· The Central Sprinkler Company announced a series of education initiatives designed to enhance public safety in regard to sprinkler systems. The company intends to
- inform property owners of their responsibility to maintain sprinkler systems in accord with National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) guidelines and educate them on the value of doing so;
- educate all industry constituents in the importance of proper handling and installation practices for sprinklers to assure their designed performance remains intact;
- advocate changes to the Code and standards regarding sprinkler systems maintenance by promoting mandatory replacement of sprinklers and water quality testing; and
- advocate changes to product standards and testing protocols to ensure sprinkler performance in all applications.
The Central Sprinkler Company also recommended that all members of the sprinkler industry should
- support all legislative efforts requiring the installation of sprinklers (for example, many state and local authorities have introduced legislation affecting student housing, including fraternities and sororities);
- support organizations such as the Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition that educate the public on the effectiveness of sprinkler systems; and
- support sprinkler industry trade associations and professional organizations to achieve positive recognition for the products and those who install them.
Last July, the company announced a program to voluntarily replace 35 million fire sprinklers that contain O-rings. Extensive testing had indicated that the O-ring model may, over time, prove more vulnerable to outside factors that could compromise the ability of a few to activate in a fire.
· The NATIONAL FIRE PROTECTION ASSOCIATION (NFPA) Certified Fire Protection Specialist (CFPS) and Certified Fire Inspector I (CFI) programs have approved for exam fees reimbursement by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), as part of the Montgomery GI bill, retroactive to March 1, 2001. For more information, contact a local VA office or visit the VA Web site at http://www.gibill.va.gov.
· Under an exclusive marketing agreement, the BULLARD sales force will manage the worldwide sales, marketing, and factory representation program for the AIR SYSTEMS INTERNATIONAL brand product line. The standard orange Air Systems labeled products will replace the Bullard brand breathing air filtration and air management systems.
Air Systems will continue to publish its complete product catalog, and will receive and handle technical sales calls and be responsible for product engineering/design, field training, and equipment repairs for Air Systems products. For the past three years, Air Systems has had a major OEM agreement with Bullard to private label breathing air products under the Bullard label.
BULLARD appointed the following regional managers: Britt Moor, western divisional sales; Carol Fortnay, Texas; Kaleb Winsheimer, northwest territory; and Paul Ostrowski, Midwest territory.
