The SFPE is sponsoring the 4th International Conference on Performance Based Code and Fire Safety Design Methods in Melbourne, Austrailia on March 20-22.  The program will cover the role of standards in performance based design,performance-based approaches to maintenance and rehabilitation and the use of Uncertainty Analysis.

For information or registration, contact education@sfpe.org.

The IFSA is soliciting grant proposals from organizations interested in promoting the use of automatic sprinklers and related fire suppression systems.The IFSA Board of Governors will review the Grant Proposals at its meeting in May 2002 in conjunction with the NFPA World Fire Safety Congress and Exposition in Minneapolis, MN.The grants are awarded to associations, societies, or coalitions that seek to encourage the competent installation of built-in fire protection systems in their specific regions of the world.

Grant proposals for the period of 01 July 2002 to 30 June 2003 should include information on the sponsoring organization, specific plans and goals, and budgetary information. Proposals should be sent by 01 April 2002 to: IFSA c/o P.O. Box 1000, Patterson, New York, USA, Fax: 1-845-878-4215 or e-mail to: ifsa@sprinklerworld.org.

In 2001, IFSA awarded a grant of $125,000 US to the Residential Sprinkler Association in the UK for their work to demonstrate the effectiveness and economic feasibility of fire sprinkler protection for dwellings.The National Fire Sprinkler Network in the UK was awarded $50,000 US to continue its work on increasing the requirements for installing automatic fire suppression systems in schools.The IFSA also approved a grant of $40,000 US in support of several sprinkler promotional efforts of the Swedish sprinkler association Sprinklerframjandet. The projects include the feasibility of sprinklers on houseboats, sprinklers in multi-story wood frame housing, and exposure protection sprinklers for historic wooden street fronts.

The NFPA is now accepting proposals for educational presentations at its 2003 World Safety Conference and Exposition that will be held in Dallas, TX on May 18-23, 2003.  Those interested in sharing their experience and expertise in the field of fire and life safety are invited to complete the application which is linked below and submit it to Linda Bailey, One Batterymarch Park, Quincy, MA 02269 as soon as possible.  Additional details and registration materials for the conference will be available in the near future.

NFPA Call for Presentations Form (PDF Format

The SFPE has announced the schedule for its Professional Development Week to be held 16-20 September 2002 at the Mt.
Washington Conference Center in Baltimore, MD.   One of the seminars planned will be entitled Sprinkler Design for Engineers - Introductory and Advanced Concepts .  Details on the program can be found at their website www.sfpe.org or from jgordon@sfpe.org.

Representatives of the IFSA Board of Governers met with representatives of the Sprinkler Section of Eurofeu on 12-13 March, 2002 in Hamburg, Germany, to discuss ways to work together to promote the use of water-based fire suppression systems in Europe.  The meeting was in follow-up to a presentation made by Eurofeu representatives at the IFSA Board meeting held in Barcelona, Spain in December of 2001.

Seated clockwise from left are David Leonard (Reliable Automatic Sprinkler - UK), Matthais Pohl, (Minimax - Germany), Soren Poulsen (Denmark), Russ Fleming (IFSA Technical Director), Tony Ackland (Kidde Fire Fighting - UK), Torsten Habeck (Minimax - Germany), Alan Brinson (Tyco Fire Products - Netherlands), John Viniello (IFSA Managing Director), Colin Whiteley (SimplexGrinnell - Spain), and Stewart Kidd (British Automatic Sprinkler Association).

14 July 2002 – Nearly 200 attendees gathered this past week in Prague, Czech Republic for the Fourth International Fire Sprinkler Conference.  The event was opened by Kevin Fee of The Reliable Fire Sprinkler Company, Chairman of the IFSA Board who introduced a multi-media salute to the flags and anthems of the 24 countries represented by the registrants.

The two-day Conference featured seven sessions with 21 presentations by speakers from eight countries.  The topics covered both technical and business issues facing the international fire sprinkler industry.

A highlight of the Conference was the presentation of the first Harry Marryatt Award.  The IFSA created this award to honor the spirit and dedication of Mr. Marryatt in his eight decades of service to the fire sprinkler industry and to recognize the contributions of individuals who have shared in his vision. 

This year’s award was presented by Russ Fleming, IFSA Technical Director, to Michael Schnell who has been with VdS, headquartered in Cologne, Germany since 1975.  His work in the area of requirements and test methods is the basis for almost all of the existing CEN and ISO Test Standards.  Mr. Schnell has worked on numerous national, European and international technical committees throughout his career and presently is Chairman of ISO TC21/SC5  and manages the VdS Training Center.

The IFSA was also honored to have as a guest speaker at the second day luncheon James M. Shannon, the recently appointed President of the National Fire Protection Association.

Attendees were able to both relax and network with their peers at a festive dinner on the first evening of the Conference at the Nelhozeves Castle owned by Prince William Lobkowicz.  During the evening, guests were given a guided tour of the castle’s art collection which is considered one of the finest private collections in Europe.

John Viniello, Managing Director of the IFSA, closed the Conference with a message to the delegates imparting the challenge of the future for the fire sprinkler industry.  He said, “Dal dire al fare che de mezzo il mare” (Between saying and doing lies the depth of the sea).  He noted that the industry must translate rhetoric into reality in the fight against unfriendly fire by setting aside personal and political agendas to see that fire sprinklers become “a way of life”, not only in North America but throughout the world.

A fire in a crowded club on New Year's Eve resulted in ten deaths and at  least 130 injuries.  It occurred in Volendam, approximately 20 kilometers from   Amsterdam.  It does not appear that the building had a fire sprinkler system and early reports indicate that some emergency exits may have been blocked.

 Read the Story

12 Dec 2002 - The Cowgate fire, in a maze of narrow streets, with multi-story buildings, took more than two days to control and extinguish even though Lothian & Borders Fire & Rescue service had the latest aerial platform equipment.   As a result, the 400 year old collection of buildings, designated a UNESCO Heritage site, has been destroyed along with a unique library that had taken over 20 years to collect.
     Sir George Pigot of the Residential Sprinkler Association issued a statement saying, "“Fire sprinklers have a proven record of preventing the spread of fire, reducing injury and preventing property damage.  More importantly, sprinklers have an exemplary record of preventing loss of life. I believe that sprinkler protection should be mandatory in all high-risk buildings, such as HMOs (houses in multiple occupation), where danger to life is always present. A Bill to achieve this has been put to the Scottish Parliament by Michael Matheson but is receiving resistance.  At a time when the true cost of fire fighting is under scrutiny, the economic and human costs of fires demand that the most reliable and effective method yet found of fire protection – fire sprinklers - is made part of the basic safety requirements in all buildings. How much longer do we need to wait for this simple truth to be accepted?” 

IFSA Technical Director Russ Fleming was among twenty presenters at the 3rd VdS Conference on Fire Extinguishing Systems held 5-6 December 2002 in Cologne, Germany.  More than 200 registrants from throughout Europe gathered to hear information on gas extinguishing systems as well automatic sprinkler and water mist systems. 
     Russ was invited to speak on the subject of “The Fire Sprinkler Situation in the United States”, and discussed the growth of the sprinkler market due to building codes and substantial retrofit campaigns, the resulting reduction in fire losses, and the continuing high degree of confidence in the capability of fire sprinklers.  For a copy of his paper click on the link below. 
Fleming Paper on U.S. Fire Sprinkler Situation

17 Dec 2002 - Alan Brinson has been named as the first Managing Director of the recently formed European Fire Sprinkler Network.  The Network was formed by a number of the member companies of the IFSA and is partially funded by a grant from this association (see story below).
     Mr. Brinson has 20 years of experience in the European fire sprinkler industry having held senior positions with a number of subsidiaries of Tyco International, Inc.  He currently resides in London, UK and will be assuming his duties on 1 Feb 2003.
     In making the announcement, IFSA Managing Director John Viniello noted, "Alan is the ideal candidate to lead the European Fire Sprinkler Network.  He has the skills, background in the industry and the energy and enthusiasm to make an immediate contribution to the Network's goal of having fire sprinklers accepted throughout the European continent.  We are very fortunate to have him on board".
     Alan can be reached by phone at 011-44-20-8877-2600 and by e-mail at brinson@eurosprinkler.org

While providing ongoing support for organizations that have demonstrated the effectiveness of fire sprinklers in the past few years, the International Fire Sprinkler Association Board of Directors has also made a major new commitment to promoting fire sprinklers on the European continent. One of the primary IFSA missions is to foster the development of national and regional organizations that promote the fire sprinkler concept.
     The Network is expected to provide a  vehicle for the fire sprinkler industry to work alongside fire service leaders to promote the wider use of automatic water-based fire suppression systems.  Plans for the new organization were announced at the Fourth International Fire Sprinkler Conference in Prague in July and it is expected to be legally formed and functioning by the end of 2002. 
     In its 2002-2003 grant program, the IFSA also made funding available to sponsor fire official participation in the Prague conference.