Hot News!!!!! (04-11-2013)
I was informed late last night that NFPA has received 35(!) Notices of Intent to Make a Motion (NITMAMs) on the 2014 edition of NFPA 25; twenty-five of these came from technical committee members (which is not good for the Chairman, Bill Koffel, as it gives the appearance that the Committee is in disarray since the ROC passed ballot). Neither myself nor my alternate (Dave Baron) have filed any NITMAMs.
Based on the ROC balloting, my assumption is that these NITMAMs will include:
Trying to eliminate Chapter 14 (internal inspections).
Trying to eliminate the revised requirements for weekly churn testing of electric fire pumps.
Trying to force inspecting contractors to identify recalled sprinkler heads.
Trying to force inspecting contractors to identify areas without sprinkler protection.
Trying to force inspecting contractors to verify the design & adequacy of a system.
Placing responsibility for dealing with impairments on contractors.
Trying to force inspecting contractors to make judgment calls regarding painted, loaded & corroded heads.
Changing the antifreeze requirements (again).
Removing the need for flow testing & hydrostatic testing of standpipe systems.
Revising the accepted practice for full forward flow testing of backflow preventors.
There is a chance that some of these NITMAM’s will not be certified by the Standards Council and that some of these, even if certified, will be withdrawn at the last second (like the water mist guys recently did regarding NFPA 409/aircraft hangers). We will know for sure which of these are certified and what the essence of these NITMAMs is on 5/3/13.
What this means is that there WILL BE a need to have our local contractors & vendors go to the NFPA Association Technical Meetings (starts Wed 6/12 at 2pm till ??? and again Thurs 6/13 8am till ???). ANYONE can get up to a mic and speak but ONLY NFPA MEMBERS can vote. The meetings will be at McCormick Place. YOU HAVE TO SIGN UP TO ATTEND (but not for the entire conference). Go to www.nfpa.org/conference – you’ll figure it out!
I expect a strong showing of support for our industry!
Thx
Rich Ray