PlumbingandMechanical January 2011 : Page46Life-saving knowledge sprinkler training course is packed with attendees. Tyco offers an array of training options, including field installation. In terms of trade groups, the Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors—National Association has partnered with Fire Smarts, a provider of fire protection education and training resources, to offer a 40-hour training program for fire sprinkler installers and inspectors to obtain their ASSE 7000 certification, as well as a number of live and online seminars on the topic. “There is a great opportunity here but it does require some upfront investment in training,” Fire Smarts President Ryan Smith states. “My advice is get educated and seek out the educated.” The American Fire Sprinkler Association not only offers a correspondence course for installers, but also has a two-week in-house training school. “The two-week course provides an overview and introduction into the residential market and the different kinds of systems that apply to different kinds of homes and occupancies,” AFSA President Steve Muncy says. “The two-week course is not so much for an installer, but for a company owner looking to get into the residential side of the business.” The National Fire Sprinkler Association offers more than 24 seminars (one-, two-and half-day seminars) covering sprinkler systems, fire pumps and standpipe systems to attendees that need basic through advanced levels of training, while the National Fire Protection Association has seminars available covering installation, hydraulics and fire pumps, as well as inspection, testing and maintenance of water-based systems. More than just an installation: Muncy stresses proper training ranges well beyond just the actual installation of a system. “A fire sprinkler contractor that has been doing this for many years understands things like NFPA requirements and hydraulic calculations,” he says. “A plumber probably hasn’t had any exposure to that. You’re not installing another fixture. You’re installing a life-safety device with strict rules that define how they are to be installed. People have to understand the bigger picture with what rules go with these systems.” Thus being familiar with state, county and municipal codes is paramount in the training process. Information at your fingertips Some key fire sprinkler training resources. Manufacturers • Aquatherm — www.aquathermpipe.com • BlazeMaster — www.lubrizol.com • Reliable Automatic Sprinkler Co. — www.reliablesprinkler.com • T yco Fire Suppression and Building Products — www.tyco-fire.com • Uponor — www.uponorpro.com/firesafety • Viega — www.viega.net • Viking Corp. — www.vikingcorp.com T rade associations • American Fire Sprinkler Association — www.firesprinkler.org • Canadian Automatic Fire Sprinkler Association — www.casa-firesprinkler.org • Fire Smarts — www.firesmarts.com • Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition — www.homefiresprinkler.org • Home Safety Council — www.homesafetycouncil.org • National Fire Protection Association — www.nfpa.org • National Fire Sprinkler Association — www.nfsa.org • Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors-National Association — www.phccweb.org Other • Underwriters Laboratories — www.ul.com/global/eng • United States Fire Administration — www.usfa.dhs.gov “We work in four counties and it’s different in each area,” states Jayson Lawrence , owner of Vandergrift, Pa.-based Lawrence Plumbing. Securing additional liability insurance is another topic that is sure to become more prevalent as contractors continue to enter the fire sprinkler business. “Right now, there are limited insurance companies to choose from,” Bauer says. “I think it’s more of the insurance companies seeing how this is all going to play out. I think once we’ve all been around awhile doing this, insurance companies will be a little more warm and fuzzy.” Getting it right: While proper training on any job is important, it’s amplified exponentially when dealing with residential fire sprinklers. “Our biggest concern is some plumbers may rush forward to put in systems without a good background and understanding of what they are doing,” Muncy says. “We’ve seen cases where the argument is made that they don’t need additional training because they have a plumber’s license. That’s rather shortsighted because it’s a different system. They do need additional training.” John Zink, vice president of education and programming for the PHCC Educational Foundation , is in favor of training that expands beyond just installers. It’s a good idea to invite local inspectors and other officials in the process to attend the educational sessions. “That way everybody sees the same training and agrees from the start on how the work should be done,” he says. “It also helps to build the relationship between the contractors and the building officials.” Numbers don’t lie: Statistics drive home an eye-opening reminder of how vital thorough training on the subject is. According to Fire Smarts, 80 percent of all U.S. fire deaths in a typical year come from residential homes, while an average of eight people a day perish in home fires. A joint research project from FM Global and the Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition shows automatic fire sprinklers can reduce fire damage by up to 97 percent. “It’s incumbent that contractors be up to speed on what they are doing so they get it right,” notes Alan Larson , a manager in the technical services department at Reliable Automatic Sprinkler Co. “This is very serious. You’re talking about systems truly intended to be life-safety systems.” Smith adds: “The worst thing that could possibly happen is some of these systems are installed poorly and they fail in the event of a fire, and then the public loses confidence in the systems. If they are installed correctly, you have the best form of home fire protection available. Designers, installers and inspectors have to PM be properly trained.” 46 Plumbing & Mechanical, January 2011 Publication List Using a screen reader? Click Here |
