or suppress a fire. The rules that govern this complex matrix of
decisions are found in Chapter 8 of NFPA 13 on Installation Requirements. This fast paced and
interactive seminar will guide the participant through series of decisions and requirements that lead to
compliance with NFPA 13 and ensure the system will operate properly when needed.
REGISTRATION FEE: Members/AHJs: $110 Non-Members: $200
December 10, 2014 - Rough and Final Inspections of Fire Sprinkler Systems
This one day seminar provides attendees with vital information on how to conduct the field inspections
for new fire sprinkler and standpipe systems. Fire sprinklers and standpipes are installed in stages and
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inspections are required before commencing to the next stage. The codes require periodic on-site
inspections as the work progresses, to be installed according to the approved construction documents.
This work is required to be inspected and approved before being covered or before the system is
commissioned. This course points out the visual and physical inspection requirements of the latest
codes and standards.
REGISTRATION FEE: Members/AHJs: $110 Non-Members: $200
NFSA Tech Tuesday Schedule
November 18, 2014 –
Protection of Aerosol Storage by Bob Upson
NFPA 30B has its own rules regarding the protection of aerosol storage with fire sprinklers. Discharge
criteria is provided in a series of tables that reference the level of hazard of the aerosol as well as the
type of sprinkler at the ceiling and whether or not additional sprinklers will be needed in the
racks. This seminar will explain the different levels of hazards of aerosols and summarize the
information in the tables so that the user will be able to determine sprinkler discharge criteria for
palletized, solid pile and rack storage of aerosol products.
December 16, 2014 – Protection of Aircraft Hangars-Part 2 by Jim Lake
Last year, the NFSA covered the water-based fire protection system criteria for Group I Hangars from
NFPA 409. This program will pick up where the last program left off and cover the water-based fire
protection system requirements for Group II, Group III and Group IV hangars. New to the 2011
edition of NFPA 409 was a separate chapter on the protection of hangars specifically designed for
unfueled aircraft. This program will also cover that new chapter in NFPA 409.
To apply for a course or to obtain more specific information, go to www.nfsa.org
NFSA Membership
NFSA welcomed four new members to the Southwest Region during the month of October.
The first new member is Lloyd Ernst, President of Bay Cities Pyrotector who has joined as a contractor
member. Bay Cities Pyrotector is located at 1315 67th Street in Emeryville, California. Mr. Ernst can
be contacted at his office at 510 450-7760, by e-mail at Lloyd@baycitiesfire.com or you can see visit
their website at http://baycitiesfire.com.
Our next new member is Danny Houston, President of Houston Fire Systems who has also joined our
ranks of Contractor members. Houston Fire Systems is located at P.O. Box 488 in Lockeford,
California. Mr. Houston can be contacted at 209 727-3428 or by e-mail at
danny@houstonfiresystems.com
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We also welcomed two new subscriber members in October. Fire Marshal Steve Harrison from Chico
Fire Department joined as a new Subscriber member. Fire Marshal Harrison is located at 842 Salem
Street in Chico, California. He may be contacted at his office at 530 897-3491 or his e-mail address at:
steve.harrison@chicoca.gov.
Also joining as a subscriber member was Fire Inspector Michael Brune for the City of Peoria
Department located at 8401 W. Monroe Street in Peoria, Arizona. Inspector Brune can be contacted at
his office phone at 623-773-7246 or by e-mail at Michael.brune@peoriaaz.gov.
Thank you all for your membership. We look forward to meeting and serving you at NFSA!
Southwest FPO’s hold September Meetings
The Southern California FPO's held their monthly meeting at the Ventura County Fire Department
Training Room in Camarillo, California on October 15th. The afternoon program featured David
Shew, Cal Fire Staff Chief, Fire Plans Section, who discussed SRA Grants. The State of California is
distributing $10 million in grants from the SRA fund to local cities, counties, Fire Safe councils, and
other organizations to mitigate hazards in wildfire-prone areas. He provided information on how to
access grants and how the process works.
The Northern California Fire Prevention Officers Association held their monthly meeting on Friday,
October 24th in Roseville, California at the Sun City Roseville Timber Creek Ballroom. The afternoon
presentation will be on Wireless Communicators & Low Frequency Sounders given by CC Biggs, Vice
President of Intrepid Electronic Systems. He detailed the latest NFPA 72-2013 requirements found in
Chapter 26 for Alternate Communications and briefly discussed the Title 19 requirements for central
station monitoring.
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Each of the meetings also provided those in attendance with Office of the State Fire Marshal updates
and reports, sub-committee meetings and reports, and reports from NFSA and other Fire Prevention
industry members.
For information on the November list of FPO meetings, see the upcoming events page below.
UPCOMING SOUTHWEST REGION MEETINGS
San Diego Fire Protection Association, Tuesday, November 11, 2014, La Mesa, California at Marie
Callendar’s 11:30 a.m.
So Cal Fire Prevention Officers Association, Wednesday, November 12, 2014 at 10:00 am in
Carlsbad, California at Carlsbad Safety Center, 2560 Orion Way. The afternoon presentation will be
preseted by Elley Klausbruckner, from Klausbruckner and Associates. She will be discussing
hazardous materials and how they affect occupancy classification, the use of maximum allowable
quantities, control area concepts, and more.
NorCal FPO August General Membership meeting will be on Friday, November 21st in Palo Alto
California at the Crowne Plaza Cabana at 4290 El Camino Real. The afternoon presentation will be
given by Paul Niemann from RFSignalman.
Phoenix Area NFSA Interest Meeting, This next Chapter meeting will be held on December 16th in
Phoenix. Arizona. Meeting location and subject are pending confirmation.
NFSA SF Chapter Meeting, Thursday, January 22, 2015. Signatory Contractors from 4:00 to 5:30,
All members 5:30-7:00 pm at the Castlewood Country Club Hacienda Dining Room at 707 Country
Club Circle, Pleasanton, CA. Business casual attire required, please no jeans. Signatory contractors
will be meeting from 4:00 to 5:30, All members 5:30-7:00 pm. NFSA President Russell Fleming and
Vice President Shane Ray will be in attendance. This will be Shane Ray’s first visit to the San
Francisco Bay Area NFSA Chapter.
NFSA L.A. Chapter Meeting Thursday, February 19, 2015. This event will be held at the Rio
Hondo Golf and Event Center in Downey, California at 10627 Old River Road. Drinks and
conversation from 5-6 pm, meeting 6-8 pm.
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