Erik Wahl Keynotes FSSA’s 2011 Framing for Success February 19, 2011
Posted by shawnpci in Change Leadership, Fire Protection, Fire Systems, FSSA, Good Stuff to Share.Tags: alarm, Change Leadership, clean agent, fire protection, fire suppression, Fire Systems, FSSA
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Erik Wahl, groundbreaking artist and communicator, challenges organizations to transcend mediocrity through creativity and originality. Drawing upon his experiences and understanding as an artist, Wahl passionately leads individuals to innovation and ingenuity.
Wahl will be the featured keynote presenter at the Fire Suppression Systems Association 2011 Framing for Success annual meeting on Sunday, February 27 in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
His program, The Art of Vision, is uniquely designed to channel innovative strategies to create extraordinary results. By breaking apart the traditional rules, Erik Wahl challenges and inspires organizations to re-define their commonly held assumptions and misconceptions about vision, goals, success and creativity. And, ultimately, each program ends with a live, dynamically choreographed painting that leaves the audience in awe.
For more information or to register, click here.
<p><a href=”http://vimeo.com/12166946″>Art of Vision</a> from <a href=”http://vimeo.com/user3935308″>Tasha Moffitt</a> on <a href=”http://vimeo.com”>Vimeo</a>.</p>March Is Next Fire System Contractors Board Meeting February 9, 2011
Posted by shawnpci in Fire Protection, Fire Systems.Tags: alarm, fire, fire alarm, fire protection, fire suppression, Fire Systems, NFPA, security
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The Iowa State Fire Marshal’s office has postponed the February 16, 2011 meeting of the Fire System Contractors’ Board. The next meeting is now scheduled for Wednesday, March 16, 2011 beginning at 10:30 a.m. at the Public Safety Building, 215 East 7th Street, Des Moines, Iowa 50319, 3rd Floor State Fire Marshal Conference Room #343.
The meeting is open to the public and all are welcome to attend.
Please visit: Advisory Board Home Page for additional information and updates.
Framing For Success Is FSSA’s 2011 Forum Theme February 2, 2011
Posted by shawnpci in Fire Protection, Fire Systems, FSSA.Tags: clean agents, fire protection, fire suppression, Fire Systems
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The Fire Suppression Systems Association’s annual meeting is set for February 25 – March 1, 2011 at the Gran Melia Golf Resort in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
This year’s theme of Framing for Success encompasses many keynote speakers and presentations including Erik Wahl and his presentation “The Art of Vision.” In addition, several technical related sessions and committee reports will fill the two and a half days of programs.
Unique opportunities for professional and personal networking are hallmark of every annual meeting of the FSSA.
For registration information and a complete listing the exciting schedule visit: www.fssa.net
Happy Birthday, Protex Central! January 31, 2011
Posted by shawnpci in Fire Protection, Fire Systems.Tags: alarm, fire, fire alarm, fire protection, fire suppression, Fire Systems, life safety, low-voltage, Protex Central, security
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Protex Central, Inc. marks the start of its 45th year in business on February 1, 2011.
Through its first 44 years, Protex Central has become a recognized systems integrator in the midwest’s fire and security marketplace.
Starting with only himself and a helper, Dennis Mullen has provided the vision and leadership of this dynamic and reliable enterprise. Operating from three fully-staffed office locations, Protex Central provides a variety of installation, testing and maintenance services across numerous vertical markets.
With second generation firmly in place, Protex Central’s envisioned future is to become the premier systems integrator in its marketplace by continuing to provide premium-level customer experiences. To learn more about Protex Central’s envisioned future click here.
A Pro’s Reaction To A False Alarm January 17, 2011
Posted by shawnpci in Fire Protection, Fire Systems, Good Stuff to Share.Tags: alarm, fire alarm, Fire Systems, life safety
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During a recent overnight stay in the wonderful city of Milwaukee, my son and I were rousted out of bed by the sounding of the fire alarm.
Being the 25-year fire protection systems professional that I am, I immediately began to think of reasons that the alarm was false. No way was I going to get dressed and leave the warmth and comfort of my resting place. With the incessant temporal cadence blaring at or above the requisite dB level, I soon reasoned that I should, as a professional, lead by example and exit the building. And so I did.
On my way out of the stairwell, I encountered the problem – a pulled manual station. Coming towards me was the night manager with reset key in tow. Once reset, he radioed the front desk and the alarm was silenced.
I introduced myself and encouraged him to find the perpetrator and prosecute. He said he already had a very good idea of who it was and that the police had already been summoned. Fire department personnel were pulling up as the alarm was silenced.
Lesson learned for me was that I was glad there wasn’t a fire and that the system worked as it was supposed to. I hope the neaderthals who pulled the station are prosecuted to the fullest extent.
Bottom line: this fire protection professional would rather have an alarm and not need it than to need an alarm and not have it.
Fire Extinguisher Contractors’ Advisory Board To Meet January 19 December 31, 2010
Posted by shawnpci in Fire Protection, Fire Systems.Tags: fire, fire alarm, fire suppression, Fire Systems
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The Iowa State Fire Marshal’s Fire Extinguishing Contractors and Alarm Systems Advisory Board is scheduled to meet Wednesday, January 19th, beginning at 10:30 a.m. at the Public Safety Building, 215 East 7th Street, Des Moines, Iowa 50319, 3rd Floor State Fire Marshal Conference Room #343.
The meeting is open to the public and all are welcome to attend.
Please visit: Advisory Board Home Page for additional information and updates.
Dry-Pipe Doesn’t Mean Clean Agent April 2, 2010
Posted by shawnpci in Fire Systems, FSSA.Tags: Data Centers, Fire Systems, NFPA
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Here are a couple of my comments regarding a recent entry found at: http://www.colocationblog.org/
Friend, you’re exactly correct. The notion of “dry-pipe” is a misnomer for inferring that clean agent fire suppression is in place. Moreover, the installation of fire sprinklers is to meet a building code – not the operational objectives of a datacenter (how many 9’s is it?)
One point of clarification – neither Halon 1301, FM-200, Novec 1230 or other clean agents listed for total flooding applications deplete oxygen in a protected space. In the case of Halon 1301, it chemically interrupts the chain of combustion (See NFPA 12A appendix for more information). The other noted agents essentially absorb heat to suppress the fire (See NFPA 2001 for more information).
The idea that all gaseous agents deplete oxygen to suppress the fire flows from the way the Carbon Dioxide (CO2) systems work and, to some extent, the way Hollywood portrays the technology. CO2 is NOT recommend for total flooding applications where personnel may be present (See NFPA 12 for important safety requirements).
This topic is very timely. Read more about Google’s recent datacenter fire at my blog: shawnpci.wordpress.com
Ain’t No April Fools Joke April 2, 2010
Posted by shawnpci in Fire Systems, FSSA.Tags: Data Centers, Fire Systems, FSSA
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To quote Jerry Garcia…”what a strange trip it’s been.”
Rarely have two events conspired on the same day to bring into sharp focus the reality of our electronic connectedness: Google Data Center Fire and Windstream Outage.
Both unfortunate situations point out just how vulnerable we are in the electronic age. Despite what I’m sure were days if not months of planning and double checking, the systems put in place to safeguard systems and facilities failed.
In the Google case, not only was the giant brought to its technical knees, it’s being financially tormented by its advertisers.
With the Windstream outage, emergency 9-1-1 centers in Nebraska as well as a UL-listed central alarm monitoring station were literally disconnected from their constituents. The impact to public safety wasn’t limited to just the Nebraska counties affected, but the numerous central station customers locate throughout the Midwest.
Readers of my blog know that I’m all about good reliable fire protection, however, as both cases point out – it can’t hurt to consider the true total cost of ownership when assessing fire protection options in a data center or the reliability/redundancy of monitored services.
Stupid Is As Stupid Does March 19, 2010
Posted by shawnpci in Fire Systems, FSSA.Tags: Fire Systems
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I’m learning the ropes with this Web 2.0 stuff.
I want to start adding video clips to my blog for illustrative purposes on a variety of subjects. So, I signed up for a You Tube account and am starting to upload some short clips that I’ll share in coming blogs.
However, whilst on You Tube, I came across this disaster of a clip supposedly showing how a clean agent system discharges.
For the love of God, PLEASE DO NOT try this at home, office or business. This is NOT the way to handle, store, or activate a clean agent system. This dude is very lucky the cylinder, hose, pipe and nozzle didn’t break loose and scatter across his shipping floor.
To my friends in the industry, let’s find this guy and encourage him to join our trade group, the Fire Suppression Systems Association, so he can learn how not to handle pressurized cylinders.
Iowa Governor Signs Fire Protection Licensing Changes Into Law March 13, 2010
Posted by shawnpci in Fire Systems.Tags: Fire Systems
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Iowa governor, Chet Culver (D), signed Senate File 2355 into law this week. These changes correct numerous problems with previous attempts to license fire protection installers in Iowa.
Most notably, there are now separate tracks to follow for those who install water-based fire sprinkler systems, special hazard systems and pre-engineered systems. Previous versions of the law didn’t differentiate between technologies and left several loopholes that created enforcement problems.
Now, with passage of this law, the Iowa State Fire Marshal’s office will have a much better set of rule and regulations to enforce throughout the state.
To read the law, follow this link:
Stay tune for more details as this licensing law begins to take effect.
Onward and Upward 