A live seminar has been prepared by Fire Smarts, LLC on behalf of the Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors (PHCC) to educate plumbing contractors in Pennsylvania and New Jersey on the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 13D standard that covers the installation of sprinkler systems in one and two family homes. This seminar is part of the educational training being offered at the 2010 NJ-PHCC & PA-PHCC Convention in Atlantic City, NJ.

The “Understanding Residential Fire Sprinkler Systems” live seminar will be presented by fire protection industry expert, Russ Leavitt, SET, CFPS, on May 14, 2010 at 11:00am EST. Mr. Leavitt will educate participants on the NFPA 13D standard for installing fire sprinklers in single and two family homes. Participants will learn how this standard is organized and will be introduced to the requirements for materials and components, design criterion, and installation practices for residential fire sprinkler systems.

“With the recent addition of residential fire sprinkler requirements into the International Residential Code, there is no question that these systems will become a standard component in new home construction across the country,” said Ryan J. Smith, President of Fire Smarts, LLC. “There is a need and an incredible opportunity for plumbing contractors to assist in providing these services.”

The “Residential Fire Sprinklers Market Growth and Labor Demand Analysis” published by Fire Smarts, LLC in September 2008, projects that over 7000 additional positions for sprinkler installation will be needed as residential fire sprinkler requirements are adopted and widely enforced across the country over the next decade. An adequate amount of skilled labor is essential to ensuring that residential sprinkler systems can be properly and cost-effectively installed. A growing number of industry experts agree that plumbing contractors play a critical role in the successful implementation of residential fire sprinkler code requirements.

“There is a lot of interest by PHCC members in this new market,” said Skip Pfeffer, PHCC’s National President. “We cannot afford to lose this market—especially in the current economy. I encourage all PHCC members and potential members to participate.”

Convention registration is open to all interested parties. For more information and to register for the 2010 NJ-PHCC & PA-PHCC Convention visit http://www.paphcc.org/2010RegistrationFlyer.pdf . This seminar is another residential fire sprinkler educational and training opportunity that is being offered by the PHCC in partnership with Fire Smarts.

About PHCC: The PHCC – National Association is the oldest trade association in the construction industry and the premiere organization for the plumbing, heating and cooling professional. Since 1883, PHCC has been the leader in promotion, advancement, education and training. Today PHCC has more than 4100 contractor members from open and union shops, who work in the residential, commercial, new construction, industrial and service and repair industry segments.

About Fire Smarts, LLC: Fire Smarts, LLC is a leading provider of fire protection educational and training resources. The company operates the home fire protection resource website, Residential Fire Sprinklers .com ( http://www.ResidentialFireSprinklers.com ), frequently publishes articles and reports on the latest industry developments and utilizes its team of Fire Smarts Faculty members to create custom training solutions for contractors, fire and building officials, and business organizations based on NFPA standards.

A new webinar has been prepared by Fire Smarts, LLC on behalf of the Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors – National Association (PHCC) to educate plumbing contractors across the nation on the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 13D standard that covers the installation of sprinkler systems in one and two family homes. The webinar is part of the online training offered by the PHCC.

The “Introduction to NFPA 13D Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems for One and Two Family Homes” webinar will be presented by fire protection industry expert, Russ Leavitt, SET, CFPS, on February 10, 2010 at 3:00pm EST. Mr. Leavitt will educate participants about the NFPA code development process and the requirements for designing and installing fire sprinklers in single and two family homes. Participants will learn how this standard is organized and will be introduced to the requirements for materials and components, design criterion, and installation practices for residential fire sprinkler systems.

“With the recent addition of residential fire sprinkler requirements into the International Residential Code, there is no question that these systems will become a standard component in new home construction across the country,” said Ryan J. Smith, President of Fire Smarts, LLC. “There is a need and an incredible opportunity for plumbing contractors to assist in providing these services.”

The “Residential Fire Sprinklers Market Growth and Labor Demand Analysis” published by Fire Smarts, LLC in September 2008, projects that over 7000 additional positions for sprinkler installation will be needed as residential fire sprinkler requirements are adopted and widely enforced across the country over the next decade. An adequate amount of skilled labor is essential to ensuring that residential sprinkler systems can be properly and cost-effectively installed. A growing number of industry experts agree that plumbing contractors play a critical role in the successful implementation of residential fire sprinkler code requirements.

“There is a lot of interest by PHCC members in this new market,” said Skip Pfeffer, PHCC’s President. “We cannot afford to lose this market—especially in the current economy. I encourage all PHCC members and potential members to participate.”

Registration is open to all interested parties. For more information and to register for this webinar visit https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/112342186 . This webinar is another residential fire sprinkler educational and training opportunity that is being offered by the PHCC in partnership with Fire Smarts.

About PHCC: The PHCC – National Association is the oldest trade association in the construction industry and the premiere organization for the plumbing, heating and cooling professional. Since 1883, PHCC has been the leader in promotion, advancement, education and training. Today PHCC has more than 4100 contractor members from open and union shops, who work in the residential, commercial, new construction, industrial and service and repair industry segments.

About Fire Smarts, LLC: Fire Smarts, LLC is a leading provider of fire protection educational and training resources. The company operates the home fire protection resource website, Residential Fire Sprinklers .com ( http://www.ResidentialFireSprinklers.com ), frequently publishes articles and reports on the latest industry developments and utilizes its team of Fire Smarts Faculty members to create custom training solutions for contractors, fire and building officials, and business organizations based on NFPA standards.

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There were approximately 70 attendees of the seminar and feedback on the survey forms submitted by each class participant was overwhelming positive on the material covered. This seminar is part of Fire Smarts partnership with the PHCC to provide residential fire sprinkler training and education to plumbing contractors.

Also announced during the PHCC Convention was the ASSE 7000 certification. This ANSI accredited certification is for installers and inspectors of multipurpose residential fire sprinkler systems. Fire Smarts is developing and delivering the 40+ hour training program for this certification, in connection with PHCC, for plumbers to obtain their ASSE 7000 certification.

The ASSE Certification provides assurance to the industry that qualified individuals are installing and inspecting multipurpose piping systems. The ASSE Certification also assures that individuals have taken a qualified course and have passed both a written and a practical exam. The program provides for continued education and periodic recertification.

For more details view the “ASSE 7000 Certification Brochure“

Fire Smarts, LLC is pleased to announce the addition of Bob G. Caputo, CFPS, to the Fire Smarts Faculty. With over 25 years of fire protection experience, Mr. Caputo is a nationally recognized expert in the industry. His extensive experience with the NFPA standards and their practical application has been demonstrated through his years of instructing seminars for the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and the American Fire Sprinkler Association (AFSA).

Mr. Caputo has operated in all areas of the fire sprinkler industry. As a former fire fighter, he was trained in fire suppression at the U.S. Naval Fire Fighting Training Center in San Diego, CA. Throughout his career he has been a fitter, a designer and a fire sprinkler contractor owner where he still holds fire sprinkler contractor licenses in multiple states. In addition to this full range of practical experience, Mr. Caputo, has a deep understanding of fire protection requirements as demonstrated by his membership on the Technical Committee for NFPA 13 “Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems” and NFPA 25 “Inspection, Testing & Maintenance of Water-Based Fire Protection Systems”.

“Bob has earned a strong reputation in the industry as a leading expert with a gift and passion for teaching,” said Ryan J. Smith, President of Fire Smarts, LLC. “His participation further enhances the knowledge and experience of our Faculty as we develop training solutions to meet the growing global demand for NFPA based training.”

The Fire Smarts Faculty is actively involved in the promotion of fire protection education and training based on NFPA standards. Domestically a primary focus has been on the emerging residential fire sprinkler market. In 2008 Fire Smarts, LLC published the “Residential Fire Sprinklers Market Growth and Labor Demand Analysis” to quantify the impact of residential fire sprinkler requirements in the International Residential Code (IRC). Through an alliance with the Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors National Association (PHCC) the company has been leading the efforts to educate and train the plumbing community on residential fire sprinkler systems.

Internationally, Fire Smarts, LLC is well positioned to benefit from the increasing use of the NFPA standards. With Fire Smarts Faculty as recognized experts in the NFPA standards, the company offers a unique training solution for organizations abroad in need of this knowledge. In addition to Mr. Caputo’s experience teaching seminars in the United States, he also has international training experience including instruction in the Middle East and South Korea.

“I’m very excited about the new residential sprinkler requirements adopted by the IRC as we finally address the loss of life from fire in residential dwellings,” said Bob G. Caputo, CFPS. “As our industry moves ahead in this developing market segment, I am honored to be on the forefront of the training efforts to ensure the job is done right and equally pleased to be associated with this passionate group of fire protection industry educators at Fire Smarts.”

The contribution of Mr. Caputo to the fire protection industry was recognized in 1997 when he was named the FPC Magazine “Man of the Year”. Now, more than a decade later, he remains just as committed to the benefit of the industry as he continues to demonstrate his passion and commitment to quality training. For more information about Mr. Caputo visit his website at Bob G. Caputo ( http://www.bobgcaputo.com ).

About Fire Smarts, LLC: Fire Smarts, LLC is a leading provider of fire protection educational and training resources. The company operates the home fire protection resource website, Residential Fire Sprinklers .com ( http://www.ResidentialFireSprinklers.com ), frequently publishes articles and reports on the latest industry developments and utilizes its team of Fire Smarts Faculty members to create custom training solutions for contractors, fire and building officials, and business organizations based on NFPA standards.

A new webinar has been prepared by Fire Smarts, LLC on behalf of the Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors Association (PHCC) to inform contractors across the nation about the use of multipurpose systems in residential construction and how these systems can present a competitive business advantage for the plumbing contractor. The webinar is part of the Online Business Management Training offered by the PHCC.

The “Introduction To Multipurpose Residential Fire Sprinkler Systems” webinar will be presented by Jayson Drake, Uponor’s Sr. Product Manager for Fire Safety Systems, on April 22, 2009 at 3:00pm EST. Mr. Drake will educate participants on the NFPA 13D fire sprinkler standard as it applies to multipurpose systems and how these systems can give the plumbing contractor a competitive advantage when competing for this work by reducing the cost of installation. Further, participants will be introduced to the advantages and disadvantages of working with the PEX tubing commonly used in multipurpose systems.

“As the 2009 International Residential Code, which includes residential fire sprinkler requirements, is adopted as law, home builders and homeowners alike will demand innovation to drive down the cost of residential fire sprinkler systems,” said Ryan J. Smith, President of Fire Smarts, LLC. “The multipurpose system presents a compelling solution with all the characteristics needed to become the homebuilders ‘system of choice’ as this market continues to develop.”

The multipurpose system is ideal for plumbing contractors to install as the system piping serves both fire protection and domestic plumbing needs. In a market that has been projected to exceed $3 billion a year in the “Residential Fire Sprinklers Market Growth and Labor Demand Analysis” published by Fire Smarts, LLC in September 2008, there is a significant opportunity available for plumbing contractors who are capable of installing multipurpose systems. A growing number of industry experts agree that multipurpose systems, combined with plumbing contractor labor, will play a critical role in delivering cost-effective systems to meet the residential fire sprinkler code requirements.

“There is a lot of interest by PHCC members in this new market,” said Ike Casey, PHCC’s Executive Vice President. “We cannot afford to lose this market—especially in the current economy. I encourage all PHCC members and potential members to participate.”

Registration is open to all interested parties and PHCC members receive a discounted tuition rate for the course. For more information and to register for this webinar visit the PHCC Meeting Registration Website. This webinar is the second in a series of residential fire sprinkler educational and training opportunities that will be offered by the PHCC.

About PHCC: The PHCC – National Association is the oldest trade association in the construction industry and the premiere organization for the plumbing, heating and cooling professional. Since 1883, PHCC has been the leader in promotion, advancement, education and training. Today PHCC has more than 4100 contractor members from open and union shops, who work in the residential, commercial, new construction, industrial and service and repair industry segments.

About Fire Smarts, LLC: Fire Smarts, LLC is a leading provider of fire protection educational and training resources. The company operates the home fire protection resource website, Residential Fire Sprinklers .com , frequently publishes articles and reports on the latest industry developments and utilizes its team of Fire Smarts Faculty members to create custom training solutions for contractors, fire and building officials, and business organizations.

A new webinar has been prepared by Fire Smarts, LLC on behalf of the Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors Association (PHCC) to inform plumbing contractors across the nation about the emerging residential fire sprinkler market and why they should be paying attention. The webinar is part of the Online Business Management Training offered by the PHCC.

The “Grow Your Business With Residential Fire Sprinklers” webinar will be presented by fire protection industry expert, Russ Leavitt, SET, CFPS, on February 18, 2009 at 3:00pm EST. Mr. Leavitt will update participants on the most recent code changes affecting residential fire sprinklers and how this rapidly evolving market presents a compelling business case for plumbing contractors. Further, participants will be introduced to the “barriers of entry” that must be overcome to enter the residential fire sprinkler market and capture this opportunity.

“With the recent addition of residential fire sprinkler requirements into the International Residential Code, there is no question that these systems will become a standard component in new home construction across the country,” said Ryan J. Smith, President of Fire Smarts, LLC. “The labor demands are near overwhelming for the fire sprinkler industry, creating a need and an incredible opportunity for plumbing contractors to assist in providing these services.”

The “Residential Fire Sprinklers Market Growth and Labor Demand Analysis” published by Fire Smarts, LLC in September 2008, projects that over 7000 additional positions for sprinkler installation will be needed as residential fire sprinkler requirements are adopted and widely enforced across the country over the next decade. An adequate amount of skilled labor is essential to ensuring that residential sprinkler systems can be properly and cost-effectively installed. A growing number of industry experts agree that plumbing contractors play a critical role in the successful implementation of residential fire sprinkler code requirements.

“There is a lot of interest by PHCC members in this new market,” said Ike Casey, PHCC’s Executive Vice President. “We cannot afford to lose this market—especially in the current economy. I encourage all PHCC members and potential members to participate.”

Registration is open to all interested parties and PHCC members receive a discounted tuition rate for the course. For more information and to register for this webinar visit the PHCC Meeting Registration Website. This webinar is the first in a series of residential fire sprinkler educational and training opportunities that will be offered by the PHCC.

About PHCC: The PHCC – National Association is the oldest trade association in the construction industry and the premiere organization for the plumbing, heating and cooling professional. Since 1883, PHCC has been the leader in promotion, advancement, education and training. Today PHCC has more than 4100 contractor members from open and union shops, who work in the residential, commercial, new construction, industrial and service and repair industry segments.

About Fire Smarts, LLC: Fire Smarts, LLC is a leading provider of fire protection educational and training resources. The company operates the home fire protection resource website, Residential Fire Sprinklers .com , frequently publishes articles and reports on the latest industry developments and utilizes its team of Fire Smarts Faculty members to create custom training solutions for contractors, fire and building officials, and business organizations.

The training event was arranged by Wayne Schultz, President of the ICC High Country Chapter. Mr. Schultz began seeking a qualified company that would be willing to provide fire sprinkler training for his chapter members. He came in contact with Ryan J. Smith, President of Fire Smarts, LLC and final arrangements were made to have Mr. Leavitt speak at the December chapter meeting.

“We welcomed the opportunity to work with Mr. Schultz and the ICC High Country Chapter to provide fire sprinkler training,” said Mr. Smith. “Fire Smarts, LLC is committed to providing quality fire sprinkler training, especially to the building official community that is increasing their support for this life saving technology.”

The training event was a success and certainly demonstrated once again Fire Smarts, LLC ability to deliver exceptional fire sprinkler education. Russ Leavitt is a top expert in the industry and one of the best instructors on fire sprinkler systems. He regularly instructs for NFPA, serves on the NFPA 13 correlating committee, NFPA 25 technical committee, NFPA 5000 building code correlating committee, holds a NICET Level IV in Fire Sprinkler Layout and is a Certified Fire Protection Specialist (CFPS).

When asked about Mr. Leavitt’s presentation, Mr. Schultz responded, “The training was very well presented. Highly informative, and interesting. Thank you for offering us the opportunity.” Similar comments were heard from other chapter members present.

Fire Smarts, LLC, is a leading provider of educational and marketing services focused on fire protection. With a growing need for quality fire protection training, the company is an active supporter and provider of training programs tailored to the contracting, fire official and building official communities.

New residential fire sprinkler market analysis projects the market potential and labor demand created by the passing and eventual widespread enforcement of amendment RB64-07/08 to the International Residential Code (IRC).

September 22, 2008 – A national market potential for the installation of residential fire sprinklers is examined in a new report Residential Fire Sprinklers Market Growth and Labor Demand Analysis (PDF, 913 KB), authored by fire protection industry expert Russ Leavitt, SET, CFPS, with contributions by Steven Scandaliato, SET, and Ryan J. Smith. According to the report, the required installation of residential fire sprinklers in newly constructed one and two family houses has the potential to exceed $3 billion annually.

Using three different methods of calculating market potential, results for residential fire sprinkler installations in the United States ranged from $2.9 billion to $3.2 billion annually. Further, four types of labor were analyzed to project the number of additional positions needed as residential fire sprinkler requirements are adopted across the country.

“There’s no question that the recent passing of residential fire sprinkler requirements to the International Residential Code will change the industry in a breath and timeline never experienced before,” said Russ Leavitt, SET, CFPS. “How the industry responds to the need for additional skilled labor will determine how quickly this market potential can be fully realized.”

The report considers the extent of design, installation and jurisdictional enforcement labor that will be needed to accommodate the residential fire sprinkler market growth. Most staggering is the projected amount of sprinkler installation labor that will be required as the conservative analysis calculates over 7000 additional positions.

The Residential Fire Sprinklers Market Growth and Labor Demand Analysis, published by Fire Smarts, LLC, is available for download at www.ResidentialFireSprinklers.com . Fire Smarts, LLC, is a leading provider of online educational and marketing services focused on fire protection.

In this 60 minute recorded interview Steve shares his perspective on the growth of the fire sprinkler industry and the opportunities and challenges of the future. As an ardent supporter of residential fire sprinklers, Steve discusses the history and importance of the Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition (HFSC) from his unique perspective as a founding board member.

In addition to his contributions with HFSC and AFSA, Steve Muncy has served on the Board of Directors of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and as Chairman of the Residential Fire Safety Institute. In recognition of his significant service, leadership and advocacy to the fire protection industry, he was named Person of the Year in 2002 by Fire Protection Contractor Magazine.

“Steve Muncy is one of the most recognized and respected individuals in the fire protection industry”, says Ryan J. Smith, President of Fire Smarts LLC and the interview host. “It is a real privilege to learn from an individual who has spent over twenty years in significant leadership roles with the major organizations that are shaping the fire protection industry.”

This interview speaks to those wanting to expand their understanding of the fire protection industry and the current developments in the use of home fire sprinklers. The interview is immediately available as a free download at ResidentialFireSprinklers.com in mp3 audio format and as a .pdf written transcript.

Access the Fire Protection Interview with Steve Muncy

The service at FireProtectionSource.com features hundreds of fire protection contractors in virtually every area in the United States and Canada. Fire protection services featured include six categories: fire sprinklers, fire alarms, fire extinguishers, emergency and exit lighting, kitchen hood systems, and backflow prevention.

Online local marketing is quickly making the yellow page phone books that show up at your doorstep an obsolete waste of paper. Today’s consumers are searching online when they need a service provider and they want more than just an ad.

“After hearing numerous requests from users of our online services, it became clear to us that consumers were struggling in their search for a qualified local contractor,” says Ryan J. Smith, President of Fire Smarts, LLC. “Online options for finding fire protection contractors were few and very generic to all contracting trades. FireProtectionSource.com was custom built specifically for fire protection to match consumers needing service with local qualified fire protection contractors.”

FireProtectionSource.com has been designed so that consumers can rate the contractor’s performance and add a written positive or negative review attached to the contractor’s profile for all to see. This encourages contractor quality and ensures that the best contractors stand out from the rest based on unbiased consumer feedback.

Take a look and see how easy it is to find your qualified fire protection contractor – http://www.FireProtectionSource.com