F I R E P R O T E C T I O N C O N N E C T I O N
I N TH I S I SSUE : Page 2. Company Updates:
What to Expect for Inspections Know Your Service Provider Updated 2018 Fees
Page 4. Industry Updates
NYC Apartment Fire Tax Incentive
Page 5. Technology News Flexible Hose
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company updates
QUick tips and helpful hints Your fire and life safety system inspections are required, but that doesn’t mean they should be a nuisance. Whether you are having an inspection on the fire sprinkler or fire alarm systems, extinguishers, or backflows, understanding a few key things about life safety system inspections may help them go much more smoothly. A few things to prepare prior to the technician’s arrival on site: • Know who is responsible for inspecting the fire hydrants on your property, your organization or the city. • Know which life safety inspections are your responsibility and which are your landlord’s (if any). • Place a sign at each entry 24 hours in advance of the inspection to notify customers, employees, or any other building occupants of the upcoming inspection. • Locate the proper password or test code to put the fire alarm system in “test” mode. • Contact your local fire department to let them know you are having your inspection(s) done, that way they won’t dispatch anyone in the case that someone notices the horns going off. When the technician arrives for the inspection: • Put the fire alarm system in “test” mode using the proper password or test code. • Designate someone to escort the inspector, as this helps technicians become more familiar with the layout of the facility. This is especially important for larger buildings. The escort should also have keys to access any rooms the technician(s) need to enter. Finally, this escort will handle signing the work order at the end of the inspection to close out the ticket. • If you are having your backflows tested, your water system may or may not be shut down for a short period. There may also be an area blocked off as the water discharge area to help ensure there are no cars or storage items that could be impacted by the heavier water flow. This is the procedure for hydrant flow tests as well, so adequate space will also be needed during that inspection. • When the inspection is completed, the technician will review any system deficiencies with the site escort and discuss if a return trip is needed for. If you have a large facility or multiple systems installed, the inspection may require two or more technicians to test more than one system at the same time. The inspection may also take multiple days to complete. It is a good idea to ask how many technicians you should expect on site and how long it will take to properly prepare yourself and your site personnel. If you have any questions about what to expect during a fire and life safety inspection, please contact inspections@api-nsg.us . life safety INspections what to expect AT YOUR FACILITY
employee spotlight: ben mccurdy technical advisor
more like TECHNICAL GENIUS Ben brings a strong level of technical expertise in the fire protection industry to APi NSG. Prior to joining our
team, Ben owned his own fire alarm contracting business. His industry experience helps provide strategic solutions to our customers. A GOOD FIT Ben provides support to our internal team and customers through guidance on technical questions and issues. He also assists in helping manage all projects over $50K to provide an additional level of oversight and expertise. customer-focused RESULTs Ben is consistently looking for solutions that provide the best value to our customers. He keeps the interest of the customer in mind and thinks outside the box in order to reduce cost and improve quality. fun fact Ben has twin boys and loves fishing. The only thing he may love more than fishing is energy drinks.
company updates
fees, fees, and fees updates for 2018 Where to expect fees Wisconsin: Several jurisdictions are moving to online compliance systems to submit/track inspection reports.It will cost $15 per report to submit in their system. Here is the list of the jurisdictions currently utilizing these portals: • Fontana Fire Department • Adams County • DeForest Windsor • Town of Brookfield Fire Department. When the company servicing your life safety systems is a national provider, there may be a different company at your store for each inspection. It is important that those who will be at your facility are made aware of which service provider will be showing up that day. Additionally, making sure you know how many times your facility needs to be inspected each year is very helpful. If you are knowledgable on your company’s fire and life safety protocol, please share important information with others to be sure everyone is informed. City of Chicago: Chicago has transitioned to a compliance software called Brycer for fire sprinkler and fire pump reports. Please see this letter highlighting the fees associated with the annual inspections for water-based systems. We understand this is a significant increase in your inspection spend and have been working with the city to understand the impact before passing this information along to you. Washington and Idaho: Several jurisdictions have moved to an online compliance system, Tegris, to submit/track inspection reports. It will cost $15 (per report) to submit in their system. What does this mean for you? APi NSG will submit the inspection reports and pay the fee up front. We will pass the fee on to you and it will be clearly noted on our invoices. Please note that new jurisdictions could require us to submit to an online compliance portal at any time. We will make sure to communicate these changes to you. knowing your provider why this is helpful understanding your service provider • Fond du Lac Fire Department • Germantown Fire Department • Waupun Fire Department
faces in the field:
rodney truitt ifp | atlanta, ga
background Rodney has been
working with International
Fire Protection in Atlanta, GA for 9 years. He is currently the superintendent of
the fire alarm department but started as a technician. He later moved into an inspector role prior to becoming superintendent. why he’s awesome Rodney’s strong point is his personality. He communicates well with both customers and technicians. Rodney believes it’s incredibly important to take as much time as needed to explain life safety systems to customers and answer all of their questions thoroughly. tid bitS Lynyrd Skynyrd and Cheap Trick are Rodney’s all-time favorite bands. If he could meet with anyone dead or alive it would be his Dad, who taught him to always finish what he starts and that almost is not acceptable. If he could only eat one meal for the rest of his life it would be pizza, which sounds pretty delicious to us!
industry updates
New York city apartment fire closing a door could have saved lives what happened
An apartment was set ablaze earlier this year as a result of a young boy playing with the stove. Although most were able to escape and be rescued from the fire, 12 people were not so lucky. Devastating fires like these are both shocking and terrifying because of how little time residents have to find an escape. The time for escape could have been significantly increased if the apartment door where the fire originated had been shut upon exit. By leaving the door open, the fire was able to reach more oxygen, allowing the flames to spread quickly up and throughout the stairway which acted as a chimney. This is a tragic reminder of how important it is to close doors in the event of a fire. It is recommended to sleep with all doors closed in your home to prevent the spread of a fire if one should start in your home. Firefighters at the scene of the fire were also not able to confirm that all smoke detectors were working properly in the apartment building. Making sure detectors are operating correctly is an incredibly important and simple task. They should be tested at least once a month and batteries should be replaced at least once or twice a year. Click here for the full article.
https://www.cnn.com/2017/12/28/us/bronx-fire/index.html
Tax reform INcentives for sprinkler installation what you need to know There is much excitement around the passing of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act as it now provides incentives for fire sprinkler installation. Thanks to this act, small businesses are able to expense building improvement purchases related to fire protection systems up to $1 million in each year of the expense. Furthermore, the installation of sprinklers in commercial and other large buildings can be fully expensed until 2022. However, the reform does not offer incentives for sprinklers in one and two family homes. In case this incentive isn’t encouraging enough, here’s a statistic, according to the NFPA website the civilian fire death rate per 1,000 reported fires was 87% lower in properties with fire sprinklers installed than in those with no automatic extinguishing system. For more information, check out this article.
technology news
sprinkler installation simplifying with flexible heads install and remodel sprinklers with ease Flexible sprinkler heads allow for an unparalleled level of flexibility. Whether installing a sprinkler system into a newly constructed building or an already standing structure, they can provide a significant degree of versatility. These types of heads allow for you to easily make changes to the positioning of your system during remodeling, will align perfectly in drywall ceiling grids, and use welding instead of o-rings for 100% leak tested connections. Some other benefits of installing flexible head sprinklers include: • Reduced man power and labor costs • Ability to relocate and reconfigure heads without draining and disassembling the system • They are compatible with FM/UL sprinklers • It is easier to retrofit existing buildings with confined spaces To learn more about the conveniences of this technology, check out the FlexHead Industries website.
employee spotlight: Allison Mckee national account rep
ROCKSTAR on the move Allison was initially hired as an Operations Admin to assist with the work order life cycle, however, she has recently moved into the National Account Representative position! A GOOD FIT
Allison is very personable and has solid experience with Excel and other Microsoft tools. She is always curious and looking to improve and learn more. she’s a team player Allison dispatches service work for multiple customers. Her work ethic and contageous personality keep the team on track while having fun along the way. She also has recently been chosen as a member of our Culture Enhancement Team. This group creates opportunities for meaningful interactions within our organization. fUN fact Allison played basketball at Bemidji State University and coached the team as well. She is the definition of a baller.
q u e s t i o n s , c o m m e n t s , o r t h i n g s y o u w a n t t o h e a r a b o u t ? Emai l : market ing@api -nsg.us f o l l o w o u r b l o g Vi s i t : www.f i reprotect ionblog. com
f o l l o w u s o n s o c i a l m e d i a We’re interest ing , promi se!
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