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Former Johnson Controls Inc. chairman and CEO Alex Molinaroli Source: Johnson Controls

1/2/18

By Patrick Leary, Reporter
Milwaukee Business Journal

In its 2018 proxy statement, Johnson Controls International said that its shareholders have told the company that former chairman and CEO Alex Molinaroli's $63 million golden parachute was "excessive."

The filing, published Dec. 28, said that Johnson Controls received "clear feedback and concern" from shareholders about "pay for performance alignment" in three areas. One of those areas was "legacy change in control agreements," which director of global media relations Fraser Engerman said "primarily" referred to Molinaroli's compensation.

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1/2/18

By Jon Ostrower
CNN

By nearly all measures, flying in 2017 was safer than ever.

Last year, there were 10 fatal commercial passenger and cargo air crashes that killed 44 passengers and crew members. That compares favorably to the five-year average of 17 crashes with 495 deaths, according to the Aviation Safety Network (ASN), which tracks aviation incidents and accidents.

Remarkably, no jet-powered commercial passenger jets crashed in 2017. The deaths recorded last year were all from cargo planes or smaller propeller-driven passenger aircraft. Monday marked 399 days since the last fatal passenger jet airliner accident, according to the network. That crash in November 2016 killed 71 of the 77 people aboard, including most of the Brazilian Chapecoense football team. The jet ran out of fuel when it was attempting to land in Colombia.

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12/20/17

Global Credit Research
Moody's Investors Service

New York -- Moody's Investors Service has changed the outlook for Johnson Controls International plc's and Tyco International Holding S.a.r.l's ratings to negative from stable, and affirmed all ratings including JCI plc's and TSARL's Baa1 senior unsecured and Prime-2 short-term ratings.

Moody's changed the outlook to negative in anticipation of continued weak free cash flow generation through 2018, which will restrict deleveraging opportunities over the next year.

"Johnson Controls has experienced significant difficulties since the Tyco merger," said David Berge, Senior Vice President and Moody's lead analyst for the company. "Absent clear near-term progress towards the operating performance expected with the merger, with clear evidence of cost-effective merger implementation and improving margins, downward pressure on the long term rating will build."

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12/19/17

By Edmund H. Mahony, Contact Reporter
Hartford Courant

United Technologies Corp. has agreed to pay $1.06 million to settle a Pentagon claim that an electronics subcontractor it briefly owned allowed substandard computer chips to be installed in military helicopter control systems.

The U.S. Attorney's office, which negotiated the settlement, said the former Goodrich Corp.'s pump and engine control systems division in West Hartford, briefly a UTC acquisition, installed counterfeit microprocessors it bought from a Rhode Island distributor in Rolls Royce helicopter engines.

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12/12/17

By Phil Martin, Digital Editor
Asia Pacific Fire

Johnson Controls has announced the new Tyco® RFIII Extended Coverage Horizontal Sidewall Sprinkler. This 8.0 K-factor sprinkler is rated for light hazard occupancies and designed to provide protection for coverage areas up to 16 feet by 24 feet (4,9 metres by 7,3 metres) and 18 feet by 22 feet (5,9 metres by 6,7 metres).

The RFIII features a unique flat cover that conceals the sprinkler within the wall, making it an ideal choice for architecturally sensitive installations, such as hotel rooms, reception areas, banquet facilities, conference rooms and hospitals. In addition to a clean look, the sprinkler's flat profile helps prevent damage and interruption from accidental activations caused by objects being hung from or striking the sprinkler. The cover plate assembly is available in a variety of standard colours, as well as factory-painted custom colours for a seamless, discreet design option.

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12/19/17

By Russian Aviation Insider

Sukhoi Superjet 100 (SSJ100) will get a new fire protection system designed by Technodinamika Holding, a part of Russia's industrial giant Rostec.

"We've got a contract with Sukhoi Civil Aircraft (SCAC) in place for design and delivery of a fire protection system for SSJ100", the holding's director Igor Nasenkov explained.  "We have committed to start serial deliveries from 2019. The system is being designed right now."

He also added that certification of fire protection system for another new generation Russian aircraft, the MC-21 is slated for next year. Initially it was expected to complete before the end of this year.

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1/9/18

By Jeremy Nobile
Crain's Cleveland Business

Align Capital Partners has acquired Kentucky-based International Systems of America LLC, a fire and life safety company, from Tennessee private equity firm Gen Cap America.

Terms of the deal, which gave Align a majority stake in the company following a recapitalization, were not disclosed.

Headquartered in Louisville and doing business as ISA Fire and Security, ISA provides fire and life safety services across the country, including installing and maintaining fire safety systems. A large part of its client base is with national property managers.

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1/10/18

Bluepoint Capital Partners

CHARLOTTE, NC -- Blue Point Capital Partners and its Blue Point III portfolio company, Fire and Life Safety America, announced the acquisition of Integrated Fire Protection, a service-focused provider of fire and life safety solutions, headquartered in Norcross, Georgia.

This transaction represents the first add-on acquisition for FLSA since Blue Point acquired the platform investment in February 2017.

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11/30/17

By PR Newswire
Yahoo! Finance

ATLANTA -- Honeywell announced it has acquired privately held SCAME Sistemi, s.r.l., adding new fire and gas safety capabilities to Honeywell's industry-leading portfolio of Connected Building solutions. SCAME is a leading provider of all-in-one systems that deliver management of fire and gas detection, and fire extinguishing systems, from a single interface and supervisory software platform.

When combined with Honeywell's wide-ranging fire and gas product portfolio, SCAME's industrial controllers and management systems will provide powerful integrated solutions for customers. Installers and operators will benefit from seamless integration that provides access to critical information, alerts and control. Honeywell's acquisition of SCAME will create new opportunities to deploy SCAME's products worldwide, helping make industrial sites around the globe safer and more secure.

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12/26/17

By Alan Elder
The Stack

Alan Elder, Tyco fellow, Tyco Fire Protection Products, looks at the research conducted on the impact of acoustics on HDDs and risk mitigation measures

Data centers are relied upon to store and distribute valuable information for customers across many industries, from the investment banking to the healthcare sector.

This valuable information is primarily stored on hard disk drives (HDDs). Industry demands that data centers remain functional 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, and downtime can damage the reputation of a data center or even a business, resulting in the loss of customer trust and subsequent business.

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A reserve capacity (RC) battery bursts into flames near a cinder block. Explorer Group Photo

12/12/17

By Lisa Gordon
Skies

It was rather like watching a pot of water coming to a boil, but when the cell phone finally ignited, the violence of the fire was unmistakable.

By the time the scorching, smoky blaze had been extinguished by an airport firefighter, there was nothing left of the hapless electronic device.

The controlled experiment took place on Dec. 8 at Pearson Airport's Fire and Emergency Services Training Institute (FESTI), where media and other industry representatives were invited to see the demonstration of a new product that developers say will change firefighting protocols on board aircraft.

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1/12/18

By Fred Durso
NFPA Xchange

NFPA praises the recent passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which offers significant incentives for fire sprinkler installation.

"Our research time and again stresses the life-saving importance of fire sprinkler protection," says NFPA President Jim Pauley. "The financial incentives allowed by this act will undoubtedly lead to safer establishments throughout the U.S."

Under the new act, small businesses can expense building improvement purchases tied to fire protection systems, including fire sprinkler retrofits, up to $1 million in each year of the expense. Moreover, sprinkler installations in commercial settings and other larger buildings can be fully expensed until 2022. After 2022, the amount allowed to be expensed gradually declines. Retrofits for residential high-rises owned by a business would qualify for the incentive.

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1/19/18

By Summit Companies
PR Newswire

Summit Companies Has Completed Six Add-On Acquisitions Under CI Capital's Ownership

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Summit Companies, a leading fire and life safety service and installation company, announced that it has completed the acquisition of Arizona-based Alliance Fire Protection Co. and Alliance Fire Protection Special Systems, Inc., establishing a new region for the company in Arizona. Summit Companies is owned by management and CI Capital Partners. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Alliance designs, engineers and installs commercial, industrial and multi-family residential fire protection systems for new construction projects and renovations, and provides ongoing maintenance and inspection services of these systems. Alliance was founded in 1981 and is based in Tempe, Arizona. Alliance is the sixth add-on acquisition completed since CI Capital invested in the company in September 2017 and Summit Companies' first add-on acquisition outside of its core Midwestern geography. Summit Companies is pursuing additional add-on acquisitions in other regions of the United States.

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• Honeywell Sued for Allegedly Hacking Competitor's Website 
• Sprinkler System Mishap Causes $10 Million Damage at Phoenix Library - Warnings Ignored 
• Fire Suppression Company Scam 
• Halon 1301 Cylinder Kills Health Care Worker - Unsecured, No Safety Diffuser - 25 Year Old Dies of Head Injuries. Service Company Settles 
• Suppression System Malfunction at Gas Station 
• Boeing Seeks Battery Fire Extinguisher Patent - Halon 1301 Chosen as Extinguishing Agent?? 
• UTC Chief to Honeywell - "It ain't gunna happen!" Post-Merger Flop - Honeywell Sets Sights on Rivals 
• Trump Supports Obama HFC Crackdown 
• Smoke Triggers Halon System 
• Paint Booth Explosion Sends Two Honeywell Aerospace Workers to Hospital 
• Fire Suppression System Discharge Kills Battle Tank Driver (India) 
• UTC Focused on Smaller Purchases 
• Building Burns, Fire Suppression System Installer Sued, Court Rules in Favor of Installer 
• Former Tyco CEO Kozlowski is Out of Jail and Back to Work 
• Suppression System Discharge Causes Sub Evacuation 
• Inert Gas System Discharge Causes Outage (Part I) 
• Cintas Fined $1.3M for Unpaid Overtime 
• The Challenge of Filling Fire Protection Positions 
• An Update on Water Mist Fire Protection Systems 
• Special Hazards Fire Protection: Developments Since Halon 1301