The National Fire Sprinkler Association was invited to attend the first ever Women Build Boston Conference on September 8, 2022. Abbie Gunnells, Membership Relations and Outreach Coordinator, and Lance Gunnells, Labor Relations Manager and Associate Counsel, were able to attend the event at the Encore Boston Harbor. The Encore Boston Harbor was chosen as the site for the Conference because more tradeswomen worked on its construction than any other construction project in American history.

Team NFSA with U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh.

The Conference was focused on celebrating women across all the Boston building trades, promoting the advancement of women in the trades, supporting tradeswomen and the issues they face in the construction industry. General session speakers included U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh, Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey, and a host of pioneering women from across the Greater Boston building trades. Breakout sessions featured topics germane to women in the construction industry such as legal rights on the jobsite and in the workplace, mental health, leadership, and finances. Across all the sessions, the message was clear women are vital to the building trades, and every effort should be made to attract more of them.

Promoting Women in Construction

Team NFSA and Local 550 Sprinkler Fitters.

Abbie and Lance were able to spend time with several female sprinkler fitters from Boston Local 550 throughout the day. These women shared how they each got into the fire sprinkler industry and their experiences in the trade. They also shared their ideas to get more women into the industry. Abbie and Lance also spent time with Local 550 Business Manager Peter Gibbons and Organizer Matt Jones, and they discussed different recruiting tools used to get more women into the sprinkler industry, and the challenges that sometimes present themselves in recruiting and retaining female sprinkler fitters.

Abbie and Lance were pleased to represent NFSA at the Conference and hope to attend an even bigger and better event in 2023!

The NFSA Promotes Professional Development in the Fire Sprinkler Industry

The NFSA’s mission to advance the fire sprinkler concept includes promoting the building trades to everyone. The NFSA team accomplishes this by attending trades conferences and career fairs. The team also offers several opportunities to learn more about the industry through learning and development.

For more information on the NFSA, or to learn more about the industry, join our association today!