On October 30, NFSA Minnesota staff members conducted the final side by side demonstration of the year in support of the APi National Service Group employees. With temperatures spiking at 28 degrees, NFSA member and APi Technical Advisor Ben McCurdy gathered about 50 of the division’s employees to witness firsthand the destructive speed and devastation of an uncontrolled fire and the even faster and life-saving operation of an automatic fire sprinkler device.

The New Brighton Public Safety Department, Fire Division provided suppression support for the event, led by their Fire Marshal, Kip LaMotte.
The demonstration provided a great opportunity for APi employees – many who have never experienced a fire or a sprinkler activation firsthand – the opportunity to see how their work managing national sprinkler contracts and sales results in lifesaving sprinkler successes. NFSA staff members Tom Brace, Joel Hewitt, and Tim Butler answered a number of questions from the eager – but frozen – crowd.

This demonstration was the final burn of the year for the Minnesota Chapter’s side by side trailer. After the trailer is overhauled and dried out, we’ll put it in storage for the winter and begin building a schedule of public and contractor demonstration burns for 2020. If you’d like a demonstration at your organization’s location, please contact one of the NFSA staff members, or make a request at the NFSA website: https://members.nfsa.org/general/custom.asp?page=Side-By-Side