Highlights
- FCIA’s committees
- UL’s Standards Technical Panel (STP) Study Groups
- Quality Management System Education
- UL & FM DRI Testing
- Firestopping and “Green Building”
- New State Apprenticeship Program report
- ICC Code hearing report
- and more….take place at this conference, to chart new ground.
Don’t miss this important conference at Seattle’s Edgewater Hotel! FCIA’s special deal of $189 is about ½ the going rate at this property. http://www.edgewaterhotel.com Check out the DRAFT Agenda at the FCIA website.
FCIA - UL Standards Technical Panel Study Group Meetings – FCIA’s Standards Chair Randy Bosscawen invites UL STP Study Group members to the FCIA’s Education and Committee Action Conference, Seattle, for assigned study group meetings. We look forward to seeing interested attendees on Wednesday morning April 30. See the conference agenda for more info.
FCIA.org Website Member List Feature - FCIA’s site now allows logos of your company in the popup box, to a max size of 150 pixel wide, with a link if desired. Contractor Branch Members are now located in the main Member List, and will get great exposure on the FCIA Website. Check out the new listing…
FCIA Apprenticeship - NEW O-NET Classification - FCIA’s Apprenticeship Chair, Bob Hasting, reports that a new O-Net Classification has been established for ‘Firestop / Containment Worker’; 47-4099.99 – “Construction Workers”, All Other. The significance of this O-Net Occupation code is that it is specialized and classifies workers in construction trades that do not fit into the normal existing categories. Watch for more details at the FCIA Education and Committee Action Conference.
FCIA Welcomes Feb. 2008’s New Members
Contractor Members
- Carciofini Co. - MN
- Unitek Technical Services, LLC – HI
- Platinum Coatings – NY
Contractor Branches
- Performance Contracting – IN, KS
- JHC Fire Containment Partners - PA
Inquiries at FCIA for new members continue to grow while renewals are very strong. Know a contractor, manufacturer, distributor, manufacturer’s rep or consultant that should be part of FCIA? Pass their email address on to Angie Sims, angies@fcia.org , FCIA Membership Development, and we’ll contact them with further information.
UL Investing in Qualified Firestop Contractors - UL has dropped the initial contractor firm and jobsite audit cost from $6000 to $3000 for calendar year 2008. If you are thinking about this, go for it now! Yearly contractor firm and jobsite audits remain at $3000. View contractors qualified.
FCIA at ICC Code Development Hearings – FCIA attended the ICC Code Development hearings in Palm Springs, CA returning last week. We had great reception from building officials and fire marshals about our code change proposals to make firestopping and effective compartmentation perform as intended when called upon by fire. Some FCIA code development changes included;
- Submitting ‘shop drawings’ (UL, OPL, Details from their directories) sometime before installation
- Inspection of penetrations in smoke barriers before concealing, and adding all compartmentation features to the inspection;
- Certified Contractors by an Approved Agency (FM & UL are approved agencies according to the code)
- Compartmentation Definition – ‘fire and smoke resistance rated construction separation of adjacent spaces…;
Look for a full report at the FCIA website in the next few weeks.
FCIA / UL Total Fire Protection Systems Symposium (TFPSS) – With proceeds from the annual FCIA Ray Usher Golf Tourney, FCIA is investing in education. As part of this initiative, the ICC Tri-Cities Chapter is hosting with UL & FCIA TFPSS Symposium April 10, 2008 in San Jose, CA Area. Education from all the Effective Compartmentation, Detection and Alarm, and Suppression industries is featured for architects, building officials, fire marshals.
FCIA Members, bring a building official, fire marshal or specifier guest, and you can come too. For info, visit the UL Qualification page..
FCIA Meets with FM – FCIA’s Aedan Gleeson & Bill McHugh met with Jeff Gould in early March. Jeff reports that FM is committed to the FM 4991 Firestop Contractor Approval. “We’ve added contractors throughout the US, and are targeting other world markets as well”, stated FM’s Gould. View FM 4991 firms and quality manual development powerpoint provided by Jeff Gould.
Gleeson-Powers, Inc. is UL’s FIRST Qualified Firestop Contractor – UL’s Betsy Titus announced that FCIA Member Gleeson Powers, Inc., is the 1st contractor classified as a UL Qualified Firestop Contractor.
FM & UL Quality Manuals – Aedan Gleeson, FCIA’s Accreditation Chair and 1st UL Qualified Firestop Contractors offers advise to those seeking FM 4991 Approval and or UL Qualification.
Contractor Quality Manuals are very new to the construction industry. They are not difficult to assemble, but it is important that it reflects your company operations…namely, how you select firestop systems, and get them installed in the field. Your quality manual is your competitive advantage in the marketplace. The real secret to writing the quality manual rests in the UL Qualified Contractor Checklist and the FM Quality Manual Powerpoint program. (Visit FM Approval, UL Qualification pages)
It is important you build and understand your own quality control procedure. Have it reviewed by the UL or FM Auditor before their visit. That way, modifications of policies and procedures can be made before the auditor arrives, ensuring a fast, efficient process.
Cutting and pasting someone else’s quality manual into yours can lead to failure of the audit, as these important quality procedures won’t be part of your company culture. Be aware of being set up for failure!
FCIA’s Bill McHugh will present a 3-1/2 hour session on quality manual development at the FCIA Education and Committee Action Conference. FCIA presents this program at every conference, and at several UL DRI Exam sites. It’s a free tool for FCIA members, developed to step you through the process.
Concludes Gleeson: The more FM Approved & UL Qualified Contractors there are, the more professional our industry will become.
Link to FCIA.org – FCIA Members can promote FCIA Membership value from their website to FCIA. Feel free to link to https://www.fcia.org , as an additional resource from your site.
FCIA Life Safety Digest – FCIA’s Life Safety Digest Committee Chair, Scott Rankin seeks technical articles and project profiles for this renowned publication. Submit an abstract for consideration by the editorial committee to srankin@pyro-stop.com or bill@fcia.org .
FCIA Thanks 2007 Manufacturer Members, and looks forward to their support in 2008:
2007 Gold Level
- 3M Fire Protection Products, Specified Technologies, Inc.
2007 Silver Level
- HILTI, Thermafiber, W.R. Grace & Co., UNIFRAX
2007 Bronze Level
- BOSS Products, Inc.,
- No-Fire, Inc., Roxul, Inc., Tremco, Inc.
"Life takes on meaning when you become motivated, set goals and charge after them in an unstoppable manner.” Les Brown
Bill McHugh, FCIA Executive Director
© Copyright FCIA 3/8/08 - Permission is hereby granted to forward, print, circulate, quote with credit to FCIA. FCIA is a non profit organization of Firestop Contractors, Contractor Branch Offices, Manufacturers and Associate Members interested in furthering life safety through the Specialty Firestop Contractor Concept. For more information, contact the
FCIA Office Bill McHugh, Executive Director
4415 W. Harrison St.
Hillside, IL 60162
Phone: (708) 202-1108
Fax: (708) 449-0837
Email: info@fcia.org
Website: www.fcia.org