California Office of the State Fire Marshal Automatic Extinguishing Systems Advisory Committee moving NFPA 25 Forward

On September 11 ^th  the California State Fire Marshal’s Automatic Extinguishing Systems Advisory Committee met and voted 11-1 in favor of moving the recommendations of the NFPA 25 Work Group forward. The Work Group was chaired by Regional Manager Bruce Lecair, who gave the report on the recommendations of the three sub-committees that were voted on by the NFPA 25 Work Group in August. The recommendations have been moved forward as a draft, Incremental Statement of Reasons, and are now being reviewed by OSFM staff before submittal to the Acting State Fire Marshal. The goal is to adopt the 2020 NFPA 25 edition that will be the California 2021 NFPA 25 edition based on the NFPA 25, 2020 edition. Should everything proceed smoothly, the adoption date is targeted for January 1, 2022.

The next stage of the project for the Work Group is to review the existing Automatic Extinguishing Systems forms contained in the current California edition and to review the forms and identify edits and improvements that are that needed before the next edition is published. A NFPA 25 Forms Committee was established at the December OSFM AES Advisory Committee meeting. The AES Advisory committee elected NFSA Regional Manager/Associate Director Bruce Lecair to chair the committee that will be holding the first meeting in January. The goal is to complete the review and to make recommendations to the OSFM AES Advisory Committee in April.

The California Office of the State Fire Marshal Automatic Extinguishing Systems Advisory Committee and the NFPA 25 Work Group are represented by NFSA members, Regional Manager Bruce Lecair, former Area Director Jack Thacker, Schambaugh and Son, and NFSA Contractor Jason Hudgins from Walschon Fire Protection, as well as Darryl Hefley and Randy Dysart from Jorgenson Company. The committee is appointed by the State Fire Marshal and is formed to address fire protection issues and make recommendations to the State Fire Marshal on matters affecting fire protection in California.

The California NFSA Chapters will be holding their first Chapter meetings in February on back-to-back dates. NFSA President Shane Ray and NFSA Chairman of the Board Kent Mezaros will be in attendance to give updates to the Chapters. The first meeting will be in Fremont, CA. at the Spin A Yarn Restaurant from 5-9 p.m. The second meeting will be held in Downey, CA. at the Rio Hondo Golf and Event Center. Randy Howell, President of Kimble and Company, newly elected Chapter Chair will be presiding over his first meeting. Also appointed by the Chapter for Chapter Treasurer was Jeff Landon, Regional Sales Manager for Lubrizol and Bruce Lecair, Regional Manager, NFSA, for Chapter Secretary.  Randy Howell will succeed Don Becka, President, Qualco Fire Protection and Jeff Landon will succeed Stuart Cook of Potter-Roemer served as President and Treasurer. Both Don and Stuart served from 1999 through 2019 and have stepped down after a long and successful service to our members.  

The projected dates for the San Francisco Bay Area Chapter are slated for:

The projected dates for the Los Angeles Area Chapter are being planned for: 

The 2020 Arizona NFSA Chapter has set the calendar for meetings on: 

The California Fire Prevention Officers CFPI planning Committee is now accepting registration for the upcoming Conference form March 9-13 in Buellton, CA . The conference is the week long training event with classes and meetings ranging from the California Fire Sprinkler Coalition Face to Face meeting, fire sprinkler classes, management of fire prevention bureaus, hazardous materials, plan review, and a wide selection of other classes instructed by industry, government representatives of the building official and fire service, and the National Fire Academy and the National Fire Prevention Association as well as the NFSA.

Registration is open for the first 2020 seminar in Tucson, AZ. at the Northwest Fire District Training Center. The dates are February 25-27. The classes are going to be the 2-day Fire Sprinkler Plan Review and the one day Rough-in and Final of Fire Sprinkler Systems.

SoCal Fire Prevention Officers Association . Wednesday, January 8, 2020 from 10:00 to 3:00 at the ICC Western Regional Office located at 3060 Saturn Street in Brea, CA.

California Fire Sprinkler Coalition Meeting. The next California Fire Sprinkler Coalition Meeting will be held Wednesday, January 15, 2020 at 10:00 a.m. You will be able to attend the meeting by accessing teleconference at 1-855-747-8824, access number: 446676#.

NorCal Fire Prevention Officers Association, Sacramento Metropolitan Headquarters, Avenue 2 ^nd Floor Boardroom.   Friday, January 24, 2020 9:30 am to 2:30 p.m.

Arizona State NFSA Chapter Meeting , Tuesday, January 28, 2020 at the Phoenix Fire Department Headquarters at 150 S. 12 ^th Street in Phoenix, AZ. From 11:30 to 1:30 p.m.

California Office of the State Fire Marshal AES Advisory Committee Meeting.  January 29, 2020 at the Office of the State Fire Marshal at 2251 Harvard Street, Sacramento, CA. from 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Diego Fire Protection Association. Tuesday, February 11, 2020, Sizzler’s Restaurant, 3755 Murphy Canyon Road 11:30 to 1:00 p.m.

NFSA San Francisco Bay Area Chapter Meeting, Thursday, February 19, 2020 at Saki’s Spin A Yarn Restaurant in Fremont, CA. from 5-8 p.m. NFSA President Shane Ray and Chairman of the Board Kent Mezaros will be attendance.

“What Used to Be”

NFSA has launched a national media campaign with a TV commercial being released in a number of large population centers, and a website designed specifically to assist homeowners in understanding and choosing fire sprinklers. The “What Used to Be” campaign provides a graphic look at “what used to be” in a home before a devasting fire: memories, mementos, and the sense of safety and wellbeing.