I believe life is about bettering yourself, every day, in everything you do. After all, you only get one chance in life. So why not better ourselves within our industry.
Welcome and thank you for being a part of the Firestop Contractors International Association.
I am honored to serve as your 2022 FCIA President. While reflecting on all that has happened in the past two years, it is fair to say that we, as individuals and as an Association, have faced a lot of challenges. I would like to give a big, “Thank you!” to Ben Urcavich and the entire Board of Directors who graciously agreed to serve an additional year. While we were not always able to physically meet in person, the Board was not deterred, and we were able to come together and conduct successful hybrid meetings to accomplish our objectives.
Following in my dad’s footsteps, my journey with this organization began ten years ago. As a 21-year-old kid, I never envisioned myself getting so actively involved in the Association that I would one day, a mere ten years later, become President of. What started out as an easy way for me to get involved with industry professionals and experts from around the world, my involvement quickly developed into genuine, life-long friendships, a family that extends beyond bloodlines.
I’m thankful to the Board and each of the Members who have entrusted me with leading this organization.
During my Presidency, we will strive to continue what the previous Board set out to accomplish, along with other initiatives. With your help, I intend to grow our Firestopping presence in the industry and expand our membership for FCIA.
I would like to encourage all active Members to get involved this year by participating on an FCIA Committee. One way to do this is to attend ECA ’22, the FCIA Education and Committee Action Conference, that will be held in Nashville, Tennessee this May. This is a great opportunity for you to learn about the different Committees that FCIA has to offer and join the one that fits your interests and talents. My goal is to get each Committee team to have at least 10 or more Committee members this year. To those who are already involved and participating on Committees, I want to express a big thanks for helping us, as an organization, go the direction we want to go. Your time and effort are very much appreciated.
Level 2 of the FCIA Firestop Certificate of Achievement Education Program (FCAEP) will be fully functional by years end, at which point we will begin developing and rolling-out the Firestop Level 3 Program. Additionally, we are hoping to expand our growth in the number of approved contractors within the FM 4991 Approved or UL-ULC Qualified Contractor Programs.
While the future of our economy is looking better, though still a bit uncertain, I am confident that together, we will stay strong and continue to grow FCIA. If you have any questions or ideas on how to continue growing our organization, please feel free to reach out to me directly or one of the Board of Directors. I hope to see you all in Nashville, Tennessee.
Respectfully,
Jerry Dugan, Jr., 2022 FCIA Board President
Firestop Contractors International Association