Newsletter December
19, 2002
Firestop Industry Conference,
Feedback, 2002 Summary - FCIA Firestop Industry Conference
- FCIA Members continue to rave about our Firestop Industry
Conference held at Opryland Hotel, Nashville. Content of the
presentations is available on the web, at www.fcia.org if you
want to download the presentations.
"The Furthest Traveler Awards" go to Cahir Boyle
and Robert Pashley, Gleeson-Powers, Inc., Ireland. We're glad
you joined us at the Firestop Industry Conference to add Ireland
to our "international status". So far, the Canadians
and Irish are leading our international growth. Watch for
more to come in the future.
FCIA Nashville Meeting Photo Album - Check out the
FCIA website and you'll find a photo
album of our FCIA Firestop Industry Conference.
SERIOUS FEEDBACK NEEDED - The FCIA Program Committee
has already starting research on the Fall 2004 Firestop Industry
Conference celebrating FCIA's 5th anniversary. Before they
devote additional time for research and planning the Conference,
we need your help. Would you like to celebrate by traveling
to following special locations:
- St. Thomas USVI
- Acapulco, Mexico
- Aruba
- Cancun, Mexico
- Dublin, Ireland
- London, England
- Paris, France
Secondly, what did you like most about our FCIA Industry
Conference in Nashville? What could we do better to plan 2003's
Education and Committee Action Meeting and Firestop Industry
Conference? What topics would you like to see covered? Any
suggested speakers?
The FCIA Education and Committee Action Meeting / Firestop
Industry Conference are your conferences. We need your feedback
to plan effectively. The Program Committee looks forward to
hearing from you!
FCIA Website - The FCIA website continues to be recognized
as a valuable resource to FCIA Members and the industry. In
November, there were 8459 visits from 1769 distinct internet
addresses. These are actual visits from people who come to
the site, view a few pages, and leave. In "Hits",
our numbers are 73,152 hits to the site ... a "Hit"
meaning everytime someone clicks on something.
Our number of visits has almost tripled since June, 2002.
Most popular pages are:
- Member Lists (877 visits)
- Committee Home Pages (474 visits)
- Industry Conference Info (373 visits)
- FCIA Firestop Specification (363 visits)
- FM Approved Contractors - ( 221 visits)
- Map of Members - (112 visits)
The moral of this story is.... FCIA Members should check
out their website listing. Edit it, and be sure the firms'
best presentation is on the site. Architects, engineers, code
and fire officials, general contractors and building owners
all visit the site from time to time, looking for Firestop
Specialty Contractors to bid firestop projects, and ask questions
about the industry and it's requirements.
FCIA 2002 Results Summary - As 2002 winds down, the
success of FCIA continues to roll. Look at where this group
has gone in just 4 years.... Our FCIA Committees have developed
construction industry programs and has implemented them into
specifications.
FCIA Industry Recognition - FCI A Members are being
recognized for professionalism. We've spoken at the Southwest
Florida Fire Inspectors Association, Baltimore Chapter, CSI
Education Sessions, to members if the Chicago High Rise Committee,
Code Official Seminars with the IFC, Specification Consultants
in Independent Practice (SCIP) annual convention, Northeast
Insulation Contractors Association (Scott Rankin, PyroStop,
LLC) to name a few. Our members are active in ASTM (Don Sabrsula,
FireSafe of Houston), NFPA (Kathy Taraba, 1 Source Firestop,
Inc.), CSI (Bill McHugh, Executive Director, Dave Medieros,
H.Carr & Sons and many others), Association of General
Contractors, (Blase Reardon, A.F. Underhill and others)....
and the list could go on and on.... Technical Articles have
been published on FCIA in the National Insulation Association,
"Outlook" Magazine, "Daily Commercial"
CMD Construction Publication/newspaper in Canada, and others.
Both publications reported on FCIA and our FM 4991 "Standard
for the Approval of Firestop Contractors" and ASTM E
2174 "Standard for the Inspection of Installed Firestop
Systems" Programs. Our FCIA Trade Show Booth traveled
12 times this year. For 2003 it will be displayed at "
The CSI Show", Chicago, April 9-11, the NFPA Convention
in May, and the International Code Council show in the fall.
Call now to reserve the booth for your local shows!
Specs - Specs requesting a FCIA Member and/or FM 4991
Approved Firestop Contractors and ASTM E 2174 "Standard
for the Inspection of Installed Firestops"are starting
to hit the streets due to efforts by committee members and
the FCIA Office.
FCIA Education Materials - The FCIA Education Committee
recently finished a technical/educational powerpoint presentation
for use by members for presentation to building/fire officials,
architects and building owners on "The Process of Firestopping".
It'll be available on the website in January and can be presented
by any knowledgeable FCIA Member. It's been well received
by the Baltimore Chapter, CSI, the Southwest Florida Fire
Inspectors Association and others.
FCIA Conferences - The FCIA Program Committee has
planned two very successful events this year.... Our FCIA
Education and Committee Action Committee Meetings and Firestop
Industry Conference both were well attended this year with
over 170 participants.
Technical Issues - The FCIA Tech Committee is working
on the new CSI MasterFormat and where firestopping will reside
in this document.
Marketing - FCIA and IFC's Marketing & Education
Committees are planning to meet in Chicago the week of January
27 to work on "teaming" efforts to promote life
safety through a balanced approach with passive fire protection
and firestopping. Watch for more information shortly.
Both Kathy Taraba, FCIA President for 2002 and Scott Rankin,
Incoming FCIA President for 2003 stated earlier this week,
"We've had a great year at FCIA. Members are getting
more active at meetings and in committees". Scott Rankin
added, "Our big goals for 2003 are to increase membership
participation on FCIA Committees, and grow our contractor
membership by 20%". At the FCIA Industry Conference in
Nashville, Scott shared, "Through your volunteerism,
time and effort shared with FCIA yields tenfold returns".
Success for FCIA & Holiday Wishes... FCIA will
need to work hard in 2003 to grow participation in FCIA Committees
and FCIA Membership. However, that's nothing new to this group.
For all that FCIA Members have accomplished in four short
years, the following saying rings true:
"The only place success is found before work is in the
dictionary." Source: unknown - Courtesy, Blane, Canada,
LTD., Wheaton, IL.
Best wishes for the holiday season from The FCIA Board of
Directors and FCIA Office.
-- Bill McHugh, FCIA Executive Director
Copyright FCIA 12/18/02. Permission is hereby granted to
forward, print, circulate, quote with credit to FCIA.
FCIA is a non profit, volunteer organization of Firestop
Contractors, Contractor Branch Offices, Manufacturers and
Associate Members interested in furthering life safety through
the Professional Specialty Firestop Contractor concept, (experience,
value, expertise) and life safety in the industry. For more
information, contact the
FCIA Office
1257 Golf Circle
Wheaton, IL 60187
630.690.0682 Phone
630.690.2871 FAX
Email: info@fcia.org
Website: www.fcia.org
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