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