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.
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