Highlights
- FCIA Presidents Letter
- FCIA Education and Committee
- Action Conference Deadlines
- FCIA Contractor Insurance Pursuit
- Join FCIA at CSI Show, Chicago
FCIA Education and Committee Action Conference Deadline Dates Approaching - FCIA's Education and Committee Action Conference returns to the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas, NV, April 27 - 29, 2005. The conference, "Effective Compartmentation & Firestopping Leadership", brings the industry together through active participation from both FCIA Contractors / Manufacturers, and the International Firestop Council. Some FCIA and IFC Committees are meeting jointly. Join the seminars on Effective Compartmentation, Legal Issues in Firestopping and Specifications, UL, and FM plus an industry planning session led by Bill Koffel. FCIA Member Manufacturer updates will add value to your business through industry strategy and product presentations by leaders in our industry. and a wrap up from Bert Polk, National Association of State Fire Marshals.
Reservations: Call 800-929-1111 and identify that you're with the Firestop Contractors International Association or “fci006”. Reservation Date extended to APRIL 2, 2005 to get the group rate & FCIA Discount Registration. Room Rates: $119 –Tues. & Wed. $149-Thursday, $209 -Friday. Go online for deals.
FCIA’s Golf Tournament for the Traveling "Firestop Bulk Gun" Trophy takes place at Revere Golf Club, Concord Course.
See the registration info & agenda for more info.
FCIA Firestop Contractor Insurance Program - One of FCIA's Insurance contacts working on a program for FCIA Members, really gets what we want in a Liability Affinity Insurance program. Here’s what we’ve charged the insurance brokers & firms with:
Firestopping Insurance Category - We're petitioning for a new category of insurance, Firestopping. This means trades who install firestop could possibly have to buy firestopping insurance to have finished products liability protection for firestop installations. This could help purchasers of firestopping be sure they are covered on what they bought / specified on a project...and not just plumbing, drywall, vents, electrical work.
Tiered Insurance Discounts - Inexperienced Firestopper Rate, FCIA Member & FM 4991 Contractor Rate, means FCIA Members may be able in the future to provide more competitive prices to purchasers of Firestopping. And, once Firestopping is recognized as a trade by construction insurance companies, the Building Insurers have something more recognizable from the insurance industry perspective from which to base owner - manager - occupant discounts when using Specialty Firestop Contractors and Firestopping in new construction or retrofit applications in buildings.
This is all part of FCIA's "Total Industry Firestop Strategy", Specs, Codes, Insurance, Purchasers (Owners / Managers, GC's) .... working with all of the stakeholders in the construction, renovation and maintenance process will result in Firestopping Services being recognized as a "TRADE". FCIA is in Specs. Code recognition of FCIA is growing due to efforts at code hearings by both FCIA and IFC, The Firestopping Quality Process, (FQP) FCIA Members, FM 4991/ASTM E 2174 & ASTM E 2393 is being understood more, insurance firms are on the radar screen...and GC/Owner purchasers round out the Firestopping Industry Strategy. Join us in Las Vegas to help us develop this concept further for better fire and life safety.
FCIA Member, FM 4991 Specs starting to take hold - Tony Gamble & Bert Hugger, APEX Firestopping, Houston, report that more FM 4991 specs are showing up in projects. On one project, a search for an FM Contractor landed the customer at the FCIA website, who chose APEX and other FCIA Members as bidders. APEX got the job. The US Department Of Defense, Department of Energy also had FM 4991 as part of their specifications on several projects according to Apex. FM 4991 projects are appearing in the Chicago, Boston and Los Angeles Areas, Seattle and other parts as well. Some are being held by architects, engineers, GC's and owners, some are not being held. Education aimed at Architects, Building Owners and Managers, and Code / Fire Authorities will help those who enforce the specification to understand that the Firestopping Quality Program results in better fire and life safety, plus a quality installed system.
Firestopping Inspector Education - Has your firm been subjected to an inspection on a project? Has the inspector been a Building Official? Fire Marshal? Independent firm? Have they used ASTM E 2174 and ASTM E 2393 as their inspection protocol? Were they educated on Firestopping? FCIA Members can market their firms as experts in Firestopping by educating the inspection firms about Firestopping. FCIA's Powerpoint Presentation on www.fcia.org can be used by FCIA Contractor, Manufacturer, Associate Members and Friends to educate the industry (inspectors, etc.) about the Firestopping Quality Process and our industry. Look for another new program in Las Vegas.
FCIA Welcomes New Members - FCIA welcomes New Contractor Members Robert Gray, National Firestop, LTD, Winnepeg ONT, Canada; Toby Matties, Performance Contracting's Oakland, CA Branch office, Jim Descant, Building Specialties, Inc., Houston TX; Ken Nash, W.W. Nash Construction, Inc., Richmond, VA; Kelvin Allen, Rudd Palmer, Inc., Amarillo, TX; James Moreau, Lloyd N. Moreau, LLC, Pineville, LA; New Associate Members Steve Hoffman, SJ Hoffman Consulting, Inc., Bristol, WI; Bob Turan, Turanair Systems, Inc., Coral Springs, FL.
FCIA at CSI Show - Be part of the FCIA Display Booth at the Construction Specifications Institute Show in Chicago. Trade show hours are Wednesday, (12:30 - 4:30pm) Thursday (12:30 - 4:30pm) and Friday (10:00am - 2:00pm) . If you can help us by working the booth during the show, reply to this email with the times that you are available. FCIA's Don Murphy joins Karen Layng, Esq., Vedder Price and Bill Munyan, CSI, CCS, Freeman-White Architects presenting a program on Firestopping Specifications and Liability Issues, Thursday, April 21, 2005 -10:00 am - 11:00am.
FCIA at UL's STP Meeting on "W" Ratings - FCIA is a member of UL's Standards Technical Panel, (STP) that reviews proposals to alter UL 1479, the test for through penetration firestop systems. FCIA attended and commented about UL's "W" Rating at the working group meeting March 17th. FCIA favored allowing several water resistance levels (20', 57.5' head of water) for others to specify, early and aged testing with water to simulate washout before products may have cured, plus aging effects on materials and movement before after curing, then testing for water resistance during discussions. Join in the discussion about the "W" Rating. Rich Walke, UL and Manufacturers will address issues in Las Vegas Thursday, April 28.
NIST Study Draft Report on Rhode Island Nightclub Fire - Visit the NIST Website to read about the Rhode Island Nightclub, with a recommendation to code and other authorities, "requiring redundancy in passive and active fire protection systems for nightclubs". It's interesting reading.
FCIA Membership News - FCIA past president, Blase Reardon, retired from AF Underhill, continues his practice at BostonServ, an alternative dispute resolution firm where he's a partner. FCIA Manufacturer Member, George Starsmeare, Grace Firestopping, retired March 11 after a long career with Grace. He'll join a friend in Consulting. Congratulations to Tom Thoreson, named Contractor Programs Manager for 3M Fire Protection Products, with George Yoshida (recently earned a 'Six-Sigma black belt') leading the 3M Fire Protection Products Team.. Tom Lennon was named head of HILTI's Firestopping Group recently. Steve Tyler, IFC's President, leads Tremco's Fire Protection Systems Group as it has significantly expanded it's sales and support network nationwide. Jim Park reports that Rectorseal, Inc., recently purchased the Smoke Guard Corporation. STI's Jim Stahl, Jr., in firestopping his whole career, participated in the UL STP Panel Working Group on the "W" Rating.
FCIA Observation - There seems to be a common thread to the membership news listed above. The firestopping industry is developing it's manufacturer (and contractor) leaders from within the industry. Steve Tyler, George Yoshida, Tom Lennon, Jim Park, Brandon Cordts, Tom Thoreson, Jim Stahl, Jr., Bob LeClair, Mike Dominguez and others, have all been involved in Firestopping, and with the same firm, for much of their careers...and they are being recognized through promotions and success in their own markets. Leadership, grown from within the Firestopping Industry...mixed with talented newcomers and established professionals, is good for the industry.
Give time for a worthy cause (with eagerness)-you will be worthy and richly rewarded. W. Clement Stone
Bill McHugh, FCIA Executive Director
©Copyright FCIA 3/31/05 - 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