The past two years have no doubt sharpened everyone’s last-minute planning skills, and this year’s fire protection conference was no exception. With Hurricane Ian looming last week, Team NFSA decided to cancel the in-person portion of its Business and Leadership Conference in Clearwater Beach, Florida. While the team was disappointed to do this, NFSA is in the life-safety business and values the well-being of its members and staff. Our hearts go out to all those affected by Hurricane Ian, and we hope for a speedy recovery effort.

While the in-person portion of the Business and Leadership conference was cancelled, this didn’t stop the NFSA from going fully virtual! The team featured several guest speakers who covered a diverse range of business and fire protection topics!

“We have the answer. Let’s just keep spreading the word!”

–Jim Boulanger, NFSA Chairman of the Board

NFSA Chair Jim Boulanger offers industry updates.

The virtual conference kicked off with updates from NFSA Chair of the Board Jim Boulanger and President Shane Ray. Both offered updates on the state of the industry and thanked all who attended. After introductions, sessions kicked off!

Thursday Sessions – A Focus on Business and Standards- Click Here to View!

The first day’s sessions included updates from Economist Gene Marks and NFPA’s Matt Klaus and Brian O’Connor. Gene informed business owners of the resources available for them, as well as best practices for navigating daily operations in a post-COVID world. He also offered keen insight into what to expect from the economy in the coming months.

Matt Klaus and Brian O’Connor covered the role of NFPA codes and standards in fire protection for fire sprinkler contractors, layout technicians, engineers, and AHJs, as well as changes to NFPA 13, NFPA 20, NFPA 25, NFPA 855, and future standards like NFPA 420.

Friday Sessions – A Focus on Inspections and More. Click Here to View!

Friday’s sessions focused primarily on inspection, testing, and maintenance, with Drew Slocum of Inspect Point covering deficiency management. Drew spoke about the rise of ITM services during the pandemic and how such services have proven to be recession and pandemic resistant over the past two years. Drew offered insight on how contractors can use ITM in their business model.

Next up was Terry Victor of Johnson Controls who spoke about NFPA 25 and evaluating inspection and test results. Terry also focused on the different ambiguities surrounding NFPA 25 and how contractors can effectively communicate deficiencies to their customers. Terry broke several examples down into whether they were non-critical deficiencies or critical deficiencies.

Rounding out the day’s lineup was Jim McHugh of AGF. Jim covered common issues with auxiliary drains on dry fire sprinkler systems and how to minimize risk and expenses with a proactive approach to dry systems.

Join NFSA in May for our Upcoming Fire Protection Conference in Austin!

Join the NFSA for its North American Fire Sprinkler Expo in Austin, Texas on May 3-6. Contractors and suppliers from all over North America meet to learn more about the state of the industry by connecting with thought leaders and subject matter experts at this fire protection conference.

Our expo booths sell out quickly, so be sure to check back regularly for more information. To learn more about the National Fire Sprinkler Association’s seminars and events, and how you can earn CEUs by attending, visit our seminar and events pages to learn more!