FIRE PROTECTION DEVICES COMMITTEE

MEETING MINUTES

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA

FRIDAY, APRIL 23, 1999

MEMBERS PRESENT:


 
Mary Cornelison, Contra Costa County FPD Ed Saiz Daly, City Fire Department
Bill Sallee, System Sensor Scott Moon, Petaluma Fire Department
John Gillilan, CAFAA Jim McLaughlin, Lund, Pearson McLaughlin
David Reads, Monterey Fire Department Bill Morrison, Saratoga Fire Department
Robert Evans, Stockton Fire Department Shane Clary, Bay Alarm Company
Lynn Trickle, Napa Fire Department Ben Lehr, Honeywell Building Controls
Philip Constantio, Hillsborough Fire Department Weston Arvin, UC Davis Fire Department
Larry Larson, NFSA Scott McMillan, San Jose Fire Department

It was probably the finest day San Francisco has ever experienced when we met at Fort Mason. Wes Arvin led the meeting with a review of our goals and objectives for this year. Many of the goals listed below are carried over from last year. As you recall, the Omega sprinkler issue dominated most of meetings and discussions.

VOTING MEMBERS

Several persons expressed interest in becoming voting members. Wes will review the bylaws to determine what restrictions may apply. They include Robert and Wes, of course, Lynn Trickle, John Gillilan, Jim McLaughlin, and Philip Constantio.

MISSION STATEMENT

Mary Cornelison promised to provide us with the mission statement for Public Education. She also suggested all committees develop a mission statement that our Webmaster could place on the web page to help new members decide which committee they would support. Wes suggested that our mission statement show our relationship to the fire code committee.

MARCH WORKSHOP MEETING – OMEGA SPRINKLER RECALL

Assisted by Ed Saiz, Wes reported on the joint meeting between the north and the south at Monterey last March. The focus of the meeting concerned the closure to the Omega sprinkler recall problem. Four points were made:

  1. August 1, 1999, is the last date you can file a claim with Central Sprinkler Company under the agreement established with the Consumer Safety Products Commission.
  2. We need to bring the Omega sprinkler problem to rest with a final report from the Ad Hoc Omega Sprinkler Advisory Committee headed by Steve Hart (retired) and Ed Saiz.
  3. NorCal and SoCal should be sending out letters to sprinkler contractors reminding them the fire service is here to assist.
  4. According to a State Fire Marshal directive, a licensed contractor cannot tag a sprinkler system under regulations for SFM 5-year Certification if the system contains Omega sprinklers.
Jim stated that contractors are not interested in replacing Omega sprinklers, except on those systems they installed. Larry stated there are still many pending lawsuits pending against sprinkler contractors by builders. Several members complained that the Omega sprinkler recall has not been advertised very well. Los Angles only had a press release last week and San Francisco was having a press release on the day of our meeting according to Larry.

CODE MATRIX

Ed stated one of his staff is updating the code requirements in matrix form for R occupancies. The update is based on the 1998 California Fire Code and will be finished in about a month.

$100 REWARD

During lunch, Scott McMillan started a rumor that the Consumer Safety Products Commission is paying $100 for each sprinkler head that activated during a fire and, I assume, controlled the fire. He had no names or telephone numbers to give me.

FIRE PROTECTION DEVICES COMMITTEE GOALS & OBJECTIVES

1. Establish a list of voting members for 1999-2000.

2. Improve and/or maintain good attendance by holding at least four mid-month meeting during the year.

3. Improve communication skills via the Internet. Maintain a list of e-mail addresses.

4. Keep members posted on new developments in fire protection technology.

5. Develop a mission statement.

6. Respond as necessary to code changes proposed for NFPA standards and the California Building and Fire Codes.

7. Revisit the fire alarm guidelines previously prepared by this committee and bring them up-to-date. Supplement the guidelines with a fire alarm inspection checklist.

8. Develop a guideline for underground hydrant lines and sprinkler lines for new construction that meets NFPA 24. This guideline will provide details concerning what is needed for plan submittal to meet NFPA 20 and the California Building and Fire Codes.

9. Develop a guideline for pump houses and related equipment for electric and diesel driven fire pumps used in new construction. This guideline will include general standards and practices and provide details concerning what is needed for plan submittal to meet NFPA 20 and NFPA 25, and the California Building and Fire Codes.

10. Assist other members with the development of their ordinances related to fire protection equipment and application of National Fire Protection Standards 13 and 72. Timing will follow the State code adoption process.

11. Attend all Building Standards Commission Disabled Access Committee meetings as a representative of NorCal, and report back to the NorCal membership.

Respectfully submitted,
 
ROBERT EVANS, CO-CHAIR WESTON ARVIN, CO-CHAIR
FIRE PROTECTION EQUIPMENT COMMITTEE