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We had a great meeting in Denver, CO. Thanks to all
of you who made the effort to attend. Your participation
made the meeting very productive. There were about 60
participants from around the country and Canada. The
meeting was fruitful in addressing and discussing key
industry concerns and we had a lot of fun.
Call to get involved
FCIA members have the option to benefit from the organization
in two unique ways:
Membership
Committee Involvement
Membership provides individuals an opportunity to address
issues and concerns, a forum for information exchange,
tools to become a more successful contractor, access
to manufacturers, and the opportunity to participate
in demonstrations and open discussions with industry
peers. Members also receive a certificate to display.
Committee members have all of the benefits of membership
and more. Committee members have the opportunity to
voice their concerns and opinions and to more successfully
influence the codes, accreditation, standards, and educational
tools. Committee members also have an opportunity to
develop leadership skills. Being involved in a committee
can help you develop a strong network of colleagues
who can be helpful to your professional careers.
There are nine committees that currently exist:
- Accreditation Committee
- Code Committee
- Finance Committee
- Membership Committee
- Communications Committee
- Program Committee
- Education Committee
- Marketing Committee
- Technical Committee
These committees need your help. As your President,
I am asking that each of you, if you are not already
involved, consider participating (or in some other way
supporting) a committee.
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Key Initiatives
During the upcoming year we will be focusing in three
key areas:
1. Increase membership
We will continue to work to recruit and retain active
members to the organization. An active membership body
is critical to the success of the organization. We will
also encourage members to get their FM 4991 Approved
Firestop Contractor status by providing help with QA
programs and working with FM to get both testing and
audit proctors more readily available for use. This
will make the process easier and hopefully less expensive.
2. Gain recognition
We will strive to be recognized for the work we are
doing within the industry. We will make people aware
that firestopping is not a trade that can be installed
by anybody who creates a condition. It is a fire safety
issue and has to be installed by a single source contractor
with the knowledge of what they are doing.
3. Promotion of the ASTM 2174-- "Standard Practice
for On-Site Inspection of Installed Fire Stops"
While the timetable to pass a code proposal concept
can be years, we will continue to move this practice
forward. This document is critical to the industry in
that it raises the bar for installation credibility.
It also places requirements on our competitors to maintain
the same integrity levels. We will continue to lobby
and develop this proposal.
Thank you,
Kathleen Taraba
Your President
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