TRAINING BEYOND THE STORM AFSA’S DALLAS SCHOOL GOES ON FOLLOWING HISTORIC 100-YEAR WINTER EVENT
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s Texas faced record-low temperatures and snow and ice made roads impassable, the state’s electric grid operator lost control of the power supply, leaving 4.5 million without access to electricity and many subject to boil orders. Due to the prolonged power outages and record-breaking freezing temperatures, pipes froze and then burst Thursday, February 18, 2021. The American Fire Sprinkler Association (AFSA) offices were not immune and were forced to shut down for a couple of days while repairs were made. Despite the challenges days prior, the team at AFSA quickly jumped into action to prepare for its Beginning Fire Sprinkler System Layout Planning School, beginning February 22, 2021, to ensure their members never missed a beat. “The challenges the winter storm put on AFSA never swayed our team from moving forward with the class,” said Marlene Garrett, CMP, senior director of meeting and education services at AFSA. “Our team understands the importance of offering training no matter what obstacles are put in front of us. We provide the best service to our members always.” Recognizing that a dozen members would be arriving at the Dallas headquarters in mere hours to learn the basics of design, a small team of staff mobilized over the weekend to their offices to save the student’s printed instructional materials and gathered the necessary supplies, such as calculators, drafting tables, and rulers used when
22 SPRINKLER AGE | MAR/APR 2021
AFSA’s Coordinator of Engineering & Technical Services Kevin Hall, M.Eng., P.E., CWBSP, PMSFPE teaches hydraulic calculations to students in the February class in Dallas.
learning to do hydraulic calculations by hand. Others worked to secure classroom space at the Residence Inn Dallas Addison/Quorum Drive, where the students were housed during the two-week school, to conduct the off-site training. “I appreciate [the staff ] not saying ‘no’ but just asking ‘how.’ That’s what it takes to deal with adversity and get the job done,” commented AFSA President Bob Caputo, CFPS, who personally picked up and delivered supplies to the new training site over the weekend. “I am proud of everyone at AFSA for doing what it takes to deliver for our members. Team AFSA can make it happen!” Beyond the staff, the members did what the fire sprinkler industry does
best—they showed up no matter what. Every single registered student arrived at the hotel ready to learn at 8:00 a.m. on the Monday following one of Texas’ worst weather catastrophes. This dedication further underscores the commitment of the fire sprinkler community to training.
AFSA’S DESIGN SCHOOL HITS THE ROAD Are you interested in your employees learning sprinkler system design? In addition to schools held at its training center in Dallas, Texas, AFSA’s popular Beginning Fire Sprinkler System Planning School is hitting the road for the first time ever. Upcoming 2021 dates include April 12-23 in San Diego, California; May 17-28 in Baltimore, Maryland; July 19-30
