Highlights
- UL Testing BULLETIN
- FCIA Effective Compartmentation Symposium
- FCIA Education and Committee Action Conference
BULLETIN: NEW UL Position Statement on Firestopping in ‘Chase Walls’ – FCIA received a letter from UL in early May about testing to UL 1479 of Firestop Systems. This is very important for contractors, as it states that UL Systems for Plastic Piping may not be listed after September. The letter has been emailed to FCIA Members, is in Life Safety Digest, and linked at the FCIA website for your reference.
FCIA / UL Education Partnership – FCIA and UL will offer the UL Qualified Firestop Contractor Program Designated Responsible Individual Education Program 3 more times in 2007.
- July 26–UL-Brea (San Jose) CA
- Sept.13–UL-Research Triangle Park, NC
- Nov. 7 – FCIA Firestop Industry Conference, FL
FCIA’s Education Program in July is a 3 hour program specifically for Designated Responsible Individual candidates. FCIA DRI Education cost is $295 for Members, $895 for Non-Members. UL DRI Test is $450, paid separate from FCIA Education Program.
Learn about the complete UL Qualified Firestop Contractor Program.
FCIA FM 4991 DRI Education – FCIA offers DRI Education at its Conferences in the spring and fall. FM’s Jeff Gould, original author of the program with FCIA in 2000, proctors the test at most conferences for new and renewal DRI candidates. Watch our website for details.
FCIA Apprenticeship & Licensure – FCIA Apprenticeship Chair Bob Hasting reports that the several southeast states are reviewing licensure statutes for legislative consideration. The FCIA Apprenticeship Program is getting close to being approved by the US Department of Labor. Once in place, licensing can happen in states that are under the Bureau of Apprenticeship Training (BAT). States under State Apprenticeship Committee operations can form committees and get rolling at anytime, with the State of Washington as a model.
FCIA Education and Committee Action Conference – FCIA’s ECA Conference featured education programs about how Firestopping and Effective Compartmentation can grow business for your firm, while adding fire and life safety value to buildings. “Looking at this expanded package of Firestopping, Fire Damper, Fire Door, Fire Glass, Fireproofing, and Fire Barrier installation and maintenance means much more opportunity to affect fire and life safety”, stated FCIA President Elect, Tom Hottenroth. Visit the FCIA Website photo album to see the fun.
FCIA at CSI Show - FCIA’s “Compartmentation Symposium” Education Seminar takes place Thursday, June 21, 2007, 9:45am, at the CSI Convention, Baltimore Convention Center.
Visit the FCIA Booth at the CSI SHOW”, and see specifiers from near and far, in Baltimore, MD.
Visit CSI's site to learn more about the show and seminars.
FCIA Membership Growing – FCIA Membership Chair, Bill Hoos, reported that FCIA again reached the 100 Contractor Location Mark, with total membership quickly approaching 150.
Stated FCIA’s 2nd President, Blase Reardon, “When the founders of FCIA met in 1998, one of our goals was an organization of 100 North American contractors dedicated to firestopping. It seemed like the appropriate critical mass for an organization to be influential in promoting this new means of building life safety.
"Now, after initially seeing a wave of qualified contractors, FCIA has achieved what seemed like an elusive goal long ago.”
“I credit this achievement to the continued perseverance of capable dedicated Board members, a dogged determination of the Executive Director, and inspiration of contractor firms who see not only profit, but societal good coming from FCIA's collective efforts.”
“While contractor membership growth must continue to be an FCIA goal, education, workmanship, and vigilance against "red pooky" installed around pipes and cables (to quote the late Ray Usher) should be foremost in FCIA's collective minds- contractors, inspectors and vendors."
FCIA’s 1st President, Aedan Gleeson and current Accreditation Committee Chair added, “Most importantly, the vision that a Specialty Firestop Contractor group is essential to fire and life safety….has become reality in the marketplace.”
FCIA New Members – Since early February, FCIA has added many new members. Here’s the list so far:
NEW FCIA Contractor Members
- American Plumbing and Heating
- Corporation
- Brand Fire Services
- Denver Firestop
- F. Rodgers Insulation - Washington
- Firestop Logistics
- Firestop Masters
- John A Penney Company
- Karcher Firestopping, Inc.
- One-Stop Firestop, Inc.
- Northwest Firestop, Inc.
- Paradigm Environmental Services, Inc.
- Vesta Firestopping, Inc
- West Coast Firestopping
NEW FCIA International Contractors
- Fireshield Technologies, PTE, Ltd.
- Shoeb Fire Fighting Equipment Trading
- TechniCare Contracting
NEW FCIA Associates
- General Insulation
- Metro Supply
- Mutual Screw & Supply
- On Center Software
- Screws and More, LLC
NEW FCIA Manufacturer
- No-Fire Technologies, Inc.
See our member lists to see new member contacts. Call a new member and invite them to be involved. FCIA successes are a result of relationships, an involved group of contractors, associates, manufacturers, giving time and talent, plus hard work, and some fun.
FCIA at ICC Final Action Hearings - FCIA has participated in the past two cycles of the International Code Council’s Code Development Process, and three study groups including the Height and Area (Features), Balanced Fire Protection, and Vertical Openings.
The Final Action Hearings, in Rochester, NY, May 21-26, 2007 brought FCIA much exposure to the large group of building officials, fire marshals and industry. FCIA offerred several code change proposals to bring increased importance to effective compartmentation and firestopping. We successfully added the word ‘Systems’ to the code, reflecting our industries’ terminology better.
FCIA’s “Design, Install, Inspect and Maintain” philosophy was heard by the assembly, received well, but did not pass…this time.
FCIA did testify in support of several code change proposals submitted by the International Firestop Council (IFC), on membrane penetrations. The International Association of Firefighter code change passed for adding descriptive labels to fire barriers, fire partitions, and fire walls. We also supported the Glazing industry as they succeeded on marking systems.
FCIA supported the National Association of State Fire Marshals move to require fire resistance rated corridors in all occupancies; worked with IFC on a code change to add occupancy separation fire resistance ratings & having full thickness of concrete for cast in place piping have the same “T” Rating as a firestop system; the City of Southfield MI for maintenance issues; the City of Murray, UT for the addition of ASTM E 2174 and ASTM E 2393 Inspection Standards to the code…OR, use of a FM Approved or UL Qualified Contractor for buildings 4 stories or more…and many others.
FCIA was successful communicating the message that Total Fire Protection produced the statistics inferring safe buildings in the US, forming new relationships with building officials and fire marshals, while promoting firestopping and effective compartmentation along the way.
Building Official and Fire Marshal Education, Relationships are key to our success in the code development process. Studies show that it takes five exposures for adults to understand message and education content. The Code Development Process is an education and communications project, with FCIA on exposure #2 for our code change proposals.
To educate and communicate, we’ll use the Effective Compartmentation Symposium, UL Total Fire Protection Symposium, Local education by FCIA members, and other tools to teach the importance of Firestopping and Effective Compartmentation in Buildings and maybe accelerate the education process.
FCIA’s Code Leadership will revisit the code changes with the building official and fire marshal community and others to prepare for the August 24th 2007/2008 Code Development Cycle deadline.
Look for a detailed report on the website in late July, and report on the study groups in the summer edition of Life Safety Digest.
FCIA Life Safety Digest – FCIA’s Life Safety Digest is available 24/7 365 days a year, at our website. PDF’s of the magazine are archived for reference.
Plus, Life Safety Digest extra copies are available for sale.
- $0.95ea – 1-100
- $0.90ea – 101-500
- $0.80ea – 501-1000
- $0.70 – 1001+
Magazines are in stock, ready to ship. Contact bill@fcia.org for details.
FCIA Thanks E-News Advertiser:
FCIA Thanks Manufacturer Members:
Bronze Level
- BOSS Products, Inc.,
- PFP Passive Fire Protection Partners, Tremco, Inc.
Silver
- HILTI, Thermafiber, W.R. Grace & Co.
Gold
- 3M Fire Protection Products, Specified Technologies, Inc.
“I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the community, and as long as I live it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can;”
George Bernard Shaw
Best wishes for a productive construction season…
FCIA Staff
Bill McHugh, Evie Caprel & Linda McHugh
© Copyright FCIA 6/11/07 - 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 Specialty Firestop Contractor Concept. For more information, contact the
FCIA Office
Bill McHugh, Executive Director
4415 W. Harrison St.
Hillside, IL 60162
Phone: (708) 202-1108
Fax: (708) 449-0837
Email: info@fcia.org
Website: www.fcia.org
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