Jan/Feb 2018 Sprinkler Age by SprinklerAge

TAX CUTS AND JOBS ACT 40 (H.R. 1) PASSES

JAN / FEB 2018

SPRINKLER AGE

OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE AMERICAN FIRE SPRINKLER ASSOCIATION

VOL 37/01

2018 INDUSTRY REVIEW & FORECAST PLUS WATER SUPPLY

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SprinklerAge

Vol 37 / 01 January/February 2018

Features 10 | Forecast: Continued Growth in 2018 Fire Sprinkler Industry Looks Back and Ahead

16 | Modifiers to the Water Supply Data Who is Responsible for What?

20 | ABC’s 2018 Construction Economic Forecast Better Business Climate Expectations Help Drive Asset Prices Higher

24 | New Construction Starts in 2018 Increase Three Percent Dodge Data & Analytics Predicts Deceleration but Still Growth

26 | FMI Forecasts Continued Growth in Construction Increase of 5 Percent in 2018 Predicted

28 | AFSA Graduates Inaugural ITM Class Program Promotes Student Success

ON THE COVER This issue covers water supply and includes a 2017 review of and 2018 forecast for the fire sprinkler industry.

30 | Conducting Flow Tests

Look to NFPA Standards for Recommended Practices

38 | Generation Z Brings Opportunities in 2018 Look to New Hires for Growth and Prosperity

CHAIRMAN’S MESSAGE

PRESIDENT’S REPORT

AHJ PERSPECTIVE

NEW MEMBERS

U.S. CONSTRUCTION

AFSA NEWS

CHAPTER NEWS

ASSOCIATION NEWS

INDUSTRY NEWS

50 | A Look Back... and A Look Ahead

PRODUCT NEWS

PEOPLE IN THE NEWS

52 | Sacramento Valley Chapter to Host Trade Show

INDEX OF ADVERTISERS

40 | Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (H.R. 1) Passes

Fire Sprinkler Industry Poised to Benefit from Comprehensive Tax Reform

42 | And the Award Goes to...

Nominate Those Who Have Made an Impact on the Fire Sprinkler Industry

44 | OSHA’s Silica in Construction Standard Concerns for Fire Sprinkler Installers

48 | Construction Jobs Increase

Associated General Contractors of America Looks at 2018 to be a “Strong Year”

Ferguson Fire & Fabrication Celebrates 30 Years in the Industry

It’s the Biggest Little Trade Show in the West!

54 | Thank You for Your Support! Members Celebrate Milestone Anniversaries

SPRINKLER AGE, (ISSN 0896-2685) is published bimonthly for $33.95 per year by the American Fire Sprinkler Association, Inc., 12750 Merit Drive, Suite 350, Dallas, Texas 75251. Periodicals postage paid at Dallas, Texas and additional mailing offices.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to SPRINKLER AGE, 12750 Merit Drive, Suite 350, Dallas, Texas 75251. Sprinkler Age | January/February 2018 5

CHAIRMAN’S MESSAGE EDITORIAL: 214 349 5965

BY WAYNE WEISZ AFSA Chairman of the Board

FRANK MORTL III, CAE, Publisher D’ARCY G. MONTALVO, Editor, ext. 115 dmontalvo@firesprinkler.org NICOLE DUVALL, Director of Communications, ext. 126; nduvall@firesprinkler.org ADVERTISING: 214 349 5965

REBECCA HERRING, Communications Coordinator, ext. 134; rherring@firesprinkler.org CIRCULATION : 214 349 5965

Greetings,

REBECCA HERRING, Communications Coordinator, ext. 134; rherring@firesprinkler.org AFSA BOARD OF DIRECTORS

As we enter into another new year, it is not hard to just take a moment to reflect back on 2017. I think we can all look back at ‘17 and agree it was a pretty good year. The economy around the country was all-in-all robust. Most of us had a year of growth with some saying it was the best year they have ever experienced as a company. Both volumes and profits were solid. As the year wound down and the holiday season has come and gone, we find ourselves jumping full speed ahead into 2018. For me, the years are just coming and going far too fast.

WAYNE WEISZ, CHAIRMAN 209-334-9119

Most economic leaders around the country agree that 2018 looks like it could be another very busy year. Those in the manufacturing/supply side of our industry seem to think the first half of the year could be very busy, with the second half of the year being stable. Most of the contractor friends I have around the country say both current workloads and backlogs appear to be very strong. Of course there are pockets around the country that may be busier than others, but, in general, there is a feeling of excitement going into this next year.

MICHAEL F. MEEHAN, IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIRMAN 757-213-3660

The New Year also brings new challenges. Many states will usher in new regulations and laws. Some will have a profound impact on how we do business. We here in California are about experience one of those “profound impact” regulations. We are going through the implementation of “sprinkler fitter certification.” There are a few states around the country that already have fitter certification or fitter licensing in place.

AFSA MANAGEMENT: 214 349 5965

For the 2,000-plus licensed California fire sprinkler contractors, fitter certification is new, and that will change how some do business. The reaction, as most would expect, is all over the board. Some contractors view it as a cumbersome over regulation by the state, for some it is a wait-and-see, and others believe it will clean up the trade. California’s version of certification will include mandatory apprenticeship training for all future field personnel. For California AFSA members, our apprenticeship program has both state and federal approval. Many of us have been involved in apprenticeship training for years, so fitter certification will not have much of an impact or be too much of a burden.

LAVERNE DAVIS, Director of Financial & Administrative Affairs, ext. 112

For years, merit-shop contractors have debated apprenticeship training versus training exclusively through field work experience. Looking back and talking with some of the original founders of AFSA, one of the founding principles of AFSA was to develop an apprenticeship program. From inception through years of rewrites and code updates to today, AFSA’s Fire Sprinkler Fitter Apprenticeship Training program has moved to the forefront of apprenticeship training within our industry. For merit-shop contractors in California, AFSA’s program has become a pillar for survival. Without having the ability to train, we would not be able to develop a growing workforce for the future. Thus, the business model of the merit-shop contractor would have a near impossible task of staying in business. That is a pretty profound thought! January brings our first quarterly meeting for the AFSA Board of Directors. Our commitment to our members is to continue to create and expand on member services. We look forward to an exciting 2018! n 6 Sprinkler Age | January/February 2018

THEODORE C. WILLS, JR., FIRST VICE CHAIRMAN 610-754-7836 JACK A. MEDOVICH, SECOND VICE CHAIRMAN 410-787-0639 LINDA M. BIERNACKI, SECRETARY 318-841-0330 PAUL DELORIE, TREASURER 603-432-8221

DONALD G. ALBARES, 504-837-0572 DWIGHT BATEMAN, 713-910-3242 ROD DIBONA, 605-348-2342 LYLE HALL, 858-513-4949 R. DONALD KAUFMAN, 505-884-2447 JEFF PHIFER, 803-438-2994

FRANK MORTL III, CAE, President ROLAND J. HUGGINS, PE, Senior Vice President of Engineering & Technical Services, ext. 121 MARLENE M. GARRETT, CMP, Vice President of Meetings & Operations, ext. 118 BRADLEY ELLIOTT, Director of Member Services, ext. 135

NICOLE DUVALL, Director of Communications, ext. 126 LESLIE CLOUNTS, Director of Education Services, ext. 130 ROGER GRAGG, Director of Marketing & Information Technology, ext. 116 Sprinkler Age is devoted to the professional development of the Fire Sprinkler Industry. Deadline is 1st of the month preceding publication. Published by American Fire Sprinkler Association, 12750 Merit Drive, Suite 350, Dallas, Texas 75251. Call (214) 349-5965, FAX (214) 343-8898, or email sprinklerage@firesprinkler.org for information. Copyright © American Fire Sprinkler Association, Inc. All rights reserved. PRINTED IN USA. Unless expressly stated otherwise, all editorial and advertising material published is the opinion of the respective authors and/ or companies involved and should not be construed as official action by or approved by Publisher or the Association. Sprinkler Age is a membership benefit, provided free of charge to AFSA members. For information on non-member and/or foreign subscription rates, call (214) 349-5965. ABOUT AFSA MEMBERSHIP AFSA annual membership dues are a sliding scale for Contractors and Associates and a flat fee for Authorities Having Jurisdiction. (Members receive a free subscription to Sprinkler Age.) Write or call AFSA for membership information. See AFSA’s website at firesprinkler.org.

PRESIDENT’S REPORT BY FRANK MORTL III, CAE AFSA President

Battleship. An American naval vessel of sufficient size which is heavily armored and equipped with the most powerful armament, used to take part in operations of significance. The term “Battleship,” and its 4 in.-thick reinforced iron sides, was used on numerous occasions throughout the two-year term of Michael (Mike) Meehan as the American Fire Sprinkler Association’s (AFSA) Chairman of the Board of Directors. From AFSA’s Annual Convention in October of 2015 until AFSA36: Convention, Exhibition & Apprentice Competition last September in Las Vegas, Mike held the most authority on the AFSA Board and provided exemplary leadership to our organization’s officers and executive staff. Additionally, Chairman Meehan ensured that AFSA’s duties to member interests were fulfilled, often referring to the process of developing education and training for merit shop contractors as a battleship heading down a very clear and defined route – undeterred by any outside forces interested in diminishing the high return on existing AFSA benefits. Taking over the AFSA Chairman of the Board position from Joe Heinrich in late 2015, Mike Meehan had big shoes to fill in terms of recognizable accomplishments over a two-year time period. Joe had successfully delivered on his two core initiatives of further developing the AFSA’s professional staff and instituting an AFSA NextGen Initiative program. Drawing upon inspiration from serving as a fire sprinkler industry volunteer and executive leader for VSC Fire & Security, Mike knew that developing and maintaining strong codes and standards were critically important to the present and future success of merit shop contracting. As his initial objective, Chairman Meehan guided AFSA’s Technical Services Department to levels of expertise that are without question the finest collection of staff and volunteers the industry has to offer. Working diligently with AFSA’s Senior Vice President of Engineering & Technical Services Roland Huggins, PE, Mike Meehan engaged all aspects of AFSA’s technical resources over the last couple of years, particularly regarding building codes, NFPA standards, the AFSA Technical Advisory Committee, and helping to identify the most qualified merit shop contractor ambassadors to serve on NFPA technical committees – a daunting task indeed. In total, Chairman Meehan oversaw Roland’s appointment of 31 AFSA-member representatives, allowing for 27 NFPA technical committees to receive AFSA’s authority regarding the intent of crucial installation standards that drive the fire sprinkler industry. For his second objective, Mike referenced the position he held directly prior to assuming the role of AFSA Chairman of the 8 Sprinkler Age | January/February 2018

Board of Directors – Chair of our Chapter Grants Committee. AFSA Chapter Grants are a fantastic mechanism where local chapter volunteer leaders identify programs worthy to facilitate throughout a given year which qualify for a matching financial grant. Project categories include Apprenticeship and Education, Industry Promotion, Licensing and Legislation, Special Projects, Organized Chapter Events to Raise Money for Charity, and a Fitter Licensing Legislative Fund. As Chair of the Committee, Mike Meehan learned how impactful national AFSA monies were to help support local projects which, in turn, benefited AFSA member contractors in the professional development of their companies. Drawing from years of volunteerism at a dynamic local group, AFSA’s Virginia Chapter, Chairman Meehan dug in on the issue of driving more national financial resources to help merit shop contractors extract valuable tools from regional programming. Through his good guidance, Mike was able to navigate a 50 percent increase in national Chapter Grant contributions in 2017 compared to 2015! Budgeting $110,000 for chapter leadership to then match at 100 percent as a result of their own locally raised funds last year allowed for AFSA contractor members to be educated, trained, protected and philanthropic while also promoting our great industry. Another critical point is the foresight Mike had to support new chapter growth models. Increasing the spend for chapters to provide impactful meetings has allowed for total AFSA chapters to expand from 19 in 2015 to 29 in the fall of 2017, at the conclusion of Mike Meehan’s term as Chairman. Forging a path for the success of a national trade association is never easy for a newly elected Board of Directors, nor its Chairman. Fortunately, AFSA allows for a rich history of volunteer fire sprinkler industry leaders to have instituted a formidable outline that has proven to be exceptionally worthwhile for participating member contractors. Chairman Meehan brought tangible results to the table during his time as chief executive of the organization. Now, as Immediate Past Chairman, Mike will look to guide Chairman Wayne Weisz, the AFSA Board of Directors, and our general membership as they enjoy the fruits of his labor – in particular, codes and standards that adhere to the voice of the merit shop automatic fire sprinkler contractor as well as local AFSA chapters scattered across the country aimed to promote the development of educational and training programs. Let’s appreciate Mike Meehan’s ability to lead and his core motivation to deliver on our mission statement, similar to the laser focus of maintaining the successful trajectory he would often refer to when comparing AFSA to a “Battleship.” n

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Forecast: Continued Growth in 2018 Fire Sprinkler Industry Looks Back and Ahead D’ARCY MONTALVO | American Fire Sprinkler Association

As the fire sprinkler industry settles into 2018, it’s an opportunity to look back on business in 2017 and look ahead to the coming year’s potential. While forecasters predicted 2017 to be a year of slow growth with a bigger jump in 2018, it seems the period of slow and steady will continue. According to Engineering News Record (ENR), Dodge Data & Analytics reports that total U.S. construction starts grew 4 percent in 2017 and predicts U.S. construction starts will advance 3 percent to $765.2 billion in 2018. FMI Corp., Raleigh, North Carolina, focuses on construction put-in-place and calls for 5.2 percent growth to $1.3 trillion in 2018, after a reported 4.3 percent rate in 2017. In the commercial sector, Dodge is expecting 2 percent growth in 2018. Retail construction has slowed, due to the increase in online shopping. However, that has brought on increased warehouse construction, projected to grow 4 percent in 2018. Institutional building should increase 3 percent and educational facilities 11 percent. Manufacturing construction is expected to decline 1 percent this year, and public works to grow just 3 percent. FMI forecasts non-residential building will be soft in 2018 with manufacturing growth at 7 percent and educational building markets at 2 percent. The office building market is expected to grow 9 percent, and commercial building construction 10 percent. Three out of the six U.S. regions are forecast to grow again in 2018 – the West, South Central and South Atlantic regions, Dodge Data & Analytics reports. The strongest growth will be in the South Central region, which is projected to increase 11 percent in 2018, after declining 2 percent in 2017. Sprinkler Age surveyed several AFSA members across the country to report on business in 2017 and their forecasts for 2018. Most respondents had a busy year and anticipate continued or growth in the coming year. Looking Back, Forging Ahead Overall, the members surveyed had a good year in 2017. While some areas started off slow, business picked up by the end of the year. Parks Moore, president of S & S Sprinkler Co., LLC, Mobile, Alabama, and AFSA Region 2 Director Don Kaufman, president of Kaufman Fire Protection, Albuquerque, New Mexico, both reported a slow start last year. 10 Sprinkler Age | January/February 2018

What are construction industry forecasters predicting for 2018?

“Overall, business was good,” Moore says. “The first half of the year was slow, but the second half picked up considerably and we are very busy now.” He says that the initial outlook for 2018 is “promising.” “We have a strong pipeline and some good projects are coming out for bid and will start work later in the year,” Moore comments. Kaufman says that the year started out “very slow,” but by the end of the year, the company had work. He also says they have work going into next year. Across the country in Connecticut, Central Connecticut Fire Protection in Meriden had a “slight increase” over 2016, says president Bob Hollis. He says that “going into 2018, our backlog of work is better than the previous few years.” Business was good in other states including: California, Florida, Maryland, Michigan, and South Carolina. Chris Johnson, president of Piper Fire Protection, Clearwater, Florida, and AFSA Florida Chapter president, says that “business has been strong on Florida’s West Coast for the last three years or so. Currently, we are seeing a flurry of large construction projects in the Greater Tampa Bay market.” Johnson continues; “For 2018, we expect to have a similar year to 2017 with slightly higher margins overall. Piper Fire

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is still taking work, but targeting projects starting the latter half of the year.” Doug Irvine, Jr., president of Brigade Fire Protection, Belmont, Michigan, states that business was “overall good. We saw about a 10 percent increase over 2016. 2018 has all the signs of being another good year.” In Maryland, Dan Mathias, Absolute Fire Protection, Inc., Severna Park, comments that business in 2017 was “great.” “There seems to be a lot of opportunities and we think 2018 will be good,” he says. South Carolina experienced a similar level of work, as Paul Hensley, president Advanced Fire Protection, Inc., Travelers Rest, reports: “business was good in the Carolinas this year.” Hensley says that there are a lot of projects out for bids, so “it looks like it will remain good for 2018.” California had a banner year in 2017 gauging contractor perspectives in both the northern and southern portions of the state. John Gonsalves, president of A & D Fire Protection, San Diego, says “business was great with another solid year. We were very busy.” The year ahead “looks to be just as good a year, it may be a little slower taking off, but there are lots of potential projects and should even out,” Gonsalves comments. AFSA Chairman of the Board Wayne Weisz and brother Byron, co-owners of Cen-Cal Fire Systems, Inc., Lodi, both report that 2017 was “very busy.” Wayne notes that they are experiencing growth in both commercial and residential construction in the state. Both say that 2018 looks to be another “very good year” with a nice backlog. Included in this year’s survey were the newly formed AFSA Alberta and Vancouver Chapters in Canada. Alan Thompson, president of A.R.T. Fire Protection, Inc., Chilliwack, British Columbia, and president of the Vancouver Chapter, says business was “very good” in 2017 and that the market is strong in British Columbia. He says business for 2018 looks “very good with a lot of new construction happening.” Kevin Mozak, president of Meridian Fire Protection, Inc, Edmonton, Alberta, and Alberta Chapter president, reports that business was slow in the first half of 2017, but the second half saw an increase. “Overall, from last year to this year we will be up 10 percent. Business is looking good for 2018 as we have already secured some new construction/renovation work.” Potential Roadblocks in 2018 Skilled labor and worker shortages continue to be a problem for the industry, as those are the top reported concerns from members each year. “The biggest problem remains finding skilled installers and designers,” comments Moore. 12 Sprinkler Age | January/February 2018

Wayne Weisz concurs. “Skilled labor is always an issue – we’re short of skilled labor.” He believes that training is key to growing a future workforce and that AFSA excels in apprenticeship training with its program developed by merit-shop contractors for merit-shop contractors. “From inception through years of rewrites and code updates to today, AFSA’s Fire Sprinkler Fitter Apprenticeship Training program has moved to the forefront of apprenticeship training within our industry,” he states in this issue’s Chairman’s Message (see page 6 for more details). Mathias finds that “hiring experienced installers and designers seems to be a continuing challenge,” and Kaufman notes that “the manpower for all areas of the job will have problems – designers, project managers, sales personnel.” Even in Canada, Thompson notes that in a thriving market such as Vancouver, British Columbia, qualified manpower can be a potential drawback. Mozak has found similar challenges in the Edmonton, Alberta area. Irvine also comments that labor, both in the office and field, continues “to be our biggest hindrance to growth. More training and awareness at a younger level would definitely help our industry.” Johnson notes that in Florida the labor market has become extremely competitive over the past two years and that they expect it to continue well into 2019. One of their efforts to counter this has been working with area school districts. “We are seeing efforts to engage school systems locally with opportunities for high school-aged students to enter the fire sprinkler labor market straight out of school beginning to pay dividends,” Johnson says. “We have been able to steadily add quality young adults, but only because of steady engagement with our local school systems.” In California, Gonsalves is also focused on recruiting and growing his skilled labor workforce. In addition, contractors in the state must keep up with newly established fitter licensing laws. (See related story in the November/December 2017 issue of Sprinkler Age, page 38.) Byron Weisz comments that “labor will be an issue in all of the building trades.” He also notes that hurricanes, wildfires, and other natural disasters have placed an extra burden on the labor force. Housing Market The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) predicts that single-family housing starts will reach 903,000 in 2018 (a 7.5 percent gain), increasing from an estimated 840,000 in 2017. It also predicts the slowdown in multi-family housing will continue over the next two years with a 1.7 percent drop in 2018. Dodge predicts single-family housing starts next year with a 9 percent boost thanks to older millennials entering the housing market. However, it predicts the multi-family housing

sector to drop 8 percent in starts in 2018. FMI’s construction put-in-place forecasts 7.5 percent rate of growth in single-family residential and 4.5 percent rise in multi-family residential.

require sprinklers for many occupancies.” Doug Irvine says they are doing quite a bit of retrofit and upgrade work in “all types of construction and uses.”

Contractors around the country seem to be busy with a variety of residential projects. In San Diego, Gonsalves reports there has been “solid residential activity for a few years now. It’s pretty consistent but not much in the NFPA 13D [Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems in One- and Two-Family Dwellings and Manufactured Homes] area.”

In Southern California, Gonsalves doesn’t see a huge market but says there are always a few projects going on and that is a “small percentage of volume” for his company. The Weisz brothers are seeing a “fair amount of density upgrades in commercial buildings” and that with “codes and insurance requirements changing, there are always retrofit opportunities,” but that they do not work a lot of retrofit projects.

Wayne Weisz concurs for the Northern California area. “We are going through a big increase in the amount of single-family homes built, not only in our area but throughout Northern California.” Byron Weisz adds that there was a housing crisis going on before wildfires destroyed thousands of homes in the state, and both single- and multi-family projects were abundant throughout the West Coast. Irvine has seen an “increase in multi-family/high-rise work but not on single-family” in the Grand Rapids area. We do less than six NFPA 13D jobs per year,” he continues. “I see the residential/ multi-family slowing down here.” Chris Johnson in Florida has “definitely seen increase in residential activity” in his market. “There is a flurry of high-rise work currently in many downtown areas. In addition, other dense residential work has remained steady over the past three years.” In Maryland, Dan Mathias notes that residential has been strong for the last couple of years. He adds that his company installs sprinklers in all types of residential occupancies “from custom homes to senior apartments.” Bob Hollis in Connecticut comments that they have increased their NFPA 13D installations slightly year-by-year in the past five years, but the volume is a very small percentage of their total work. Parks Moore reports that “residential demand has picked up some but our state [Alabama] does not enforce the IRC requirement for sprinklers in new single-family homes.”

Chris Johnson reports that “retrofit activity has largely stalled within the markets that we operate. There has been continuing pressure from the Florida legislature to roll back or weaken high-rise retrofit requirements that have been on the books for years. Our governor joined the previous two governors in vetoing efforts to repeal the high-rise retrofit laws.” He continues: “We are thankful that our state’s executive branch and State Fire Marshal’s Office understand how important fire sprinklers are to keep our citizens safe and ensure a strong tourism industry in our state. We believe that the condos that have not complied with the deadlines locally are waiting for local enforcement to pressure them into compliance.” Bob Hollis notes that there seem to be many buildings throughout Connecticut that are finally being rehabilitated/retrofitted.

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Multi-family work is increasing in New Mexico, according to Kaufman. “NFPA 13D is a small market for this state but we get our share,” he notes. In Canada, Thompson reports that Authorities Having Jurisdiction (AHJs) and area fire departments are starting to implement the installation of sprinkler in residential homes. Mozak says that they saw a decrease in residential homes in 2017, but in 2018 they are projecting an increase in residential condominiums. Retrofit Activity Retrofit work appears to be steady around the country and in Canada. Kaufman reports it makes up “about 50 percent” of his workload. Others such as Parks Moore say there is “plenty” of retrofit work to be done, and Mathias comments that there are “lots of opportunities as building codes

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Sprinkler Age | January/February 2018 13

M/S Perspective Members of AFSA’s Manufacturers/Suppliers (M/S) Council gave a healthy report from the associate member side of the fire sprinkler industry. Council Chairman Mike Dooley, vice president of sales for FlexHead Industries in Holliston, Massachusetts, spoke with several Council members who reported a healthy increase in business in 2017 compared to 2016. “Depending on the product supplied to the fire sprinkler industry, increases in sales were between 5 and 9 percent,” Dooley says. He also reports that the Council’s outlook for 2018 is “optimistic, based on current construction activity, low interest rates, and a growing economy. The AIA Architect Billing Index (ABI) reported that the November 2017 index reached a level of 55, which was the highest index of 2017 forecasting increased construction activity in 2018.” M/S Council Vice Chairman Chris Stason, western divisional manager – fire protection for Victaulic Company, Temecula, California, says that “2017 was a good year across the entire company. Construction was strong in all markets. 2018 is going to start right where 2017 finished, on a high note. We have several large-scale projects already booked and are tracking others.” Some potential problems in 2018 from the M/S perspective are “the shortage of skilled labor available to construction firms and the shortage of fire sprinkler fitters and fire sprinkler designers.” He also states that political issues in Washington D.C. could “potentially be disruptive to the economy.” Stason notes that “it appears the biggest slow down for contractors is trained manpower for design/engineering and qualified field labor. Also, the live/work/play-type facilities have been on a rapid growth pattern. Millennials love to live in inner-city environments and residential construction is trying to keep up.” Council members report that residential fire sprinkler activity is “strong and growing, especially in fire sprinkler friendly states like California, Florida, Maryland, Texas, and the Southeastern U.S. The installation of CPVC in residential fire sprinklers is very strong and a strong 2018 is forecast.” Legislative Arena The passage of H.R. 1, Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, is a comprehensive reform of the U.S. tax code. H.R. 1 provides this important incentive and allows the cost of sprinkler retrofits to be deducted as a Section 179 expense. AFSA members are poised to benefit from several aspects of this monumental legislation, including particular language that directly affects the fire sprinkler industry – incentivizing business owners to retrofit their properties with fire sprinkler systems. (See page 40 of this issue for details.) In other legislative news, Byron Weisz notes that California already requires fire sprinklers to be installed in new residential homes and commercial buildings. In addition, “the state is trying to implement a fitter certification program which will be interesting to watch evolve.” (See the November/December 2017 issue of Sprinkler Age for more information on California fitter licensing.) 14 Sprinkler Age | January/February 2018

Doug Irvine reports that “the city of Grand Rapids is talking about legislation regarding sprinklers but not as a whole throughout the state of Michigan.” In Florida, Chris Johnson says that the homebuilders’ associations have made several attempts to weaken the fire sprinkler industry over the past two years. “Currently, homebuilders are holding several key positions in the Florida Legislature leadership. We are fighting to keep our representation on the Florida Building Commission.” He continues: “There are efforts to change the makeup of that commission to cut the board membership in half with changes in some of the seats to help the homebuilders’ cause in keeping fire sprinkler requirements out of the Florida Building Code for single-family homes in particular. We have strong support from associations such as Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) and the Florida Fire Marshals and Inspectors Association. We hope that our recent hurricane will help combat attempts to further weaken Florida’s Building Code.” In Connecticut, Bob Hollis notes that the requirement to protect town houses is moving forward through the code revisions. Parks Moore reports that in Alabama, the state legislature passed a bill in 2017 allowing licensed plumbers to install multi-purpose sprinkler systems in single-family homes if they are licensed and certified by the state fire marshal. New Year, New Outlook It looks to be a busy year ahead for the fire sprinkler industry and the members surveyed are optimistic. “The sprinkler market is a fast-growing industry and we continue to have plenty of work for all contractors,” notes Mozak. “I think I speak for my entire team at Piper Fire and the Florida Chapter in that we are proud to work in such a fantastic industry,” comments Johnson. “We are thrilled to have the opportunity to lobby and advocate for fire sprinklers at the local, state, and national level. We are excited to see what the future holds for our industry from 2018 and beyond.” Vancouver Chapter President Alan Thompson echoes that sentiment. “We are excited for 2018 as it will be our first full year as an AFSA chapter. We are looking forward to seeing our chapter grow as new members join and we are able to take advantage of the AFSA membership benefits and opportunities.” As the fire sprinkler industry and acceptance of residential fire sprinkler systems grow, look to AFSA to provide the training, programs, services, connections, and resources merit-shop contractors can utilize to succeed well into the future. Visit firesprinkler.org for all the details on what your association offers. With AFSA by your side, you can make 2018 the best year you’ve ever seen! n

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Modifiers to the Water Supply Data Who is Responsible for What? ROLAND J. HUGGINS, PE | American Fire Sprinkler Association MICHAEL F. MEEHAN | VSC Fire & Security

Everyone knows that a water supply test is simply a snapshot of what is available at that moment in time. We also know that the water supply needs to exceed the system demand of the fire protection system. A final fact is that water supplies can vary over time. There are multiple factors that can impact the available water supply, hereafter referred to as modifiers. What isn’t well known (or more aptly stated what isn’t well implemented) is who is responsible for identifying the water supply and the associated modifiers. Let’s start with a little historical perspective. Excluding really large jobs, it’s been the sprinkler contractor running down the water supply data and generally speaking everyone ignores the issue of modifiers. It’s always been the responsibility of the owner’s representative (aka the engineer of record) to identify the applicable water supply among other things. For confirmation of this assignment of responsibility, review the position paper titled: The Engineer and the Engineering Technician Designing Fire Protection Systems published in July 2008 as approved by the Boards for the Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE), the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE), and the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). Unfortunately, just like the sprinkler criteria itself, determining this information has typically defaulted to the contractor. Don’t read into this that we’re saying engineers should be laying out the system, but they should be defining the applicable layout criteria for their building and especially the water supply data. After all, how can they determine whether floor area and associated infrastructure is needed for a fire pump or whether the facility requires a tank, without performing these functions? Now there are some portions of the country that have attempted to remedy this casual behavior with some level of success, but that’s a story for a different time. There’s also something to be learned from looking at what NFPA 13, Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems, has said about this issue over the last two decades. If you look in the 1996 edition, the working plans were required to provide very specific information about the waterflow test. This requirement has remained in place and is part of the current edition. Additionally, the body of the standard identifies that there are modifiers and that the Authorities Having Jurisdiction (AHJs) may be permitted to require an adjustment. This then changed with the 1999 edition to say the modifiers shall 16 Sprinkler Age | January/February 2018

be applied. This information remained in the body until the 2010 edition when it was moved to the annex where it exists to this day (see section A.24.2.2.). So, the current state of affairs is that the body (that being the enforceable portion of the standard), simply says in section 24.2.2.2*: “The volume and pressure of a public water supply shall be determined from waterflow test data or other approved method.” Before discussing what all this means, let’s first take a look at these modifiers. The older editions of NFPA 13 do a good job of naming them but doesn’t analyze them. Modifiers fall into two categories: those that represent physical changes occurring within the water supply system and those that are arbitrary values assigned to the system. Most physical changes revolve around the available pressure presented by the primary water source. The seasonal concern is evident when water is pulled from a reservoir whose elevation changes significantly between summer and winter. A mere 30-ft drop represents a 13 psi reduction in static pressure. The same thing happens with water tanks with the amount of drop being an operational decision. There’s also the issue of varying local demands on the system, whether it’s the normal average increased flow in the early morning (or late afternoon) in a residential area or large industrial demands (which can be large individual spikes in flow). Since the distribution system is always flowing water, the static reading is actually a residual pressure. As such, large increases in flow reduce the available pressure. These are science-based changes if you will. What’s ignored in this focus on the potential reduction in pressure, is that the water distribution system is typically not a static system. As soon as you introduce a pump into the system, much less multiple pumps acting in a sequential manner, it’s no longer a linear relationship whereby drops in the initial supply mean a drop in the available pressure. A good example of the complexity in systems is when the residual pressure is higher than the static pressure. The water supply systems are domestic sources so are tightly managed systems (to keep the primary users happy). I’m not saying there are no changes to the available supply. I’m trying to point out that it’s rather complicated. There’s also modifiers that are not physically based. Perhaps the thorniest one is being asked to account for future growth and possible degradation. How can you do that with any degree of accuracy or realism? This concern also ignores that these are managed systems. The other primary arbitrary modifier is that assigned by the AHJ. Here, some value, whether a fixed amount or a

percentage of reduction, may be assigned in an attempt to account for all the unknown modifiers. Generally speaking, this falls into the “warm and fuzzy” category so we can sleep at night knowing we did something about the possibility that the water supply may be lower than when tested. Part of a reasonable evaluation of this issue should include a discussion on the relevance of the modifiers (or a better way of saying it is a reality check). Let’s ignore the managed aspect of municipal water supplies and accept that the supply and modifiers are physically based events (aka have a high degree of engineering accuracy). Since accounting for these items could push the curve below the system demand, doesn’t that constitute a potential for failure? Well, the fuzzy part of the issue is the very precise point we call the system demand. The truth is that it has no engineering accuracy because it does not reflect reality. It reflects a very well-defined methodology that allows different parties to arrive at an acceptable layout that we know will control the fire. It’s also very conservative. The size of the remote area is much larger than the one or two sprinklers that control 88 percent of fires for wet pipe systems and 73 percent for dry pipe systems (see U.S. Experience with Sprinklers, by John Hall, June 2013). As such, the flow and pressure of the system demand is much higher than typically needed. Now add on the arbitrarily assigned hose demand and that precise point way out on the curve takes another step away from reality. I’m not saying the methodology is excessively conservative because it reduces the negative impact that can occur

when things aren’t exactly as planned. I am saying, let’s not leap to the conclusion that the system will fail if a modifier pushes the water supply curve below the demand point. There is a need to be more cautious, though, with some systems where the proper identification of the available pressure can impact the performance. In particular, this is for pumps and dry type systems (dry pipe and double interlock preaction systems). Let’s start with pumps since that is the least critical. If the snapshot of your water supply happens to be the lowest possible pressure (which some would call perfect for your system design), higher future pressures could cause you to exceed the maximum allowed pressure when the pump is churning. This is the least critical system because slightly exceeding the pressure rating does not cause failure. I’m not saying to ignore it in your day-to-day designs but I’m trying to paint a realistic picture. The dry type system is a different creature. The time required for water delivery directly impacts the performance of the system. This is addressed by having an explicitly defined maximum interval as part of the system acceptance testing. As such, if you design with a higher operating pressure than available when a trip test is performed, you can have problems. This translates to a reduced level of confidence that a dry type system will control the fire. Now that we have a clear picture of the issues and the relevance of the modifiers, what does the history of NFPA 13 tell us? This is an issue that has been discussed off and on over a

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long period of time. What to do about it goes through cycles. The application of modifiers went from being permitted by the AHJ, to being required, to being dropped as a requirement but suggested as Annex material. In the 21 years that I’ve been on NFPA 13, I’m not aware of it being dissected as presented in this article, but many have inherently understood the overall big picture. This cycling of opinion also tells us that it is an issue that would be nice to address, but we aren’t losing any sleep over the fact that it typically isn’t included in the design. Another aspect of the standard is that some might want to claim that because it is in NFPA 13, that it is the contractor’s responsibility. With no data provided, in order for the job to move forward, contractors have generally accepted the role of identifying the water supply curve (that being where allowed to actually touch the hydrants in order to perform a flow test). The fact that it is part of the shop drawing requirements doesn’t mean it’s the contractor’s responsibility to perform said test. It means they are required to transfer the data from the engineer of record to the AHJ. The presence of modifiers in NFPA 13 has also lead AHJs to expect the contractors to address this issue. The bottom line is that this document provides guidance for both the engineering and the contracting functions. This aspect is confirmed by the birth of the owner’s certificate. It was added to the 2007 edition in an attempt to emphasize that the engineering community has the sole responsibility for some information. It’s by no means an all-inclusive list but acts as a flag that they have a role to play. Since it is such a significant issue, the 2019 edition of NFPA 13 added to the owner’s certificate that the owner or their authorized agent shall provide the water supply information as identified in the water supply chapter (chapter 5 for the new arrangement). This leads nicely to what other upcoming changes are occurring in NFPA 13. Allow me to point out that it is still in cycle, but unless there is a successful amendment at the annual technical session this summer, here’s the change. The cycle has swung back to saying it shall be addressed. As stated in the new section 5.2.2.2.1*: “Water supply information shall be adjusted to account for seasonal and daily pressure fluctuations based on information from the water supply authority through testing or modeling and as approved by the authority having jurisdiction.” So once again, it will say the modifiers shall be provided but the onus is on the owner and his agent (that being the engineer of record). The NFPA 13 technical committee spent a lot of time on this issue, because it was recognized that these modifiers will seldom be provided, there was a strong push to impose an across the board 10 percent reduction, if the water purveyor did not provide the lowest possible pressure. In recognition that municipal water distribution systems are quite complex and a single value does not reflect the reality across the country. The technical substantiation for this change was quite illuminating. It pointed out that certain conditions should be 18 Sprinkler Age | January/February 2018

considered or analyzed when determining whether the water supply is adequate. It made an even more poignant point (if these modifiers are ever to be widely applied) by stating: “Safety factors should be the purview of local jurisdictions and where required, adopted into an enforceable code amendment.” So as a contractor (especially when new to an area), what do you do when nothing is provided? Ask the owner for the water supply data to be used. Then ask the same question of the water purveyor. If you do the water supply test, conclude it by asking the AHJ if they apply a generic safety factor. If it’s a wet pipe system, document that you asked and what you were given, and continue on. If it’s a dry type system, it’s wise to drill a little deeper and ask the water purveyor what the lowest possible pressure that the facility could experience. Again, document it and proceed. In conclusion, the industry has effectively never incorporated these modifiers. In discussing this issue, there are two main conclusions to be drawn. First and foremost, it is not the contractor’s responsibility to make judgement calls on the water supply. The obvious truth is contractors do not own the water supply, nor do they operate it, maintain it, or insure it. If modifiers are to be applied, it is the water purveyors responsibility to identify them, the engineer of record’s responsibility to provide them, and the AHJ’s responsibility to decide what is to be enforced within their jurisdiction. Secondly, although from a technical standpoint, modifiers can impact the available water supply, from a realistic standpoint (except for possibly affecting the delivery time for dry type system which warrant a little extra effort) it hasn’t been a source of failures. In other words, the issue of modifiers has generally been an academic solution looking for a problem. n ABOUT THE AUTHORS: Roland Huggins, PE is senior vice president of engineering and technical services for AFSA. He is a graduate of the University of Maryland and a member of the NFPA. Huggins has served on the NFPA Standards Council and is a member of multiple NFPA technical committees, including NFPA 13, NFPA 25, and NFPA 5000 (Building Code). NFPA activities include participating on the editing of the Sprinkler Handbook and Fire Protection Handbook. Other national activities involve the NFPA Research Foundation, UL Standard Technical Panels, and NICET. Huggins is a veteran. Mike Meehan is president of VSC Fire & Security, Virginia Beach, Virginia. A 1981 graduate from George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, he began his fire sprinkler career working summers as a pipe fitter apprentice. Meehan has served on the AFSA Board of Directors since 2008 and currently serves as Region 6 Director. IMPORTANT NOTICE: The article and its content is not a Formal Interpretation issued pursuant to NFPA Regulations. Any opinion expressed is the personal opinion of the author and presenter and does not necessarily present the official position of the NFPA and its Technical Committee.

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ABC’s 2018 Construction Economic Forecast Better Business Climate Expectations Help Drive Asset Prices Higher If someone were casting roles for a production of The Tortoise and the Hare, the U.S. economy would be a favorite to play the tortoise. While this analogy may be a bit harsh, economic growth remains mostly slow, but persistent. It was not always this way. Based on recently revised data characterizing U.S. GDP, the economy came close to the magical 3 percent threshold – one that it had failed to cross since 2005 – by expanding 2.9 percent in 2015. The year prior, the U.S. economy expanded 2.6 percent. That’s better than turtle speed. However, last year, the U.S. economy only managed 1.5 percent growth. It then expanded just 1.2 percent during 2017’s initial quarter on an annualized basis, the latest in a string of weak first quarters. In other words, for more than a year, the U.S. economy has been consistently growing at less than 2 percent: Enter tortoise stage right.

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That changed, at least temporarily, during the second quarter of 2017. Based on revised estimates from the Bureau of Economic Analysis, the U.S. economy expanded 3 percent on an annualized basis from April through June. As has been the case for several years, much of the progress was driven by growth in consumer outlays. Government spending, by contrast, continues to contribute little, if anything, to the current pace of economic expansion. In fact, based on construction data, investment in a number of publicly financed infrastructure categories has been in decline, including spending on dams and levies, highways and streets, and water systems. This dynamic has created a dichotomy within the nation’s nonresidential construction industry. While construction firms that focus on private construction activities have seen abundant demand for their services and accompanying lofty backlog on average, firms focused on public construction have been less likely to remain busy. For instance, many heavy highway contractors express disappointment regarding the level of roadwork in the aftermath of the passage of the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act in December 2015. Employment, Wages and Inflation While national output growth has remained erratic, the country continues to add jobs at a healthy clip. Between August 2016 and August 2017, the nation added 2.1 million jobs – impressive given how difficult it has been for construction firms, trucking enterprises, manufacturers, and health care providers to identify available talent. With the U.S. unemployment rate now below 5 percent (4.7 percent as of September 2017), it’s generally agreed on that the nation is at, or close to, full employment. As available human capital continues to be siphoned off through monthly job growth, the pace of job creation will presumably soften and wage growth will accelerate. Data indicate that wage pressures are building and that broader inflation expectations are on the rise. Median household income has risen relatively rapidly during each of the past two years. According to the government’s most recent Job Opportunities and Labor Turnover Survey, America boasts 6.2 million job openings – the highest number since the U.S. Labor Department began monitoring job postings in 2000.

Figure 1. Construction employment, August 2000-August 2017. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Figure 2. National nonresidential construction spending by subsector. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Seven million Americans are unemployed, which means that there is almost one job for every person searching for one, implying that the chase for workers will only intensify during the months ahead and that the rate of wage increases is likely to accelerate further. Perhaps in response, the U.S. bond market appears to be pricing in a higher chance of an interest rate hike by the Federal Reserve in December 2017, with the notion being that America’s central bank will perceive a need to continue to take steps to keep problematic inflation at bay.

larger numbers, construction firms are induced to look for replacements.

Some data certainly indicate that inflation expectations and fears are overblown. During the past year, average hourly earnings are up 2.5 percent on a year-over-year basis. That general pace hasn’t moved much during the past few quarters and falls short of the hourly earnings growth that typifies a solidly performing economy. During the months preceding the most recent recession, wage growth consistently exceeded 3 percent. Since 2009, when the economy began its recovery, wage growth has only expanded at a rate of 2.2 percent a year. This is less than wage growth seen in the 1980s (3.3 percent), 1990s, (3.2 percent), and 2000s (3 percent). The fact that wage growth has failed to accelerate represents one of the nation’s great economic mysteries. There is no shortage of potential explanations, including globalization and overall slower productivity growth. All of these explanations are valid to some extent, but a more likely explanation lies in demographics.

However, because many younger members of the U.S. labor force have not focused on the acquisition of constructionrelevant skills, firms are often hiring on the basis of potential. This process results in enormous training costs and lower industry productivity. It also results in what appears to be smaller wage increases as established, well-compensated talent is replaced by hopefully trainable people entering the industry at lower levels of pay. When controlling for these compositional effects, wages are rising quite rapidly in the U.S. construction industry. A survey conducted earlier this year by Engineering News-Record suggested that construction firms expected to increase worker compensation in the range of 4 percent to 5 percent in 2017. (See Figure 1.) Inflation concerns transcend the labor market. Life in general appears to be getting more expensive, whether in the form of rising costs for homes, tuition, health care, or fuel. Still, through July, the core personal consumption expenditures (PCE) index – the Federal Reserve’s preferred measure of inflation – was up just 1.4 percent, well short of the 2 percent target.

The Construction Case Study Although average wages do not appear to be rising rapidly, the vast majority of construction industry leaders believe the ongoing skills shortage is a major issue.

The issue of inflation stands at the heart of the outlook for the U.S. construction industry. America’s recovery is now in its ninth year. U.S. financial indicators, including the Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 Index, have achieved record highs repeatedly this year. Low interest rates have represented a major factor. With investors suffering difficulty generating investment yield from fixed income assets, many have been chased up the risk spectrum into assets such as commodities, stocks, riskier bonds and commercial real estate. The result has been elevated asset prices, which helps create positive wealth effects for the broader economy and also lifts demand for construction services. However, low interest rates can only persist if inflation remains low. (See Figure 2.)

Here’s a rationale for this apparent inconsistency: As older, more skilled construction workers leave the industry in

Construction firms focusing on private segments, such as office and lodging, have frequently flourished as a result.

With roughly 10,000 baby boomers turning 65 each day, the number of retirees continues to grow. As younger workers replace older ones, labor costs subsequently fall. Additionally, this helps explain the surprisingly strong corporate profitability, even as the nation’s economy only expands at a rate of 2 percent and while the global economy grows well below 4 percent.

Sprinkler Age | January/February 2018 21

The ongoing lack of investment in infrastructure positions the U.S. economy to underperform for generations. In its 2017 report, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) gave U.S. infrastructure a grade of D+. Segments receiving a D+ or below included aviation, dams, drinking water, energy, hazardous waste, inland waterways, levees, public parks, roads, schools, transit and wastewater. Railroads, which received a B, appear to be the only category in which the United States is keeping pace. Figure 3. Construction Materials: Producer Price Increases. A combination of factors is leading to more meaningful increases in material costs. First, global commodity prices attained a cyclical nadir in early 2016. Since then, commodity prices, including oil prices, have generally been on the rise. In February 2016, oil prices in North America stood at around $26 per barrel. By September 2017, the price of a barrel of oil was roughly double that. Price increases also have been apparent in other categories, including iron, steel, copper and concrete. Recent storms are also likely to support higher prices, including for softwood lumber, which already were racing higher due to a trade dispute between the United States and Canada. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Money has poured into office, hotel, apartment and related segments, driving up asset prices and inducing developers to add rooms and space. Unfortunately, local, state, and federal governments have failed to take full advantage of low borrowing costs to invest in infrastructure. Many public construction segments have actually experienced declining construction spending during the past three years, including basic functions like waste disposal and water treatment and delivery. (See Figure 3.)

According to the ASCE, the United States will need to spend an additional $1.44 trillion on infrastructure during the next decade to bring its collective public works up to a reasonable standard. If this investment is not met, it could mean the loss of 2.5 million jobs during that period of time. Looking Ahead For now, the outlook remains stable, and the next year should represent a period of expanding nonresidential construction spending. Associated Builders and Contractorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Construction Backlog Indicator (CBI) remains elevated. Energy prices have risen, which should position the power sector to be more of a driver of economic activity. Rising home assessments also are boosting local tax collections, which should help stabilize infrastructure spending in many communities. The broader economy is also in good shape. Increasingly, the worldwide recovery is a synchronized one, with each of the major global economies now expanding. The U.S. economy remains buoyed by confident consumers and rising household incomes. Successful pro-business legislative efforts emerging from Washington, D.C., could serve to further bolster the near-term outlook. However, the outlook for 2019 and 2020 is hardly guaranteed. Asset prices are high and arguably vulnerable to steep declines. Any number of events could trigger selloffs, including rising inflation/interest rates, North Korea, cyber attacks, or political intrigue. Many construction firm CEOs expect the next year to be good, but believe the current construction spending recovery cycle will be upended at some point within the next three years. n ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Anirban Basu is chairman & CEO of Sage Policy Group, Inc., an economic and policy consulting firm headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland. The firm provides strategic analytical services to energy suppliers, law firms, medical systems, government agencies, and real estate developers among others. He is also the chief economist to Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) and chief economic advisor to the Construction Financial Management Association. Visit abc.org/economics. EDITORâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NOTE: Reprinted from Construction Executive, December 2017, a publication of Associated Builders and Contractors. Copyright 2017. All rights reserved.

22 Sprinkler Age | January/February 2018

New Construction Starts in 2018 Increase Three Percent Dodge Data & Analytics Predicts Deceleration but Still Growth Dodge Data & Analytics has released its 2018 Dodge Construction Outlook, a mainstay in construction industry forecasting and business planning. The report predicts that total U.S. construction starts for 2018 will climb 3 percent to $765 billion. “The U.S. construction industry has moved into a mature stage of expansion,” stated Robert Murray, chief economist for Dodge Data & Analytics. “After rising 11 percent to 13 percent per year from 2012 through 2015, total construction starts advanced a more subdued 5 percent in 2016. An important question entering 2017 was whether the construction

industry had the potential for further expansion. Several project types, including multifamily housing and hotels, have pulled back from their 2016 levels, but the current year has seen continued growth by single family housing, office buildings, and warehouses. In addition, the institutional segment of nonresidential building has been quite strong, led especially by transportation terminal projects in combination with gains for schools and healthcare facilities. As for public works, the specifics of a $1 trillion infrastructure program by the Trump Administration have yet to materialize, so activity continues to hover around basically the plateau for construction

starts reached a couple of years ago. Total construction starts in 2017 are estimated to climb 4 percent to $746 billion.” “For 2018, there are several positive factors which suggest that the construction expansion has further room to proceed,” Murray continued. “The U.S. economy next year is anticipated to see moderate job growth. Long term interest rates may see some upward movement but not substantially. While market fundamentals for commercial real estate won’t be quite as strong as this year, funding support for construction will continue to come from state and local bond measures. Two areas of uncertainty relate to whether tax reform

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and a federal infrastructure program get passed, with their potential to lift investment. Overall, the year 2018 is likely to show some construction project types register gains while other project types settle back, with the end result being a 3 percent increase for total construction starts. By major sector, gains are predicted for residential building, up 4 percent; and nonresidential building, up 2 percent; while nonbuilding construction stabilizes after two years of decline.” The pattern of construction starts by more specific segments is the following: • Single family housing will rise 9 percent in dollars, corresponding to a 7 percent increase in units to 850,000 (Dodge basis). Continued employment growth has eased some of the caution shown by potential homebuyers, while older Millennials in their 30s are helping to lift demand for single family housing. A modest boost will also come from rebuilding efforts in Texas and Florida after Hurricanes Harvey and Irma. • Multifamily housing will retreat 8 percent in dollars and 11 percent in units to 425,000 (Dodge basis). This project type appears to have peaked in 2016, helped by widespread growth across major metropolitan markets. That strength has begun to wane in 2017, given slight deterioration in market fundamentals (rent growth, occupancies) and a more cautious bank lending stance. • Commercial building will increase 2 percent, following a 3 percent gain in 2017, and continuing to decelerate after the sharp 21 percent hike back in 2016. Office construction should see further growth in 2018, helped by broad development efforts in downtown markets, and warehouse construction is supported by greater demand arising from e-commerce. However, store construction will remain weak, and hotel construction will continue to pull back from its 2016 peak. • Institutional building will advance 3 percent, maintaining its upward track after this year’s 14 percent jump. Educational facilities should see more substantial growth next year, lifted by the passage of recent school construc-

tion bond measures. The robust volume of transportation terminal projects in 2017 may not be repeated in 2018, but activity should stay at a high level. • Manufacturing plant construction will recede 1 percent in dollar terms, after surging 27 percent this year due to the start of several massive petrochemical projects. Next year should still see moderate growth for manufacturing plants in square footage terms. • Public works construction will improve 3 percent, slightly more than the 1 percent growth in 2017. Highways and bridges should be helped as federal funding rises to the levels called for by the FAST Act, while the environmental categories will partly reflect reconstruction efforts related to Hurricanes Harvey and Irma. Additional benefit may come from the infrastructure program proposed by the Trump Administration, should it achieve passage in some form. • Electric utilities and gas plants will drop 13 percent, falling for the third year in a row after the exceptional amount reported in 2015. Power plant construction starts will ease back as new generating capacity comes on line. The 2018 Dodge Construction Outlook was presented at the 79th annual Outlook Executive Conference held by Dodge Data & Analytics at the Swissotel in Chicago, Illinois. Visit construction. com for copies of the report or for more information. n EDITOR’S NOTE: Dodge Data & Analytics is North America’s leading provider of analytics and software-based workflow integration solutions for the construction industry. Building product manufacturers, architects, engineers, contractors, and service providers leverage Dodge to identify and pursue unseen growth opportunities and execute on those opportunities for enhanced business performance. Whether it’s on a local, regional or national level, Dodge makes the hidden obvious, empowering its clients to better understand their markets, uncover key relationships, size growth opportunities, and pursue those opportunities with success. The company’s construction project information is the most comprehensive and verified in the industry. Dodge is leveraging its 100-year-old legacy of continuous innovation to help the industry meet the building challenges of the future. To learn more, visit construction.com.

Sprinkler Age | January/February 2018 25

FMI Forecasts Continued Growth in Construction Increase of 5 Percent in 2018 Predicted FMI Corporation has released its latest construction forecast, the FMI Outlook, in a new streamlined format, designed to improve user experience and access to im-

portant data. FMI’s Q3 2017 forecast predicts an increase of 4 percent for total construction put in place for 2017 and an increase of 5 percent in 2018.

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The score for the third quarter NonResidential Construction Index slipped two points to 58.8 but maintains a level of optimism for construction spending in 2018.

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Forecasts for some key sectors: • Lodging – Up 5 percent for 2017, lodging construction is coming off several years of strong double-digit, year-over-year growth since 2012. Supply is outpacing demand, causing increasing vacancy rates. • Office – Up 9 percent for 2017 to $73.4 billion. Still seeing positive growth, but moderating after doubledigit gains during the past three years. Slowdown in high-tech development of office space is the primary drawback on forecast growth. • Commercial – Up 10 percent for 2017. Several traditional brick-andmortar retailers closing stores in large numbers. Continued rise in e-commerce as a percent of retail sales driving demand for warehouse and distribution center construction.

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The primary growth segments in 2018 are expected to include residential, commercial, lodging, office and manufacturing – all with forecast growth of 5 percent or more. Most other segments are likely to grow roughly with the rate of inflation and may therefore be considered stable. Sewage and waste and water supply are the only segments expected to decline in 2018.

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AFSA Graduates Inaugural ITM Class Program Promotes Student Success The American Fire Sprinkler Association (AFSA) is pleased to have graduated its first Inspection, Testing and Maintenance (ITM) Inspector Development Program cycle and the results are in! Students and supervisors have given the program high marks, while boasting well above national first-time passage rates on NICET Level II exams: averaging 85 percent overall for the three exams. In addition, 91 percent all ITM program students pass their NICET Level I exams the first time! Overall, students’ first-time pass rates are 20 percent better than the NICET national average in all categories of testing. AFSA was the first to offer an industry-wide Inspection, Testing and Maintenance (ITM) Inspector Development Program. The program, which launched its first group April 18, 2016, prepares candidates for NICET’s Level II certification exams for inspection and testing of water-based systems in less than two years, and we are proud to report that the majority of our students passed their NICET exams on the first try. In fact, AFSA’s first class of ITM students had a 100 percent pass rate on their Level II inspection exam on the first try! And a vast majority of the class passed their testing and work practices exams for Level II on their first attempt. The ITM program is a high-impact, dynamic program that strives to treat every student like a VIP through a variety of on-demand, webinar and in-person training on various aspects of inspection, testing and maintenance of fire protection systems, including on-the-job training recommendations. “Overall, I think the class helped me pass my NICET Level II and made me a better inspector,” said one student. “I believe [our instructor] Jason will be a great asset to the class, he seems to be very interested in helping the students and improving the program, and I appreciated his patience and knowledge while working with us in the classroom.” Coaching by our accomplished AFSA staff and industry experts empower students to thrive both inside and outside the classroom, and its small class size allows instruction to be tailored to individual interests, strengths, and needs. The program delivers a blended learning environment that includes: on-demand courses; live, interactive web instruction; live, in-class lecture; and hands-on field testing and inspections. Another student added, “[The ITM program] is a great program, and I was glad I was able to experience it.” 28 Sprinkler Age | January/February 2018

Program instructor Jason Williams, CET, discusses field procedures for fire pump inspection and testing.

The program, divided into seven modules, is comprised of a series of lessons that cover a particular topic within the scope of that module. Modules included are: Core Curriculum – Introduction to the Trade; NICET Level I Exam and Preparation; Fire Protection Systems and Inspection/ Testing Procedures; Water Supplies and Fire Pumps; Advanced Inspection and Testing Procedures; Inspection and Testing Review and Field Work; and NICET Level II Exam and Preparation. To AFSA, one alumni concluded: “Thank you so much for teaching us and letting me be a part of the inaugural class. The lessons learned will be with me forever.” Supervisors of students in the program also express satisfaction with program results and use of the blended learning environment. Of the on-demand lessons, one supervisor states, “They kept him on track in a much better way than a simple correspondence type atmosphere.” Live in-person segments of the program “added validity to what he was doing as well as demonstrated to him the variety of backgrounds that were participating in the class.” With every class, AFSA’s ITM program improves and grows. Designed by industry experts to provide members with the most

Students are led through mock inspections of a high-rise facility including professional communications with building representatives.

qualified workforce, AFSA’s ITM Inspector Development Program is increasingly leveraged by employers to achieve results and provide a proven measure of attained job skills and knowledge. “These professionals are the primary face of your company and have ten times or more the interaction with your customers than anyone else,” says Jason Williams, CET, AFSA’s manager of ITM technical training and lead instructor of the ITM program. “They can directly affect your sales, retention and liability of your service. AFSA’s ITM program can help groom your professionals with real world training, information and guidance. And all authored from contractors and the sources that shaped the ITM standard itself.” If you’re ready to professionalize your inspections team, AFSA is enrolling for its next class, launching April 2018. Introductory pricing for the expansive program is $3,600 for AFSA members ($7,200 for non-members), with classes limited to an enrollment of 20 students. Registration is open to AFSA members only until six weeks prior to the first class. Visit firesprinkler.org/itm. n

AFSA’s inaugural class of the ITM Inspector Development Program.

AFSA Inspector Development Program General Timeline MONTHS 1-6 MODULE 1: Core Curriculum – Introduction to the Trade • Roles of Inspector, fire science, water-based and non water-based systems, water supplies, NFPA 25, safety, fall protection, PPE, ladders, electrical safety MONTH 7 Includes live training at AFSA headquarters in Dallas MODULE 2: NICET Level I Exam and Preparation • Practice exams, procedures, forms, inspection and testing fundamentals MODULE 3: Fire Protection Systems and Inspection/Testing Procedures • Inspection and testing procedures for fire pumps, standpipes, hose systems, private fire service mains, obstructions, valve interiors, sprinklers, gauges, dry systems, waterflow and supervisory devices, no-flow pumps, antifreeze solutions MONTHS 8-10 MODULE 4: Water Supplies and Fire Pumps • Hydraulic basics, calculating water flow, flow testing for hydrants, standpipes, and fire pumps, performance criteria MONTHS 11-19 MODULE 5: Advanced Inspection and Testing Procedures • Preplanning, professionalism, safety, liability, documentation • Advanced inspection and testing training on sprinkler systems, standpipes, private fire service mains, water storage tanks, obstructions, and fire pump performance MONTH 20 Includes live lab, field, and classroom training exercises MODULE 6: Inspection and Testing Review and Field Work • Includes hands-on inspection and testing applications including system components, valves, signage, pump room, controllers, diesel engine components, water storage tanks, hydrants, private fire service mains, check valves, obstructions, FDCs, main drains, water flow alarms, supervisory devices, control valves, pressure gauges, no-flow fire pumps, dry systems, dry valves, antifreeze solutions MODULE 7: NICET Level II Exam and Preparation • Practice exams, work management, documentation, and reporting

Students use their own employer report forms while learning proper recording procedures.

*AFSA makes no implied or expressed warranty that studying these materials or passing the assessments or exams will ensure passage of the related NICET test elements or certification by NICET.

Sprinkler Age | January/February 2018 29

Conducting Flow Tests Look to NFPA Standards for Recommended Practices RUSS BAINBRIDGE, PE, CFPS, MS | American Fire Sprinkler Association

Industry and nationwide hydrant flow tests can vary greatly. Most people don’t know the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has a “recommended practice” for conducting a flow test: NFPA 291, Recommended Practice for Fire Flow Testing and Marking of Hydrants. The 2017 edition NFPA 25, Standard for the Inspection, Testing, and Maintenance of Water-Based Fire Protection Systems, section A.7.3.1 states “flow test should be conducted in accordance with NFPA 291 for underground and exposed piping flow test.” The 2016 edition of NFPA 13, Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems, section A.24.2.2 in the Testing of Water Supply section also covers the basics of conducting a hydrant flow test but refers to NFPA 291 for specifics. This article will cover the basics of conducting a fire flow test to reduce the chances of a poor result or having to conduct multiple tests, both of which can cause loss of time and money to a project. Testing for the fire service water supply available from hydrants was first brought up in a 1934 NFPA report and initially adopted as a “recommended practice” in 1935. Then, in 1977, the chapter on flow testing of hydrants was added to NFPA 291. Initially, NFPA 291 covered individual hydrant testing even though NFPA agreed individual hydrant testing does not give complete and satisfactory results. The current editions recommend using “group testing,” or flowing more than one hydrant. Flowing more than one hydrant is not typically necessary, and in some circumstances is problematic in most areas, but using one hydrant for static and residual pressures and a different hydrant for flow is the best practice. Chapter 4 of NFPA 291, 2016 edition, covers how to conduct a flow test. It 30 Sprinkler Age | January/February 2018

Following NFPA 291, Recommended Practice for Fire Flow Testing and Marking of Hydrants, when conducting a flow test can save time and money on a project. The use of a diffuser is always a good idea.

recommends having a static, or test, hydrant and one or more “residual,” or flow, hydrants. When determining how many flow hydrants are required, it is recommended by NFPA 291 to flow enough water to provide a minimum 25 percent drop in residual pressure compared to the static pressure. It is important to keep in mind that NFPA 291 is a recommended practice, so unless the local jurisdiction specifically adopts NFPA 291, all the recommendations don’t have to be met exactly. It is generally accepted that a 25 percent drop is not required for a hydrant flow test to design a fire suppression system. The purpose of a hydrant flow test is to provide information to design a waterbased fire suppression system and/or to determine if the water supply meets the firefighting requirements. Since this is the goal of a hydrant flow test, it is best practice today to flow a similar amount of water to the most demanding flow regardless of the pressure. It is impractical in some jurisdictions to get a 25 percent drop in pressure, but the required fire flows are easily achievable.

In the end, the results should provide enough information to accurately plot the static and residual points on a water supply graph and show the demands relative to the water supply curve. It is important to keep in mind that most jurisdictions are worried about the flow at 20 psi because the International Fire Code Appendix B as well as NFPA 1, Fire Code, Table 18.4.5.1.2 (2012 edition) have the required fire flows at 20 psi. Because of this it is best show the water supply curve at 20 psi to provide the available flow at this point. Once the hydrants that are to be used for the flow test are determined, a time should be selected which is considered an “ordinary” water demand. An ordinary water demand for residential areas would be sometime between 6:00-9:00 am or 4:00-8:00 pm, because this is when most individuals are at home using water. Conversely, sometime between 7:00 am and 6:00 pm would be the best time for testing in an industrial area since this is when most facilities in an industrial area are operating. Also, consideration should be given for traffic issues and potential

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damage to the area surrounding the flow hydrant due to the water flow. When it comes to which hydrant outlets to use for the flow test, it is better to use the 2½-in. outlets because they are completely filled across the entire cross-section of the outlet versus the pumper outlet (which is anything larger than the 2½-in. outlet) which will have voids, giving inaccurate pressure readings. Make sure to completely open all hydrants to reduce the potential for damage to the hydrant and affect the accuracy of the test results. If it is impractical to use the 2½-in. outlets or it can’t produce the needed flow, the pumper outlet can be used, but the resulting flow has to be modified to account for the voids in the water flow as described in NFPA 291 section 4.8. (See Figure 1.) Also, NFPA 291 recommends keeping the pitot tube pressure readings between 10-30 psi at full flow (the hydrant completely open) for accuracy purposes. If the pitot tube pressures exceed 30 psi it is recommended to open additional hydrants to keep the pitot tube pressures between 10-30 psi. This recommendation is based off of the issues that come with pressures outside of 10-30 psi. When pressures are below 10 psi the results are not as accurate because there is not enough flow to completely fill the cross-section of the open outlet. At pressure above 30 psi several issues arise. The major issue with pressures above 30 psi is positioning the pitot tube properly and holding the position long enough to take an accurate reading of the gauge. Pressures above 30 psi also have the ability to bend and break pitot tube blades. Again, these are all recommendations, and if it is impractical to open multiple hydrants it is best to keep the pressures as close to 30 psi as possible while opening as many hydrants as feasible at full flow. When multiple 2½-in. outlets and hydrants are used to achieve the desired flow, a single pitot reading at each hydrant can be taken and these flows are then added together for total flow at the residual pressure as stated in section 4.10.1.1 of NFPA 291. Most people don’t use handheld pitot tubes anymore since there are mul32 Sprinkler Age | January/February 2018

Figure 1. Table 4.8.2 Pumper Outlet Coefficients. Reprinted with permission from NFPA 291-2016, Recommended Practice for Fire Flow Testing and Marking of Hydrants, Copyright © 2015, National Fire Protection Association, Quincy, MA. This reprinted material is not the complete and official position of the NFPA on the referenced subject, which is represented only by the standard in its entirety which may be obtained through the NFPA website at www.nfpa.org.

tiple products on the market that make getting flow pressure reading easier and more accurate. If you use one of these other products, be sure to verify the flows at the different pressure readings since manufacturers have different methods of determining the discharge for their products that are not covered in NFPA 291. Like handheld pitot tubes, other products have recommended pressure-operating ranges as well. For example, Hose Monster has a recommended operating range of 94-321 gpm for their 11/ 8-in. nozzle, 2501,000 gpm for their 1¾-in. nozzle and 500-1,432 gpm for their 2-in. nozzle, which are all for use on a 2½-in. hydrant outlet. If you use a handheld pitot tube make sure to hold the blade at a right angle (perpendicular or 90 degrees) to the outlet, so that the orifice of the pitot tube blade is approximately one-half the distance downstream of the outlet and in the center of the flow for the most accurate reading (i.e., 1¼ for a 2½-in. outlet). (See Figure 2 on page 34.) There are several manufacturers that sell blades with notches to help position the pitot tube blades the correct distances from the outlets. If a pitot tube or other flow pressure reading device is not available, NFPA 291 does give an option for getting the flow reading without one in section 4.9 Determination of Discharge Without a Pitot. NFPA 291 states a hydrant cap can be used on one 2½-in. outlet while opening and

flowing the other 2½-in. outlet. According to section 4.9.3 this can be done because the reading should be approximately the same. However, this is to be done only if a pitot tube or other flow pressure reading device is not available or breaks and should not be considered an equivalent option in place of a pitot tube. When it comes time to read the pressure gauges for the residual and flow pressures, the needle tends to move within a range. This is why gauge selection is important. A gauge that has a maximum pressure of 200 psi should not be used on a pitot tube since we want a reading between 10 psi and 30 psi and a 200-psi gauge would not be able to accurately reflect these values. A gauge with a maximum pressure of 30 psi should not be used for the static/residual pressure since most water supplies have a static pressure above 30 psi. It is best to have a selection of gauges when conducting a hydrant flow test since gauges tend to be more accurate in the middle of their calibrated range. The accuracy is also a percentage of the maximum reading of the gauge so bigger is not better. If there is a selection to choose from then the gauges can be changed to keep the reading within the optimal range. It is also recommended to use digital gauges or liquid-filled analog gauges which reduce the vibrations in the needle, making it easier to read. This is not to say air-filled pressure gauges will not work; it is just easier to use digital or liquid-filled analog gauges. For the most accurate reading from the residual and

flow gauges it is best to let the hydrant flow a little while to stabilize the flow before taking a reading. Once the flow has stabilized note the high and low readings of the pressure ranges on the gauges to determine an average. The average residual and flow pressures are the values that should be used as the results versus the minimum or maximum value. It is important to properly open and close hydrants, but more specifically dry barrel hydrants. This is a particularly important issue in areas subject to freezing, but is an issue for all hydrants. A dry hydrant that is not completely open can flow an excessive amount of water out of the weep hole, causing erosion of the soil around the hydrant base. Over time this can remove enough soil to cause the hydrant to sink and has the potential to damage the underground piping. If a dry hydrant isn’t closed properly, water can be trapped in the barrel and/or cause water to continually flow water out of the weep hole. Water trapped in the dry barrel in areas subject to freezing can cause a large amount of internal damage to the hydrant. The best way to know if the hydrant is completely open is to count the number of complete turns that are made until the operating nut can no longer turn, then backing it off a quarter of a turn. Then, when closing the hydrant, count the amount of complete turns to verify the same number of turns were used until the operating nut can no longer turn compared to opening the hydrant. Once again, the hydrant should be backing off a quarter of a turn. Before the final hydrant cap is reinstalled, verify the water has completely drained out of the dry barrel by feeling for any negative pressure at the outlet. The easiest way to do this is by placing a hand over the open 2½-in. hydrant outlet for few seconds to feel for suction. The first few times there will be an audible pressure release when the hand is removed. Continue to do this until there is no more suction. Then the caps can safely be replaced. Other information that is important to gather when completing a hydrant 34 Sprinkler Age | January/February 2018

Figure 2. Figure 4.6.9 Pitot Tube Position. Reprinted with permission from NFPA 291-2016, Recommended Practice for Fire Flow Testing and Marking of Hydrants, Copyright © 2015, National Fire Protection Association, Quincy, MA. This reprinted material is not the complete and official position of the NFPA on the referenced subject, which is represented only by the standard in its entirety which may be obtained through the NFPA website at www.nfpa.org.

flow test is if there are any booster pumps on the water supply, water storage tanks, and the elevation of the hydrants, because this could have a large effect on the test results. These effects have a higher residual pressure than the static pressure. Not all water supplies have a linear relationship of flow to pressure. For some water supplies, when the flow demand is increases, additional water can be provided to an area through multiple pumps and/or valves, causing complex geometries to the pressure and flow relationship at any given point in the system. Although no guidance has been included in NFPA 291 about this, the fact that it is now at least being identified in the annex of NFPA 13 tells us there is hope it will eventually be added to NFPA 291. Completing a hydrant flow test doesn’t seem that complicated most of the time, but if it is done incorrectly it can end up costing a lot of time and money to a project. For instance, if an initial project flow test is completed at a low-water usage time of the day, the water supply might look great. Then another test is completed a year later at a high-water usage time of day and the results show a pressure drop of 20 psi compared to the previous test. That could be the difference between needing a fire pump and not needing a fire pump. Or, the first flow test is done correctly and it is determined a

fire pump is needed. Then another test is done but the test uses the pumper outlet and the tester doesn’t correct for the voids in the stream showing a better water supply, it is hard to explain why a pump is required. Gathering all the right information and trying to follow NFPA 291 may seem tedious, but it could end up saving time, money, and reputations. n ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Russ Bainbridge, PE, CFPS, MS, is senior fire protection engineer for the American Fire Sprinkler Association (AFSA). He has a bachelor’s degree in fire protection and safety technology with a minor in emergency management from Oklahoma State University and a master’s degree in fire protection engineering from California Polytechnic State University. Bainbridge has Professional Engineer license in Fire Protection Engineering in the state of California. He is a member of NFPA’s Certified Fire Protection Specialist (CFPS) Certificate Advisory Group, sits on the Society of Fire Protection Engineers’ (SFPE) Professional Competency & Credentialing and Nominating Committees.

FIND THE RIGHT PATH TO RESOLUTION WITH AFSA’S CLAIMS ASSISTANCE PROGRAM Did you know that sprinkler contractor members underwritten by AFSA’s Contractors Insurance Solution are automatically enrolled in a Claims Assistance Program? Today in the fire sprinkler industry, each sprinkler contractor looks to fully protect their financial interests both during and after completion of any contractual work performed. However, claims will arise from time to time. When that occurs, you can count on AFSA’s Claims Assistance Program to help you find the right path to resolution. AFSA’s Claims Assistance Program features a coverage services support team, which includes state-of-the-art loss control services, professional claims handling services, and a customized state-of-the-industry back room claims review by NFPA experts to support your needs.

Claim Occurs Claim occurs and is turned over to the insurance company

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All contracts and documents related to a loss reviewed for paths of consideration

Each claim uniquely reviewed relative to all NFPA standards by a team of NFPA experts

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Adjusting Team Working with the claims asssistance team, the adjuster uses Contractual and Code-Related input to determine the strengths and weaknesses in defending or denying claims

Resolution Insurance Carrier transfers claim back to the responsible party and/or assumes the contractor’s responsibility and settles the claims quickly Ultimate goal is to identify the best outcome for the Contractor

AFSA’S CONTRACTORS INSURANCE SOLUTION THE ONLY CONTRACTOR INSURANCE PROGRAM ENDORSED BY AFSA When determining contractor claims, it’s important to base decisions not only on contractual experience but code related experience as well. That’s where our Claims Assistance Program kicks in. After all contracts and documents related to a loss have been reviewed for paths of consideration, each claim is then uniquely reviewed relative to all NFPA standards by AFSA’s team of NFPA experts. These experts assist the adjusting team to determine the strengths and weaknesses in defending or denying claims. In many cases this process allows the Insurance Carrier to transfer property owner standards from NFPA 25 back to the responsible party and settle claims faster, which typically lowers the contractor’s loss.

The ultimate goal of our Claims Assistance Program is to work quickly and efficiently to identify the best outcome for an AFSA member contractor.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE AFSA CONTRACTORS INSURANCE SOLUTION Contact: Robert Leonhart at 469-320-4030

The American Fire Sprinkler Association Contractors Insurance Endorsed Program was created in 1989 and continues to be the program of choice for fire sprinkler contractors nationwide. For more information, please visit: firesprinkler.org/business-solutions

Generation Z Brings Opportunities in 2018 Look to New Hires for Growth and Prosperity LUKE GAETA | Rapid Fire Protection, Inc.

Two years ago, we relocated from our office of many years to a much larger building down the street which had space for growth. This move was strategic as we saw opportunity in a strong economy to continue to grow our company’s footprint and increase volume. With modest growth again predicted for 2018, we have been slowly increasing staff and training new designers and future project managers to handle the increased workload. Our new office, which we thought had plenty of room for expansion, is again feeling cramped with many young, very capable, and smart 20-something designers and project managers sitting at

cubicles armed with some big headphones, multiple computer monitors covered with three-dimensional (3D) design spaces, and hopes of long-term success in the fire sprinkler industry. For many of us who have been in the industry for years, we have seen construction evolve with the times, which has put strain on us as we figure out how to grow with it. These days many projects are building information modeled (BIM) and 3D coordinated, buildings and their architecture are more complex, and general contractors are expecting more from their subcontractors than ever before. This

modernization of the construction industry has led to compressed construction schedules, while complicating the upfront design process and placing a greater importance on project controls. Many of these systems, which have made installation and field coordination easier, have also increased design times and limited how much work one designer/project manager can effectively draw and manage, which, in some instances, have decreased a person’s annual volume by nearly half. So that begs the next question: If we are doing more work and the amount that can be handled by one person is decreasing, who are we hiring to take on the additional workload? The skills required to work and thrive in this new age of our industry take a different type of professional; one who is computer savvy, comfortable with technology and the virtual realm, and knowledgeable about how to effectively manage and use social media. For us, the solution has been the young adults of Generation Z, the new college graduates with engineering and technical backgrounds. Researchers vary slightly on the exact birth dates of this generation, but roughly they are people born between the mid-1990s to the mid-2000s. Most Generation Zs have used the internet since a very young age and grew up in a culture saturated with technology. They have grown up in an age where the growing income gap and shrinking middle class have made them inherently more financially responsible and concerned with student debt. The financial stresses that many experienced through their parents during the recessionary period as a child has had a profound effect on their realism and world view.1, 2 A 2014 study, “Generation Z goes to College,” found that Generation Z students self-identified with being

38 Sprinkler Age | January/February 2018

trustworthy, kind, unselfish, open minded, responsible, creative problem solvers, more risk-averse and determined.3 I think many of us would agree that these types of attributes are things we would like to see in our employees. Harry Wallop, a journalist for The Daily Telegraph, states, “Unlike the older Gen Y, they are smarter, safer, more mature and want to change the world.”4 Generation Z is the first group to be raised in a society where technology is readily available at a young age. This has influenced their communication and education. Forbes has suggested that by the time Generation Z entered the workplace, digital technology would be an aspect of almost all career paths.5 In 2015, Generation Z composed the largest portion of the U.S. population at nearly 26 percent, beating out millennials at 24.5 percent. With Generation Z making up such a large percentage of the population you can see how harnessing their skills and talents is very important to the overall prosperity and long-term growth of our industry. Where do you find the Generation Z workforce? I would start by looking for recent graduates from two-year technical schools and four-year degree engineering schools. Students with mechanical engineering backgrounds are particularly suited for the fire sprinkler industry. Attend college career fairs to gain access to these students and spread the word about opportunities within the industry. Most colleges encourage their students to pursue internships and some even offer elective credits for them. Offer an internship; it will allow students to get their feet wet and then, if you decide to bring them on after school, they can start productively contributing right away to the company. It has been our experience that in the ever-evolving, fast-paced world of construction, the new Generation Z employees fresh out of school are able to keep up with the fast-paced construction industry and thrive in a time where steep learning curves and the expectation to produce right away is not only the norm, but a necessity. This cohort of young professionals is yet another opportunity for us to bring on qualified and talented individuals who through the seasoned mentorships of their respective

managers should someday go on to be great leaders in the sprinkler industry. n

Dec. 2017, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index. php?title=Generation_Z&oldid=815188081.

REFERENCES: 1. Henderson, J Maureen (31 July 2013). “Move Over, Millennials: Why 20-Somethings Should Fear Teens.” Forbes. Retrieved 5 Nov. 2015. 2. Williams, Alex (18 September 2015). “Move Over, Millennials, Here Comes Generation Z.” New York Times. Retrieved 16 Dec. 2015. 3. Seemiller, Corey (2016). Generation Z Goes to College. Jossey-Bass. ISBN 978-1-119-14345-1. 4. “Gen Z, Gen Y, baby boomers – a guide to the generations.” Telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 24 Oct. 2016. 5. Generation Z. (13 December 2017). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 14:52, 13

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Luke Gaeta is the chief estimator for Industrial and Special Hazards for Rapid Fire Protection, Inc. and AdTech Alarm and Security. He is based out of its corporate office in Rapid City, South Dakota, with offices in Colorado, North Dakota, Wyoming and Utah. He is a member of the AFSA’s NextGen Initiative. He can be contacted via email at lukeg@ rapidfireinc.com or by phone at 605-348-2342.

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Sprinkler Age | January/February 2018 39

Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (H.R. 1) Passes Fire Sprinkler Industry Poised to Benefit from Comprehensive Tax Reform The American Fire Sprinkler Association (AFSA) applauds passage of inclusion of fire sprinkler provisions in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (H.R. 1), the nation’s most comprehensive reform of the U.S. tax code in more than 30 years. AFSA members are poised to benefit from several aspects of this monumental legislation, including particular language that directly affects the fire sprinkler industry – incentivizing business owners to retrofit their properties with fire sprinkler systems. “Since 2003, AFSA has been a leading voice in the advocacy efforts to have this specific type of federal legislation that promotes fire sprinklers enacted into law,” says Frank Mortl III, CAE, AFSA President. “AFSA’s merit shop contractor volunteer representatives along with national staff are so proud of this provision in the tax reform bill that will undoubtedly save the lives of countless American workers and families.” Fire sprinklers save lives, but cost considerations have prevented some property owners from making this important investment for too long. This new tax code signed into law December 22, 2017 will make it easier and more cost-effective to install these life-saving systems than ever before. Sprinklers Now Included in Section 179 H.R. 1 provides an important incentive to install fire sprinkler system which allows the cost of sprinkler retrofits to be deducted as a Section 179 expense. This tax-policy change will allow numerous occupancies including 40 Sprinkler Age | January/February 2018

Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (H.R. 1) incentivizes business owners to retrofit their properties with fire sprinkler systems.

businesses, restaurants, retail spaces and other establishments to protect their employees and customers. Section 179 of the United States Internal Revenue Code (26 U.S.C. § 179), allows a taxpayer to elect to deduct the cost of certain types of property on their income taxes as an expense, rather than requiring the cost of the property to be capitalized and depreciated. The final bill expands the definition of qualified real property eligible for Section 179 by expensing improvements to nonresidential real property such property was first placed in service. In addition, new Section 179 language allows the following types of building improvements to be eligible for the immediate write-off: • Roofs, • Heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning property,

• Fire protection and alarm systems, and • Security systems. 14 Years in the Making Many of the changes reflected in the final bill were the result of the engagement of the AFSA and its members over the past decade. “[Tax incentives to install fire sprinkler systems] have been many years in the making and is great news for all in the life safety profession,” says Theodore Wills Jr., president of Anchor Fire Protection in Perkiomenville, Pennsylvania and chairman of the AFSA Legislative Committee. “The people on the front lines of this battle including former AFSA President Steve Muncy deserve kudos for their unwavering support and persistence in bringing this important legislation to fruition.” First introduced 14 years ago, The Fire Sprinkler Incentive Act (FSIA)

sought to amend the 1986 Internal Revenue Code by classifying fire sprinkler retrofits as either a Section 179 depreciation deduction or as a fifteen-year property for purposes of depreciation. The bill was championed from the beginning by Congressman Jim Langevin of Rhode Island, who came to understand the critical importance of fire sprinklers after his district was profoundly impacted by The Station nightclub fire, and in November 2017, Langevin introduced language ultimately included in the tax bill. Although FSIA is not the same legislation included in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, their chief objective was similar – incentivize the installation of this life-saving technology. After his amendment was signed into law, Langevin told Sprinkler Age, “Incentivizing the installation of fire sprinklers is long overdue, and I’m thrilled this life-saving provision has finally been passed into law. The 2003

fire at The Station nightclub was one of the worst disasters in Rhode Island’s history, killing 100 concertgoers. Tragically, these deaths could have been prevented had the nightclub had a sprinkler system installed. This provision will encourage property owners to install fire sprinkler systems that will upgrade their buildings and protect their tenants. I have long supported this outcome, and I am pleased that after years of advocacy in Washington, D.C., this incentive has become a reality.” Under the new Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, fire sprinkler systems in 2018 will be classified under Section 179 and therefore provide property owners with greater incentives to install fire protection systems in their structure. These sprinkler incentives were endorsed and supported by dozens of industry groups, including AFSA, Congressional Fire Services Institute, International Association of Fire Chiefs, International Code Council, International Fire Marshals Association, National Association of

State Fire Marshals, National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, and National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), among others. According NFPA, in 2016, there were 1,342,000 fires reported in the United States, leading to 3,390 civilian fire deaths; 14,650 civilian injuries; and $10.6 billion in property damage. When you include the indirect cost of fire, such as lost economic activity, the cost is closer to $108 billion annually. Studies by NFPA have concluded that buildings outfitted with sprinklers reduce the death rate per fire by 81 percent and decrease the property damage by up to 68 percent. n EDITOR’S NOTE: This material has been prepared for informational purposes only, and is not intended to provide, and should not be relied on for, tax, legal or accounting advice. You should consult your own tax, legal and accounting advisors before engaging in any transaction(s).

Sprinkler Age | January/February 2018 41

And the Award Goes to... Nominate Those Who Have Made an Impact on the Fire Sprinkler Industry The American Fire Sprinkler Association (AFSA) is accepting nominations for its top honors: the prestigious Henry S. Parmelee award, esteemed Fire Sprinkler Advocate of the Year award, and the new yet highly regarded Young Professional of the Year award. The awards will be presented during AFSA37: Convention, Exhibition & Apprentice Competition in Washington, DC, and the recipients will be featured in Sprinkler Age magazine. Henry S. Parmelee Award, AFSA’s highest honor, the Henry S. Parmelee award is given in recognition of an outstanding individual who has dedicated himself or herself to the professional advancement of the fire sprinkler industry and to the goal of fire safety through automatic sprinklers. Members of AFSA may nominate someone who has demonstrated a long-term commitment to improving the fire sprinkler industry. The award was instituted by AFSA in 1983 to give recognition to distinguished industry professionals and to memori-

AFSA Chairman of the Board Mike Meehan (right) presented the 2017 Henry S. Parmelee Award to Bob Caputo.

alize Henry S. Parmelee, an outstanding pioneer in the fire sprinkler industry who is recognized as the inventor of the first commercially successful closed sprinkler. The nomination deadline is June 30, 2018.

Fire Sprinkler Advocate of the Year Award This award was created to honor individuals not directly involved in the fire sprinkler industry whose efforts have had national impact in advancing the fire protection industry and automat-

Henry S. Parmelee Award Past Recipients 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999

John M. Rhodes, Factory Mutual Research William J. Meyer, Central Sprinkler Corp. C. B. Hall, American Automatic Sprinkler Co. Harold L. Black, Central Fire Protection, Inc. Edward J. Reilly, Ed Reilly Associates Richard T. Groos, The Viking Corporation Ron Coleman, Chief, Fullerton Fire Dept., CA Frank J. Fee III, Reliable Automatic Sprinkler Dr. John M. Bryan, University of Maryland School of Fire Protection Engineering W. D. (Dave) Hilton, Chief, Cobb County Fire Dept., GA J. Frank Riseden, AFSA President 1983-1991 Haden B. Brumbeloe, Publisher, FPC Magazine Edward H. Smith, H.F.P. Corp. Tom Waller, Viking Fire Protection of the SouthEast Chester W. Schirmer, Schirmer Engineering Tom Siegfried, Retired Chief, Altamonte Springs, FL Donald D. Becker, Midland Automatic Sprinkler Co.

42 Sprinkler Age | January/February 2018

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

Robert L. McCullough, AllSouth Sprinkler Co. (awarded posthumously) Buck Buchanan, Central Sprinkler Corporation Frank M. Winiecki, General Sprinkler Corp. Jack Viola, H.F.P. Corp. Lowell Gillett, Fire Engineering Co., Inc. (retired) Joe Hankins, FM Global (retired) Art Cote, NFPA (retired) Thomas T. Groos, Viking Corp. Bill Corbin, Mutual Sprinklers, Inc. Lloyd Ivy, AFSA Director of Membership 1986-2009 Martin L. “Marty” Giles, VSC Fire & Security Willie Templin, American Automatic Sprinkler, Inc. Bob Rees, Sunland Fire Protection Russ Leavitt, Telgian Corporation James Golinveaux, Tyco Fire Protection Products George Wagner, Worsham Sprinkler Company Steve Muncy, AFSA President 1992-2016 Bob Caputo, Fire & Life Safety America

ic fire sprinklers. Previously known as the Fire Service Person of the Year, the award was renamed in 2001 to better reflect the diversity of backgrounds, including the fire service, as well as legislative, code, and standards-setting groups, in which individuals can have a major impact on the fire sprinkler industry. Previous recipients include Home Safety Council President Meri-K Appy; Fire- and Life-Safety Educator Jan Gratton; Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition Spokesman Ron Hazelton; California State Fire Marshal Tonya Hoover; Congressman Jim Langevin; and Senator Rick Santorum. The nomination deadline for this award is March 31, 2018. Young Professional of the Year Award Created last year the Young Professional of the Year award and honors the contributions of promising fire protection specialists and serves to: reaffirm the growing importance of fire sprinkler knowledge in the world of business and construction management among the next generation of industry leaders; promote the emergence of young talented professionals in the field of fire protection, thus fostering interest for the fire sprinkler profession and a future career in this field of expertise; and inspire fire protection companies and the fire protection community to invest even more in the development and excellence of the profession. Meaghen Wills of Anchor Fire Protection in Perkiomenville, Pennsylvania was the inaugural recipient of this award, and Tiffany Moore, Moore Fire Protection in Issaquah, Washington was the 2017 recipient. Nominations are due by March 31, 2018.

Left photo: AFSA Legislative Chairman Ted Wills, Jr. (left) presented Randy Miller with his 2017 Fire Sprinkler Advocate of the Year Award. Right photo: Tiffany Moore (right) received AFSA’s 2017 Young Professional of the Year Award from AFSA NextGen Initiative Chair Meaghen Wills.

President Frank Mortl III, CAE at frankm@firesprinkler.org, or mailed to: AFSA, Attn: Award Nominations, 12750 Merit Drive, Suite 350, Dallas, TX 75251. A letter stating which award the nomination is for, the nominee’s name and contact information, and a brief statement of why he or she is deserving is all that is required.

Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in Washington, DC, this convention is a one-stop shop for CEUs, the latest product innovations, and networking with others. With an annual attendance of more than 1,500 industry leaders and 150-plus exhibitors, attendees collect an abundance of knowledge, experience and business connections.

Gather in the Nation’s Capitol Mark your calendars now for AFSA37: Convention, Exhibition & Apprentice Competition, the world’s largest fire sprinkler industry event. To be held September 30-October 3, 2018 at the

Bookmark AFSA’s convention webpage at firesprinkler.org/convention to receive updates about this year’s event. Details on registration, accommodations, the National Apprentice Competition, and a schedule of events will be posted soon. n

“AFSA is honored to recognize volunteer leaders every year who dedicate significant time, energy and talent toward the advancement of fire sprinkler systems,” states AFSA President Frank Mortl III, CAE. “As role models for others to follow, the impact award nominees have transcends generations as well as the contractor and manufacturer/supplier communities within our great industry.” Nominees do not need to be a member of AFSA to be eligible. Nominations must be submitted to AFSA via fax at (214) 343-8898, emailed to AFSA Sprinkler Age | January/February 2018 43

OSHA’s Silica in Construction Standard Concerns for Fire Sprinkler Installers ROBERT J. AGNEW, CIH, CSP | Oklahoma State University

On March 25, 2016, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) published its final rule on respirable crystalline silica exposures in construction. Most of the standard came into effect on June 23, 2017, with a few technical details going into effect on June 23, 2018. This standard, “…applies to all occupational exposures to respirable crystalline silica in construction work, except where employee exposure will remain below 25 micrograms per cubic meter of air (25 µg/m3) as an eight-hour time-weighted average (TWA) under any foreseeable conditions.” (Occupational Safety and Health Administration, 2016). The question that some readers of

Sprinkler Age have asked is, “Does this apply to me as an installer of sprinkler systems?” The simple answer is yes. In order to understand the applicability of the standard, the term respirable crystalline silica must be defined. Silica is more formally named silicon dioxide (SiO2), and exists in both crystalline (e.g., quartz, cristobalite, and tridymite) and amorphous forms (e.g., silica gel, diatomaceous earth, glass, etc.). Amorphous silica does not pose a significant health risk from airborne exposures in the workplace. However, quartz is one of the most abundant minerals on earth, being found in sand, and is used in the making of

concrete and masonry. When crystalline silica is broken down into fine particles <4µm (microns) in diameter (called respirable), the fine quartz dust may be inhaled into the deep parts of the lung. These fine particles lodge in the deep spaces of the lung, causing the body’s immune system to respond. Unfortunately, the body is unable to adequately remove the quartz dust. Over time, the repeated irritation leads to a debilitating fibrotic lung disease known as silicosis and could also cause cancer, kidney disease, or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) (Occupational Safety and Health Administration, 2016). For the prevention of silica-related disease in sprinkler installers, workers must be knowledgeable in the ways they may become exposed to silica. A typical worker may generate silica dust through his or her own actions such as drilling or coring concrete, or may be exposed by actions of other trades operating on a construction site, such as saw cutting concrete or sanding drywall mud. Several strategies are available to business owners to reduce silica exposures and comply with the OSHA standard. The primary exposure mechanisms to silica for sprinkler installers include rotary and rotary-hammer drilling operations. The mechanical force of these tools pulverizes the quartz in the concrete matrix liberating respirable dust. Of particular concern is the installation of ceiling anchors, where the worker’s breathing zone is not only in close proximity to the tool bit, but also directly below the point of work, where gravity draws the dust directly through the worker’s breathing zone. Another exposure scenario is the use of core-drills or coring operations in the vertical or

44 Sprinkler Age | January/February 2018

horizontal orientation. The cutting action through concrete floors and walls generates respirable crystalline silica dust. While sprinkler installer exposure data to silica is not readily available, data for a similar group of workers, pipe fitters, is. A retrospective study that looked at published exposure data for the top 10 industries with silica exposure concluded that the metal valves and pipe fitting industry (SIC 3494) had the highest mean level of silica exposure (Yassin, Yebesi, & Tingle, 2005). While the exposure data are daunting, the control strategies are simple. In the OSHA standard, a table of silica exposure generating tasks is provided (1926.1153(c) – Table 1). For each of these tasks, a control method is specified. If a company decides to use the prescribed control method, implementation of the rest of the standard is straightforward. If, however, an alternative control is used, or the business performs as task that is not on the table, the burden of proof of compliance becomes harder. For sprinkler installers, Table 1, Specified Exposure Control Methods When Working With Materials Containing Crystalline Silica, item vi – Ring-Mounted Core Saws or Drills, and item vii – Handheld and Stand-Mounted Drills (including impact and rotary hammer drills) are the most relevant. For handheld drill-type tools, the standard calls for an attached shroud and vacuum system equipped with a HEPA filtration unit. Fortunately, most reputable tool manufacturers offer new equipment with these features built in, and offer universal retrofit kits. These retrofit units cost $200$300 each and require routine maintenance and replacement of the HEPA cartridge. These attachable extraction units have been shown to reduce silica exposure by over 90 percent and below the OSHA exposure limit (Shepherd, Woskie, Holcroft, & Ellenbecker, 2009). While the cost of compliance is non-trivial, the engineering control method offered in Table 1 is less costly than implementing the alternative measures option that requires the use of routine air monitoring, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) – respirators, and respirator medical exams, including chest x-ray.

With respect to core saws, Table 1 calls for the use of tools with an integrated water delivery system. These tools are often equipped with water delivery to reduce bit wear and remove swarth. The water delivery system is also effective at eliminating airborne dust. However, water equipped tools are often impractical for the sprinkler installer due to below freezing temperatures or working spaces where the interior finish is already under installation. An alternative control strategy to water based core saws is to use a large diameter shroud and HEPA vacuum extraction system. These shrouds are readily available up to 8-in. diameter. However, when one of these systems is used, confirmatory air monitoring must be performed to document that the control is effective and that respirator use is not required. Contact your Workers’ Compensation insurance carrier and inquire about industrial hygiene services. You may have a benefit in your insurance package that includes air monitoring. If your insurance carrier does not provide this service, visit the American Industrial Hygiene Association’s web page at www. aiha.org and click on “Find Consultants.” The less obvious silica exposures for sprinkler installers are those created by other contractors. Construction sites offer numerous opportunities to generate silica dust in the form of masonry saws, grinding/mortar removal, concrete mixing, sanding drywall mud, etc. In these cases, the contractor may be protecting his or her own employees using respirators, but at the same time creating an exposure for other companies’ workers. The primary strategy for controlling these exposures is to work with the site’s general contractor on an overarching silica exposure control plan for the jobsite. The OSHA standard requires each employer to have a “Written Exposure Control Plan.” The sprinkler installer, the general contractor, and any other contractor creating a silica exposure must have written plans and these plans should coordinate with each other. For a large jobsite, the tasks that require workers to wear respirators should be identified on the master schedule and other tasks should not be Sprinkler Age | January/February 2018 45

assigned in those areas during the dust-generating operations. If other workers not performing the dust-generating task must be in the area due to scheduling requirements, those employees must be provided with respirators (until exposure monitoring proves otherwise) and their employer must implement the full scope of the OSHA standard, including medical surveillance (chest x-rays, medical questionnaire, etc.). Understanding and preventing silica exposures in the sprinkler installation industry is vital to protect worker health and business viability. OSHA has developed numerous tools to assist employers in complying with the silica construction standard. If you have questions or concerns about implementing the needed exposure controls, OSHA offers consultation services that are not associated with their enforcement branch. Small business may find their OSHA consultation office at osha.gov/dcsp/smallbusiness/consult_di rectory_text.html. Additional free resources from OSHA may be found at the following links:

• Silica dust controls for handheld drills: osha.gov/Publications/silica/OSHA_ FS-3630.pdf • Health effects of silica dust: osha.gov/ dsg/topics/silicacrystalline/health_effects_silica.html • OSHA FactSheet for silica in construction: osha.gov/Publications/ OSHA3681.pdf • Complete OSHA standard on silica in construction: osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/ owadisp.show_document?p_table= STANDARDS&p_id=1270 • OSHA Small Entity Compliance Guide for Silica in Construction: osha. gov/Publications/OSHA3902.pdf • OSHA silica FAQ’s: osha.gov/dsg/ topics/silicacrystalline/additional_info_ silica.html#collapse1_2 n REFERENCES: 1. Occupational Safety and Health Administration. (2016, March 25). osha.gov. Retrieved from Respirable Cristalline Silica: osha.gov/ pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_ table=STANDARDS&p_id=1270 2. Occupational Safety and Health Administration. (2016). osha.gov. Retrieved from Health Effects – Silica: osha.gov/dsg/topics/silicacrystalline/health_effects_silica.html 3. Shepherd, S., Woskie, S. R., Holcroft, C., & Ellenbecker, M. (2009, January). “Reduc-

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ing Silica and Dust Exposures in Construction During Use of Powered Concrete-Cutting Hand Tools: Efficacy of Local Exhaust Ventilation on Hammer Drills.” Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene, 6, 42-51. 4. Yassin, A., Yebesi, F., & Tingle, R. (2005). “Occupational Exposure to Crystalline Silica Dust in the United States, 1988–2003.” Environmental Health Perspectives, 255-260. Retrieved from ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/ PMC1253748. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Robert J. Agnew, CIH, CSP, is a graduate of the Oklahoma State University (OSU) Fire Protection & Safety Engineering Technology program and went on to earn a master’s degree in Industrial Hygiene from the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. He is currently pursuing a Doctor of Philosophy in Environmental Science at OSU. Prior to returning to OSU, Agnew was a senior manager in the defense sector. With 19 years in the Environmental, Health & Safety field, Agnew has extensive experience in implementing a broad spectrum of compliance programs in an international environment. His areas of specialization and interest include: fire testing, health effects of fire retardants, vapor intrusion, and silica exposures in construction.

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Construction Jobs Increase Associated General Contractors of America Looks at 2018 to be a “Strong Year” Forty states added construction jobs between November 2016 and November 2017, while 39 states added construction jobs between October and November, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of Labor Department data. Association officials noted that firms in most states are adding jobs amid expectations that demand will continue to grow thanks to new tax cuts and regulatory reforms. “There were robust construction gains in most parts of the country as the economy continues to expand,” says Stephen E. Sandherr, chief

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executive officer for the association. “Demand should continue to grow as newly enacted tax cuts and regulatory reforms stimulate even more widespread economic growth.” California added the most construction jobs (48,400 jobs, 6.2 percent) during the past year. Other states adding a high number of new construction jobs for the past 12 months include Florida (41,800 jobs, 8.7 percent); Texas (23,900 jobs, 3.4 percent); New York (12,600 jobs, 3.4 percent) and Pennsylvania (12,000 jobs, 4.6 percent). Nevada (13.8 percent, 10,900 jobs) added the highest percentage of new construction jobs during the past year, followed by Rhode Island (13 percent, 2,400 jobs); New Hampshire (10 percent, 2,600 jobs); Oregon (9.7 percent, 9,100 jobs) and Florida. Ten states shed construction jobs between November 2016 and November 2017 while construction employment was unchanged in the District of Columbia. Missouri lost the highest number of construction jobs (-6,500 jobs, -5.3 percent), followed by Iowa (-6,100 jobs, -7.5 percent); North Carolina (-3,100 jobs, -1.5 percent) and North Dakota (-1,600 jobs, -4.8 percent). Iowa lost the highest percentage for the year, followed by Missouri; North Dakota; Montana (-3.5 percent, 1,000 jobs) and South Dakota (-1.7 percent, -400 jobs). Among the 39 states that added construction jobs between October and November, Texas added more than any other state (8,200 jobs, 1.1 percent), followed by Florida (6,200 jobs, 1.2 percent); New York (5,300 jobs, 1.4 percent); Indiana (4,900 jobs, 3.6 percent) and Pennsylvania (3,400 jobs, 1.4 percent). Alaska

added the highest percentage of construction jobs for the month (4.5 percent, 700 jobs), followed by Indiana; Nebraska (2.6 percent, 1,300 jobs); Rhode Island (2.5 percent, 500 jobs) and West Virginia (2.5 percent, 800 jobs). Eleven states lost construction jobs between October and November, while construction employment was unchanged in D.C. Maryland lost the most construction jobs for the month (-1,900 jobs, -1.1 percent), followed by Oklahoma (-1,400 jobs, -1.7 percent) and Connecticut (-1,300 jobs, -2.2 percent). Vermont (-3.2 percent, -500 jobs) lost the highest percentage of construction jobs, followed by Wyoming (-2.9 percent, -600 jobs) and Montana (-2.2 percent, -600 jobs). Association officials note that many construction firms have high expectations for the coming year. It is clear many firms expect the administration’s efforts to reduce needless regulatory burdens and newly enacted tax cuts will further improve market conditions. “This is one of the best business climates many firms have experienced in over a decade,” Sandherr states. “While Washington needs to address infrastructure funding, workforce shortages and multi-employer retirement reforms, 2018 looks to be a strong year for the industry.” View the state employment data by rank and state, and the state employment map at AGC’s website, agc.org. n

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A Look Back... and A Look Ahead Ferguson Fire & Fabrication Celebrates 30 Years in the Industry In 1988, gas was 91 cents a gallon, the Redskins won the Super Bowl, and the most advanced technology for designing a sprinkler system was a blueprint, a pencil and a cup of coffee. Around this time, there were also very few true distributors of fire protection products, and most manufacturers sold directly to contractors. So, when AFSA member Ferguson Fire & Fabrication came onto the scene as a distributor, then known as Pacific Fire Safety, it was a pivotal time not just for the company, but for the industry. “At that time, manufacturers weren’t set up to fulfill hundreds of contractors directly, so, there were only a few sprinkler contractors who designed, fabricated and installed most jobs,” explains George DiMatteo, vice president of Ferguson Fire & Fabrication. “I like to think that the emergence of dedicated distributors relieved that pressure on manufacturers and allowed the industry to grow to what it is today.” DiMatteo, who as a teenager worked as a pipe threader for a contractor, describes that back then, contractors also had to have the space and the financial ability to buy large quantities of materials to stock and fabricate in their own warehouse. Having distributors emerge in the industry brought material availability to the marketplace enabling small and medium businesses to thrive alongside their larger counterparts. “Back then we felt like we were dabbling, and we felt like a small business too,” explains Mark Solomon, a Ferguson Fire & Fabrication sales manager who joined the business in its early years. “In the beginning, we were just starting to gain a foothold in the industry and had to share critical resources, like delivery trucks.” In fact, many of their initial locations had no delivery trucks and were operating as will call facilities only. During the late 1980s, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) adjusted the NFPA code requirement for fire sprinkler piping by adding A795 and A135, designating thin-wall pipe as an approved piping method. The industry rapidly shifted from schedule 40 threaded piping to thin-wall grooved systems, which opened a whole new world for fire protection contractors and Ferguson Fire & Fabrication. 50 Sprinkler Age | January/February 2018

Thirty years ago, Pacific Fire Safety began in Las Vegas, Nevada and soon after expanded to Arizona and California. Pictured here is one of their district managers, Mike Klein, in their North Hollywood branch. Now known as Ferguson Fire & Fabrication, the distributor continues to serve fire protection contractors across the U.S.

“It changed our inventory, brought material and labor cost savings to our customers and increased the efficiencies of installation,” says DiMatteo. These and other code changes allowed Ferguson’s vendors to grow, too, and over the years they have expanded their manufacturing locations, in many cases, internationally. While this growth has meant great opportunities for the industry, it has also brought increased scrutiny on a product’s country of origin. “Domestic regulations have required our associates to verify where the product is manufactured and additionally substantiate where its components were sourced,” states Klein. Ferguson Fire & Fabrication continued to expand through the 1990s and 2000s, and decided to take on a new journey – pipe fabrication. It acquired its first fabrication shop in Sacramento, California, in a time when every contractor was a self-fabricator. However, because owning your own fabrication shop was an expensive endeavor, many contractors leaned on Ferguson’s capabilities to grow their own customer bases.

As a result, Ferguson Fire & Fabrication grew too, and in 2004, was worth over $70 million. That year they acquired the Clark Group, a key turning point for the business, doubling Fire & Fab’s revenue and bringing two talented teams together. At the same time building sizes across the U.S. were beginning to climb, Ferguson’s fabrication capabilities were becoming more robust. Large, high-cube buildings drove the design of ESFR systems, allowing contractors to take on million square foot warehouses. Ferguson Fire & Fabrication began fabricating more of these complex systems and distributing more application-specific sprinkler heads. “Because of these trends, we have seen incredible growth for contractors, and it has driven the requirement for better flow characteristics in fire protection systems,” says DiMatteo. Bigger buildings and more complex systems have also driven a need for more organized pipe delivery. “These are highly-orchestrated jobs, and pipe and fittings need to be ready to be installed seamlessly and with exceptional speed on the jobsite,” comments Klein. “Our fabrication material labeling and bundling ensures accuracy throughout the installation process.”

In 2000, Ferguson Fire & Fabrication began offering fire sprinkler fabrication alongside their inventory of fire protection systems and supplies. Their fabrication facilities follow rigorous quality standards and several locations are ISO 9001:2008 certified.

When asked what is next for Ferguson Fire & Fabrication, DiMatteo says he looks forward to strengthening partnerships with industry associations. The business plans to work alongside the industry to promote fire protection life safety systems, support the adoption of stronger fire codes, increase access to top quality products and fabrication, and, above all else, continue to provide world-class customer service to meet the needs of the community. n

In 2008, the U.S. financial crisis shook the industry, and Ferguson Fire & Fabrication wasn’t immune to its effects. It was a challenging time, but the economic downturn brought them closer to their customers who needed additional support. “We had such close relationships with our customers that we wanted to do everything we could to help them, even if it meant overextending ourselves,” states Klein. “We were on the phone trying to help everyone through. I still see a lot of those customers today, and they tell me, ‘You guys stood by us when we needed you most.’” Today, 30 years after its humble beginnings, Ferguson Fire & Fabrication has 73 locations, 32 with fabrication shops, strategically located across the country. They recently opened a flagship location in Chicago, their largest location with over 90,000 ft2. While many of their customers are large businesses with intricate jobs, the Ferguson Fire & Fabrication culture remains deep-rooted in small business values. “We started out small too, and worked hard to get the resources we needed to support our customers,” says Klein. “To this day, small contractors are just as important to us as our big contractors. When we hear about someone starting their own business, we sit with them and talk about managing their inventory and stocking their service trucks. We know how to help because we have been there.” Even today, more than 50 percent of their business on the west coast is conducted at their will call counters, a byproduct of their early strategy plans. Sprinkler Age | January/February 2018 51

Sacramento Valley Chapter to Host Trade Show It’s the Biggest Little Trade Show in the West! SARA BALLANTINE | AFSA Sacramento Valley Chapter

The Sacramento Valley Chapter of the American Fire Sprinkler Association (AFSA) hosted a hugely successful trade show in 2017 and is gearing up to do it all again in March 2018. These shows have quickly established themselves as the region’s premier event for professionals in the fire sprinkler industry. Highlights from the 2017 show include boom lifts displayed by American Scissor Lift, an array of fantastic raffle prizes, and the opportunity to connect and network among individuals in our industry who represent a variety of roles. Even more exciting events, displays, and prizes are expected this year! Last year’s show had an attendance of over 700 with 57 booths. This year’s show promises to be even more well attended and continue to serve as an invaluable networking opportunity for all. Companies from all over the United States, and from as far away as Canada exhibited their products and services last year. Jon Swett, of Patterson Pump, says, “Overall, the trade show was a success for all the exhibitors to reunite with many of their customers, engineers, and fire departments. We will always be there to show our wares going forward.” He continues: “It is a perfect place to be when your customers come to you all at once, rather than dropping by all their offices/shops for the same outcome. We had many one-on-one conversations with many customers and it was great PR for all.” With such a successful turnout last year, it’s safe to say that there is even more planned for this year’s show. Each year the show draws new attendees and exhibitors. In 2017 it was ServiceTrade’s inaugural year 52 Sprinkler Age | January/February 2018

(from l to r): Chapter Chairman Bill Gray presents the main raffle prize, a Hawaiian vacation for two, to Troy Lancaster. Celebrating with him are Executive Director Paulene Norwood, Vice Chairman Byron Weisz, and Secretary Hal Burton.

participating, and they definitely plan to come back this year. “[2017] was our first time attending the Sacramento Valley Chapter Trade Show and we plan to attend every year going forward,” states Tim Spink with ServiceTrade. “It was a great opportunity for ServiceTrade to talk with current customers and share our modern technology with companies interested in maximizing service and inspections.” Sigma is another exhibitor who has been at the show from the beginning, and for good reason. Ed Eichmann of the company expressed his enthusiasm and intention to return, “The exposure that SIGMA Piping Products is able to obtain from the Sacramento Valley AFSA Trade Show is one of the best. The quantity and quality of the attendees attracted to this show is the main reason we’ve supported since its inception. Time well spent at an industry show!” While the draw of the raffle prizes, hors d’oeuvres, and product education entices

many to attend the annual show, it’s the opportunity to connect with others in the fire sprinkler industry that makes the Sacramento Valley Chapter’s annual trade show what Will Mercado of Anvil International refers to as, “the Biggest Little Trade Show in the West.” Save the Date! Mark your calendars now for the AFSA Sacramento Valley Chapter’s 7th Annual Trade Show, March 8, 2018, at Thunder Valley Casino Resort in Lincoln, California. Your free admission includes a packed exhibit hall featuring the industry’s best manufacturers and suppliers; gaming; entertainment; great food; and raffle and door prizes, including a trip to Hawaii! For more information regarding exhibiting, sponsoring, or attending the trade show and local chapter membership, contact Executive Director Paulene Norwood by phone at (916) 296-0635, email at paulenesacvalleyafsa@gmail. com, or visit the chapter’s website at sacvalleyafsa.org. n

The Burn Survivors Foundation and the AFSA-Virginia Chapter thank the sponsors of the

Diamond

Platinum Core & Main Eagle Fire Inc. Fire & Life Safety America George Wagner Hajoca

Performance Fire Reliable Sprinkler Victaulic Viking Group, Inc. VSC Fire & Security, Inc.

Gold Atlantic Constructors Central Virginia Burn Camp FirePro General Air Products

Globe Fire Sprinkler Corp. Old Dominion Firefighters Burn Foundation Potter Electric Signal System Sensor Tyco

The tournament raised $80,000 total for the Central Virginia Burn Camp and the Old Dominion Firefighters Burn Foundation. Thank you for making a difference

Thank You for Your Support! Members Celebrate Milestone Anniversaries The American Fire Sprinkler Association (AFSA) is honored to recognize those members celebrating milestone membership anniversaries with the association. These member companies have belonged to AFSA for 15 or more years of continuous membership. Recognition in Sprinkler Age will be done in five-year increments, starting at the 15-year mark, and is available to all membership types. Happy Anniversary! “AFSA is an association of member companies who collectively orchestrate and fund the programs and activities we engage in to better the entire industry,” comments AFSA Manager of Chapter Relations Kevin Korenthal. “These companies choose to put their money and their time into this effort and we appreciate them for it.” Contractor member Advanced Fire Protection, Inc., Travelers Rest, South Carolina, is celebrating its 30th anniversary with AFSA. Sprinkler Age asked President Paul Hensley to share his memories about the fire sprinkler industry and the association. Hensley served on AFSA’s Board of Directors, and as president of the AFSA Carolinas Chapter. He Paul Hensley also was instrumental in the formation AFSA’s South Carolina Fire Sprinkler Association. How did you get involved in the industry? I got started on August 6, 1971. I was looking for a better paying job and less travel. (Ha ha.) My first job in the industry was with Southeastern Sprinkler Company in Greenville, South Carolina. How did you get involved with AFSA? The Carolinas Chapter was formed in the late ‘80s and I started attending meetings a couple of years later. I made a lot of friends in the association and met many great men. Tom Waller was one of greatest men I have ever met in the sprinkler industry. He was directly responsible for my getting involved with the AFSA Board. What is your favorite or most used AFSA benefit? AFSA offers so many benefits; I can’t chose one favorite. I think the apprenticeship training program is one of the best benefits the association has to offer. We have sent several people to the Beginning Fire Sprinkler System Planning School with great results. What is your favorite AFSA memory? One of my favorite AFSA memories was our Board of Directors’ trip to Alaska in 2007. My wife and I took a helicopter ride on the last day, and it’s one of my favorite memories with her in our 43 years together. I lost her in 2014 in an automobile accident. Have you attended an AFSA convention? I have gone to many conventions, but my favorite was my first one in 54 Sprinkler Age | January/February 2018

AFSA Milestone Membership Anniversaries January and February 2017 35-Year Anniversary Contractor Members

Crawford Sprinkler Company, Hickory, NC Northwest Fire Protection, Fort Smith, AR Sunland Fire Protection, Inc., High Point, NC

30-Year Anniversary Contractor Members

Advanced Fire Protection, Inc., Travelers Rest, SC

Associate Members

Pittsburg Tank & Tower Co., Virginia Beach, VA

25-Year Anniversary Contractor Members

Central Connecticut Fire Protection, Inc., Meriden, CT Plumbco, Inc., Wenatchee, WA

20-Year Anniversary Contractor Members

Crest Mechanical Services, Inc., Hartford, CT R.C. Shaw Sprinkler Company, Worcester, MA

15-Year Anniversary Contractor Members

Alta Fire Protection Co., Salt Lake City, UT Fire-X Corporation, Richmond, VA

Associate Members

Project DocControl, Tampa, FL United Fire Safety Company, Ltd., Lancaster, NY

Designer Members

Paul C. Parks Engineering, Inc., Rogers, AR Poole Fire Protection, Olathe, KS

Phoenix. My group drove up to Sedona and went on the “Pink Jeep Tour.” What is the most significant change you’ve seen in AFSA or the industry over the past 30 years? AFSA improves every year. The men and women running and arranging everything deserve all the credit. The general membership can’t imagine how much work goes on that they never see to make the conventions, education, and apprenticeship programs, and everything else run smoothly. We have had great leaders over the years and that continues today. What’s the key ingredient to your success? My business partner David Ray and I have worked hard to create a good name, and provide a good service and a good product for our customers. We have always made sure our customers’ and our employees’ best interests come first. I don’t regret getting into the business. I haven’t gotten rich, but I am rich in the friends and family I have made in this industry. n

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AHJ PERSPECTIVE BY RONNY J. COLEMAN

Finger Pointing 101 Well, it happened again! A major fire struck a high-rise building, resulting in fatalities to civilians and injuries to firefighters. Who is to blame? Some wanted to blame the fire service because the building was lacking built-in fire protection equipment. Others wanted to blame the building for exactly the same reason. The game of finger pointing is well known when it comes to fires of this magnitude and nature. Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell went on television to say that this will never happen again in his city. There are some who would say that is a promise that is very hard to fulfill. This is because as soon as the smoke clears from the sky, enthusiasm will begin to wane and politicians will start

56 Sprinkler Age | January/February 2018

responding to specialized interests. Who would like to make a bet with me about whether or not the buildings are retrofitted in the immediate future? Mayor Caldwell made a statement that the building was built in 1971 and therefore did not have a sprinkler system.1 Was the technology available to deploy sprinklers in high-rise buildings in 1971? The answer is unquestionably yes. The Chief of the Honolulu Fire Department Manuel Neves indicated that there were over 100 firefighters committed to the suppression operation. If we assume a four-person staffing level in Honolulu, that is 25 engine companies, if we assume a three-person staffing, 33 engine companies.

If we went back to 1971 when the building was built, I will bet you we could identify a whole host of special interests that would not support sprinklering that building. Several occupants of the building made comments that they did not know the building wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t sprinklered. Yet, it is not uncommon for tenants to oppose the sprinkler systems for no other reason than it may cost them when the rent goes up. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Without a doubt, if there were sprinklers in this apartment, the fire would be contained to the unit of origin,â&#x20AC;? the fire chief explained to reporters.2 That truism is almost 100 years old with regard to fire sprinkler protection. Yet in 1971 a decision was made and the price was paid in less than 50 years for that error.

Another question we might ask is, “How much longer are we going to continue to allow high-rise buildings to be used without sprinklers?” It is a pretty lame excuse to say that the building was too old. There are buildings with 100-yearold sprinkler systems in them all over the country. As one fire official quoted in the Honolulu fire said, “Everyone is interested in fire safety until we get into talking about money.”3 Interestingly enough, the news media now seems to be sharing this information in a much more positive vein. In a story by Shawn Ching, Hawaii News Now made an excellent case for retrofitting. One of the most prophetic lines in the story states: “After last week’s fire, we are now more aware than ever of the difference systems can make.”4 Modern fire codes are making real inroads into requiring sprinklers in high-rise buildings. Those who are advocates of fire sprinklers should be very proud of the effort that has gone into updating the codes and making sprinklers a mandatory part of the construction of these mega buildings, but a significant problem still remains. How many more buildings do we have out there that are not sprinklered? How many more casualties will still occur in buildings where sprinklers were not mandated “at the time”?

efficiency of sprinklers, there was a need to formalize the design features. This gave impetus to the creation of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). The adoption of automatic fire protection systems has increased significantly since the turn of the century. Today we are confronted with a dual problem. The first is the idea that we have to mandate sprinklers before they are required. That is an economic question that still begs an answer. The second question is what are we going to do about the structural inventory that often exceeds the local fire department’s ability to cope without stripping the rest of the community resources to fight a high-rise fire? Some may say that this is a code development issue and they would be partially right. Nationally, the code development process is excellent and provides up-todate codes for adoption. But, still there are huge variations in the adoption of these codes. Code adoption review identifies many states and local entities that have weakened and diluted the requirements of the model consensus code.5

In summary, we can expect a continuation of losses of life and property in high-rise buildings while they remain unsprinklered. The degree to which we remedy that situation will be when we no longer have to apologize for failure to install or retrofit them in the first place. n REFERENCES: 1. “No Sprinklers at Honolulu High-Rise Where Three Died,” Associated Press, Sacramento Bee, July 16,2017 2. Doudek, James, Three Killed, Twelve Injured in High-Rise Fire in Honolulu, July 15th, 2017 3. Ibid 4. Ching, Shawn, News Anchor, Hawaii News Now 5. Understanding the Roles and Challenges of our Nations Fire and Emergency Services, 2017 White Paper, Congressional Fire Service Institute ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Ronny J. Coleman is currently the president of Fireforceone. He is a past president of the IAFC and CFAI. Over his lifetime, he has received numerous awards including the AFSA’s 1989 Henry S. Parmelee Award, the 2011 Mason Lankford Award from the Congressional Fire Services Institute, and the Tom Brennan Lifetime Achievement Award from Fire Engineering in 2014. He continues as a contributor to the fire service in many ways.

The technology is not the same as it was in 1971. The industry has become much more competent in retrofitting buildings, yet that will not preclude special interest groups attempting to disrupt Honolulu’s efforts to reduce risk through retrofitting. A rhetorical question we might ask is why do we have to mandate fire sprinklers in the first place? They are a common-sense solution to a complex problem. Going back in history in sprinkler protection, there is a chapter that really resonates with me. It has to do with the textile industry. We were experiencing large-loss fires in the textile industry in the northeastern portion of the country. Sprinklers were not mandated because they hardly existed, but within a few decades of voluntary installation, sprinklers were identified as a front line of defense for textile mills. Common sense prevailed and the systems proliferated. After a very short experience with the Sprinkler Age | January/February 2018 57

AFSA MEMBERSHIP New Members The following is a list of new contractor members that have joined as of January 4, 2018.

Contractors

Designers

Big Country Fire Protection, Inc. Groveland, FL

McConkey Fire Sprinkler, Inc Melbourne, FL

Boynton Fire Safety Service Lansing, MI

Millennium Fire Protection Camarillo, CA

Dewberry Engineers Raleigh, NC

Complete Fire Protection, LLC New Britain, CT

Renovations Expert, Inc Rockville, MD

F2M Fire & Drafting Designs, Inc. Clifton Park, NY

Dorvin D. Leis Company Honolulu, HI

Scott O’Brien Fire & Safety Co., Inc. Atascadero,CA

FP Design Services, LLC Sylvester, GA

Fire Suppression Systems Bozeman, MT

Sexton Company, Inc Lakeside, CA

Sprinkler Design Group Aiken, SC

Hood Technology Fire Safety, Inc. Crystal City, MO

Total Fire & Safety, Inc. Woodridge, IL

M.E. Mechanical, LLC Quincy, IL

Vallen Geismar, LA

Canco Fire Sprinkler West Yarmouth, MA

AHJs

South Snohomish Fire & Rescue Everett, WA

International Contractors Yemen Electric Renfrew, Ontario

AFSA Chapter Contacts Alberta, Canada Kevin Mozark – Pres. 780-203-5263 Arkansas Coleman Farrar – Chair. 479-986-909 Wallace Reed – Vice Chair. 501-945-2900 British Columbia, Canada Alan Thompson – Pres. 778-867-7039 Carolinas afsacarolinas.com David Smith – Chair. 828-327-4116 John Turnage – Exec. Dir. 919-624-3456 Chesapeake Bay Jay Zollars – Chair. 410-286-3314 Danielle Fowler – Exec. Dir. 410-635-3022 Connecticut afsact.org Rick Russo – Chair. 203-877-7983 Wendy Callahan – Exec. Dir. 978-855-6495

Florida afsafl.org Chris Johnson – Chair. 800-327-7604 Carolyn Mohr – Exec. Dir. 239-771-3907 Greater Bay Area Cory Riley – Chair. 510-490-7873 Lorelei Upshaw – Exec. Dir. 925-954-5031 Greater Kansas City Mark McKenzie – Chair. 913-432-6688 Brett Heinrich– Exec. Dir. 785-825-7710 Louisiana Linda Biernacki – Chair. 318-688-8800 Mark Taylor - Vice Chair 504-837-0572 Michigan Doug Irvine, Jr.- Chair 616-784-1644 Frank L. Mortl – Exec. Dir. 517-285-7665

Mid-Atlantic afsamac.org Meaghen Wills – Chair. 610-754-7836

Patriot Wendy Callahan – Exec. Dir. 978-855-6495

New Jersey Thomas Bowlby, Jr. – Chair. 908-226-5313 Robert K. Melofchik – Exec. Dir. 201-741-0056 New Mexico Dave Wilson – Exec. Dir. 505-573-6712 North Central Michael Winiecki – Chair. 651-484-5903 Northern New England Ryan Gadhue – Chair. 802-865-3600 Ohio Bill Hausman – Chair. 937-859-6198 Don Eckert – Exec. Dir. 513-310-9660 Pacific Northwest afsanw.org Tracy Moore – Chair. 425-271-5598 Ron Greenman – Exec. Dir. 253-576-9700

Rocky Mountain Brent Heiner – Chair. 801-544-0363 Adam Millward – Exec. Dir. 801-216-4545 Sacramento Valley sacvalleyafsa.org Bill Gray – Chair. 916-663-3582 Paulene Norwood – Exec. Dir. 916-296-0635

Southern California Jeff Bridges – Co-Chair. 714-285-0200 Terry Housholder– Co-Chair. 714-632-8646 Amber Barrios - Exec. Dir. 562-833-9492 Virginia afsavirginia.com Jack Medovich – Chair. 804-222-1381 George Wagner – Exec. Dir. 757-486-3103

San Diego Ron Aday – Chair. 858-513-4949 Rhonda Hill – Exec. Dir. 858-513-4949 South Carolina scfsa.org Jason Strickland – Chair. 843-664-0077 Taylor Young – Exec. Dir. 980-253-3241

AFSA Affiliate Contacts Alabama Affiliate alfiresprinkler.org Charles Bielair – Pres. 334-270-8571 Greg Willis – Exec. Dir. 334-567-4257

58 Sprinkler Age | January/February 2018

Georgia Affiliate georgiafiresprinkler.org Ray Vance – Chair. 404-226-8304 Billy Wood – Exec. Dir. 404-226-8304

Oklahoma Affiliate ofsa.info Gary Field – Chair. 918-266-2416

Texas Affiliate fscatx.org David Stone – Pres. 713-466-9898 Carol McCain – Exec. Dir. 281-361-8069

CONSTRUCTION REPORTS

U.S. Construction

October 2017

November 2017

New construction starts in October dropped nine percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $742.9 billion, pulling back after a 14 percent jump in September, according to Dodge Data & Analytics. Over the past two months the pattern for total construction starts was shaped by nonresidential building, which fell 30 percent in October after soaring 37 percent in September. Although nonresidential building in October did include the start of several very large projects, led by the $1.1 billion new ballpark for the Texas Rangers in Arlington, Texas, they were not the same magnitude as the three exceptionally large projects entered as September starts â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a $6.0 billion ethane cracker plant in Pennsylvania, the $4.0 billion Delta Airlines new terminal facility at LaGuardia Airport in New York, NY, and the $1.7 billion 50 Hudson Yards office tower in New York NY. Residential building in October slipped one percent, due to a slower pace for multifamily housing. Running counter was a sharp 27 percent increase for nonbuilding construction, which was lifted by the start of the $3.0 billion expansion of the Atlantic Sunrise natural gas pipeline in Pennsylvania and Virginia. For the first 10 months of 2017, total construction starts on an unadjusted basis were $631.2 billion, up 1 percent from the same period a year ago. The year-to-date gain for total construction was restrained by a 38 percent drop for the electric utility/gas plant category. If the electric utility/ gas plant category is excluded, total construction starts during the first ten months of 2017 would be up 4 percent relative to the same period a year ago.

At a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $650.5 billion, new construction starts in November dropped 12 percent from October, according to Dodge Data & Analytics. Nonresidential building fell 14 percent in November, retreating for the second month in a row after the sharp improvement reported in late summer. The nonbuilding construction sector, which can be volatile on a month-to-month basis, plunged 32 percent in November after its 28 percent hike in October, which included the start of two large natural gas pipeline projects. Meanwhile, residential building managed to edge up one percent in November, as an improved amount for single-family housing slightly outweighed a moderate pullback for multi-family housing. During the first 11 months of 2017, total construction starts on an unadjusted basis were $687.1 billion, up one percent from a year ago. The year-to-date increase for total construction was restrained by a 39 percent downturn for the electric utility/gas plant category. Excluding electric utilities and gas plants, total construction starts during the first eleven months of 2017 would be up 4 percent compared to last year.

Monthly Summary of Construction Starts

Prepared by Dodge Data & Analytics

MONTHLY CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT VALUE Seasonally Adjusted Annual Rates, In Millions Oct. 2017 Sept. 2017 % Change Nonresidential Building $258,720 $370,443 -30 Residential Building $295,949 $299,289 -1 Nonbuilding Construction $188,216 $147,721 +27 Total Construction $742,885 $817,453 -9 THE DODGE INDEX (Year 2000=100, Seasonally Adjusted) October 2017...............157 September 2017...........173

MONTHLY CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT VALUE Seasonally Adjusted Annual Rates, In Millions Nov. 2017 Oct. 2017 % Change Nonresidential Building $220,082 $255,279 -14 Residential Building $302,072 $297,932 +1 Nonbuilding Construction $128,385 $189,539 -32 Total Construction $650,539 $742,750 -12 THE DODGE INDEX (Year 2000=100, Seasonally Adjusted) November 2017...............138 October 2017...................157

YEAR-TO-DATE CONSTRUCTION CONSTRUCTION STARTS Unadjusted Totals, In Millions 10 Mos. 2017 10 Mos. 2016 % Change Nonresidential Building $229,718 $213,071 +8 Residential Building $255,084 $252,364 +1 Nonbuilding Construction $146,425 $156,817 -7 Total Construction $631,227 $622,252 +1

YEAR-TO-DATE CONSTRUCTION CONSTRUCTION STARTS Unadjusted Totals, In Millions 11 Mos. 2017 11 Mos. 2016 % Change Nonresidential Building $250,388 $233,895 +7 Residential Building $278,875 $274,380 +2 Nonbuilding Construction $157,820 $169,931 -7 Total Construction $687,083 $678,206 +1

Sprinkler Age | January/February 2018 59

AFSA NEWS AFSA Welcomes Three New Staff Members The American Fire Sprinkler Association (AFSA) is proud to welcome three new staff members since October 2017 to the AFSA national staff: Russ Bainbridge, PE, CFPS, MS; Sarah Wilson; and Kristi Gray. Russ Bainbridge, PE, CFPS, MS, now serves as senior fire protection engineer for AFSA. Bainbridge has a robust background in fire protection engineering. He graduated from Oklahoma State University in 2010 with a bachelor’s degree in fire protection and safety technology. While working full time, he obtained a master’s degree in fire protection engineering from California Polytechnic State University. Before moving to AFSA, Bainbridge spent 18 months at the consulting firm Design Group Facility Solutions where he performed assessments of the condition of fire protection systems, conducted evaluations of water supplies and existing sprinkler systems to verify the adequacy of the design basis, and developed detailed system design plans and specifications. Prior to that he worked within the Department of Energy arena for Los Alamos Laboratories then Pantex performing general fire protection assessments which included review sprinkler systems. Bainbridge has his Professional Engineer license in Fire Protection Engineering (currently in the state of California) as well as his Certified Fire Protection Specialist certification from NFPA and currently sits on NFPA’s CFPS Certificate Advisory Group. He is a professional member of the Society of Fire Protection Engineers and sits on the SFPE’s committees for Professional Competency and Credentialing, and Nominating. He has worked as an Authority Having Jurisdiction’s representative at Los Alamos National Laboratory and Pantex and volunteered as a fire department support member. He continues his involvement with education by teaching two online courses for the University of Idaho on fire suppression and detection and loss prevention.

Bainbridge

Wilson

Gray

The second addition to the AFSA national staff is Sarah Wilson serving as accounting manager. In her new role with AFSA, Wilson works under the direction of LaVerne Davis, director of financial and administrative affairs. Her responsibilities includes working closely with all of the accounting department to maintain accurate accounting records, preparing monthly reconciliations and accounting reports, assisting with the processing of check requests and ordering supplies. Additionally, she works with the accounting coordinator on accounts receivable, order fulfillment, and inventory, as well as assisting and supporting all AFSA departments where needed. Wilson’s educational background includes a bachelor of arts in business administration with a concentration in accounting. From there she has acquired over nine years of accounting experience working in roles from accounts payable, to staff accountant, to office manager. These roles provided her with a diverse background in all aspects of budgeting, financial reporting, and management. Finally, AFSA is pleased to welcome Kristi Gray as the accounting/administrative assistant. In her role Gray works in the accounting and administrative services department under the direction of LaVerne Davis, director of financial and administrative affairs. In her role, she is responsible for greeting all visitors to AFSA, answering and directing all incoming phone calls, providing accounting support including processing invoices and check requests, providing administrative and clerical support, and maintaining the office. Gray graduated from college and began to diligently pursue accounting and office management as a career. She has served as an accounting assistant, and most recently as a senior staff accountant, which provided her with invaluable knowledge in all facets of accounting and financial reporting. Learn the Art of Design in 2018 The American Fire Sprinkler Association (AFSA) has six classes available in 2018 for its popular Beginning Fire Sprinkler System Planning School: March 5-16, April 30-May 11, June 18-29, July 23-August 3, September 10-21, and November 5-16. Taught by Tom Noble, CET, AFSA technical programs specialist, the school teaches the essential elements of system layout in accordance with NFPA 13, Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems. Currently, the school focuses on the 2016 edition, but planning is underway for the 2019 edition’s anticipated adoption. AFSA’s Beginning Fire Sprinkler System Planning School is geared toward those with limited experience or those who need assistance with design. Classes are held at AFSA’s training center in Dallas, and presents a comprehensive, practical approach to preparing fire sprinkler system drawings. Students receive two full weeks of instruction: 60 percent is study and review of NFPA 13 and 40 percent is preparation of fire sprinkler system layout, shop drawings and hydraulic calculations. Registration prices are $1,400 for AFSA members and $2,600 for nonmembers. Classes are kept small (maximum 18 students per session) and enrollment is open exclusively to AFSA contractor members until six weeks prior to each school. Register online at firesprinkler.org/education-center/ schools or contact AFSA Meeting Programs Manager Maricarmen Martinez via email at mmartinez@firesprinkler.org or call (214) 349-5965 ext. 132. n

60 Sprinkler Age | January/February 2018

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CHAPTER NEWS Carolinas On November 29, 2017, the AFSA Carolinas Chapter sponsored an NFPA 13D, Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems in One- and Two-Family Dwellings and Manufactured Homes, class for Authorities Having Jurisdiction (AHJs), which also included use of the chapter’s valve demonstration trailer and a side-by-side burn utilizing the Office of the State Fire Marshal’s (OSFM) burn trailer. There were 103 registered participants from several jurisdictions, and the following are recognized for their contribution to the success of the event: North Carolina Department of Insurance – Office of the State Fire Marshal, North Carolina Fire Marshal’s Association, NFPA, NFSA, North Carolina Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition, Raleigh Fire Department, and Wake County Emergency Services.

The Carolinas Chapter sponsored a well-attended seminar on NFPA 13D for AHJs.

Greater Bay The Greater Bay Chapter of AFSA raised over $7,000 to donate to those in the fire protection community who were affected by the October 2017 wildfires. The donations were taken directly to those devastated by the unpresented destruction of the wildfires. On December 16, 2017, a check was presented to the recipients at a short ceremony in at the Rohnert Park Library in Rohnert Park, California. Pacific Northwest The Pacific Northwest Chapter of AFSA held a membership meeting on October 11, 2017. There were 23 attendees at the meeting and many topics were covered including upcoming events, meeting dates for 2018, a recap of AFSA36 and how it affected the chapter. AFSA President Frank Mortl III, CAE made a presentation on the history of AFSA, the importance of chapters, and where AFSA will go in 2018. The meeting concluded with a presentation from Globe Fire Sprinkler.

AFSA’s Greater Bay Chapter raised funds for those affected by October 2017 wildfires in California.

Rocky Mountain The Rocky Mountain Chapter in Utah has elected new officers for 2018: Brent Heiner, The Safety Team LLC, chairman; Marcela Wardle, A1 Fire Sprinkler Inc, membership; John Blankman, Paradise Fire Protection Inc., vice chairman; and Kelly Carver, The Safety Team LLC, secretary/treasurer. Virginia On November 14, 2017, the AFSA Virginia Chapter held its last 2017 meeting and Holiday Social at O’Tooles Restaurant and Pub in Richmond with 40 members in attendance. The chapter held a board meeting followed by a general meeting, ending the day with a holiday Social. Chip Hollis from NICET presented at the general meeting with an update on all NICET Fire Sprinkler Certification programs. A presentation was also given by Woody Witzak of Victaulic. n

Virginia Chapter members gathered for a holiday social in Richmond.

ASSOCIATION NEWS TXFSCA The 8th Annual Skins and Fins Golf, Continuing Education Classes, Tabletop Show & Fishing Family Weekend event will take place June 7-10, 2018. The event will kick off Thursday with lunch at the Magnolia Creek Golf Course followed by a golf tournament. Friday will feature many continuing education classes and opportunities. Saturday all attendees are invited to participate in a fishing tournament be62 Sprinkler Age | January/February 2018

ginning in the early morning and lasting for a day of family fun. Sunday will wrap up the event for the year and provide a travel day to depart home. The event promises to be a great weekend filled with fun for all, excellent networking opportunities, and invaluable continuing education classes. Any questions or inquiries about classes or the weekend should be directed to travis.hitzeman@ferguson.com. n

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V i s i t f i respri nk ler.o rg/ ITM *NICET II Inspection and Testing of Water-Based Fire Protection Systems. AFSA makes no implied or expressed warranty that studying these materials or passing the assessments or exams will ensure passage of the related NICET exams or certification by NICET.

INDUSTRY NEWS Ferguson Fire & Fabrication Opens Flagship Facility in Chicago Ferguson Fire & Fabrication has opened the doors of its 90,000-ft2 facility in Chicago. The location features custom pipe fabrication on four North Alabama welders, nearly doubling Chicago Ferguson Fire & Fabrication’s pipe fabrication output and reducing the turnaround time for customers. The Chicago facility is joining a network of more than 30 additional Ferguson fabrication locations around the country, offering fabrication for a variety of systems, such as firewater supply and foam systems. Ferguson Fire & Fabrication has also implemented the company’s proprietary tagand-bundle system in Chicago, making it easy for customers to manage their workflow at job sites. In addition to the more efficient fabrication services, with the larger space in Chicago, Kell also expects to expand their inventory options. Ferguson Fire & Fabrication offers everything from galvanized pipe, couplings and fittings and detection components to power tools and gloves. The oversized Chicago warehouse also allows Ferguson to keep a large portion of their pipe inventory indoors, eliminating the fight against the elements and the risk of rust. Visit fergusonfire.com, ARGCO Opens Warehouse on West Coast With a new warehouse that is conveniently located at the crossroads of Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernadino and San Diego counties, ARGCO is zooming in on California with a new local branch. The New ARGCO West Coast at 13840 Magnolia Avenue in Chino, is ready to go with a will-call counter, one/two-day shipping to the Western States as well as daily local delivery. ARGCO West Coast is a full supply house, adding schedule 40, 30, 10 & 7 steel pipe as well as Harvel CPVC Pipe. New Sales Reps Bruce Phipps, formerly with Reliable, and Craig Falconer, formerly with CPS Supply, will help handle the region. Visit argco.com. Winsupply Opens Four New Companies Winsupply Inc. has opened four new wholesale distribution locations in Maryland, Maine, Massachusetts and Tennessee, totaling nine new companies opened so far in 2017. The new companies include: Winsupply of Beltsville, Maryland, plumbing, President Ralph Baker; Winsupply of Boston, plumbing and HVAC, President William Berberan; Winsupply of East Nashville, Tennessee, HVAC, President Robert Reimer; and Winsupply of Presque Isle, Maine, plumbing and HVAC, President Aaron Hoard. 64 Sprinkler Age | January/February 2018

The four presidents are experienced individuals in their respective industry, plumbing and/or heating, ventilation and air conditioning. All have been groomed within the Winsupply organization to lead and own their own company under the Winsupply co-ownership business model. Visit winnsupplyinc.com. AFPG Welcomes Sunland Fire Protection American Fire Protection Group (AFPG) is pleased to welcome Sunland Fire Protection, Inc. to the AFPG and APi Group family as of November 1, 2017. With locations in High Point and Wilmington, North Carolina, Sunland Fire is a well-established fire protection company that has been in business since 1978. Sunland Fire prides itself on a vast knowledge of the fire protection industry, a steadfast commitment to quality and their highly valued customer relationships. Sunland Fire places a high value on the relationships they have with their customers, just as AFPG always has. Their dedication to customer satisfaction is found in the quality care they put into every detail of each project they’re a part of – whether large or small. These high standards directly align with AFPG’s, making Sunland Fire a welcome and strategic addition. Visit afpgusa.com. Gryphon Takes Majority Stake in Potter Electric Signal Gryphon Investors (“Gryphon”), a San Francisco-based private equity firm, has announced that it has made a majority investment in Potter Electric Signal Company, LLC (“Potter” or “the Company”). Kelly Romano, the former president of several of United Technologies’ Fire and Security, and Carrier Corporation global businesses; Mark Levy, the former president and CEO of Honeywell Life Safety; and Rob Salek, the former CEO of Gryphon portfolio company Consolidated Fire Protection, will join the board of directors of the Company (along with Gryphon professionals Bob Grady, Wes Lucas and Felix Park) as part of Gryphon’s investment. CEO Bernie Lears and the Potter management team have retained a significant ownership position in the company, and will continue to lead the business, managing all day-to-day operations. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Founded in 1898 and based in St. Louis, Missouri, Potter designs and manufactures specialty electronic and electromechanical products and solutions to enable fire safety protection and code compliance in commercial, industrial, multi-family, and residential end-markets in both the U.S. and international markets. The partnership with Gryphon will

provide Potter with significant resources to accelerate these investments, with a specific focus on innovation, new solutions, and increased customer service and support. Visit pottersignal.com or gryphoninvestors.com.

Viega Unveils New Website, New Global Image Campaign Viega LLC has introduced its new website with a new, brand-compliant design and a number of improvements in regards to functionality and performance. Viega also introduced its new global image campaign. The campaign highlights some of the high-profile installations using Viega’s solutions, including the Statue of Liberty, the Bharati research station in Antarctica and the Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany. The campaign also emphasizes Viega’s rise from a family-owned business with humble beginnings to becoming one of the largest system suppliers in the world for the plumbing and heating sectors through innovation, service, and customer accessibility. With a stronger emphasis on better usability and rapid access to information, the new website provides a greater range of information on products and many other useful functions, including better ease of use, device-independence, and intelligent searching. Visit viega.us. Winsupply Acquires APCO Inc. Winsupply, Inc. has purchased APCO Inc., a Lansing, Michiganbased broad line distributor of heating, ventilation and cooling, plumbing, and apartment maintenance supplies. Terms of the purchase were not disclosed. APCO has nine locations, with two doing business as APCO Supply and seven as Michigan Temperature Supply. APCO Supply is a distributor of building furnishings and maintenance supplies to multi-tenant industrial, commercial and residential complexes throughout Michigan and Indiana. Michigan Temperature Supply specializes in providing sourcing to residential and light commercial contractors and is a traditional branch network that services the needs of HVAC contractors. The company will continue under the APCO Supply and Michigan Temperature Supply names in the foreseeable future. In the Winsupply co-ownership business model, Winsupply, Inc. has majority equity in each of its locations, while the local company presidents and sometimes employees own substantial equity. Visit winnsupplyinc.com. n

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PRODUCT NEWS

ESFR Sprinklers UL Compliant Johnson Controls announces that its TycoÂŽ line of early suppression fast response (ESFR) sprinklers have successfully passed all testing requirements for the fourth edition of Underwriters Laboratories (UL) 1767 compliance program for salt spray corrosion. The following Tyco ESFR sprinklers successfully meet the testing requirements: â&#x20AC;˘ Model TY6236 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; K14.0 (202) ESFR Pendent Sprinkler â&#x20AC;˘ Model TY7223 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; K16.8 (242) ESFR Pendent Sprinkler â&#x20AC;˘ Model TY7229 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; K16.8 (242) ESFR Dry Type Pendent Sprinkler â&#x20AC;˘ Model TY9226 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; K25.2 (363) ESFR Pendent Sprinkler The compliance program, which has a deadline of November 1, 2018, addresses resistance of sprinklers to environmental conditions by conducting the UL salt spray exposure test in both the vertical up and vertical down positions. ESFR sprinklers are designed with fast response thermal elements that rapidly detect heat from a fire and operate the sprinkler to discharge water to suppress a fire. Due to the potential for a rapid-growth fire in storage applications, it is imperative that the ESFR sprinkler thermal element maintain its integrity over time. For more information, visit tycofire.com/. For questions or support, contact Tyco technical services at 1-800-381-9312. Versatile, Fast Chamfer Tool for Plastic Pipe REED PDEB250 Cone Chamfer Tool efficiently chamfers the inside or outside diameter of plastic pipe. The cone shape fits the full range of pipe from 3/4-in. to 21/2-in. nominal diameter, including metric sizes, with one tool. Used with drill power or manually, PDEB250 chamfer tool makes short work of external or internal chamfer jobs. Provides compliance with appliance and glue manu66 Sprinkler Age | January/February 2018

facturersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; installation requirements as chamfer on plastic pipe provides an even penetration of glue creating a better solvent weld. Hardened steel blade for smooth cuts and long blade life. Visit reedmfgco.com/en.

New RIDGIDÂŽ Tools Released Predict probSouth-Tek Systems Refreshes N2-Blast lems before they happen, prevent costly sysProduct Line South-Tek Systems announctem downtime and keep buildings running at es the launch of the newly refreshed N2-Blast ÂŽ therthe highest performance with RIDGID product line. Once the Reynolds Number is calculated, the rela mal imagers. The new line features the lat- for đ?&#x153;&#x20AC;đ?&#x153;&#x20AC; can b The N2-Blast be determined. Fortunately, suggested values est technology,For bestexample, images in their andwith a typic is the only line Table A.23.4.4.8.2). newclass steel easy-to-use interfaces to predict problems of PSA nitroan đ?&#x153;&#x20AC;đ?&#x153;&#x20AC; = 0.0018 in. and the typically appliedbe-C Factor o fore they happen. The product line includes gen generasolving for relative roughness a simple task. four thermal imagers â&#x20AC;&#x201C; RT-3, RT-5x, RT-7x and tors, providing RT-9x â&#x20AC;&#x201C; that range from providing 160x120 longer lasting pixel thermal images to 320x240 pixel thermal and more efimages. Select models show a digital camera ficient nitrod =image. pipe diameter image alongside the thermal They also (inches) gen separation include SuperResolution, đ?&#x153;&#x20AC;đ?&#x153;&#x20AC;-Assist, and the technology to = average height of pipe r RIDGID Thermal App. effectively in-

đ?&#x2018;&#x2026;đ?&#x2018;&#x2026;đ?&#x2018;&#x2026;đ?&#x2018;&#x2026;đ?&#x2018;&#x2026;đ?&#x2018;&#x2026;đ?&#x2018;&#x2026;đ?&#x2018;&#x2026;đ?&#x2018;&#x2026;đ?&#x2018;&#x2026;đ?&#x2018;&#x2026;đ?&#x2018;&#x2026;đ?&#x2018;&#x2026;đ?&#x2018;&#x2026;đ?&#x2018;&#x2026;đ?&#x2018;&#x2026; đ?&#x2018;&#x2026;đ?&#x2018;&#x2026;đ?&#x2018;&#x2026;đ?&#x2018;&#x2026;đ?&#x2018;&#x2026;đ?&#x2018;&#x2026;đ?&#x2018;&#x2026;đ?&#x2018;&#x2026;â&#x201E;&#x17D;đ?&#x2018;&#x203A;đ?&#x2018;&#x203A;

hibit sprinkler Figure 4 pipe corrosion within both The friction factor can now be determined from a black steel and the Reynolds number and relative roughness. Moody galvanized dry NFPA 16, and NFPA 750, as well as in various hy and pre-acengineering handbooks. The Reynolds numbers for wa tion systems. almost always fall into the turbulent flow zone of the Mo These updatresistant foam concentrates (AR-AFFF) may fall into th ed generators viscosities. The main characteristic of the different flow are now provided with an HMI that features full turbulent zone isÂŽ fairly consistent whereas the tran SMART-Trak, which allows remote monitoring The RIDGID RP 240 joins the RP 241 to change and the laminar zone an extensive amount of c of the nitrogen generator from any mobile deexpand its line of smaller, lighter and stronger changes across a piping network. vice and trends data such as the FPS leak rate, next generation compact press tools. The tool equipment runtime, time in air-bypass mode, is ideal for contractors accessing the tightcurrent system status, and maintenance reest of spaces without sacrificing the quality of minders. South-Tek generators also include press on copper, stainless steel, black steel the Industry exclusive, patent pending early and PEX. warning system, which will pinpoint a signifiThe RP 240 is 13-in. long and weighs cant leak or failure upstream of the AMD prionly 7.4 pounds with battery and jaws inor to the issue becoming catastrophic. With a cluded, making it 15 percent smaller and stream-lined installation, more models to better 10 percent lighter over earlier models. The fit a clientâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s needs, and elite product support, RP 241 is 25 percent smaller and 10 perthe N2-Blast product line will continue to be cent lighter than its predecessor. Both the leading technology for protecting life safety tools feature a new 12V battery platform systems so that they can operate correctly in for 140 presses per charge â&#x20AC;&#x201C; more crimps the event of a fire. Visit southteksystems.com. than contractors need per day â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and come

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PRODUCT NEWS CONT. standard with RIDGID Link to track key tool data including crimps completed, service history and more. In addition, they include a brighter LED display,180-degree head rotation, and bolt sensor to prevent tool use without proper form, helping to ensure a quality press. Each are also backed by the RIDGID full lifetime warranty.

Professional contractors and DIYers can now eliminate a cutter from their toolbox with the new RIDGID® C-style close quarters copper tubing cutters. Perfect for cutting tubing in tight spaces, the cutters cut three sizes with only two tools. The 1/2-in. and 3/4-in. combined tubing cutter has a quick-change feature that allows easy switching between the two sizes, with the second cutter designed for 1-in. tubing. Each comes with a spring-loaded cutter wheel that provides constant pressure on the tubing and features the

RIDGID X-CEL wheel pin for quick wheel replacement without tools. In addition, slots were added around the outside of each cutter for a flat head screwdriver to advance and rotate the tool where access is limited. The cutters come with the RIDGID full lifetime warranty. To purchase or learn more about the any of these products, contact your local distributor, visit RIDGID.com, or call toll-free: 1-800-769-7743. NFPA Releases U.S. Firefighter Injuries Report The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has released the latest edition of its “U.S. Firefighter Injuries” report, which highlights data on injuries sustained by firefighters on duty in 2016. The statistics were collected from fire departments responding to NFPA’s annual “U.S. Fire Experience” survey. There were 62,085 U.S. firefighter injuries in 2016, reflecting an 8.8 percent decrease from 2015, making this the lowest rate of injury since 1981, when NFPA began analyzing firefighter injury data. Of those injuries, 19,050 (30.6 percent) resulted in lost time. Firefighters were more likely to be injured on the fireground resulting in 24,325 (39.2 percent) of the firefighter injuries. The leading cause of injury during

fireground operations was overexertion and strain (27.1 percent). To download the report, visit nfpa.org. USFA Releases Report on U.S. Firefighter Fatalities The U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) report, “Firefighter Fatalities in the United States in 2016,” identifies and analyzes all onduty U.S. firefighter fatalities that occurred last year to better understand their causes and how to prevent them. Findings include: • Eighty-nine firefighters (56 volunteer, 23 career and 10 wildland agency) died while on duty in 2016. • Activities related to emergency incidents resulted in the deaths of 36 firefighters. • Seventeen firefighters died while engaging in activities at the scene of a fire. • Ten firefighters died while responding to emergency incidents. • Nineteen firefighters died as the result of vehicle crashes. • Heart attacks were the most frequent nature of fatal injury with 40 firefighter deaths. • Nine firefighters died while they were engaged in training activities. The 2016 report, and past reports from 1986 to 2015, is available for download from the USFA’s website, usfa.fema.gov. n

HEALTH INSURANCE 2018 – WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW Individual Policy

FREE HEALTH INSURANCE QUTOE FOR AFSA MEMBERS FREE HEALTH INSURANCE QUTOE FOR AFSA MEMBERS

1) The Open Enrollment Period for anyone wishing to apply for an Individual policy ended December 15, 2017. If you did not enroll in a health plan, Mass Marketing Insurance Consultants, Inc. has been marketing health insurance programs to members Mass Marketing Insurance Consultants, Inc. has been marketing health insurance programs to members you will be ineligible to obtain coverage unless you have a Qualifying Event (ie: involuntary loss of health coverage, marriage, becoming a US Citiof AFSA. Based on our experience, we provide a number of options that are efficient, cost effective and zen, permanent move to another state). of AFSA. Based on our experience, we provide a number of options that are efficient, cost effective and designed to meet the true needs of AFSA members. 2) Shop strategically – if you qualify for tax credits which will lower your cost, you must enroll through the Marketplace (HealthCare.gov) to be eligidesigned to meet the true needs of AFSA members. Both small business and individual are looking for ways to minimize health insurance cost. AFSA ble for the tax credits. members are able to obtain a no cost, no obligation quote that they can compare to their existing 3) The average rate increase will be more moderate with premiums estimated to increase at a far slower clip than 2017. Both small business and individual are looking for ways to minimize health insurance cost. AFSA program. 4) Short Term Insurance – if you missed the Open Enrollment Period deadline, Short Term Insurance will help bridge the gap until the next Open Enmembers are able to obtain a no cost, no obligation quote that they can compare to their existing rollment Period. Mass Marketing Insurance Consultants, Inc. has the expertise to provide competitive health insurance program. options for AFSA members. We look forward to the opportunity of quoting health insurance for your Group Insurance review. Mass Marketing Insurance Consultants, Inc. has the expertise to provide competitive health insurance

options for AFSA members. We look forward to the opportunity of quoting health insurance for your 1) Not subject to any open enrollment period. To get a free no obligation quote go to www.mmicinsurance.com: 2) If your company has 2 or more review. employees, you are eligible to enroll in a group plan at any time throughout the year. Health Insurance Quote for Individual and/or Family – click Proposal Request Form for Individual 3) 1) Group plans provide more access to doctors and hospitals. The PPO options will provide coverage for all providers either on an in network or out and Families. of network basis. To get a free no obligation quote go to www.mmicinsurance.com: Group Health Insurance – click Proposal Request Form for Group (2 or more employees). 4) 2) Group plans have more flexibility allowing an employer to terminate a plan and begin a new plan at any time. Any deductible and out of pocket expenses satisfied under a group plan 1) will be transferred and honored by the new insurance company. Health Insurance Quote for Individual and/or Family – click Proposal Request Form for Individual All health Insurance quotes will be e-mailed within 48 hours. and Families.

Any question just e-mail or call toll-free. If you wish to obtain a free, no-cost, no-obligation group or individual policy health quote or have any questions, call Mass Marketing Insurance Con2) Group Health Insurance – click Proposal Request Form for Group (2 or more employees). sultants, Inc. at 1-800-349-1039 or email mmic@mmicinsurance.com. MMIC is an AFSA-endorsed Business Solution for AFSA members. Ed Sterczek Mass Marketing Insurance Consultants, Inc. All health Insurance quotes will be e-mailed within 48 hours. Not available in all states.

Any question just e-mail or call toll-free. Ed Sterczek Mass Marketing Insurance Consultants, Inc.

68 Sprinkler Age | January/February 2018

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PEOPLE IN THE NEWS

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Lugo Appointed to New Jersey Committee AFSA Member Victor Lugo with Metro Fire, Carlstadt, New Jersey has been appointed by New Jersey Governor Chris Christie to serve on the New Jersey Fire Protection Equipment Advisory Committee. The committee makes recommendations regarding rules and regulations pertaining to professional training, standards, identification and record keeping procedures for certificate holders and their employees, classifications of certificates necessary to regulate the work of certificate holders, and other matters necessary to effectuate the purposes of this act.

IAFC Foundation Now Accepting Education Scholarship Applications The International Association of Fire Chiefs Foundation (IAFCF) is accepting applications from qualified first responders for its 2018 educational scholarships. The deadline to apply is April 29. Scholarships provided by the IAFCF assist current and aspiring leaders to advance their college-level education so theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re better prepared to face the challenges of the fire service now and in the future. Details and qualifications for each scholarship are available through the Foundation website. For more information, email Foundation@iafc.org. n

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ARGCO Backflow Direct, LLC Building Reports Bull Moose Tube Co. Center for Life Safety Education

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The solution is obvious. Firesprinkler.org is where the Fire Sprinkler industry goes online. You will find the solutions to your education and training needs, technical support and industry news and updates. Membership in the American Fire Sprinkler Association gives you full access to real benefits and services that will fit perfectly in your business plan and increase your productivity and profitability.

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