Highlights
- FCIA Firestop Industry Conference
- FCIA Website as a presentation tool
- FCIA Insurance
- Call for Presentations
FCIA Firestop Industry Conference - Bring your spouse and don't miss this event that celebrates FCIA's 5 Year Anniversary! Seminars are planned on Perimeter Fire Containment Systems, FM 4991 Approval Procedures, Fire Walls / Floors and Effective Compartmentation Components, FCIA's AIA CEU Presentations and how you can qualify to present AIA CEU Programs, and how firestopping fits into the big picture. And, the FCIA Program Committee has scheduled some free time for touring, a golf & fishing tournament, and fun to round out the experience. Find for Meeting and Travel Information on our website. Call CTMG for Travel Info and ask for Dianne, (800) 323-3800 x523).
FCIA Website a Presentation Tool - Barclay Meyers, Nexlevel Construction Solutions, Toronto, found a way to show a professional firestopping industry presentation on the fly. "We handled a last minute firestopping presentation just by going to FCIA.org, UL, and other 3M and other sites via links from the site. The Architect/Engineer really enjoyed the program, and wanted to archive the program for reference material. The moral of the story is, if you are in a hurry and need a firestopping presentation, visit www.fcia.org . Cruise the site's resources, presentations and links to inform the crowd of all the latest info on Firestopping. Thanks, Barclay for the suggestion.
FCIA Organized Insurance Program for Firestopping Contractors - Over the past year, FCIA has been working with a major Insurance Firm to assemble an insurance program for Firestop Contractor Members that includes discounts for membership and FM 4991 Approval. We're also working with the firm to add a new classification to the insurance world .... Firestopping. Premiums may not represent those of insulators, plasterers, or others. We'll have our own classification, which helps justify Firestopping further as a trade. We've come to the point where it's time to summarize the premium dollars possible to obtain a market to implement the program. Watch for survey in the next 60 days that may help us all buy insurance wisely....as a group of Firestopping Contractors.
FM 4991 Approved Contractors & ASTM E 2174 are in MasterSpec / BSD SpecLink - The Quality Process is a multiple faceted program. Specialty Firestop Contractors, some of whom are FM 4991 Approved, coupled with ASTM E 2174 Inspection is the quality process in the Construction Industry. Master specification packages architects use to write specifications have inserted into Firestopping Specifications the "Quality Process" using Specialty Firestop Contactors, Inspected to ASTM E 2174 Protocol. Together, the programs are powerful. For information about FM Approval visit our website.
FCIA visits with Chicago Officials - FCIA met with Stan Kaderback, Commissioner, Department of Buildings at the City of Chicago with Brian Bernardoni from the Chicago Association of Realtors. From what we've heard, Chicago supports the use of Effective Compartmentation in addition to Sprinklers and Alarms and Detection. Chicago's Buildings Committee is reviewing Fire and Life Safety requirements for High Rise Buildings as a result of the 69 W. Washington fire where over 20 people perished. Watch for more as hearings continue.
FCIA Members fill need for Maintenance - Effective Compartmentation, like other building products, performs when properly Installed (FCIA Member, FM 4991 Contractor), Inspected (Fire/Code Official or inspector following ASTM E 2174) and Maintained. FCIA supported the National Association of State Fire Marshals, International Fire Code Change Proposal to require maintenance of Effective Compartmentation elements during Code Hearings in Kansas City this May.
Firestopping, Fire Dampers, Fire Walls/Floors, Fire Doors all need inspection and maintenance during the building's life cycle to be effective when needed. Additionally, education of building occupants about the need to keep fire doors from obstructions, etc., are also part of maintaining effective compartmentation. FCIA Member Contractors have been providing effective compartmentation maintenance services to customers for years and are well qualified to fill these maintenance needs that may have been overlooked in the past. Rich Walke, UL's Architectural Services Manager, Scott Rankin, Pyro-Stop, LLC, FCIA Past President, will give us some hints about this important business while we're in St. Thomas at the Firestop Industry Conference.
STI receives award at SFPE - Specified Technologies, Inc., as a gold sponsor for the Society of Fire Protection Engineers, received an award and the opportunity to be part of an SFPE high level roundtable. Working with the industry to promote Fire and Life Safety always makes a difference.
FCIA Display Available to FCIA Members - If any FCIA Contractor Member wants to use the FCIA Booth at a local event, reply to this email to get on the schedule. The trade show display ships in a self contained approx. 70lb container.
FCIA Call for Presentations - FCIA's Program Committee is always looking for good programs for FCIA Conferences. The Call for Presentations for FCIA's Education and Committee Action Conference is open from now until January 30, 2005. Do you, or do you know of someone who has some new information to share? Email us with particulars of the program you suggest.
Tax Planning, Never to early to research - The Construction area of www.IRS.gov provides information on federal construction industry tax topics. The site has useful info for construction industry firms. Here's a few pieces of content; Publications and forms, Income and employment tax tips, Tax preparation information and filing obligation, Construction Audit Technique Guide, etc. Recently added information includes a variety of educational materials on tax topics such as accounting methods, burden reduction information, and reports of criminal cases in the construction industry.
"I do not think there is any other quality so essential to success of any kind as the quality of perseverance. It overcomes almost anything."-- John D. Rockefeller
©Copyright FCIA 10/12/04 - 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 Professional Specialty Firestop Contractor Concept.
For more information, contact the
FCIA Office
Bill McHugh, Executive Director
1257 Golf Circle
Wheaton, IL 60187
630.690.0682 Phone
630.690.2871 FAX
Email: info@fcia.org
Website: www.fcia.org