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Nationally recognized fire protection expert, Bob G. Caputo, CFPS, joins the Fire Smarts Faculty Team to develop and deliver fire protection training utilizing his extensive knowledge of the NFPA standards and over 25 years of practical application in the industry.
(PRWEB) August 24, 2009 — Fire Smarts, LLC is pleased to announce the addition of Bob G. Caputo, CFPS, to the Fire Smarts Faculty. With over 25 years of fire protection experience, Mr. Caputo is a nationally recognized expert in the industry. His extensive experience with the NFPA standards and their practical application has been demonstrated through his years of instructing seminars for the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and the American Fire Sprinkler Association (AFSA).
Mr. Caputo has operated in all areas of the fire sprinkler industry. As a former fire fighter, he was trained in fire suppression at the U.S. Naval Fire Fighting Training Center in San Diego, CA. Throughout his career he has been a fitter, a designer and a fire sprinkler contractor owner where he still holds fire sprinkler contractor licenses in multiple states. In addition to this full range of practical experience, Mr. Caputo, has a deep understanding of fire protection requirements as demonstrated by his membership on the Technical Committee for NFPA 13 “Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems” and NFPA 25 “Inspection, Testing & Maintenance of Water-Based Fire Protection Systems”.
“Bob has earned a strong reputation in the industry as a leading expert with a gift and passion for teaching,” said Ryan J. Smith, President of Fire Smarts, LLC. “His participation further enhances the knowledge and experience of our Faculty as we develop training solutions to meet the growing global demand for NFPA based training.”
The Fire Smarts Faculty (www.firesmarts.com/faculty) is actively involved in the promotion of fire protection education and training based on NFPA standards. Domestically a primary focus has been on the emerging residential fire sprinkler market. In 2008 Fire Smarts, LLC published the “Residential Fire Sprinklers Market Growth and Labor Demand Analysis” to quantify the impact of residential fire sprinkler requirements in the International Residential Code (IRC). Through an alliance with the Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors National Association (PHCC) the company has been leading the efforts to educate and train the plumbing community on residential fire sprinkler systems.
Internationally, Fire Smarts, LLC is well positioned to benefit from the increasing use of the NFPA standards. With Fire Smarts Faculty as recognized experts in the NFPA standards, the company offers a unique training solution for organizations abroad in need of this knowledge. In addition to Mr. Caputo’s experience teaching seminars in the United States, he also has international training experience including instruction in the Middle East and South Korea.
“I’m very excited about the new residential sprinkler requirements adopted by the IRC as we finally address the loss of life from fire in residential dwellings,” said Bob G. Caputo, CFPS. “As our industry moves ahead in this developing market segment, I am honored to be on the forefront of the training efforts to ensure the job is done right and equally pleased to be associated with this passionate group of fire protection industry educators at Fire Smarts.”
The contribution of Mr. Caputo to the fire protection industry was recognized in 1997 when he was named the FPC Magazine “Man of the Year”. Now, more than a decade later, he remains just as committed to the benefit of the industry as he continues to demonstrate his passion and commitment to quality training. For more information about Mr. Caputo visit his website at www.bobgcaputo.com.
About Fire Smarts, LLC: Fire Smarts, LLC is a leading provider of fire protection educational and training resources. The company operates the home fire protection resource website, Residential Fire Sprinklers .com (www.ResidentialFireSprinklers.com), frequently publishes articles and reports on the latest industry developments and utilizes its team of Fire Smarts Faculty members to create custom training solutions for contractors, fire and building officials, and business organizations based on NFPA standards.
Contact:
Ryan Smith
Fire Smarts, LLC
888-365-5355
www.firesmarts.com
An investigation into the evacuation of Wellton’s Microtel Inn and Suites on Sunday points to the possibility of a faulty sprinkler head, which caused a room’s sprinklers to be activated, investigators announced Tuesday.
Fire units from Wellton Fire Department responded to the motel at 9:02 p.m. Sunday in reference to a report of a fire alarm showing fire sprinkler activation, according to a news statement released Tuesday. They quickly determined there was no fire.
Guests safely evacuated the multistory building and there were no injuries reported, according the news statement.
The cause of the sprinkler activation is still under investigation, but authorities are focusing on the possibility of a faulty sprinkler head.
The hotel received a substantial amount of water damage to several rooms, according to the statement. The owner of the hotel, however, was unavailable to provide authorities with an estimated damage assessment.
Some fire-prevention advocacy groups are pushing for a measure that would require the installation of indoor sprinklers in most new residential buildings in Michigan
The Billings Firefighters Union has filed an unfair labor charge against the city stemming from the review of fire sprinkler systems.
Billings Deputy Fire Marshal Mike Spini used to review and approve fire sprinkler systems for new construction and remodeling projects. Spini no longer had time to review those projects when he was promoted.
In May, the city hired a private company to do the work. Administrator Tina Volek said that’s because no one else in the department has the expertise he had.
The union said the work is part of its collective bargaining agreement and attempts to talk to the city about the issue were rejected.
The city received the charge Thursday and must respond within 10 days
While many South Florida exporters have watched their sales decline due to shrinking international demand, exports at Enrique Collazo’s company are soaring. Collazo, the chief executive of A&B Pipe and Supply in Miami, says he’s seen a spike in exports this year even as his domestic sales have fallen.
“We usually do between $4 million to $6 million in exports each year and as the domestic market has contracted, we’ve been able to do more in international markets,” Collazo says.
A&B, a wholesaler that sells pipes, valves, fittings, tools and industrial supplies to a range of contractors in South Florida, northern Latin America and the Caribbean, has seen exports climb from between 15 and 19 percent of revenue in the past to about 37 percent this year.
Why the increase? With money for developing new projects and installing new equipment on hold, budgets have increased for repairs and maintainence of fire sprinkler systems, air conditioning, gas installation, water treatment plants and underground facilities that are A&B’s bread and butter.
“We haven’t been affected by the financing squeeze,” Collazo noted.
“We were fairly conservative during the boom times and today we have plenty of cash in the bank and unused lines of credit,” he added.
The company has very few customers who pre-pay shipments, and it relies on coverage from private insurers and guarantees from the U.S. Export-Import Bank to reduce export risks. “So far we’re holding up,” Collazo added. “But with this economy, we have to pedal a lot harder than before.”
Hoover is the latest city in the Birmingham metro area to consider adopting controversial codes that calls for fire sprinkler systems to be installed in new homes beginning in 2011.
City Executive Allen Pate said the city, at this point, is only considering adoption of the 2009 International Code, as a way to keep its current ISO 3 rating for building inspections and code compliance. The rating helps keep the city’s and homeowners’ insurance premiums at a low rate, Pate said.
The Washington-based International Code Council sets the 2009 International Residential Code, which includes a requirement for fire sprinklers in all new one- and two-family homes beginning Jan. 1, 2011.
The cause of the fire is still being investigated by PFA, but the origin was determined to be in the area of the RV’s engine.
Firefighters responded to an automatic fire alarm at 8:03 p.m., and when crews arrived, they found smoke in the body shop and repair area of the business before discovering the burning RV, PFA said in a press release.
The RV suffered significant damage, PFA said, but the harm to the body shop was limited to minor smoke damage.
No one was injured during the fire, and the dealership opened for business Friday morning.
“This incident is just one example of the significant impact that fire sprinklers and suppression systems can have on the outcome of fires” said PFA Fire Marshal Kevin Wilson.
Mike Dellenbach, a co-owner at the dealership, said no one was in the building when the fire started. He also said he’s a “firm believer” in having sprinklers and the dealership had them installed in the late 1990s when the building was remodeled.
“This is kind of a first for us. I would have to say PFA responded and did a great job,” Dellenbach said.
He said most of the damage from the fire was to the RV and the paint booth will likely be salvaged.
The Alaska Division of Fire and Life Safety and the Mat-Su Fire Chiefs Association will light two fires at the fair Aug. 29 and Sept. 2 at 6 pm, showing a live audience how fast a home fire will spread.
Fairgoers at the Alaska State Fair will see for themselves how fast a home fire will spread and how well a home fire sprinkler performs. The Alaska Division of Fire and Life Safety, part of the Department of Public Safety, and the Mat-Su Fire Chiefs Association will light two fires at the fair Aug. 29 and Sept. 2, both at 6 pm, before a live audience at the Alaska State Fair grandstand area.
“Sometimes people just need to see it to believe it,” said Mahlon Greene, coordinator of public education for the Alaska Division of Fire and Life Safety.
In a day when the green movement and sustainability have become priorities, the use of hydraulic calculations is more important than ever. Reducing pipe sizes saves materials and the energy needed to produce those materials. While the savings are usually not enough to justify the inclusion of a pump where not otherwise needed, hydraulic calculations are almost always economical in situations where a pump is to be provided anyway.
Much of the world still uses pipe schedule systems, where each pipe size is permitted to serve a specific number of downstream sprinklers. For example, the original 1896 edition of what is now