Welcome to Bill Hoos' 2009 letter
Dear FCIA Members,
First, let me say thank you to all for the opportunity to serve as the FCIA President in our dec-teneail year. The honor is all mine.
I’ve been involved in the FCIA since the Atlanta conference in 1999, having served on both the Marketing and Membership committees over the past 9 years. FCIA has always brought value to my firm, and it’s been great to be part of the FCIA membership growth. Most amazing was the turn out at the Fall Conference in San Antonio this past November, where conference attendance records were broken. Thank you to all who attended and a big well done to all the individuals who put that event together.
This year the contractor membership elected 3 new directors to the board; Don Sabrsula, Randy Perry and Jodi Clem. Welcome aboard and thank you for your willingness to serve our association. With 3 new directors joining the board, 3 directors are rolling off the board; Aedan Gleeson, Don Murphy and Scott Rankin. Their tireless efforts and dedication on behalf of our association have played a major role in the success the FCIA enjoys today. Aedan, Don and Scott, thank you for your service. Your commitment has been an inspiration to me and a multitude of other members.
As noted in my acceptance speech in San Antonio, we are looking forward to rolling out new initiatives and enhancing existing programs this year. Below are just some of the highlights for the upcoming year.
New Initiatives:
- Membership - International Growth – Through a planned seminar in Dubai, UAE, we hope to connect with potential members from Europe, India, China, the UK, Ireland and beyond.
- Life Safety Foundation steering committee - Headed by Bob LeClair and Tony Fontana, this group is creating new opportunities for FCIA Members.
- Finance Committee - Chaired by Scott Rankin, the group will oversee and enhance the fiscal success of our association.
- Advisory Committee – This new group, headed by Aden Gleeson and Don Murphy, will be a resource to the board for mutually beneficial FCIA programs with the IFC and our Manufacturer Members.
- FCIA Sponsored Insurance Program – Watch as this program takes off, providing opportunities for members to control one of their biggest costs.
Existing Programs:
- Accreditation – FCIA’s Chair Aedan Gleeson continues to work with UL and FM developing demand and education programs to help contractors become UL Qualified or FM 4991 Approved. Look for more locations for UL and FM DRI Testing and Education, and a program like UL’s and FM 4991 for Firestop Inspection Firms from ICC’s International Accreditation Services.
- Apprenticeship – Chair Bob Hasting and committee look forward to working together with members in State Apprenticeship Council States to get more state programs moving, while continuing conversations with the US DOL.
- Technical – Mike Dominguez and the committee will tackle editing more chapters of the FCIA Manual of Practice, while creating a firestop – containment worker education program.
- Marketing – FCIA’s Don Murphy and committee will present the industry at leading events including the CONSTRUCT 2009 Show, FDIC, and much more.
Please touch on each committee briefly Accreditation Growth, Membership Growth, and Apprenticeship Approval etc.
- Standards – FCIA’s Randy Bosscawen and the standards group continue to attend ASTM, NFPA and other meetings. Watch for action on NFPA 80 and firestopping, to further build the “IIM” part of “DIIM”. Installation, Inspection and Maintenance are all big parts of the effectiveness of firestopping.
- Program – FCIA’s Scott Rankin promises some great locations and topics for FCIA Conferences…especially the 10 year anniversary program this fall.
- Legislative – Bill Weber has been researching and creating ways firestop contractors can represent themselves when legislation starts rolling that can affect them.
- Code – Chair Gary Hamilton and Co-Chair Bob LeClair bring a depth of knowledge and vision that keeps our industry moving forward, to protect against threats and creates new opportunities for our industry in the code arena.
- Life Safety Digest – This first class publication continues to get rave reviews. Watch as we grow the publication’s reach for 2009.
FCIA is much more than the bi-yearly conferences. There’s a ton of activity that goes into making FCIA tick on a day to day basis. Committee work and involvement are the back bone to the Firestop Contractors International Association. It is the hope of the 2009 FCIA Board of Directors that many members will make the commitment this year and go beyond being a member, giving back time to be of service to your association. It pays dividends big time…and I can attest to significant results from giving back to the association.
I wish you all the best for great success in your individual business and the continued success of the Firestop Contractors International Association in 2009 and beyond.
Thanks again for the opportunity to be president in 2009. Join us in our quest for success at FCIA.
Best Regards
Bill Hoos, 2009 President
Firestop Contractors International Association