2008 09FoamSystem

SprinklerAge
Vol 27 / 1
January 2008
An American Fire Sprinkler
Association Publication
SprinklerAge
Vol 27 / 09
September 2008
An American Fire Sprinkler
Association Publication
Reliables
Reliables
NewEvolution of
NewEvolution of
RFC49
RFC49 F1 RES 76
F1 RES 76
Residential Flat Plate Concealed sprinkler
K Factor of 4.9
Combines attractive appearance with (13mm)
of cover adjustment for ease of installation
Refer to Technical Bulletin 006
Largest K Factor on the market today
K Factor of 7.6
For design densities of .05 and .10
Available as pendent, recessed pendent and CCP
Refer to Technical Bulletins 135 and 176
1.800.431.1588
www.reliablesprinkler.com
The Reliable Automatic Sprinkler Co., Inc.
Manufacturer & Distributor of Fire Protection Equipment
RELIABLE ONE SOURCE
For all your fire protection needs.
Residential
Residential
Sprinklers
Sprinklers
Weve expanded our Residential product line
with TWONEWSPRINKLERS!
Sprinkler Spacing
ft. (m)
Minimum Required Sprinkler
Discharge
Flow
gpm (Lpm)
Press.
psi (bar)
12 x 12 (3.6x3.6)
14 x 14 (4.3x4.3)
16 x 16 (4.9x4.9)
18 x 18 (5.5x5.5)
20 x 20 (6.0x6.0)
13 (49)
13 (49)
13 (49)
17 (64.3)
20 (75.7)
7.0 (0.48)
7.0 (0.48)
7.0 (0.48)
12.0 (0.83)
16.7 (1.14)
With these two new sprinklers,
Reliable continues to have the
best combinations of K Factors
for NFPA-13, 13R & 13D
Residential Applications
Reliables
Reliables
NewEvolution of
NewEvolution of
RFC49
RFC49 F1 RES 76
F1 RES 76
Residential Flat Plate Concealed sprinkler
K Factor of 4.9
Combines attractive appearance with (13mm)
of cover adjustment for ease of installation
Refer to Technical Bulletin 006
Largest K Factor on the market today
K Factor of 7.6
For design densities of .05 and .10
Available as pendent, recessed pendent and CCP
Refer to Technical Bulletins 135 and 176
1.800.431.1588
www.reliablesprinkler.com
The Reliable Automatic Sprinkler Co., Inc.
Manufacturer & Distributor of Fire Protection Equipment
RELIABLE ONE SOURCE
For all your fire protection needs.
Residential
Residential
Sprinklers
Sprinklers
Weve expanded our Residential product line
with TWONEWSPRINKLERS!
Sprinkler Spacing
ft. (m)
Minimum Required Sprinkler
Discharge
Flow
gpm (Lpm)
Press.
psi (bar)
12 x 12 (3.6x3.6)
14 x 14 (4.3x4.3)
16 x 16 (4.9x4.9)
18 x 18 (5.5x5.5)
20 x 20 (6.0x6.0)
13 (49)
13 (49)
13 (49)
17 (64.3)
20 (75.7)
7.0 (0.48)
7.0 (0.48)
7.0 (0.48)
12.0 (0.83)
16.7 (1.14)
With these two new sprinklers,
Reliable continues to have the
best combinations of K Factors
for NFPA-13, 13R & 13D
Residential Applications
5 Sprinkler Age | September 2008

SprinklerAge
Vol 27 / 9
September 2008
ON THE COVER
High-expansion foam systems are
installed in many different hazards.
The equipment is specialized and the
protection schemes are different from
standard sprinkler protection.
Features
8 | High-Expansion Foam Systems
Be Aware of Differences Before Installing
12 | Foam Systems
Least Remote Calculations
14 | Special Hazard Situation?
Informal Interpretations Can Help
18 | Dont Miss This Capitol Experience
AFSAs 27th Annual Convention & Exhibition Opens Soon
19 | Online Courses Bridge Language Barrier
NCCER Partners With cNI
20 | Victaulic Vortex is First Hybrid Water-Based
Inert Gas System
New Fire Suppression System Unveiled
23 | Sprinklers Squelch School Fire
Success Story From Nampa, Idaho
26 | A Step-by-Step Approach to Seismic Bracing
Dont Miss October 30 Virtual Seminar
27 | President Signs Campus Fire Safety
Right-to-Know Act
Colleges and Universities Required to Provide Fire Safety Information to Students
28 | Carolinas Chapter Donates Trailer to Local College
Students Will Receive Hands-On Training This Fall
30 | Pipe Clamps Are Not Sway Brace Components
Read and Follow Listings Very Carefully
6 CHAIRMANS MESSAGE
32 AHJ PERSPECTIVE
36 CHAPTER NEWS
36 ASSOCIATION NEWS
37 AFSA NEWS
37 CALENDAR OF EVENTS
38 NEW MEMBERS
39 U.S. CONSTRUCTION
39 CANADA CONSTRUCTION
40 PEOPLE IN THE NEWS
42 PRODUCT NEWS
44 INDUSTRY NEWS
46 INDEX OF ADVERTISERS
EDITORIAL : 214 349 5965
JANET REID KNOWLES, Publisher, ext. 117
jknowles@firesprinkler.org
DARCY GRAHAM MONTALVO, Editor, ext. 115
dmontalvo@firesprinkler.org
NICOLE DUVALL, Communications Coordinator, ext. 126
nduvall@firesprinkler.org
ADVERTISING : 214 349 5965
NICOLE DUVALL, Communications Coordinator, ext. 126
nduvall@firesprinkler.org
CIRCULATION : 214 349 5965
AMY SWEENEY, Asst. to Membership Director, ext. 119
asweeney@firesprinkler.org
AFSA BOARD OF DIRECTORS
LAWRENCE J. THIBODEAU, CHAIRMAN
603-432-8221
R. DONALD KAUFMAN, FIRST VICE CHAIRMAN
505-884-2447
DWIGHT E. BATEMAN, SECOND VICE CHAIRMAN
713-910-3242
DONALD J. ECKERT, TREASURER
513-948-1030
JOSEPH A. HEINRICH, SECRETARY
785-825-7710
MANNING J. STRICKLAND, IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIRMAN
301-474-1136
DONALD G. ALBARES, 504-837-0572
LINDA M. BIERNACKI, 318-688-8800
MARTIN L. GILES, 804-550-9600
PAUL E. HENSLEY, 864-834-5188
THOMAS J. MCKINNON, 925-417-5550
WILLIAM J. RHODES, 860-627-6490
WAYNE WEISZ, 209-334-9119
AFSA MANAGEMENT : 214 349 5965
STEVE A. MUNCY, CAE, President
PHILLIP A. BROWN, SET, CFPS
Director of Technical Program Development & Codes, ext. 123
MARLENE M. GARRETT, CMP
Director of Education Services & Meetings, ext. 118
ROLAND J. HUGGINS, PE, Vice President of
Engineering & Technical Services, ext. 121
LLOYD M. IVY, Director of Membership, ext. 120
JANET R. KNOWLES, Executive Vice President,
Vice President of Marketing & Communications, ext. 117
TAMMY L. TAYLOR, Director of Administrative
Services, ext. 112
SPRINKLER AGE, (ISSN 0896-2685) is published
monthly for $33.95 per year by the American
Fire Sprinkler Association, Inc., 12750 Merit
Drive, Suite 350, Dallas, Texas 75251. Peri-
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Sprinkler Age is devoted to the professional development
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Call (214) 349-5965, FAX (214) 343-8898, or
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rights reserved. PRINTED IN USA. Unless expressly stated
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is the opinion of the respective authors and/or companies
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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 subscrip-
tion to Sprinkler Age.) Write or call AFSA for membership
information. See AFSAs website at: www.firesprinkler.org
By the time you get to read this article, summer will be almost over. For most of us
that signals the arrival of winter in a few short months. I trust most of you had a
great summer with the opportunity to take some well deserved time of.
Now I guess I am going to date myself with this next question, Do you remember
the good old days in the fre sprinkler industry? As contractors, all we had to worry
about was whether we would install a spray upright sprinkler, a spray pendent
sprinkler, or a spray sidewall sprinkler, and, in cold areas of the country, a dry
sprinkler all with the correct temperature 165, 212, or 286 degree sprinklers.
Should we use Schedule 40 steel pipe or Schedule 40 steel pipe? Tere were no other
choices to pick from. Will it be screwed, big and heavy? Yes.
Te reason I call those days the good old days is life in the sprinkler industry was
much simpler. I am not saying that in a malicious way, because our industry has
come a very long way in making life much safer for the public. As contractors, we
have had to adapt to the ever-changing technology of the sprinkler business. Te
grooved coupling came along and we were all amazed as to how many feet of main
we could hang in a day, no more chain tongs with cheater bars. Ten came light-
wall pipe, grooved fttings and hydraulic calculations. We thought we died and
went to heaven. Smaller diameter pipe, lighter pipe could it get any better? For
years we watched plumbers hang PVC piping with a can of cleaner and a can of
glue. Who would have ever thought we would be installing sprinklers with piping
that was not steel?
We have had polybutelene piping, with heat-fused fttings, which was taken of the
market for health reasons. When this came out, everyone said, Wow, I dont even
have to go in a straight line to get from point A to point B. Now we cant even get
it for repairs. We now have other products such as CPVC and PEX piping. Tis
certainly has made our lives much easier but now we have to be aware of non-compa-
tability issues.
Te sprinkler device manufacturers have also done their part in improving the
technology of our industry. As I mentioned before, we basically had three types of
heads. We now, I would dare to say, have hundreds. Tere are certainly too many for
me to list in this article. In the advent of some of this new technology we, as contrac-
tors, have had our share of challenges. We have had to deal with the CPSC head
recall, 3mm bulb issues, and the dry pendent sprinkler recall to name a few. Tese are
issues that come along with new technology.
New and improved technology is good for all of us in the sprinkler industry and we
need to continue to look for more and better ways to Save Lives and Property. But
as I look back at the good old days, the life of a sprinkler contractor and an old
ftter was not so bad with less liability. n
CHAIRMANS MESSAGE
BY LAWRENCE J. THIBODEAU
AFSA Chairman of the Board
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4405 FH ADS 2008 combo What Ap Master 060908 6/9/08 2:45 PM Page 1
FlexHead commercial
fire sprinkler connections:
Whats your application?
More productive installers with lower installation costs.
Perfect center-of-tile eliminating virtually all punch list items.
Highest quality available featuring all stainless steel construction.
Meets all code requirements including NFPA 13 and IBC.
Fast-Track construction with simplified project management.
Seismically qualified without the need for an over-sized ring.
Meets USGBC objectives for green building design & construction.
The best idea in sprinkler systems since water
800-829-6975 www.flexhead.com
U.S. and international patents pending: #6,123,154, #6,119,784, #6,752,218,
#7,032,680, #6,488,097.
Prescribed by leading hospitals
A smart choice for schools
Welcomed in the finest hotels
A bargain for retail buildings
4405 FH ADS 2008 combo What Ap Master 060908 6/9/08 2:45 PM Page 1
Introduction High-expansion foam systems are installed in
many diferent hazards: high-piled storage, liquefed natural
gas, dike or bund protection, aircraft hangars, etc. What is a
high-expansion foam system? A high-expansion foam system
is a foam deluge system that delivers the foam solution,
(foam concentrate and water mixture), to a discharge device
known as a high-expansion foam generator.
Most commercially available foam generators are water-
powered fans that force or blow the foam solution
against a screen, which results in a finished foam blanket
that expands into a large fluffy cloud of foam bubbles. If
you ever blew bubbles as a child, you submerged the
circular ring dipping wand into a soapy solution, as you
blew air through the circular end of the wand where the
soapy film clung to, large bubbles would result on the
discharge side of the dipping wand. High-expansion foam
generators work in essentially the same way, with the
obvious exception being that the quantity of the soapy
solution is greater, more air is provided, and the screen
has thousands of more holes than the dipping wand.
High-expansion foam generators are open discharge
devices, meaning there is not a fusible link, like in an
automatic sprinkler. The piping supplying the foam
generator is empty, until a deluge valve is activated. When
the deluge valve is activated, water passes through the
riser past a proportioning device, which is located in line
with the sprinkler piping. The proportioning device is
where the foam concentrate is introduced into the water
stream to form a foam solution. Foam solution leaves the
proportioning device and travels down the empty piping
until it enters the foam generator. Think of the foam
generator as a water motor alarm. The foam solution
pushes the fan in a circular motion, the foam solution
discharges through a nozzle or series of nozzles, (depend-
ing upon the manufacturer), and the air current provided
by the fan pushes or forces the foam solution against a
screen, which in turn creates the large bubbles. I made the
comparison to the water motor alarm, as they operate in a
High-Expansion
Foam Systems
Be Aware of Differences Before Installing

MARTIN WORKMAN | The Viking Corporation
Figure 1. Foam Deluge Riser. (Photo courtesy of S&L Mechanical.)
similar fashion and they both need to have strainers
installed on the supply piping prior to connecting to the
devices. Some manufacturers include this strainer, others
do not, but in all cases, consult the manufacturer for the
correct strainer, as the strainer mesh will vary depending
upon the integral discharge nozzle(s) orifices of the foam
generator.
System Design We normally think of sprinkler systems
in two-dimensional terms, we look down from the ceiling
on our drawings in the plan view, our system design water
flow rate is generally referred to in terms of density, which
is gallons per minute per square foot.
High-expansion foam system design is a three-dimensional
thought process. NFPA utilizes a foam submergence
volume as a rate of application. Most designs are based
upon three cubic feet per square foot per minute. High-
expansion foam fills a space with a puffy foam blanket.
Care should be taken to note where wall openings may
occur. If doors are present, they must be self closing doors
as the effectiveness of the high-expansion foam is based on
the foam blanket staying in the hazard. If wall openings
are present and unavoidable, additional high-expansion
foam must be provided to account for the leakage of the
medium from the hazard area.
A handful of NFPA standards discuss the use of high-ex-
pansion foam as a protection option. Chapter 6 of NFPA
11, Standard for Low, Medium, and High-Expansion Foam
lays out the basic guidelines for the installation of a
high-expansion foam system. Early in the chapter it
explains what hazards it can be used for and what hazards
it cannot be used for. High-expansion foam can be used
for ordinary combustibles (Class A Fires), Flammable and
Combustible Liquids (Class B Fires), and a mixture of
Class A materials and Class B materials, and liquefied
natural gas. Caution should be exercised when protecting
combustible and flammable liquids, if the liquid is
miscible (a miscible compound is one that readily mixes
with water, such as alcohol), contact the high-expansion
foam manufacturer to determine if their high-expansion
foam is suitable for the miscible liquid. High-expansion
foam shouldnt be used where there are water reactive
materials or metals, chemicals that release sufficient
oxygen to sustain combustion, or liquefied flammable gas.
NFPA 11 also discusses personnel safety in the use of
high-expansion foam. Once the system activates, the area
flls with a foam blanket, if personnel are located in the
hazard at the time, they are essentially blinded by the foam
blanket. Adequate pre-operation alarms must be present to
prevent someone from being trapped in the hazard area. If
you are to enter a space where a high-expansion foam
discharge has occurred, you are to use a hose stream to
break down the foam or to cut your way through the foam.
Generally a fre hose with a fog nozzle will do the job. One
should never enter a high-expansion foam blanket without
some sort of life line and a breathing apparatus, the best
way to enter a high-expansion discharge is cutting your way
through it with a hose stream.
NFPA also provides guidance regarding how deep the
high-expansion foam has to build to. The depth require-
ment is as follows: 1.1 times higher than the highest
hazard but in no case less than two feet over the hazard. A
general question of how fast does the high-expansion foam
have to fill the space depends upon if the hazard has a
sprinkler system or not and how the building is construct-
ed. As an example, rubber tires have a maximum submer-
gence rate of seven minutes in a sprinklered building of
light or unprotected steel construction. The same hazard
in a sprinklered building with heavy or fire resistive
construction has a maximum submergence of eight
minutes. If the same hazards are not sprinklered, the foam
has to fill approximately 30 percent faster.
NFPA 11 makes an allowance for the submergence time to
be timed 30 seconds after the automatic detection has
activated the system, meaning high-expansion foam must
be discharging from the generators within 30 seconds of
system activation. If a delay longer than 30 seconds occurs,
some sort of system design change must occur. Te most
likely cause of foam not discharging from the high-expan-
sion foam generators in 30 seconds is transit time from the
deluge valve to the generator or that adequately propor-
tioned foam solution is not provided to the generator. In
the case of transit time being too great, you try to shorten
your distance to the generators, which may mean changing
the supply piping to the generators. In the case of the
proportioning not being correct for the foam solution,
there are a variety of cause and efects, such as the wrong
proportioning method chosen, foam concentrate not being
present at the proportioning device at the same time the
water is passing through it, foam concentrate supply piping
has excess fttings, not enough straight piping on the supply
or discharge of the proportioning device.
System Commissioning A high-expansion foam
commissioning test is an event. The only way to prove
that the system is designed and installed correctly is to
activate the system. In the past seven years, high-expan-
sion foam has grown in the protection of aircraft hangars.
The largest single reason is that it will generally have a
lower water requirement over other protection methods.
For an example, well use a 50,000 ft
2
Group 1 hangar
that will not house aircraft with wing projections over
3,000 ft
2
. You have three (3) protection options:
1. Low expansion foam deluge systems at the ceiling.
2. Low expansion foam system at the floor and overhead
sprinklers.
3. High-expansion foam system covering the floor and
overhead sprinklers.
Option 1 will require a .16 gpm per square foot of
low-expansion foam designed over the entire ceiling,
having a minimum demand of 8,000 gpm. Option 2 will
require a .10 gpm per square foot of low-expansion foam
over the floor area and a design of .17 gpm per square foot
over 15,000 ft
2
for water sprinklers at the ceiling, requir-
ing a minimum water flow demand of 7,550 gpm. Option
3 will require a design of three cubic feet per square ft
over the hangar floor and a design of .17 gpm per square
foot over 15,000 ft
2
for water sprinklers at the ceiling, for
a minimum water flow requirement of 5,550 gpm.
When you discharge a high-expansion foam system in a
hangar, you will generally operate the system for four (4)
minutes, the frst minute is to ensure that you cover the
foor and the additional three (3) minutes are generally
needed to ensure you have submergence. Once you have
the hangar full of soapy bubbles, what do you do with it?
One thing you dont want to do is just open the doors,
otherwise youll have big clouds of soapy bubbles blowing
across the airport and disrupting take-of and landings.
Prior to activating the system, ensure that you have some
hose lines with fog nozzles to spray down the foam to break
it down. Once you hit high-expansion foam with water
spray it readily breaks down and will go down the drain.
Conclusion High-expansion foam systems have been in
use for many years and are gaining popularity for a variety
of protection schemes. The equipment is specialized and
the protection schemes are different than standard sprin-
kler protection. Before quoting, designing, or installing a
high-expansion foam system, one should consult the
NFPA standard that governs the design and installation
for the hazard and probably speak with a manufacturer/
provider of the equipment for further guidance. Each
manufacturer has specific high-expansion foam concen-
trate that is tied to their high-expansion foam generators
performance, and the manufacturer will generally lead a
contractor through the steps required to install their
equipment correctly. n
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Martin Workman has been involved in
the fire sprinkler industry for more than 20 years. He joined
the Viking Corporation in 1997 as product manager, spe-
cial hazards. Workman is a principal member of the NFPA
30 committee. He is NICET certified and is a member of
AFSA, ASPE, NFPA and the Society of Military Engineers.
Figure 3. High Expansion Foam Discharge. (Photo courtesy of Chemguard.)
Figure 2. High Expansion Foam Generators. (Photo courtesy of Chemguard.)
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An often forgotten and overlooked
design requirement for foam systems
is the requirement of the least
remote calculation. The 2007
edition of NFPA 16, Standard for the
Installation of Foam-Water Sprinkler
and Foam-Water Spray Systems;
7.4.2.2 requires that two sets of
hydraulic calculations be provided;
(1) a most remote hydraulic calcula-
tion and (2) a least remote hydraulic
calculation (both balanced to the
available water supply). In the design
of all fire sprinkler system, we utilize
the most remote calculation to
examine pressure losses and deter-
mine pipe sizes.
In the event of a fire in the most
remote area of a foam system, you
would have adequate pressure and
foam to achieve the design criteria,
but what if there was a fire much
closer to the water source? You would
certainly expect to have enough
pressure, but will you have enough
foam to last for the required duration
of the fire?
Tis scenario underlines the importance
of the least remote calculation, which is
the proper way to determine the actual
amount of foam required for the system.
Since the least remote calculation may
discharge more than the most remote
calculation, you may run out of foam
before the desired duration (20 minutes
in our example) if you used the most
remote area to determine the amount of
foam for the system.
The following example shows a
standard tree system with 6-in. cross
Foam Systems
Least Remote Calculations

RANDY NELSON | VFS Fire & Security Services
Figure 1. A standard tree system with 6-in. cross mains and 2-in. branch lines with heads spaced at 80 ft
2
throughout the system.
mains and 2-in. branch lines with
heads spaced at 80 ft
2
throughout the
system. (See Figure 1 above.) Using
the criteria in Figure 2 (below), we
can see that the total discharge for
the most remote area is 1,975 gpm
which would require 1,185 gallons of
foam (three percent concentration) to
satisfy a duration of 20 minutes,
however the total discharge for the
least remote area is 2,150 gallons
which would require 1,290 gallons of
foam (three percent concentration)
for the same duration.
This example shows that if you used
only the most remote area to dictate
the amount of foam for the system
you would be short 105 gallons of
foam or about nine percent.
Therefore, considering the valuable
assets that are typically protected by
foam systems, it doesnt make sense
to take on any additional risk or
liability because you are short one
more calculation and you didnt
supply a few more gallons of foam. n
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Randy Nelson is
president of VFS Fire & Security Ser-
vices in Anaheim, Calif. He is a princi-
pal member of the NFPA 16 Technical
Committee for Foam-Water Sprinkler
and Foam-Water Spray Systems.
Figure 2. Foam systems comparative calculation at base of riser.

RESIDENTIAL FIRE SPRINKLER SYSTEM
INSTALLATION GUIDE RELEASED!
If you are thinking about getting into the residential
sprinkler market - or you already are but want to
become more effective, AFSA has a new fre sprinkler
ftter correspondence training program for you and your
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Member price: $250
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(Price includes online testing. Add $50 for paper testing option)
For more information, call (214) 349-5965 or
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Fabricated pipe is clearly and systematically marked, then bundled for easy installation at the job site.
From the smallest project to the largest endeavor,
its the one contact that gets the job done.
Nine Locations Serving the United States
East
147 Lincoln Drive
Hometown, PA 18252
Phone: (570) 668-4686
Fax: (570) 668-4688
vfshometown@supplynet.com
4593 Carolina Avenue
Richmond, VA 23222
Phone: (804) 228-1107
Fax: (804) 228-1556
vfsrichmond@supplynet.com
South
100 Piedmont Court, Suite A
Doraville, GA 30340
Phone: (770) 446-3068
Fax: (770) 446-3713
vfsatlanta@supplynet.com
West
6480 Box Springs Boulevard
Riverside, CA 92507
Phone: (951) 656-3111
Fax: (951) 656-2606
vfsriverside@supplynet.com
625 E. Watkins Street
Phoenix, AZ 85004
Phone: (602) 252-0400
Fax: (602) 252-2134
vfsphoenix@supplynet.com
12360 E. 46th Avenue #400
Denver, CO 80239
Phone: (303) 576-0665
Fax: (303) 576-0611
vfsdenver@supplynet.com
5081 Kelton Way, Suite 100
Sacramento, CA 95838
Phone: (916) 923-1080
Fax: (916) 923-1748
vfssacramento@supplynet.com
Midwest
640 Center Avenue
Carol Stream, IL 60188
Phone: (630) 462-5860
Fax: (630) 871-1898
vfschicago@supplynet.com
2353 International Street
Columbus, OH 43228
Phone: (614) 527-5800
Fax: (614) 527-5818
Viking Fabrication Services
www.vikinggroupinc.com
Trusted above all.
TM
AFSAs informal interpretations are provided by AFSA Vice
President of Engineering & Technical Services Roland
Huggins, a P.E. registered in fre protection engineering; Phill
Brown, a NICET IV certifed automatic sprinkler technician
and NFPA Certifed Fire Protection Specialist (CFPS); and
Tom Wellen, a degreed fre protection engineering technolo-
gist. Tese opinions are provided for the beneft of the
requesting party, and are provided with the understanding
that AFSA assumes no liability for the opinions or actions
taken on them.
Subject: Water Velocity in Water Spray Systems
QUESTION: Even though NFPA has no specifc require-
ments for maximum water velocity in fre sprinkler systems,
some AHJs impose seemingly arbitrary maximum water
velocity limits, sometimes as low as 15 feet per second. What is
the impact of water velocity on sprinkler systems?
ANSWER: We have reviewed the 2007 editions of NFPA 13 and
NFPA 15 as the applicable standards. Our informal interpretation is
that except for water-spray systems, NFPA standards do not restrict
the water velocity for sprinklers and the impact of velocity does not
warrant any restriction. Tere are two aspects of hydraulics afected
by water velocity; one is the accuracy of the Hazen-Williams
equation for hydraulic calculations and the other is the impact on
water fow from a sprinkler (or branch line). Te accuracy of
Hazen-Williams was thought to break down at high-water velocities
(such as 32 ft/s). Te Hazen-Williams and Darcy-Weisbach formula
calculations were compared and the fndings were presented in an
article in Sprinkler Age, Pressure Velocity Part I: Defnition
Special Hazard
Situation?
Informal Interpretations Can Help
Complete fabricating services, including threading, grooving, welding, and end of pipe preparation for black or galvanized material.
Available with Viking SupplyNets complete line of fire protection products for a complete, single-source solution for any project.
Accurate, on-time delivery to virtually any location through Viking SupplyNets fleet of delivery vehicles.
Fabricated pipe is clearly and systematically marked, then bundled for easy installation at the job site.
From the smallest project to the largest endeavor,
its the one contact that gets the job done.
Nine Locations Serving the United States
East
147 Lincoln Drive
Hometown, PA 18252
Phone: (570) 668-4686
Fax: (570) 668-4688
vfshometown@supplynet.com
4593 Carolina Avenue
Richmond, VA 23222
Phone: (804) 228-1107
Fax: (804) 228-1556
vfsrichmond@supplynet.com
South
100 Piedmont Court, Suite A
Doraville, GA 30340
Phone: (770) 446-3068
Fax: (770) 446-3713
vfsatlanta@supplynet.com
West
6480 Box Springs Boulevard
Riverside, CA 92507
Phone: (951) 656-3111
Fax: (951) 656-2606
vfsriverside@supplynet.com
625 E. Watkins Street
Phoenix, AZ 85004
Phone: (602) 252-0400
Fax: (602) 252-2134
vfsphoenix@supplynet.com
12360 E. 46th Avenue #400
Denver, CO 80239
Phone: (303) 576-0665
Fax: (303) 576-0611
vfsdenver@supplynet.com
5081 Kelton Way, Suite 100
Sacramento, CA 95838
Phone: (916) 923-1080
Fax: (916) 923-1748
vfssacramento@supplynet.com
Midwest
640 Center Avenue
Carol Stream, IL 60188
Phone: (630) 462-5860
Fax: (630) 871-1898
2353 International Street
Columbus, OH 43228
Phone: (614) 527-5800
Fax: (614) 527-5818
Viking Fabrication Services
www.vikinggroupinc.com
Trusted above all.
TM
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Hydraulic Calculations for NFPA 15, Water Spray Fixed Systems
by Roland J. Huggins, P.E., November 1996. In summary, the
results varied signifcantly by pipe size and material, so no pattern
was detected. Te largest deviation took place with 1-in. Schedule
40 steel pipes, which had a 22 percent variance at 40 ft/s, but in real
numbers presented a diference of only 0.6 psi. In comparison,
4-inch schedule 40 varied only 0.08 psi at 40 ft/s. Te most
important aspect about this is that a fow of 108 gpm is required to
obtain 40 ft/s in 1-in. pipe. Tis is an immense amount of water for
such small pipe, resulting in a friction loss of 2.2 psi/ft. Very few
water supplies can tolerate a 22 psi friction loss in only 10 ft of pipe.
Te bottom line is that in regards to the accuracy of hydraulic
calculations, friction loss alone provides sufcient control on water
velocity. Te second aspect is the impact of velocity on fow from a
sprinkler. Typically, hydraulic calculations use total pressure (P
t
) for
determining fow from a sprinkler. Technically, the fow is a result of
normal pressure (P
n
) that is the total pressure minus velocity
pressure (P
v
). Recently, NFPA 15 changed such that hydraulic
calculations for water spray systems must account for velocity
pressure. Tere is an exception to this requirement; if P
v
does not
exceed fve percent of P
t
, it can be ignored. Te concern is if P
v
is
high, the actual fow from the sprinkler may be inadequate. Tere
have been cases, in water spray systems, where sprinklers near the
riser had virtually no fow. Tis is an issue for some water spray
systems because diferent nozzles and/or orifce sizes are allowed
across a system to balance the fow. Since this practice is not allowed
in NFPA 13 systems, the impact of water velocity is greatly reduced.
It comes down to a balancing act between friction loss (F
L
) and
velocity pressure. Its not uncommon, though, for P
v
to slightly
exceed F
L
for the second head up from the end of a branch line. At
frst glance, this could be perceived as a problem, but it is ofset by
the fact that the overall system demand (for both pressure and fow
rate) based on the P
t
method is higher than that for the P
v
method.
For example, I ran the calculations using both methods for the same
system and found the demands to be: P
t
- 283.8 gpm at 51.0 psi P
v

- 267.5 gpm at 48.2 psi. Te higher overall demand of the P
t
method is generally sufcient to cause the sprinklers identifed as
defcient by the P
v
method to actually exceed the minimum
required density. In closing, there is not a technical reason for
imposing a restriction on velocity so NFPA 13 does not restrict
water velocity.
Subject: Differing Orice Sizes on a Water-Spray
System
QUESTION: Te installation plans were rejected since K-4.2
orifce heads were used along with K-5.6 orifce heads. Is it the
intent to have all the fre sprinkler orifces the same size for a
open head foam system?
ANSWER: In response to your question, we have reviewed the 2007
edition of NFPA 16, Standard for the Installation of Foam-Water
Sprinkler and Foam-Water Spray Systems, as the applicable standard.
Our informal interpretation is that not all sprinkler orifce sizes have
to be constant for this application. Te hydraulic design for
foam-water deluge system refers to NFPA 15, Standard for Water
Spray Fixed Systems for Fire Protection. Section 8.1.1 states Hydrau-
lic calculations shall be conducted as part of the design of the piping
system to determine that the required pressure and fow is available
at each nozzle. Since this application is an open head foam-water
deluge system, all the sprinklers operate. Te system has to be
designed to provide a reasonably uniform foam and water distribu-
tion over the coverage area. When water fows through a piping
network, pressure changes result throughout the system due to
friction, turbulence, and elevation changes. Terefore, the pressures
acting at each sprinkler in the design area can vary, resulting in
diferent fows at each sprinkler. Te uniform foam application is
accomplished by sizing pipes and sprinkler orifces to accomplish
the hydraulic design. Te comment concerning the difering orifce
sizes may have originated from NFPA 13 that generally prohibits
the use of fre sprinklers with difering orifce sizes. Te concern was
that if sprinklers with various orifce sizes are used and if some of
those sprinklers have to be replaced at a future date, a sprinkler with
a difering orifce size might be installed. An example where
difering orifces can be used is if a room is protected with extended
coverage sprinklers that have a nominal K-factor of 8.0. However,
the space under a 3-ft wide soft also needs to be protected. Because
the areas under the softs are so small, the use of a smaller orifce
sprinkler can be used. In summary, the design of the system should
be according to NFPA 16 and 15 standards that permit the use of
difering orifce sizes. n
EDITORS NOTE: As noted in at the beginning of this article, these
interpretations were prepared by AFSAs Technical Services De-
partment in answer to specific questions from contractors and/
or AHJs. These opinions are provided for the benefit of the request-
ing party, and are provided with the understanding that AFSA as-
sumes no liability for the opinions or actions taken on them.
This program is available in all states, except Delaware. Some restrictive
coverage and limits may apply in certain states for residential exposures.
2005 Copyright Construction Insurance Solutions. All Rights Reserved
Are you having difficulty insuring your residential or
commercial operations? Facing coverage reductions?
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Te 27th Annual Convention & Exhibi-
tion of the American Fire Sprinkler
Association (AFSA), AFSA in D.C.: A
Capitol Experience, is almost upon us! Tis
years event will be held October 15-19,
2008, at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel
in Washington, D.C. Tis annual trade-
show boasts the worlds largest gathering of
fre sprinkler professionals, drawing some
1,400 participants from around the globe.
Tis years event features over 30
diferent sessions and countless network
opportunities including an exclusive
private event at the renowned Smithso-
nian Air and Space Museum. Its not too
late to attend North Americas largest
industry show exclusively tailored to the
needs of fre sprinkler contractors of
every size. Registration for the conven-
tion will be available onsite.
D.C. is a vibrant, accessible and world-
class city with everything from inspiring
monuments to monumental arts and
culture, and together with AFSAs
industry-leading show, it promises to be
one trip you wont want to miss! For
details, visit www.fresprinkler.org or call
(214) 349-5965. n
Dont Miss This
Capitol Experience
AFSAs 27th Annual Convention & Exhibition
Opens Soon
Always a great show, this years exhibition is bigger than ever, with a sold-out hall featuring 165 booths.
NCCER has partnered with construct-
Net International (cNI), Phoenix, Ariz.,
to provide online instructional language
resources for the construction industry
to help bridge the language barrier
between employers and employees.
Te frst series titled, Construction
English for the Spanish Speaker, contains
fve courses. Tese courses will cover
basic terminology related to employ-
ment, employability skills, construction,
and safety. Te frst course in this series,
Introduction to Construction English I,
will be available in September. Other
courses in this series are Introduction to
Construction English II, Intermediate
Construction English I and II, and
Advanced Construction English. Tese
courses are expected to be released
throughout 2008 and 2009.
Tis program is designed to improve
communication at work sites between
Spanish-speaking and English-speaking
employees. Whether asking for tools or
clarifying instructions, employees will learn
key phrases and increase vocabulary in an
easy-to-learn online format. Participants can
log in anytime and anywhere there is access
to a computer and the Internet. An
orientation on how to use the computer
and the Internet is also included.
A second series titled, Construction Spanish
for the English Speaker, consists of one
course aimed at foremen, supervisors, crew
leaders, and administration and is
estimated to be available in fall 2008. Te
primary purpose of this course is to ensure
clear communication between all parties
involved to ensure safety at the job site.
Safety and productivity are a priority for
contractors, and the language barrier is a
large factor contributing to construction-
related injuries and
fatalities, says Don
Whyte, NCCER presi-
dent. With the increas-
ing number of Hispanics
entering the industry, we
must do everything we
can to create a safe
working environment on
our job sites.
NCCER has also devel-
oped other Spanish-based
curricula and assessment
resources. Visit www.
nccer.org. n
Online Courses Bridge
Language Barrier
NCCER Partners With cNI
A screenshot from NCCER/cNIs online Construction English for the Spanish
Speaker series.
Tere are a variety of fre protection
systems available today, from traditional
sprinkler and high-pressure water mist
systems to chemical and inert gas clean
agent systems. Inherent in these systems
are particular advantages and limita-
tions, depending upon the hazard
application.
In June of this year, Victaulic launched
the worlds frst hybrid water-based inert
gas system: the Victaulic Vortex Fire
Suppression System. Trough a propri-
etary patented technology, this total
fooding solution combines nitrogen gas
and water to extinguish fres without
damaging property or using toxic agents.
Applications for the system include data
centers, automotive manufacturing,
industrial and power generation facilities.
Less Water, Smaller Droplets Te
engineering team at Victaulic spent
more than four years creating a product
that would conquer the limitations of
fre suppression systems currently on
the market. One objective was to
reduce the required water volume,
while simultaneously maximizing heat
absorption efciency. To achieve this
objective, a new high-velocity atomiza-
tion method was developed, producing
a homogeneous mixture of miniscule
water droplets and nitrogen gas,
propelled with enough energy to
overcome the drag efect which limits
the efectiveness of traditional water
mist systems. Te hybrid water and
nitrogen gas mixture travels at high
velocity to reach the fuel source and
overcome any fre plume resistance.
Figure 1. Victaulic Vortex emitter piping for water and nitrogen.
Victaulic Vortex is First Hybrid
Water-Based Inert Gas System
New Fire Suppression System Unveiled
ANTHONY GEE | Victaulic
Te small droplet size, velocity of the
hybrid mixture and minimal amount of
water dispersed diferentiate the Victau-
lic Vortex system from other technolo-
gies. Traditional sprinklers typically
release greater than 25 gallons of water
per minute per sprinkler, depending on
system design, with droplets generally
greater than 1,000 microns in size.
Te average Victaulic Vortex droplet size
is dramatically smaller at around 10
microns and the amount of water
released per emitter is also much less: as
little as one gallon per minute. Tis
virtually eliminates noticeable wetting of
the protected space, a critical beneft to
minimize property damage.
Supersonic Aerodynamics For the
Victaulic Vortex system piping, the
delivery of water and nitrogen requires
minimal pressure at the Victaulic Vortex
patented emitter. Te emitter has been
developed based upon the aerodynamics
of supersonic aircraft wing design.
Within the emitter, supersonic nitrogen
fow is transformed to subsonic velocity.
Tis produces a series of shock waves which
atomize water injected through the emitter.
Once the water is atomized in the nitrogen
stream, the blended (homogeneous)
mixture is projected from the emitter at
high velocity and at great distances. Each
emitter can cover 2,500ft
3
/70m
3
.
Te nitrogen and water mist function as
complementary extinguishing agents. Te
nitrogen serves as the primary extinguish-
ing agent in small, smoldering fres by
reducing the oxygen level in the enclosure
to where the air remains breathable but
combustion cannot be sustained. In larger
fres, the water mist is more efective as the
extinguishing media, cooling the fre by
Figure 2.Typical single-zone system design. Fully compatible with building detection and security systems.
Figure 3. Typical multi-zone system design. System scalability provides design flexibility and accommodates
changes in hazard protection needs.
What is YOUR Business
Doing To Be As Competitive
As It Can Be?
Fire protection contractors
may not realize the impact that
changes in regulations and
technology have on
their bottomline.
INCREASE REVENUE
Contractors who have trained
their employees on the latest
technology can often leverage
that skill to be more competitive
in the bid process.
DECREASE COSTS
Those contractors often see a
jump in accurate designed and
quality of work, resulting in
fewer change orders or rework.
Tyco now offers 2 & 3 day fire
protection training seminars
with CEU credit in Cranston, RI.
TRAINING
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www.tyco-fire.com
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TOPICS INCLUDE:
Changes in Technology
Hands On Experience
Live Demos
Industry Direction
heat absorption and reducing available
oxygen at the fre by generating steam as
the droplets evaporate.
Agency fre testing was conducted in large
rooms (up to 125,000 ft
3
) with 8 ft x 8 ft
doors open allowing airfow and leakage of
agent from the room. Te results demon-
strated successful fre extinguishment
scalability to enclosures larger than any tests
previously conducted at Factory Mutual.
Additionally, the Victaulic Vortex Fire
Suppression System has demonstrated
the capability of extinguishing all fre
scenarios of NFPA 750 and NFPA 2001
even though this hybrid fre suppression
system is neither a pure water mist
system nor a clean agent system.
Sustainable and 90 Times More
Effective Since the Victaulic Vortex
system only deploys water and non-toxic
Nitrogen, system activation is immediate
upon detection of a fre hazard without
concern for exposing human occupants of
the space to any health danger from the
fre suppression system. Te system is
designed to make sure there is always
sufcient breathable oxygen in the
protected space while reducing it to a level
where the fre will extinguish. Addition-
ally, the large number of small droplets
produced by the Victaulic Vortex system
creates a heat-absorbing water droplet
surface area 90 times that of a standard
sprinkler system, providing signifcantly
higher heat absorption efciency.
Te Victaulic Vortex system has been
recognized by the EPA as a non-toxic
replacement for Halon 1301 in total
fooding applications.
Simple Design and Maintenance
Victaulic Vortex system design is modular
and straight-forward, based upon the
calculation of cubic feet/cubic meters per
hazard. Actual placement of emitters and
piping is fexible and single or multi-zone
layouts are possible.
Te system operates on a potable or
distilled water supply, as well as local
sources of Nitrogen. In environments
where electrical hazards are present,
de-ionized water may be used. System
maintenance is less than other technologies
currently available as the system can be
tested without water discharge, minimizing
the disturbance of the protected environ-
ment. Savings is also seen in the rapid reset
of the system after discharge, minimizing
facility downtime. Te low impact of
installation and system features make the
Victaulic Vortex an extremely cost-efective
fre suppression system option for new
construction and retroftting.
Minimal Wetting, Reduced Water
Damage Minimal wetting of the
protected space is an important beneft,
particularly in spaces housing electronic
equipment, such as data centers or
irreplaceable works like museums or
libraries. After system discharge, residual
moisture is barely detectible. Te reduced
amount of water discharged in such fne
particles creates a dew-like residue, as
compared to the hundreds of gallons of
water typically dispersed by sprinklers or
high-pressure mist systems.
Scalability Te Victaulic Vortex system
ofers scalable design, allowing for single or
multiple zones of hazard coverage and
integration with other facility systems such
as hazard detection and security. Tis
minimizes retroft impact and allows the
system to adapt to changes in space layout
and coverage requirements.
Te Victaulic Vortex Fire Suppression
System, built upon more than 80 years of
Victaulic innovation and product
development, provides the best capabili-
ties of both water mist and inert gas
systems. Te ease of design, minimal
wetting, and fre suppression features give
the Victaulic Vortex system numerous
advantages over existing systems. Visit
www.victaulicvortex.com. n
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Anthony Gee is product
manager, Vortex for Victaulic. He has 24 years
experience in special hazards fire protection
system design, engineering, project manage-
ment, business development and marketing.
Gee has a Bachelors degree in mechanical en-
gineering. He has a diverse project background
in various vertical markets, including projects
such as the Canadian Hibernia Production
Platform, European Eurotunnel Channel Tunnel
Shuttle Trains and Locomotive Fire & Gas De-
tection and Suppression Systems, and the U.S.
Navy Arleighe Burke Guided Missile Destroyer
Program Fire Alarm Systems.
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Luckily, only a damp closet is all that
remains from a fre that spontaneously
combusted inside Nampa Christian
High Schools brand-new gymnasium
Saturday, August 2. Te fre sprinklers
that Greg Patricks company, AFSA
contractor member Treasure Valley Fire
Protection, Inc., installed in the building
activated, extinguishing the fre, in
efect, saving the schoolhouse.
Te good news and the blessing was the
sprinkler system caught it as it was
supposed to, Principal Kevin Rex told
Boise, Idaho television station KIVI.
Te small fre that started in the new
schools unfnished gymnasium at 4:09
p.m., investigators believe, was caused by
the spontaneous combustion of leftover
nitro work gloves and mineral spirits
stored in a plastic bag inside a closet at
the far end of the gym.
With the nitro gloves and the mineral
spirits being the main culprit, they reacted
together and started the bag of debris on
fre, which smoldered for some time,
Nampa, Idaho Battalion Chief Larry
Richardson told the Idaho Press-Tribune.
A crew fnishing the gym foor uninten-
tionally left behind the bag flled with
chemicals. Tose chemicals reacted and
ignited some sawdust, triggering an
automatic alarm. Te sawdust in the
bag was likely smoldering for some time
before it developed enough heat to
provoke the sprinkler system, said
Richardson in an interview with
Channel 6 News. Te damage is pretty
limited fre-wise.
Te Nampa Fire Department respond-
ed to an automatic alarm about 4:10
p.m. and arrived on the scene within
minutes. By the time they went inside,
the sprinkler system had already doused
the fames, leaving the crews to merely
open doors to rid the gym and hallways
of smoke.
Rex told reporters the fre would not
afect classes when students return to
school. He credits that to the sprinklers
that reacted when no one was around.
Rex told KIVI, We learned a lot from
the Middleton fre, in terms of how to
prepare and have the building ready. I
dont think well miss a beat. Well hop
back on it.
Damages should be less than $20,000
from water under the gym foor and
some smoke that flled the building,
according to Rex.
[Te fre service] also did an excellent
job of making sure that the news
media reported the story correctly,
Patrick said, promptly adding, Its
another overwhelming fre sprinkler
success story. n
EDITOR'S NOTE: Thanks to Greg Patrick for
sending us this success story. Sprinkler Age
welcomes any submissions for publication
consideration. Stories may be emailed to Edi-
tor DArcy Montalvo at dmontalvo@firesprin-
kler.org, faxed to (214) 343-8898 or mailed
to Sprinkler Age Magazine, AFSA, 12750
Merit Drive, Suite 350, Dallas, Texas 75251.
Sprinklers Squelch
School Fire
Success Story From Nampa, Idaho
2007
Sway Brace Calculation
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Sway Brace Products and Hangers that Help
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Te American Fire Sprinkler Association
(AFSA) will present a 90-minute virtual
seminar on Step-by-Step Approach to
Seismic Bracing, on October 30, 2008 at
12:00 p.m. EDT, 11:00 a.m. CDT, 10:00
a.m. MDT, and 9:00 a.m. PDT.
As a result of the adoption of the IBC and
its reliance on the requirements in the
ASCE7-05 manual, seismic bracing of
sprinkler systems now require more
supporting documentation than ever
before. Tis seminar will take a systematic
approach on both obtaining and applying
the necessary information.
Kenneth W. Wagoner, S.E.T., is the
speaker for this seminar. He is a 1977
graduate of Bethany College (Kan.), owns
and operates Parsley Consulting, Escon-
dido, Calif. He holds a NICET level IV
certifcation in Automatic Fire Sprinkler
System Layout, and other certifcations in
Fire Alarms, Inspection and Testing, and
Special Hazards. He is an NFPA Certifed
Fire Plan Examiner. He is a member of the
NFPA 13 Hanging and Bracing Technical
Subcommittee, AFSA, NFPA, and the San
Diego Fire Protection Association.
Wagoner is a frequent seminar presenter
on various topics for AFSA and the Center
for Life Safety Education (CLSE).
How does a virtual seminar work?
Connect via an 800 number. Many people
can listen in a single ofce for the price of
one. You can ask questions from wherever
you are. (Touchtone phone required.) Tis
feature is very much like participating in a
talk radio program. You will receive the
PDF slide presentation days before the
seminar. You can also print the PDF fle
presentation and make as many copies as
you need for note taking.
Registration Information Registration
forms can be found online at www.krm.
com/afsa/. Te event ID is 14089. Te
connection cost is $90 for AFSA members
and $130 for non-members. If any listeners
at your site need CEU/CPD credit, the
processing fee is an additional $40 per
person. For further details or questions, call
(214) 349-5965 ext. 118. n
A Step-by-Step Approach
to Seismic Bracing
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On August 14, 2008 President George W.
Bush signed into law H.R. 4137, the
Higher Education Opportunity Act. Te
Campus Fire Safety Right-to-Know Act
was included as part of this pivotal piece of
legislation aimed at improving fre safety
on college campuses across the nation.
Te Campus Fire Safety Right-to-Know
Act was originally introduced in the
House by Congressman Bill Pascrell, Jr.
(NJ-8) and in the Senate by Senator
Frank Lautenberg (NJ).
Te provision will require colleges and
universities to provide students with
information on fre safety on campus,
including the number of fres and their
causes, the number of injuries and
deaths related to fres, and the amount
of property damage related to fre. Te
legislation also requires the institutions
to report on fre safety systems, the
number of regular fre drills, fre
prevention and education policies, and
any future fre safety activities and plans.
According to Campus Firewatch (www.
campus-frewatch.com), the Campus
Fire Safety Right-to-Know legislation
was frst introduced in 2001 and has
been under consideration in every
session of Congress since then.
In a prepared statement, Congressman
Pascrell said, I would also like to
recognize the dedication of Campus
Firewatch and the Center for Campus
Fire Safety over the last eight years to
help provide information, advocate our
cause and organize the support Senator
Lautenberg and I needed to move this
legislation through Congress.
To assist in writing the regulations for
this landmark legislation, Campus
Firewatch has initiated a collaborative
project where anyone can contribute to
recommendations on the regulations.
For more information visit Campus
Firewatchs Web site at www.campus-
frewatch.com/. n
President Signs Campus Fire
Safety Right-to-Know Act
College and Universities Required to Provide Fire Safety
Information to Students
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Its been seven months in the making, but
on July 17, 2008, Joe Harrison, president of
the AFSA Carolinas Chapter, presented a
fre sprinkler equipment training trailer on
behalf of the chapter to Chris Langham,
program coordinator for Fire Protection
Technology at Forsyth Tech Community
College in Winston-Salem, N.C.
[Forsyth Tech] had seen our demonstra-
tion trailer and really liked the idea, reports
Joe Hankins, chapter executive director.
Tey contacted us about how to build it
and weve been working on it since about
the frst of the year.
With the goal of expanding its depart-
ment by educating more up-and-coming
fre professionals about such fre sprinkler
systems, Langham turned to the AFSA
Carolinas Chapter for help after seeing
the chapters own trailer in action.
Because he liked the chapters trailer so
much, Langham asked the chapter to
model Forsyth Techs new training trailer
after the chapters own.
When I was applying for this, I gave the
analogy of a mechanic going through a
program and never getting under the
hood of a vehicle. It just doesnt make
sense, says Langham. I wanted to give
students the opportunity to see how they
work and put their hands on the systems.
Tis [trailer] gives students this hands-on
learning experience.
With an approved budget from the college
of only $20,000 for the trailer, Langham
and the chapter had their work cut out for
them. According to Langham, I contacted
[Joe Harrison] and told him what Im
looking for and that I only had so much
money to do it. He graciously agreed to
help, saying that it would cost more than
$10,000, but hed make it happen.
Te empty trailer, which was purchased by
Carolinas Chapter
Donates Trailer
to Local College
Students Receive Hands-On TrainingThis Fall
Joe Harrison, president of the Carolinas Chapter of AFSA (left) presents a sprinkler equipment training trailer
to Chris Langham, program coordinator for Fire Protection Technology at Forsyth Tech Community College in
Winston-Salem, N.C.
Forsyth Tech for $10,000, was outtted
with four dierent system risers, which were
generously donated and installed by chapter
members. Langham recalls, When it was
delivered, I remember thinking it was more
than we expected. It was nicely designed
and functional. I handed him the P.O. and
told him Id get them paid as soon as
possible, but he handed it back. He said he
spoke with the rest of the members and
they wanted to make this a donation.
Te portable training facility worth in
excess of $35,000, estimates Langham is
equipped with a backow preventer, a
shotgun wet riser, a wet riser with an alarm
check valve, a dry system riser, a deluge
system riser, and an air compressor for the
dry and deluge systems. It also has tamper
alarms for the control valves installed on
each riser and waterow alarms.
Te donated trailer will be used to educate
Forsyth Techs re protection technology
The empty trailer, which was purchased by Forsyth
Tech, was outfitted with four different system risers.
All of the equipment in the trailer was donated by
Carolinas Chapter supplier members.
students about re sprinkler technology
and how it operates, starting this fall.
Additionally with its portable nature, it can
be delivered to various sites and used by
instructors, says Langham, as a mobile
training prop for reghters from over 40
dierent departments spanning two
counties, as they complete the required
Sprinklers and Auto Alarms coursework
as part of their state certication.
High Point Sprinkler and the AFSA
Carolinas Chapter were great in this
process, comments Langham. Tis was a
very unexpected and gracious surprise that
we received, and we are so thankful to
everyone who contributed. Tis is a
product that will serve the community for
years to come.
All of the equipment was donated by
Carolinas Chapter supplier members: Beco
Inc., Febco SPC Marketing, Ferguson
Fire & Fabricators, General Air Supply,
HD Supply, Leonhardt Pipe and Supply,
NIBCO, Potter Roemer, Te Reliable
Automatic Sprinkler Company, System
Sensor, Tyco Fire & Building Products, and
Victaulic. Te labor was donated by High
Point Sprinkler Company, High Point,
N.C. For details, email Hankins at joe_
hankins@lexcominc.net. n
NFPA 13 identifes a pipe clamp as a hanger component per section
A.9.1.1. Using a pipe clamp as a sway brace ftting violates NFPA
13. Chapter 9 specifes the use of listed sway brace fttings in sway
brace assemblies. Accordingly, lateral and longitudinal sway brace
assemblies are composed of listed components whose geometry and
ability is unique to their orientation and function. Any indication
to apply pipe clamps in sway brace assemblies is improper and in
violation of NFPA 13.
Pipe clamps are listed per UL 203 to support hanger loads in
tension in conformance to NFPA 13. Sway brace fttings are listed
per UL Sub 203A to resist seismic loads in tension and compression
in conformance to NFPA 13. Tis article will explain the impor-
tance of the structural ability of the fastener fange of a listed clamp
type sway brace ftting, henceforth called ears.
Longitudinal sway brace fttings may look similar to pipe clamps.
In spite of some basic similarities, longitudinal sway brace fttings
are structurally and functionally diferent. Teir UL Sub 203A
Pipe Clamps Are Not Sway Brace
Components
Read and Follow Listings Very Carefully
KRAIG KIRSCHNER | AFCON
listing specifes assembly as part of a longitudinal sway brace in
conformance to NFPA 13. Further, UL Sub 203A requires
alignment of the ftting to resist seismic force parallel through the
fttings ears when oriented on edge, as shown in drawing A. Te
ears are structurally stronger and more able to resist force applied
against their edge than against their fat, as shown in drawing B.
In my opinion, lateral sway brace fttings should not look similar to
pipe clamps for two reasons. Practically, it is very problematic to
achieve the required structural rigidity of the pipe clamp ears when
seismic force is applied against them on the fat, as shown in
drawing B. In this orientation the ears are much weaker and
therefore more susceptible to bending. Further an extra listed
ftting is required to transition the attachment of the ear to the pipe
component of the sway brace assembly. Current listed attachment
fttings also lack required structural rigidity in this orientation. At
this time, the one and only product that looks similar to a pipe
clamp is being reevaluated by UL to determine if its listing will be
retained or rescinded.
In closing, ignore anyone who advises using pipe clamps as
components in sway brace assemblies. NFPA 13 Chapter 9 is very
specifc about the use, features and characteristics necessary of listed
fttings used in sway brace assemblies. Read listings, watch out for
misinformation, and be very careful to avoid misapplication of both
pipe clamps and longitudinal sway brace fttings as outlined in the
above text. n
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Kraig Kirschner is president and CEO of
AFCON. He is a principal committee member on NFPA 13 Hanging and
Bracing and he serves on the Underwriters Laboratories Standards Tech-
nical Panel for UL 203 and UL 203A. He also holds 20 patents for sway
brace and pipe hanger products. Being a third generation fire sprinkler
contractor, he has held licenses in eight states. EDITORS NOTE: As a
member of the NFPA Technical Committee on Hanging and Bracing, the
following disclaimer applies. The information included in this article is not
a Formal Interpretation issued pursuant to NFPA Regulations. Any opinion
expressed, is the personal opinion of the author and does not necessar-
ily represent the official position of the NFPA Technical Committees.
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Tere was once a beer commercial that
used to talk about a mysterious group
of little people called the Artesians. Te
name was a take of on the beer
companys use of Artesian wells that
supposedly consisted of the purest of
well waters. As I recall the commercial,
the location was in Tumwater, Wash.
and the commercial always talked
about the fact that no one ever saw the
Artesians but that their work was
embedded in the quality of their brew.
I have a little surprise for you. You have
a group of people in your town who are
like those Artesians. You may not even
know where they are, but they are there
none the less. Tey are called Ucale-
gons. In the past you have met many
of them but didnt know what they
were called. You merely called them
fre victims. You might wonder, what
is the diference?
Te answer is found in the depths of
etymology. Etymology is the study of
the origins of words. Ucalegon was one
of the elders of Troy, whose house was
set on fre by the Achaeans when they
sacked the city. If you have read the
Iliad or the classic Aeneid, you will fnd
references to his name. He was a very
close friend to Priam, who was the
King of Troy. For many years, the word
Ucalegon was a noun that meant a
neighbor whose house was on fre or
had burned down. Apparently, it was
possible to be a fre victim over 2,000
years ago, and receive sympathy from
others. So it would appear that nothing
has really changed.
Or has it? Te prospect of a persons
home burning to the ground today is
far less than it ever has been in the
history of the human race. While
structure fres still occur, they tend to
be further between than they used to
be, and the average ignition does not
always result in the total destruction of
a building. Tere are many reasons for
this phenomenon. Among these is the
advance of modern building technol-
ogy, the widespread adoption of smoke
detection and residential sprinklers.
Lastly, there is the role of public
education and information that has
resulted in the average person being
more aware of the possibility of fre
than ever before.
We cannot rest on our laurels. For the
Ucalegons are still among us. I was
reminded of this over the last two
weeks while viewing television news
shows regarding the loss of homes to
urban wildland interface fres and by
reading newspaper accounts of multiple
alarm fres resulting in the deaths of
entire families in older non-conforming
multi-family residences. Today, the
person who is likely to sufer a major
fre loss is an interesting study in
contradiction. Te individuals who lost
their home to interface fre are more
likely to be very wealthy and/or at least
above average in income and personal
wealth. Te person who is most likely
to die in an apartment house fre is the
opposite end of the spectrum. Tey are
more likely to be lower income and
exist in living conditions that are highly
undesirable.
In reality, the middle class in America
is probably the safest from fre as
anyone. Tat doesnt mean they dont
experience fres, but the middle class, as
defned by economic factors, is sort of
like the center of a bell curve of
protection. A signifcant number of the
middle class lives in newer housing
stock and is a benefciary of the last 30
years of technological development.
I pose the question: Where are your
Ucalegons? Tis is to provoke your
consideration of how you are approach-
ing the process of both code enforce-
ment and public education and
information. If you are a fre chief or
fre marshal, your personal perspective
on that question is a lot more impor-
tant than it might seem. Te fre and
building codes that we have today are
on an order of magnitude more
sophisticated than they were 30 years
ago. I can recall when the fre code was
about the size of a small textbook. I
remember when the building code was
of a similar size. Today, both of these
documents have expanded to be about
the size of a notebook. Tese docu-
ments accompanied by appendices and
other supporting documents, create a
library of solutions to make the new
occupancy the safest that it can be.
So, I am not talking about code
enforcement per se. What I am in
reference to is how we use those codes
to improve the overall nature of our
community fre problem. What I am
talking about is dealing with the
non-compliant aspects of our commu-
nity and targeting specifc audiences to
reduce the possibility of fre loss.
How much time do you spend in
reviewing the NFIRS data for your
jurisdiction? Most everybody today is
experiencing a shift in demand upon
Where Are Your Ucalegons?
BY RONNY J. COLEMAN
AHJ PERSPECTIVE
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their services that is primarily based
on emergency medical services. As I
look at different departments I see a
response rate ranging from 70 to as
high as 90 percent of the calls being
devoted to this type of service
demand. Fires can easily be lost in
the midst of that kind of statistical
static. The question I am posing to
you is whether or not you are actually
looking at your communitys fire
record, regardless of whether that
number is small or large. The empha-
sis here is on the process of examin-
ing fires to see if there are trends and
patterns that are likely to be repeated
in the following year. To give you
another visual image, you might
recall the admonition that lightning
never strikes in the same place twice.
But, it often strikes in the same
vicinity. One of the reasons that
might occur is that there could be
some specific factor that is attracting
the discharge of electricity from the
clouds to the ground. A tall tree or
some other attraction might result in
lightning strikes tattooing the area.
The same thing might be said about
structure fires. It is true that fire
seldom strikes the same place twice.
When it does occur, this is usually a
ground for suspicion.
The operations division often
intuitively knows what neighbor-
hoods are the most fire prone. Some
times the fire prevention bureaus are
not heeding the warnings coming
from this information.
Going back to the beginning of this
article, I mentioned that there are
demographic factors that tend to
repeat themselves in the fire world.
People who live in urban wildland
interface areas, whether they are rich
or poor, are likely to be victims of
wildland fire. People who live in
poverty or near poverty conditions
are much more likely to have a fire
and are more likely to suffer loss than
any other economic subgroup.
My interest in this topic came from
working with a fire department that
was paying attention to these factors.
At the end of one of their calendar
years, a review process was conducted
on structural fires and it was deter-
mined that a significant number had
occurred. Moreover, the structural
fires all tended to be kitchen fires and
the neighborhood had a specific
cultural background. This depart-
ment took action based on that
information and targeted the neigh-
borhood with a blitz attack that
resulted in the following years
statistics being drastically reduced.
As I read re protection publications, I
am often dismayed at the pride that we
seem to take about being the busiest
companies. Te reason I am dismayed
is that I actually understand the
phenomenon but I dont understand the
rationale. By understanding the phe-
nomenon, I will admit that when I was
an active reghter I loved going on
working calls like everyone else. When
is morale the highest in a rehouse?
When there is a lot of action. However,
we exist to save lives and property, not
to oer it up as a sacrice to our morale.
Tat is illogical.
Merely looking at the raw numbers of
our response workload is not managing
the problem. Fire marshals should be
focused on why things are occurring.
Tat level of analysis should be the
function of all re prevention bureaus. We
should be the leading experts on where
our structural re incidents are disturbed
and/or concentrated in the community. In
the GIS world, that term is called hot
spotting. Hot spotting is nothing more
than linking incidents up to other
incidents within a certain distance radius
and forming some conclusions about the
characteristics of that area that may be
causing the problems.
Part of the management strategy of a
fire prevention bureau should be
looking at all structural fires on an
annual basis. The more uniform the
distribution of structural fires, the
more likely that there is a degree of
randomness of the events. But, if the
experience demonstrates that some
demand zones have more fires than
others, it is time to drill down.
It is interesting to me that many
operations divisions have already
accomplished this when viewing EMS
calls. For example, the location of
residential care facilities for the
elderly, often results in a tremendous
amount of concentration of EMS
calls. Depending upon the nature of
the working relationship with that
business and with the ambulance
authority, that may or may not be a
problem. Some departments have
coined the term frequent flyers.
This is a pejorative term for locations
where demand is on the verge of
being unreasonable.
Trend analysis is a very important
part of risk mitigation. Because we
are paying so much attention to the
EMS problem, we may be missing the
point with our fire problem. If there
is a particular area in which a particu-
lar type of call occurs over and over
again it should be a targeted area. It
should be the target for such things
as public education programs,
targeted enforcement programs and
maybe even surveillance and one-on-
one contact.
When you look at fre problems, this
kind of trend analysis may be a part of
the overall strategy to introduce
mitigation practices. If there is a
particular area in which a particular
type of call occurs over and over again,
that should become the loci of future
consideration for mitigation strategy.
Tat would include but not necessarily
be limited to such things as public
education programs, targeted enforce-
ment programs even surveillance and
interviewing processes.
Over time this lightning strike
phenomenon can be either reduced or
at least more thoroughly understood.
If it cannot be reduced, there is a
possibility that the operations
division in the fire department needs
to be considering additional resourc-
es. This begins to play into such
things as unit utilization and the
need to have secondary equipment.
Or, it can be reduced if they require
the department enact memorandums
of agreement for other entities to
reduce reliance on the emergency
services division for events that are
essentially non-emergency.
In essence what we are saying is that
if you have got lightning strikes that
start to concentrate you ought to be
putting up a lightning rod.
This metaphor applies to the fact that
you are unlikely to be able to prevent
lightning from being discharged but
you certainly can minimize its impact
on the ground. Workload analysis
that is based upon frequency, distri-
bution and concentration of levels of
activity is a logical extension of
understanding the risk assessment in
a community. This particular tech-
nique does not necessarily mean that
you give up the more structured
approach to inspecting occupancies
in accordance with other policies and
procedures. In other columns we have
talked about the fact that there is a
function of graceful degradation that
sits in place of almost all occupancies
that once you inspect the building
the minute you walk out the door it
begins to deteriorate.
I would carry that so far as to say that
once you have compliance that
graceful degradation begins to occur
shortly after that also. The reason for
using this particular technique in
conjunction with linear planning for
code enforcement is the very idea that
you may have some parts of your
town in which conditions have not
been brought into compliance and
they need to be targeted and reduced
to an absolute minimum if you wish
to keep the remainder of your
workload totally under control. n
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Ronny J. Coleman
is president of the Fire and Emergency
Television Network (FETN). He is the
former California State Fire Marshal, past
president of IAFC, and currently serves as
chairman of Board of Trustees for the Com-
mission on Fire Accreditation, International
and the NFPA Committee on Fire Protec-
tion in the Motion Picture and Television
Industry. Coleman was honored as AFSAs
1989 Henry S. Parmelee Award recipient.
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Arizona The Arizona Chapter of AFSA gath-
ered at the Phoenix Fire Department Admin-
istration Building August 28 and 29, 2008
for Steven J. Scandaliatos designer train-
ing course.
The two-day training honed in on NFPA
13, 2007 edition. The course paid special at-
tention to Chapter 8 of NFPA 13, 2007 edi-
tion, which contains the majority of the rules
and requirements for providing proper cover-
age. The seminar focused in on these gray ar-
eas, spacing and obstruction sections as well
as other important sections of chapter 8. In
depth discussions including several real life
situations as well as actual designs and solu-
tions were also used. Class participation was
great. For more information, contact Becky
Grantham at BECKYGAFSA@aol.com.
Louisiana The AFSA Louisiana Chapter host-
ed a training class August 14 at the Caddo
Parish Fire District #1, Station #1 in Shreve-
port, La. Led by Rudy Blackburn and Armond
Lombas from licensing section of the State
Fire Marshals Office, the day-long course
was aimed at teaching the proper tagging
rules and regulations. For more information,
contact the chapters new Executive Director
Ronald Bayless at trainingmatters@gmail.com
or (225) 572-4909.
Mid-Atlantic Members of the AFSA Mid-At-
lantic Chapter were among the first to see Ty-
cos brand new FireXchange Trailer at their
monthly meeting held at Tycos Lansdale, Pa.
Headquarters August 14, 2008.
AFSA members joined together to tour
the trailer, which features both water-based
and chemical-based suppression systems
and includes Wet Pipe, Dry Pipe, Preaction,
and Deluge Systems. In addition, the FireX-
change trailer features Foam Systems, SAP-
PHIRE
Suppression Systems, the AQUA-

SONIC Water-Atomizing Technology,
Clean Agent, and Hood Systems, but what
most impressed attendees were the trail-
ers video screens that simulate an actu-
al system installation! As an added bonus,
members also were given a tour of Sprink-
CAD in Tycos Computer Lab. Reps were on
hand to guide viewers through the program
throughout the afternoon.
Virginia The AFSA Virginia Chapter held its
September meeting September 9, 2008 at
Wyndham Hotel in Richmond, Va. Follow-
ing the baked Italian lasagna lunch was AFSA
Manager of Member and Chapter Relations
Jeff Livaudais. He presented on the Value
of Being a Member of AFSA. Afterwards, a
representative from Victaulic informed every-
one about some of their new products. The
chapters next meeting will be November 11.
Visit www.afsavirginia.com or contact How-
ard Summers at hhsummers@cox.net or (757)
486-3103. n
CHAPTER NEWS
BAFSA Ten teams representing fire sprin-
kler industry installers and suppliers com-
peted June 19, 2008 for the British Auto-
matic Fire Sprinkler Associations (BAFSA)
8th Annual Singles Stableford 4 Ball Golf
Competition and Team Trophy at Shrigley
Hall Golf and Country Club in Nr. Maccles-
field, England.
Four sprinkler installers teams from
Pendle, Hall Fire Protection, Armstrong
Priestley and Tyco; and six sprinkler prod-
uct manufacturers/suppliers teams from
Shawston, Armstrong Integrated Systems,
Harris Pipework, Pipe Centre, Crane and
Rapidrop, competed for the prestigious
BAFSA team trophy.
But in the end, the team trophy was
won by Pendle (winners in 2006) with a
score of 117 points, with last years win-
ning team, Armstrong Priestley, coming
in second, Hall Fire Protection finished a
close third and rounding out the top four
was the team from Tyco.
Paul Beardow, with Shawston won the
singles competition with a score of 37
(playing off a handicap of 23). Second place
in the individual comp went to P. Berry,
Tyco; G. Greenhaulgh, Pendle, took third,
and Jason Teal, Hall Fire, placed fourth.
BAFSA would like to thank its sponsors
Viking, Tubetrade. Ashworths. GE Risk, Nu-
form, Harris Pipework, Armstrong Integrat-
ed Systems, Pipe Centre, Crane, and Hall
Fire Protection for their kind support.
The camaraderie, team spirit and friend-
liness, clearly evident at this highly suc-
cessful golf day, is mirrored by the wider
BAFSA membership. Please make a note of
next years date, which is Thursday, June
18, 2009 at Shrigley Hall. For more informa-
tion visit www.bafsa.org.uk/.
GFSA Georgia Fire Sprinkler Association
(GFSA) met for a working lunch August 12,
2008, at Chequers Seafood Grill in Atlan-
ta, Ga. The program featured Harry Stumpf,
Senior Coordinator with the Georgia De-
partment of Veterans Service. He talked
about the GI Bills On the Job Training pro-
gram. Only about one-third of eligible vet-
erans ever use their GI Bill benefits be-
cause they think they can only use them
at college. Almost every veteran gets a job
upon leaving the service, but they dont
know they can get their GI Bill money while
learning a new job. When your growing
percentage of apprentices includes veter-
ans, the sprinkler contractors would ben-
efit by informing their new employees (the
veterans) about a benefit of which they are
probably unaware. The employer benefits
because getting an extra check will inhib-
it the veteran from quitting his job. Reten-
tion reduces the employers costs. He also
provided details that veterans usually make
better than average employees, and told
the sprinkler contractors where they can
recruit them.
Members were also reminded of the
Bob McCullough Memorial Tournament Oc-
tober 13, 2008, and the Life, Fire & Safe-
ty Awards Luncheon on October 23, 2008.
For details visit www.georgiafiresprinkler.
org or contact Bobby McCullough at bob-
by@atlantasprinkler.com or (678) 730-4312.
OFSA The Oklahoma Fire Sprinkler Asso-
ciation met August 21, 2008 at the Best
Western in Stroud, Okla. Following the
lunch buffet, the group got down to busi-
ness discussing the state testing of fire
sprinkler inspectors. Reps from the Okla-
homa City and Tulsa-areas gave those in
attendance an activities update in their re-
spective areas. Any question or concerns,
please contact Tim McCoy via email at
wasco@coxinet. n
ASSOCIATION NEWS
New SprinklerAge Weekly NewsBrief AFSA
has partnered with MultiBriefs to create the
new SprinklerAge Weekly NewsBrief, a free,
opt-in email resource providing comprehen-
sive weekly news briefings of the weeks
top industry stories. Beginning Wednesday,
July 30, SprinklerAge Weekly NewsBrief re-
placed the AFSAs former eNewsletter, Sprin-
klerNEWS. You need not be a member of
AFSA to subscribe. Anyone interested in fire
sprinklers and the fire sprinkler industry is in-
vited to subscribe at http://multibriefs.com/op-
tin.php?afsa/.
Dont Miss the Industrys Largest Conven-
tion & Exhibition AFSAs 27th Annual Con-
vention & Exhibition will take place October
15-19 in Washington, D.C., at the Wardman
Park Marriott. Registrations have been steadi-
ly pouring in, and it looks like North Americas
largest fire sprinkler industry show is set for
another stellar year. Pre-registration for this
exciting event is now over, but dont despair,
onsite registration will be available. For more
information, visit AFSA Conventions page at
www.firesprinkler.org/convention/index.htm/.
Fire Service and AHJs Attend for Free
AFSA and The Center for Life Safety Educa-
tion invites Authorities Having Jurisdiction
to join their experts for a day of free train-
ing specifically tailored to the needs of fire
service personnel. Two sessions will be of-
fered Friday, October 17 and offer up to six
CEUs for participants.
The first session Fire Sprinkler Plan Re-
view for the Fire Service Professional pre-
sented by Kenneth W. Wagoner, S.E.T., will
start at 7:00 a.m. and continue through 11:00
a.m. After a short lunch break, the two-hour
session Why Sprinklers? Why Ordinances?
Why Now? presented by Roy Marshal will
begin at noon (12:00 p.m.) and wrap up at
2:00 p.m.
Afterwards, guests are invited to explore
the latest products and technology from
roughly 120 companies at nations largest
fire sprinkler exhibition at AFSAs 27th Annu-
al Convention held at the Wardman Park Mar-
riott in Washington, D.C. Applicants are en-
couraged to pre-register for this free training
event. To register, visit the convention page
at www.firesprinkler.org to download a regis-
tration form. Questions? Call Leslie Joplin at
(214) 349-5965 ext. 130.
Changes to NFPA 13 Seminar This Winter
NFPA 13 has just completed the revisions for
the next edition of the standard. This seminar,
presented by AFSA, will detail the significant
changes to the standard as a result of the com-
mittee action. The 90-minute virtual seminar will
be held Thursday, December 18, 2008 at 12:00
p.m. Eastern, 11:00 a.m. Central, 10:00 a.m.
Mountain, 9:00 a.m. Pacific.
This seminar will be lead by James Lake,
senior fire protection specialist at NFPA, who
has over 20 years experience in fire protec-
tion including code enforcement, fire sprinkler
industry representation, and codes and stan-
dards administration. For more information or
to register, visit http://www.krm.com/afsa or
call 1-800-775-7654. The event ID is 14090.
New Residential Fire Sprinkler System
Installation Training Guide Released AFSA
announces the re-
lease of its new fire
sprinkler fitter corre-
spondence training
program Residen-
tial Fire Sprinkler Sys-
tem Installation. This
new correspondence
course teaches installers the techniques for
residential fire sprinkler system installation
according to NFPA13D, Standard for the In-
stallation of Sprinkler Systems in One- and
Two-Family Dwellings and Manufactured
Homes. Order your copy direct from the
AFSA Store online at http://www.firesprin-
kler.org/store.html, or for more information,
call (214) 349-5965. n
AFSA NEWS
Calendar
September
30
AFSA Virtual Seminar Multi-
purpose Sprinkler Systems and the
Fire Sprinkler Contractor
Anywhere via Phone Connection
October
15-19
AFSA Convention & Exhibition
Washington, D.C.
30
AFSA Virtual Seminar Step-by-
Step Approach to Seismic Bracing
November
3 - 14
AFSA Beginning Fire Sprinkler
System Planning School
Dallas, Texas
10-14
Carolinas Chapter Seminar Series
Greensboro, N.C.
December
18
AFSA Virtual Seminar
NFPA 13 Update
Seminars subject to change. Call (214) 349-
5965 to confirm locations and times.
The following is a list of new members that have joined as of August 11, 2008.
Region 1
Contractor
Angel City Fire Protection
David Gosselin
Van Nuys, CA
Region 2
Contractor
ABC Fire Control, Inc.
Vince Leaden
Yakima, WA
Ball Fire Protection
Sharon Ball
No Salt Lake City, UT
Quality Fire Protection, Inc.
Nate Klatt
Denver, CO
Designer
Fire Sprinkler Designs
Thomas Frechette
Whitefish, MT
Region 3
Associate
C B Partners, Inc.
Gregory Coggiano
Canton, OH
Preferred Tank & Tower, Inc.
Herman Johnston
Evansville, IN
Tank Connection Afliate Group
Bill Neighbors
Parsons, KS
Contractor
Detroit Automatic Sprinkler Co.
Wade Sylvester
Warren, MI
Region 4
Associate
SHW Group
Robert Morris
Plano, TX
Contractor
Fire Sprinkler Services, LLC.
Donald Baham
Bossier City, LA
Region 5
Associate
SI Systems Inc.
Scott McIntyre
Clearwater, FL
Contractor
Global Fire Sprinklers
Jason Moore
Florence, AL
Designer
D.M. Design
Nick Melosi
Tampa, FL
McCracken & Lopez PA.
Anthony Brandon
Charlotte, NC
Region 6
Authority Having Jurisdiction
Naval Facilities Engineering Command
Robert Tabet
Norfolk, VA
Contractor
CMI Sprinkler Corp.
Richard Long
Ottsville, PA
Designer
Automatic Fire Sprinkler Consulting
Thomas Jacquel
Chicopee, MD
AFSA Chapter Meeting Schedule
AFSA Afliate Meeting Schedule
Arizona
As called by Chair.
Mike Bair Chair.
602-262-4784
Becky Grantham Exec. Dir.
602-527-1162
Carolinas
Joe Harrison Chair.
336-475-6181
Joe Hankins Exec. Dir.
336-357-0550
Chesapeake Bay
Nov. 11
Greg Prentice Chair.
410-381-1400
Danielle Fowler Exec. Dir.
410-964-0841
Connecticut
Oct. 9, Dec. 4
Robert Hollis Chair.
203-238-2122
Ina Boucher - Exec. Dir.
203-238-2122
Florida
Oct. 23-26
David Varga Chair.
727-323-0145
Chuck Akers Exec. Dir.
863-357-2600
Greater Bay Area
Dec. 5
Charlie Quickert Chair.
510-490-7873
Lorelei Ostrander Exec. Dir.
925-913-0145
Greater Kansas City
2nd Wed. of each month
Mark McKenzie Chair.
913-432-6688
Cliff Becker Exec. Dir.
816-221-1651
Louisiana
Oct. 21
Linda Biernacki Chair.
318-688-8800
Ron Bayless-Exec. Dir.
225-572-4909
Mid-Atlantic
Dec. 4
Jay C. Stough Chair.
215-345-8066
Deb Covino Exec. Dir.
215-794-2978
Nevada
As called by Chair.
Gordon Marx Chair.
702-384-2932
GiGi Burns Exec. Dir.
702-210-7505
New Jersey
3rd Wed. of Oct., Nov. 13
Bob Young Chair.
201-635-0400
New Mexico
2nd Wed. of each month
Ida Peralta Chair.
505-255-4118
Dave Wilson Exec. Dir.
505-573-6712
North Central
Nov. 13
Michael Winiecki Chair.
651-484-5903
Stephanie Sornsin Exec.
Dir.
206-234-6411
Northern New England
Nov. 11
G. Tim Stone Chair.
802-434-2968
Bob Broughton Exec. Dir.
802-899-3769
Pacifc Northwest
Nov. 11
Bill McKay Chair.
425-483-5657
Ron Greenman Exec. Dir.
253-576-9700
Sacramento Valley
Oct. 16
Joel Myers Chair.
916-381-4101
Pamela Emmert Exec. Dir.
916-973-4434
San Diego
Nov. 5
Kenneth J. Stuart Chair.
619-562-6247
Terri S. Leyton Exec. Dir.
858-751-2930
South Carolina
Jamie Patterson - Chair.
803-892-2136
Jim Bowie Exec. Dir.
803-920-7127
Southern California
Nov. 4
J. Moyer Chair.
951-735-5560
Penney Vaughn Exec. Dir.
949-378-1333
Virginia
Nov. 11
Michael Hairfield Chair.
804-353-1822
Howard Summers Exec. Dir.
757-486-3103
Yankee
Dec. 9
Thomas OConnor Chair.
401-723-7300
Amanda Wilson Exec. Dir.
508-341-1500
Alabama Affliate
As called by President
Kit Brendle Pres.
334-270-8571
Greg Willis Exec. Dir.
334-567-4681
Georgia Affliate
2nd Tue. of month
Jeff Trew Pres.
Billy Wood Exec. Dir.
404-226-8304
Maine Affliate
As called by President
Douglas Rennie Pres.
207-284-8413
Oklahoma Affliate
3rd Thur. of each month
Jim Younger Pres.
918-266-2416
Texas Affliate
Art Hartman, Jr. Pres.
972-991-7170
Carol McCain Exec. Dir.
281-361-8069
AFSA MEMBERSHIP
New Members
S
e
e
y
o
u
in
D
C

O
ct. 1
5
-1
9
October 15-19, 2008 Marriott Wardman Park Washington, DC
For details, visit www.resprinkler.org
U.S. Construction...
June Construction Slips One Percent New construction starts in June
retreated one percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $552 billion, accord-
ing to McGraw-Hill Construction. Non-residential building fell 12 percent after its ele-
vated May pace, pulling down the volume of total construction. Meanwhile, residen-
tial building registered a modest two percent gain in June, and a more substantial
19 percent increase was reported for non-building construction. During the first six
months of 2008, total construction on an unadjusted basis came in at $282.1 billion,
down 16 percent from a year ago. If residential building is excluded, new construc-
tion starts in the first six months of 2008 were up three percent.
CONSTRUCTION REPORTS
Monthly Summary of Construction Contract Value
Prepared by F.W. Dodge Group
McGraw-Hill Information Services Company
MONTHLY CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT VALUE
Seasonally Adjusted Annual Rates, In Millions
June 2008 May 2008 % Change
Nonresidential Building $233,169 $264,200 -12
Residential Building $178,956 $175,441 +2
Nonbuilding Construction $139,918 $118,074 +19
Total Construction $552,043 $557,715 -1
THE DODGE INDEX
(Year 2000=100, Seasonally Adjusted)
June2008.....................................................117
May 2008.....................................................118
YEAR-TO-DATE CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT VALUE
Unadjusted Totals, In Millions
6 Mos. 2008 6 Mos. 2007 % Change
Nonresidential Building $125,108 $117,740 +6
Residential Building $ 89,884 $146,887 -39
Nonbuilding Construction $ 67,066 $ 69,250 -3
Total Construction $282,058 $333,877 -16
Canada Construction...
June CANADATA Figures on Construction Starts
*Start figures are also available in square feet for buildings, for many more
categories of construction and according to provincial, city and county levels of
regional detail. CanaData is a statistics-gathering and forecasting agency for the
construction industry and is part of CMD Canada, (800) 465-6475.
Types of Construction June June % Change
TOTAL CANADA 2008 2007
($ Millions)
RESIDENTIAL 8212 9336 -12 %
COMMERCIAL 3977 4423 -10 %
Major Sub-categories:
Office Buildings 1375 1616 -14 %
Stores 651 1214 -46 %
INSTITUTIONAL 3164 4242 -25 %
Medical 992 1708 -41 %
Education 1332 1502 -11 %
INDUSTRIAL 252 375 -33 %
Plants 144 286 -49 %
ENGINEERING 6024 11114 -46 %
Waterworks & Sewerage 1024 1241 -17 %
Roads 2714 2922 -7 %
Electric Power 1126 5529 -79 %
Oil & Gas 21 48 -56 %
ALL CONSTRUCTION 21630 29490 -27 %
REMOTETEST
TESTANDRAIN
AGF Manufacturings Model 1200 REMOTETEST

allows the re sprinkler inspectors test to be
performed by a single operator from a single
location through a local switch, an auxiliary
panel, an addressable FAC panel, or even a LAN
system ultimately saving time, money, and
manpower while promoting regular inspections
and preserving system integrity. To learn more,
visit AGF online at www.testandrain.com.
V I C T A U L I C F I R E P R O T E C T I O N S Y S T E M S
International Press Production Ltd Tel: +44 (0) 1305 257 774
CLIENT:
Victaulic
COPY DATE:
9 July
PUBLICATION:
Sprinkler Age Magazine
SIZE:
Full page bleed
ISSUE:

The First CMSA Sprinkler
for 40 ft Ceilings to
Exceed the Design
Flexibility of ESFR
As much as 70% lower end-head pressure
Approved up to 40 ft ceilings and storage of
cartoned, unexpanded, group A commodities
As much as 20% savings on materials and labor
Reduce pipe size requirements for mains and
branches by as much as 25%
Less water demand can eliminate or reduce
pump size
12 head calculations for ease of design
www.victaulic.com
1.800.PICK-VIC
LESS WATER.
SMALLER PIPE.
NORTH AMERICA UNITED KINGDOM EUROPE
ASIA PACIFIC LATIN AMERICA MIDDLE EAST
LP-46 Low Pressure
Pendent Storage
Sprinkler
APPROVED
The Soffi-Steel System is
todays premier, custom-
fabricated enclosure system
that safely conceals any size or
type of exposed utility such as
Fire Sprinkler Systems, Plumbing,
HVAC, and Electrical Wiring
within an established facility.
In Memoriam: Congresswoman Stephanie
Tubbs Jones Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs
Jones (OH-11) died August 20, 2008 of a brain
hemorrhage. Congresswoman Tubbs Jones
was a leading advocate of campus fire safety
and introduced a number of bills, including reso-
lutions designating September as Campus Fire
Safety Month, the College Fire Prevention Act
and the Collegiate Infrastructure Act. Congress-
woman Tubbs Jones was also this years Con-
gressional cosponsor of the launch of National
Campus Fire Safety Month on Capitol Hill. Her
leadership and advocacy will be missed.
Harvel Names Foose COO Patrick M. Foose
has been appointed chief operating officer by
Harvel
Plastics,
Inc., a leading U.S.
manufacturer of
high-quality PVC
and CPVC indus-
trial piping, duct
systems, and oth-
er thermoplastic
extrusions. Foose
had previously
served the company as vice president of sales
and marketing.
Foose is a member of the International As-
sociation of Plastics Distribution (IAPD) Board
of Directors since 2001. He currently serves
as the Boards vice president and will begin a
term as Board president in the fall, becoming
the first plastics manufacturer representative
to hold the position. In 2005, he received the
IAPDs annual Pacesetter Award.
Foose has served on the Harvel Plastics
Board of Directors since 1993. He is also a
member of the Childrens Home of Easton
Board of Directors. Foose joined Harvel Plas-
tics in 1981 and was promoted to vice presi-
dent of sales and marketing in 1989.
Reliable Welcomes Alan Larson Reliable is
pleased to welcome a new Technical Servic-
es Manager Alan Larson, to their team. Lar-
son brings the perfect background to Reliables
Technical Services Group with his technical,
contractor, and sales knowledge. He has more
than 20 years of experience in fire suppres-
sion systems and has worked in fire protec-
tion contracting, with various consulting engi-
neering firms, and as a technical representative
for a sprinkler manufacturer. Immediately pri-
or to joining Reliable, Larson was employed
as Aquasafe product manager with Uponor-
USA. Larson is a NICET (National Institute for
the Certification of Engineering Technicians)
certified fire sprin-
kler designer, a cer-
tified fire protection
specialist (CFPS), is
certified in plumb-
ing engineering by
the American Soci-
ety of Plumbing En-
gineers (ASPE) and
is a member of the
NFPA committee on residential fire sprinkler
systems (AUT-RSS). He will be based in Reli-
ables Liberty, S.C. facility.
Potter Names New Hires Potter Electric Sig-
nal Company, LLC announced several new em-
ployees. Doug Chartier has been named prod-
uct manager of the newly formed Corrosion
Solutions Division at Potter. Robbie Murray has
been hired as the new global product training
manager for the Fire and Security Division, and
Dave Kosciuk has been named vice president
of sales for the Fire and Security Division.
Chartier brings 25 years of corrosion moni-
toring experience to his new position. He will be
responsible for all Potters corrosion monitoring
efforts, including updates to preventative control
devices as well as testing and treatment.
Chartier was the principle of Martier Enterpris-
es LLC, before joining Potter. He is the co-author
of various patents, is a hands-on field chem-
ist, and has been involved with MIC for 25 years
plus. He is a member of NFPA, Society of Petro-
leum Engineers and the American Chemical Soci-
ety. His work on MIC is widely published.
Murray brings over 25 years of industry ex-
perience to Potter and will be responsible for
Potters training and educational efforts for fire
and security customers. Murray was the direc-
tor of global business development at his for-
mer company. He previously worked as the
application engineer involved with technical
support and training for a span of eleven years.
Murray has worked in the industry for over 25
years and has technical experience in both the
United States and internationally.
Kosciuk brings over 17 years of industry
experience to Potter and will be responsi-
ble for all Potters domestic sales efforts for
the fire and security marketplace. He was
responsible for key initiatives for the sales
and marketing of products and programs in
the security equipment distribution channel
as well as the engineering systems distribu-
tion channel. n
PEOPLE IN THE NEWS
V I C T A U L I C F I R E P R O T E C T I O N S Y S T E M S
International Press Production Ltd Tel: +44 (0) 1305 257 774
CLIENT:
Victaulic
COPY DATE:
9 July
PUBLICATION:
Sprinkler Age Magazine
SIZE:
Full page bleed
ISSUE:

The First CMSA Sprinkler
for 40 ft Ceilings to
Exceed the Design
Flexibility of ESFR
As much as 70% lower end-head pressure
Approved up to 40 ft ceilings and storage of
cartoned, unexpanded, group A commodities
As much as 20% savings on materials and labor
Reduce pipe size requirements for mains and
branches by as much as 25%
Less water demand can eliminate or reduce
pump size
12 head calculations for ease of design
www.victaulic.com
1.800.PICK-VIC
LESS WATER.
SMALLER PIPE.
NORTH AMERICA UNITED KINGDOM EUROPE
ASIA PACIFIC LATIN AMERICA MIDDLE EAST
LP-46 Low Pressure
Pendent Storage
Sprinkler
PRODUCT NEWS
RIDGID
Quick-Acting Vise with Quick-Ac-

tion Trigger Saves Time and Effort New
RIDGID
Quick-Acting Vises, model numbers

XF-45 and XF-50, offer durability and efficiency
features to save time and money. An innova-
tive quick-action trigger allows users to effort-
lessly slide the vise jaws in and out for quick
and easy adjustment to objects of all sizes.
The quick-action trigger reduces time and
effort compared to traditional bench vises that
rely solely on hand cranking to tighten and
loosen objects. Ease of use is also enhanced
with a 360 forged steel swivel base that al-
lows for unlimited adjustability.
Available in two sizes, 4
1
/2 in. (XF-45) and
5 in. (XF-50), the new vises are currently the
only vises in the industry featuring both inde-
structible forged steel construction and the
quick-action mechanism.
Other notable features include the pat-
ented jaw alignment system, which enables
precise clamping and longer service life, and
large capacity forged pipe jaws that secure-
ly clamp pipes and rods. Oversized, hardened
jaws and anvil provide greater clamping on all
work surfaces, while the steel handles anti-
pinch rings offer increased power and elimi-
nate pinches. Visit www.RIDGID.com or call
1-800-769-7743.
Viking Adds New Concealed Sprinkler to
Freedom
Residential Line Viking, a glob-

al leader in fire protection products and ser-
vices, announces the availability of a new flat
plate concealed fire sprinkler for residential
applications. The new VK457 pendent sprin-
kler, which is the latest addition to Vikings
Freedom
residential package, offers industry

leading flow and pressure characteristics com-
bined with several exclusive features for en-
hanced aesthetics and ease of installation.
The VK457 sprinkler has a temperature rat-
ing of 165F (74C) and is available with two
cover plate options. Vikings standard 2
3
/4-in.
(70 mm) diameter cover plate is best suited
for installations where aesthetics are a prior-
ity. The larger, 3
5
/16-in. (84 mm) cover plate of-
fers the greatest horizontal foregiveability for
maximum installation flexibility.
Vikings Freedom residential cover plates
are available in nine standard finishes. Addi-
tionally, through Vikings new cULus listed
custom finish process, virtually any manufac-
turers paint can be applied to cover plates
to match nearly any ceiling finish. Viking also
offers two exclusive laborsaving installation
tools for the VK457. These tools, which at-
tach to the end of a length of one inch (DN25)
CPVC, allow the installer to remove the sprin-
klers protective caps and install its cov-
er plates from the floor, without the use of a
ladder. Visit www.vikinggroupinc.com or call
800-968-9501. n
fireprotection.hdsupply.com
We have strategically located fabrication
facilities already equipped and staffed to meet
your custom requirements, so we are ready to
meet you schedule, NOW. Plus, we have the
industry's most diverse selection of quality
products in stock, ready for immediate
delivery. Add to that our team of experienced
pros and we can get you from "description to
delivered" in the shortest possible time.
When you need fire protection components,
just remember, our team and our trucks are
ready to roll.
SURE-FIRE DELIVERY
THAT FITS YOUR SCHEDULE
EVEN ON THOSE HOT CUSTOM PROJECTS
Phoenix, AZ (Fab Center) 602.256.0050
Fresno, CA 559.441.7171
La Habra, CA 562.690.8800
Lodi, CA (Fab Center) 209.334.9768
Sacramento, CA 916.565.0466
San Francisco, CA 415.431.8722
Union City, CA 510.441.1650
Fort Myers, FL 239.437.9444
Jacksonville, FL 904.260.4705
Miami, FL 305.477.2383
Orlando, FL 407.299.2275
Tampa, FL (Fab Center) 813.620.9058
W. Melbourne, FL 321.728.7123
West Palm Beach, FL 561.863.5600
Atlanta, GA (Fab Center) 770.414.1212
Chicago, IL 708.728.9793
Indianapolis, IN (Fab Center) 317.898.4879
Columbia, MD(Fab Center) 410.290.8020
Charlotte, NC (Fab Center) 704.784.4700
Las Vegas, NV 702.382.0331
N. Kingstown, RI (Fab Center) 401.294.9532
Myrtle Beach, SC 843.347.5950
Memphis, TN 901.745.3106
Dallas, TX 972.830.9370
Houston, TX (Fab Center) 713.937.4568
Richmond, VA (Fab Center) 804.232.2003
Seattle, WA 206.722.4800
Fire Protection Supply Branches and Fabrication Facilities
Sure-Fire Delivery 7/14/08 4:03 PM Page 1
Call Today - 770-495-1993
www.BuildingReports.com sales@BuildingReports.com
4475 River Green Parkway Suite 200 Duluth, GA 30096
fireprotection.hdsupply.com
We have strategically located fabrication
facilities already equipped and staffed to meet
your custom requirements, so we are ready to
meet you schedule, NOW. Plus, we have the
industry's most diverse selection of quality
products in stock, ready for immediate
delivery. Add to that our team of experienced
pros and we can get you from "description to
delivered" in the shortest possible time.
When you need fire protection components,
just remember, our team and our trucks are
ready to roll.
SURE-FIRE DELIVERY
THAT FITS YOUR SCHEDULE
EVEN ON THOSE HOT CUSTOM PROJECTS
Phoenix, AZ (Fab Center) 602.256.0050
Fresno, CA 559.441.7171
La Habra, CA 562.690.8800
Lodi, CA (Fab Center) 209.334.9768
Sacramento, CA 916.565.0466
San Francisco, CA 415.431.8722
Union City, CA 510.441.1650
Fort Myers, FL 239.437.9444
Jacksonville, FL 904.260.4705
Miami, FL 305.477.2383
Orlando, FL 407.299.2275
Tampa, FL (Fab Center) 813.620.9058
W. Melbourne, FL 321.728.7123
West Palm Beach, FL 561.863.5600
Atlanta, GA (Fab Center) 770.414.1212
Chicago, IL 708.728.9793
Indianapolis, IN (Fab Center) 317.898.4879
Columbia, MD(Fab Center) 410.290.8020
Charlotte, NC (Fab Center) 704.784.4700
Las Vegas, NV 702.382.0331
N. Kingstown, RI (Fab Center) 401.294.9532
Myrtle Beach, SC 843.347.5950
Memphis, TN 901.745.3106
Dallas, TX 972.830.9370
Houston, TX (Fab Center) 713.937.4568
Richmond, VA (Fab Center) 804.232.2003
Seattle, WA 206.722.4800
Fire Protection Supply Branches and Fabrication Facilities
Sure-Fire Delivery 7/14/08 4:03 PM Page 1
Hotel/Motel Fire-Safe List Online The Hotel
and Motel Fire Safety Act of 1990, Public Law
101-391, is an Act of Congress aimed at im-
proving fire safety in hotels, motels, and oth-
er places of public accommodation. The Act
states that Federal employees, when on offi-
cial travel, should stay in fire-safe accommo-
dations. For a list of approved properties visit
www.usfa.dhs.gov/applications/hotel/.
Demand for Fire Protection Engineers Ex-
ceeds Supply Fire protection engineers are
in high demand and short supply, said Chris
Jelenewicz a fire protection engineer with the
Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE).
In a recent survey by SFPE of the largest em-
ployers of fire protection engineers, an over-
whelming majority currently has difficulty re-
cruiting enough qualified engineers. Those
surveyed believe this imbalance in demand
will continue at least five years into the fu-
ture, said Jelenewicz. For more information
about a career in fire protection engineering
visit www.careersinfireprotectionengineering/.
Construction Academy Prepares Women for
Leadership NCCER and the National Associa-
tion of Women in Construction will host the
second annual Womens Leadership Academy
on October 25-28, 2008, at Clemson Universi-
ty, Clemson, S.C.
The Womens Leadership Academy pro-
vides women with the opportunity to elevate
their careers and their management and lead-
ership roles within their company and the con-
struction industry.
Academy tuition is $1,295 and includes
lodging, all meals, course materials, transpor-
tation, and activities. Upon completion of the
academy, participants will receive continuing
education units from Clemson University and
may receive industry-recognized credentials
from NCCERs National Registry. For details
visit www.nccer.org/.
Breast Cancer Awareness Lifted to New
Heights When Bud PeCoy decided he want-
ed to raise awareness about breast cancer,
he did it literally. In fact, he not only raised
awareness, he lifted it over 80 feet in the air!
PeCoy, of Mid Country Machinery, a con-
struction equipment dealer and rental compa-
ny headquartered in Fort Dodge, Iowa, along
with partners Mark Swedlund, Lucas Peed
and Bob Conaway, were looking to find a way
to give back to the community when they
learned that the wife of one of their custom-
ers suffered from breast cancer. Seeing this
as a worthwhile cause, they decided to create
a breast cancer awareness campaign by pur-
chasing two special JLG Model 800S tele-
scoping boom lifts to add to their rental fleet.
PeCoy and company had the machines
painted a special pink color at the JLG fac-
tory and added custom decals to the boom
with their companys Reach High for the
Cure slogan, and other decals promoting Su-
san G. Komen for the Cure
, the worlds larg-

est grassroots network of breast cancer survi-
vors and activists. In addition to painting and
decaling the booms to promote breast can-
cer awareness, Mid Country Machinery also
signed an agreement with the Des Moines
chapter of Susan G. Komen for the Cure to
donate 10 percent of all income derived from
the rental of the machines for the next 54
months, an amount that is expected to total
between $25,000 and $30,000 during the life
of the agreement.
Because of the current volume of construc-
tion activity to build and enlarge existing hospital
facilities throughout Iowa, PeCoy plans to send
the lifts to those sites as often as possible.
IRS Mileage Rates Rise The Internal Revenue
Service has increased the optional standard
mileage rates for computing deductible costs
of operating a motor vehicle. Effective July 1,
the revised standard mileage rates are 58.5
cents per mile for business purposes and 27
cents per mile for medical and moving purpos-
es. Visit www.irs.gov/.
Fire Protection Engineers Use Science and
Technology to Protect the Environment To
call attention to the important role fire protec-
INDUSTRY NEWS
Insist on FPPI
For a distributor near you call 1 800 344-1822 or visit FPPI.com
We believe exceptional service takes exceptional
people in a strong competitive market.
At FPPI were committed to supporting our customers
and producing winning combinations. From our Wall
Plates and GrooveFit
FDC to products, like our

Sealants and Piping Compounds. Our award winning
customer service team is working hard every day to
earn and keep your business.
FPPIexceptional service everyday.
sm
FPPI.
Performance,
Dedication and Skill.
FPPI.
Performance,
FGG/BM/CZ System Compatible indicates that this product has been tested, and is monitored on an ongoing basis, to assure its chemical compatibility with FlowGuard Gold
, BlazeMaster
and Corzan
pipe and
fittings. FlowGuard Gold
, Corzan
and BlazeMaster
are registered trademarks of The Lubrizol Corporation. FGG/BM/CZ is a trademark of The Lubrizol Corporation. FPPI
, PipeFit
, ThreadFit
, and LubeFit
are
registered trademarks of Fire Protection Products, Inc.
FPPI Sports S6 PickUp-FB 8/4/08 4:55 PM Page 1

1GO1 w. Beer valley Road, Fhoenix, AZ 85O27 www.knoxbox.com inlo@knoxbox.com
l you have exerienced FBC connections with damaqed
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may be the solution you've been lookinq lor. Knox ollers a lull line
ol lockinq FBC roducts to rotect both the intake
and discharqe side ol waterbased lre rotection
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and usable in an emerqency. All lockinq FBCs are
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Insist on FPPI
For a distributor near you call 1 800 344-1822 or visit FPPI.com
We believe exceptional service takes exceptional
people in a strong competitive market.
At FPPI were committed to supporting our customers
and producing winning combinations. From our Wall
Plates and GrooveFit
FDC to products, like our

Sealants and Piping Compounds. Our award winning
customer service team is working hard every day to
earn and keep your business.
FPPIexceptional service everyday.
sm
FPPI.
Performance,
FPPI.
Performance,
FGG/BM/CZ System Compatible indicates that this product has been tested, and is monitored on an ongoing basis, to assure its chemical compatibility with FlowGuard Gold
, BlazeMaster
and Corzan
pipe and
fittings. FlowGuard Gold
, Corzan
and BlazeMaster
are registered trademarks of The Lubrizol Corporation. FGG/BM/CZ is a trademark of The Lubrizol Corporation. FPPI
, PipeFit
, ThreadFit
, and LubeFit
are
registered trademarks of Fire Protection Products, Inc.
FPPI Sports S6 PickUp-FB 8/4/08 4:55 PM Page 1

ADVERTISERS
Advanced Fire Technology, Inc. 30
AFCON 24-25
Affordable Tools 20
AGF Manufacturing 39
Al Minicola Insurance Co. 33
ARGCO 28, 35
Building Reports 42
D System, Inc. 12
Dixon Powhattan 14
Ferguson Fire & Fabrication IBC
Fire Protection Products, Inc. 45
Firewater Systems, Inc. 16
FlexHead Industries, Inc. 7
GECCO, Inc. 23
General Air Products, Inc. 4
Grice Engineering 40
HD Supply Fire Protection 43
HRS Systems, Inc. 27
Huguenot Laboratories 18
Hydro Flow Products, Inc. 9
Knox Company 44
Metraflex 29
OnSite Software, Inc. 34
Pace Machinery Group, Inc. 31
Potter Electric Signal Company 3
Reed Manufacturing Company 12
Reliable Automatic Sprinkler Co. IFC
RISC Insurance 17
S-P-D, Inc. 26
TOLCO, a branc of NIBCO 11
Trade Tool & Supply 19
Tyco Fire Products 21, BC
U.S. Tool 26
Victaulic 41
Viking Group, Inc. 15
Wheeler-Rex 22
tion engineers play in protecting the environ-
ment, the Society of Fire Protection Engineers
(SFPE) has revised the Canon of Ethics for Fire
Protection Engineers. A new canon has been
added that requires fire protection engineers
to perform their professional duties in such a
manner that respects the environment.
When designing green buildings, one sus-
tainable design approach currently being uti-
lized by fire protection engineers is the use of re-
claimed water for fire protection system water
supplies. When reclaimed water is used as a wa-
ter supply for a water-based fire protection sys-
tem, the fire protection engineer will perform an
analysis to identify any concerns with water qual-
ity that would affect the proposed systems. This
analysis can include examining pipe-corrosion po-
tential and the need for back flow prevention.
Additionally, fire protection engineers have
the skills to work with design team members
to ensure sustainable design in areas related to
natural lighting, building air handling systems,
atriums and the testing of water-based fire pro-
tection systems. Visit www.sfpe.org/. n

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SprinklerAge

5 Sprinkler Age | September 2008

SUPPORTING THE FLOW

SUPPORTING THE FLOW

300 & 300 compact

POWER DRIVE CORES

is a registered trademark of the Ridge Tool Company

High Speed Steel

Suppression Systems, the AQUA-

AGF Manufacturings Model 1200 REMOTETEST

Quick-Acting Vise with Quick-Ac-

Quick-Acting Vises, model numbers

Residential Line Viking, a glob-

residential package, offers industry

, the worlds larg-

FDC to products, like our

FPPI Sports S6 PickUp-FB 8/4/08 4:55 PM Page 1

FDC Protection Program

FDC to products, like our

FPPI Sports S6 PickUp-FB 8/4/08 4:55 PM Page 1

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