FSSA Family,

As we wrap up another incredible year, I want to express my sincere gratitude for your engagement and participation in 2025. I also want to take a moment to thank the veterans in our FSSA family for their service to our country.

To My FSSA Family,

I hope everyone is enjoying their summer, whether that means poolside relaxation, family vacations, or just finding a few extra minutes of daylight after work to remember there's a world beyond special hazards, though let's be honest, we never really stop thinking about them.

A design tip exists that suggests using the Minimum Design Concentration (MDC) plus 15% extra clean agent combined with continuous air mixing ensures a proper hold time as required by NFPA 2001, 2025 edition. (All references to NFPA 2001 in this document refer to the 2025 edition unless otherwise noted.) An FSSA task group was assigned to verify whether this 15% additional clean agent provides a 10-minute hold time prediction for continuous mixing situations.

The task group used the simulation method given in NFPA 2001 to estimate the hold time for an enclosure with continuous air movement versus the predicted hold time in the same enclosure with air movement shut down at the time of discharge. This is the same method commonly used to fulfill NFPA 2001 system acceptance criteria.

Released January 21, 2025

Wet collections are natural history specimens immersed in liquid preservative solutions and typically stored or displayed in glass or plastic containers. The preservative solutions are predominantly ethanol, formalin or isopropanol.

The primary purpose of wet collections is for scientific research. In some instances, wet collections may be of species that are rare or extinct. These collections are not only irreplaceable, but they are also inherently hazardous to store and handle without proper precautions.

FSSA is in the process of preparing the agenda for the division meetings at the 2025 Annual Forum. If you are a FSSA Installer or Manufacturer Member, please take a minute to submit topics that you'd like to have discussed during the March 3 meeting. (Member login is required.)

MANUFACTURER MEMBERS SUBMIT TOPICS HERE

INSTALLER MEMBERS SUBMIT TOPICS HERE

The deadline to submit topics is January 13, 2025.

Calling FSSA Members in the NJ area:

The New Jersey Division of Fire Safety's Fire Protection Equipment Advisory Committee is looking for applicants that are members of FSSA to serve on this New Jersey committee.

The purpose of the committee is to make recommendations to the Commissioner of the Department of Community Affairs. Recommendations may include rules and regulations pertaining to professional training, standards, identification, and record keeping procedures for certificate holders and their employees, classifications of certificates necessary to regulate the work of certificate holders and other matters necessary to effectuate the sections of the Uniform Fire Safety Act. Pursuant to N.J.S.A.52:27D-25o, the Director of the Division of Fire Safety shall serve ex officio, as well as eleven public members appointed by the Governor.

Hello FSSA Members,

Are you attending the upcoming NFPA 2024 Conference June 17-19 in Orlando? If so, we invite you to join us for the following FSSA sessions:

Please share this information with anyone you may know who is or will be enrolled in a fire protection program and/or any schools that have a fire  protection program.  To qualify for a scholarship, the applicant must complete the FSSA Scholarship Application online form and upload the necessary documents to FSSA Educational Foundation Headquarters by Saturday, June 1, 2024.

FSSA has filed petitions in Maine and Minnesota, seeking a Currently Unavoidable Use (CUU) exemption from the Maine PFAS law and the Minnesota PFAS law that seek to regulate products containing “intentionally added PFAS.”  These laws define PFAS so broadly they would encompass certain clean agent fire suppressant agents, including HFC-227ea, FK-5-1-12 and HFC-125.

Copies of the FSSA petitions are linked below.

The FSSA Global Outreach Committee is connecting with other like organizations with the goal of sharing information across the industry.  The Fire Protection Association of Australia published the following information bulletin, Selection and Use of Firefighting Foams.

The purpose of this Information Bulletin is to increase awareness of the issues surrounding the selection and use of firefighting foams based on their:

The Fire Suppression Systems Association (FSSA) is the leading authority and advocate of special hazard fire protection. As the industry’s premier annual event for education and networking, the FSSA Annual Forum attracts a select group of top decision-makers in the industry. This year, we are expecting another record-breaking attendance, with more than 125 attendees registered.

FSSA is excited to host our 2024 Annual Forum at the historic Wigwam featuring elegant rooms and suites, three championship golf courses, three swimming pools, a tennis center, 440 acres of beautifully landscaped grounds, a world-class meeting center and more. There are so many things you'll love about The Wigwam, one of the top Arizona luxury resorts.

The Fire Suppression Systems Association (FSSA) is the leading authority and advocate of special hazard fire protection. As the industry’s premier annual event for education and networking, the FSSA Annual Forum attracts a select group of top decision-makers in the industry.

At the request of FSSA membership, the FSSA PFAS Task Force has published the FSSA Advocacy Statement on Clean Agent Fire Suppressants and PFAS Regulation.

This document supports FSSA’s position that a “total ban” approach to PFAS compounds could impact society’s ability to protect mission critical applications, which keep people safe. Any legislation or regulation that restricts the manufacture, import, distribution, sale, or use of PFAS should exclude Clean Agents when they are used in fire and explosion protection applications. The document outlines the difference between PFAS, clean agents fire suppressants, and clean agents to help clearly define this issue for our members and provide fact-based information and guidance to regulators, AHJs, architects, the consulting design community, and other industry stakeholders. FSSA supports rational science-based efforts to eliminate sources of harm to humans and the environment. Due to the high risk to society in eliminating all PFAS materials due to an unnecessarily broad classification of compounds, we advocate for a scientific approach that distinguishes between Persistent,  Bioaccumulative and Toxic PFAS (PBTs) compounds from those which are not known to be PBT, based upon the best available science.

FSSA Members:

We hope everyone is enjoying the start of summer! The FSSA PFAS Task Force has been continuing to meet weekly to provide updates, resources, and webinars for you. 

Scholarship Opportunities Available for Students Studying Fire Protection

Supported by contributions from the fire suppression industry and other business groups and individuals, the FSSA Educational Foundation awards scholarships each year to candidates who are already or will be participating in fire protection programs at their universities to help them meet the ever-rising cost of a college education.

Brenton Harris, 2023-2024 FSSA President

FSSA Members: