Highlights
- FCIA Members & Hurricane Katrina
- FCIA responds to ads
- FCIA at UL’s Standards Technical Panel
- FCIA speaks at DHI
- ICC Code Hearings coming...
FCIA Members & Hurricane Katrina – FCIA called all Gulf Coast Louisiana/Mississippi members in the wake of Hurricane Katrina Tuesday, August 30 and Sept. 1…. and got ‘all circuits are busy now’ on land and cell phone lines. Friday, September 2, we got through to those outside New Orleans, but are still having trouble contacting those in the immediate “Katrina” area. Here’s what we know about FCIA Members so far:
- Richard Keeney, Firestop International, LLC - Metairie, LA - Metairie was hard hit in the hurricane. This afternoon....I spoke to Lee Levy, Richard's manager in Texas. According to Lee...." Richard was rescued from his house in Metairie, LA Tuesday. He and his wife are OK. His office is on higher ground. He has traveled to Destin, FL to get resituated, and back operating."
- Ron Wade, Certified Firestop - Monroe, LA - Ron was on higher ground further north in Louisiana, and is OK. Ron went to New Orleans to offer work and help to those in need. He's also volunteering in other ways to help the refugees from New Orleans.
- Lee Moreau, Lloyd M. Moreau, LLC , Alexandria area, LA - Lee is located in north central Louisiana, and did not feel the effects of Katrina. However, he has friends and family who live just north of Lake Pontchatrain, in Covington. He and friends are going to help others clean up, cut trees away, and haul debris.
- Jeff Kauslarich - J-Kaulk, Inc. - Picayune, MS - We have not been able to get in touch with Jeff, and pray that he and his team are ok. Picayune is north of Lake Pontchatrain, and northeast of New Orleans. Phones are still not operable as of Friday, September 2, at 3:30 pm.
- Robert Jensen, Nelson South, Inc. – New Orleans, LA – We received a busy signal trying to reach him in the 504 area code.
FCIA Members (contractors, manufacturers and associates) are involved in their communities, as they are in their industry. They are also resourceful. We wish them the best as they work hard to continue on as contractors, sales professionals, distributors and manufacturers….
For now, FCIA urges you to send donations to the Red Cross, who is already in the area helping people. Reach out to your FCIA friends in these areas later, when we (and they) know what’s needed. Our thoughts and prayers are with these members, their families, with wishes for safety and health. They will need your help.
FCIA Responds to ADVERTISEMENTS in MCAC – The Mechanical Contractors Association of Canada published advertisements damaging to the Firestopping Industry focused on product technology and systems selection. Ads were placed by Bibby Ste-Croix, a cast iron and steel pipe firm. FCIA Members Cam Phibbs, Interprovincial Insulation, Scott Rankin, Pyro-Stop, LLC, and Don Falconer, A/D Fire Protection helped provide input to our response. FCIA President Bob LeClair and the Board of Directors offerred a response. Here’s the summary:
FCIA Members are qualified to select appropriate firestop systems for use in specific applications. FCIA recommends that the MCAC urge it’s membership to use FCIA Member Contractors for their firestopping installations.
FCIA contacted UL for a response, which should be here shortly. We’ve already received a response from the manufacturers. To see the full text of the letters from FCIA and the IFC, see FCIA’s Website, http://www.fcia.org
UL Standards Technical Panel for UL 1479 / UL 2079 – FCIA is a member of UL’s Standards Technical Panel, the review group for consensus development on standards. FCIA will be submitting several requests to the panel for action. The requests include movement capabilities of penetration firestop systems, over optimized ‘caulk and walk’ systems for plastic pipe in chase walls, that pose a fire and life safety risk, and more test criteria on “W” Rating to address actual field conditions. Watch for more as these develop.
FCIA at Door & Hardware Institute (DHI) “Forum for the Future” – The DHI Forum for the Future will feature FCIA, DHI, the Building Hardware Manufacturers Association as well as the Door Safety Council talking about Effective Compartmentation (including Firestopping and Fire Doors, etc.) in buildings, and why it makes sense. Compartmentation is an important part of building safety, as part of “Total Fire Protection”….Detection & Alarms, Sprinklers, Compartmentation and Education”. DHI President, Mark Hallgren, stated to FCIA’s board that “Fire Doors are the front door to the compartmentation industry.” He’s right. FCIA can learn from the maintenance programs DHI has for inspecting fire doors on a regular basis. The program is in St. Louis, Sept. 15, 3pm – 7pm.
FCIA at ICC Code Hearings – The International Code Council is conducting it’s Final Action Hearings, September 28 – Oct. 2, 2005. FCIA will speak in support of several code change proposals that the IFC has proposed for inclusion of “L” Ratings, ASTM E 2174 & ASTM E 2393 Inspection, labeling of fire resistance rated walls. FCIA & IFC have been pursuing these code changes separately, and together for quite some time.
FCIA will also support code changes where effective compartmentation should be a vital part of total fire protection in buildings. Also, on Sept. 21 & 22, ICC’s Code Technology Committee will meet to discuss the debate surrounding “active and passive” fire protection features. FCIA Members are encouraged to attend any and all parts of these hearings. Register and contact the FCIA office if you plan to attend.
FCIA Firestop Industry Conference & Trade Show – The FCIA Program Committee has planned a blockbuster program for our industry. Dick Bukowski, of The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), authors of the National Construction Safety Team findings from the World Trade Center Disaster, Building Fire Research Laboratory, will address why Firestopping and Effective Compartmentation is needed in buildings, large and small. An FCIA Firestop Industry Update will allow FCIA Members to listen to and talk about issues important to our Firestopping industry. Dennis Hall, FCSI, CCS, will cover new markets in firestopping due to the new CSI MasterFormat 2004. (A new Smoke Sealing Section) Plus, FCIA Firestop Contractor Project Profiles may bring an answer to your day to day problems on projects. And, an Effective Compartmentation Symposium will show you how your own promotion of effective compartmentation helps your firestopping industry and life safety, with the FCIA Conference Trade Show immediately following the seminars.
FCIA’s Golf Tournament Named – The FCIA Golf Outing has been named to memorialize Ray Usher, FCIA Past President, who was taken by cancer this May. The Ray Usher Memorial Golf Tournament proceeds will be used to fund fire protection education. Join as we make this tournament special, in Ray’s name. Steele Canyon Golf Club is our tournament site this year.
FCIA Spouse / Guest Activities - Look for a fun program for guests attending the conference. The FCIA Welcome Luncheon, San Diego Trolley Tour, Ray Usher Memorial Golf Tournament, and FCIA's Firestop Industry Awards Banquet are all available for participation by guests. Watch the website for info.
Come for FCIA’s Firestop Industry Conference for education, stay for some fun. FCIA’s conference is at Paradise Point Resort, San Diego, CA. http://www.paradisepoint.com. For Online reservations, the group code is 23804. For phone reservations, call 800-344-2626, and hold for Paradise Point Reservations. Don’t transfer to central reservations. Just stay on hold with the hotel directly. Mention FCIA in either case to get the $155 rate.
Look for updates to the agenda or download the registration form.
Pray for those in the Gulf Coast area, many like you and me, who may not have anything left to go home to....
Bill McHugh, FCIA Executive Director
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