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
To unsubscribe email bill@fcia.org with tagline REMOVE
|
