Fire Sprinklers and Building Insurance

On March 7, 2007 the Planters Hotel in Brawley, CA (pictured above) burned down.

P. Allen Early, the building owner, filed a claim with his insurance carrier for the $3.1 Million loss.

Although fire investigators ruled that the fire was an act of arson, Early faced a problem:

The hotel's fire sprinkler system was shut off when the fire occurred. Documents presented in court indicated that the fire sprinkler system was discovered shut off the day before the fire by the local Fire Department during a routine inspection.

Early's insurance carrier, the Chubb Custom Insurance Company, originally denied the claim for fire loss because of the shut down fire sprinkler system.

"There was an insurance policy issued by Chubb Custom Insurance Company that had a provision that required the insured to maintain the sprinkler system in complete working order. At the time of the fire the sprinkler system was turned off, and it is Chubb's position that a minimum, maintaining it in complete working order means having it turned on, otherwise there's no way it can work and it accomplishes nothing. The policy says it is the insured's responsibility to maintain in in complete working order, and whether or not he knew it was turned off, he was the one in control of the situation," explained the insurance company's attorney.

The two sides later settled after a lengthy legal battle, but this unfortunate incident should be a lesson we can all learn from. Let's look at how this could have been prevented:

1. Fire protection systems, including fire alram and fire sprinkler should always be on in operating condition. The International Fire Code, adopted in most states and localities, requires owners of fire protection systems to notify the local Fire Department of any impairment.

2. The Fire Department found this system shut off the day before the fire and testimony indicated that the Fire Chief intended to take legal action against the owner the following business day. Perhaps if the Fire Department would have taken immediate action when the impairment was discovered, the building would not have been lost in the fire.

3. The owner indicated that he had no knowledge of the sprinkler control valve being turned off. Yet, the Building and Life Safety Codes clearly indicate that owners of fire protection systems are responsible for maintaining them in operating condition. NFPA 25, which regulates maintenance of fire sprinkler systems, requires valves controlling fire sprinkler systems to be inspected weekly to verify they are open. The owner was apparently not performing this task.

Owners of fire protection systems have both legal and contractual obligations to maintain their fire sprinkler systems. Failure to do so could result in serious financial and legal penalties, from loss of insurance coverage to negligent wrongful death or injury claims if someone is injured.

A qualified fire protection contractor can assist the owner in meeting obligations through discussing the required maintenance and inspections and determining which items the owner can self-perform and which items the contractor can perform.

Cherokee Fire Protection Co. serves clients throughout Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky and Michigan. We work with clients to develop maintenance plans suitable for their systems which meet legal requirements and reduce overall risk for the systems owner.

For further information, please contact Forest Wilson, Vice President of Cherokee Fire at 937-376-2333 or email: fwilson@cherokee-fire.com

Sprinklerfitter or Technician?

Al Schwartz, writing for the July 2010 issue of Contractor magazine, laments over the increasingly common use of the word "technician" in lieu of "plumber."

Those of us in the fire sprinkler industry have also seen this trend as more unqualified people enter this trade. Sprinklerfitting has been a specialty trade since the invention of fire sprinklers. As early as 1905, there were trade unions established to ensure training of apprentices and a qualified work force.

Cherokee Fire Protection belongs to the National Fire Sprinkler Association (NFSA) and is signatory with the United Association of Pipefitters and Sprinklerfitters Local 669. Since 1915, these organizations have worked in unison to improve the industry through development of codes, labor relations and apprenticeship training.

In order to become a journeyman sprinklerfitter, a person must apply to the Apprenticeship Board for admission as an Apprentice. The Board requires applicant be of good character, in possession of a high school diploma or GED, and be honorably discharged from the military if having served.

Upon admission into the apprenticeship program, the applicant receives On The Job (OTJ) training in the sprinklerfitting industry. This includes installing and servicing fire sprinkler systems of various types such as wet, dry, preaction and rate of rise. In addition to the OTJ training, the apprentice must also complete correspondence courses with Penn State University pertaining to the Sprinklerfitting Industry.

Weekends are sometimes spent in a classroom taking such hands-on courses as OSHA training, trenching, rigging or product demonstrations.

Prior to admission as an apprentice, and throughout his career, sprinklerfitters must pass a drug test and oftentimes a background check. The Apprenticeship Board also reviews the apprentice's progress at least every 6 months.

After 5 years of full compliance with the training standards of the Apprenticeship Board, the Apprentice is awarded his Journeyman Card. This Card can be presented to any contractor in the country as evidence of his qualifications to work on fire sprinkler systems.

Contrast these training standards with those of a "technician." Technicians are usually employed by fire extinguisher service companies or plumbing contractors entering the sprinkler industry. Many of these companies completely lack the expertise in engineering and manpower capabilities to install a fire sprinkler system. Yet, they often offer their services to inspect and service fire sprinkler systems.

A fire sprinkler inspector or technician usually receives between 16 to 40 hours of documented, accredited training. Contrast that with the 1700 hours an apprentice receives annually.
A fire sprinkler technician may have been a tire salesman a week before his new job as a "fire sprinkler inspector" or technician. Many have a background in the fire extinguisher sales business, which is largely a commission-based business in which extinguisher technicians are rewarded for selling extinguisher's and accessories to the building owner.

Many extinguisher companies will advertise that they can "Do It All."

A fire extinguisher technician will earn between $8 - $10 before commissions, with no benefits. A union sprinklerfitter earns nearly $34 an hour with union benefits. Sprinklerfitters are not paid on commission. They are paid to get the job done, the building inspected and the repairs made right the first time.

Building owners should insist on a union Sprinklerfitter to perform their inspections, repairs and maintenance. A technician will only cost them more money in the long term through faulty, inadequate inspections, substandard repair work and potential system failure.

Qualified companies can be found at: http://www.sprinklerfitters669.org and http://www.nfsa.org

For additional information, feel free to call me: Forest Wilson 937-376-2333

Cherokee Fire and Sprinklerfitters Local 669 Reach Tentative Agreement on New Contract

Cherokee Fire is pleased to announce it has reached a Tentative Agreement with Sprinklerfitters Local 669. The Agreement addresses wages, pension and health insurance for the field employees of Cherokee Fire.
The Agreement also recognizes the past success and continued importance of a strong Apprenticeship program and continues to ensure that apprentices receive the finest training available nationwide, through the jointly managed Apprenticeship and Training Committee.
Cherokee Fire looks forward to a continued harmonious working relationship with Sprinklerfitters Local 669, as we move forward together to meet the needs of our clients.
For additional information concerning this Agreement, please contact Forest Wilson, President of Cherokee Fire: 937-376-2333, or John Bodine, Business Manager Local 669: 410-381-4300.

The Pursuit of Best Practices

As we close the year 2009, we are eagerly looking forward to 2010 and 2011!
Cherokee Fire Protection will be performing installations of fire sprinkler systems in grocery stores, government buildings, hotels and many other occupancies in 2010. We will also continue to provide high quality inspections of fire sprinkler systems throughout Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana and Michigan.
We look forward to meeting our customers needs in the months and years to come. In fact, we're going a step further in meeting customers expectations: We're shooting for the best!
Since 2008, Cherokee Fire has been utilizing Best Practices in construction and project managment. As we enter into 2010, we will be examing and revamping all organizational aspects of our company utilizing accepted ISO standards.
ISO, the International Standards Organization (www.iso.org) registers organizations which have created and maintained a quality management system which complies with their standards. Prior to registration, orgaizations must apply and be subject to an on-site audit of their facilities by an ISO auditor to gain approval.
Cherokee Fire Protection has set an internal deadline of April1, 2011 for application of registration to the ISO 9001:2008 standard. We will be utilizing these quality standards in 2010. Since we're already utilizing industry Best Practices, some customers and vendors may not notice significant changes while others will. Any changes observed, however, will be good changes.
For additional information about the Fire Sprinkler Industry Best Practices, visit: www.fsi-bp.org
For additional information about the International Standards Organization, visit: www.iso.org

Questions regarding Cherokee Fire Protection's quality management system and ISO planning my be addressed by Forest Wilson, President of Cherokee Fire and Quality Compliance Official. (ph: 937-376-2333)

Cherokee renews commitment to Protect Lives and Property

Cherokee Fire Protection Co., based in Xenia OH is proud to renew it's membership with the National Fire Sprinkler Association (NFSA). Founded in 1905, the mission statement of the Association is "To protect lives and property through the wide spread aceptance of the fire sprinkler concept."
The NFSA membership is composed of manufacturers, contractors, public officials and friends of the industry concerned with stopping death by fire with fire sprinklers.
Recently, the NFSA was instrumental in promoting residential fire sprinklers in new houses and apartment buildings. Since the majority of deaths by fire occur in homes, these new requirements will SAVE LIVES!
The NFSA also works with contractors and building departments to assist in code interpretations and ways to make fire sprinklers an affordable option for any building project.
Cherokee Fire is proud to be a part in this endeavor. For more information, visit the NFSA homepage: http://www.nfsa.org/.
Remember, FIRE SPRINKLERS SAVE LIVES!

Cherokee Fire Completes Kroger Store

Cherokee Fire Protection recently completed the Kroger store renovation in Kettering, Ohio. The store was completely renovated. Cherokee performed exhaustive work on the fire sprinkler systems protecting the store.

We are proud to have completed the job on-time and on-budget. Forest Wilson served as Project Manager and General Foreman. Local 669 Journeyman Cliff White did an outstanding job in the field. William Schmidt of Fire Sprinkler Design, Inc. served as Fire Sprinkler Layout Technician.

Pictured above, at the end of the project and prior to the store's Grand Opening are (l-r): Mr. Tamer, Kroger Store Manager; Gary Bennett, Reece Campbell, Inc., Forest Wilson, Cherokee Fire.

Additional pictures of the Grand Opening may be viewed at the Dayton Daily Newspaper, link provided above.

Based in Xenia, Ohio Cherokee Fire Protection services the entire state of Ohio, reaching into Eastern Indiana, Michigan and Kentucky. We provide both service and new construction services. For information on how we can help you in your fire protection needs, call Forest Wilson @ (937)-376-2333.

Cherokee Fire Protection is Committed to Employees Health Care

As our national leaders debate health care reform, they consider the following:

*Health care insurance premiums are rising three times faster than wages or inflation.

*One in four families is having a hard time paying for medical care-and two-thirds of those had problems with their insurance.

*Every 30 seconds someone files for "medical bankruptcy."

*Today, 47 million people in America have no health coverage-including 8.7 million children.

*Lack of health insurance hurts us all-premiums for employer-provided health coverage include about $1,000 toward the cost of care for the uninsured.

*Ninety percent of Americans say the U.S. health care system needs to undergo fundamental change-or be rebuilt completely.

Hoever, Cherokee Fire Protection is committed to providing health insurance for our hard-working employees and their families. As a union signatory contractor with the United Association of Plumbers, Pipefitters and Sprinklerfitters (UA) we contribute towards employees ongoing training, pension and health insurance.

We believe it is not only our social responsibilty but also a good business practice. As a result, our employees live more healthy, fulfilling lives and are better trained to meet our customer's needs.

For more information about our relationship with the UA, visit www.ua.org or contact Forest Wilson, President Cherokee Fire Protection: 937-376-2333.