IFSA Chair Bruce LaRue addresses Fire Sprinkler Warsaw 2017

The European Fire Sprinkler Network, in conjunction with its 2017 Annual General Meeting on 25 April, sponsored a 1-day conference in Warsaw, Poland, on 26 April. The German VdS and the Polish Scientific and Research Centre for Fire Protection (CNBOP) cooperated in the sponsorship of the conference. Approximately 170 delegates attended the Fire Sprinkler Warsaw 2017 and heard from a number of internationally-known speakers, including FM Global Vice President and Manager of Research Dr. Louis Gritzo.  Dr. Gritzo noted that fire sprinkler systems are capable of achieving more than 99% reliability, which EFSN Managing Director Alan Brinson noted was reinforced by a recent Swedish study indicating 100% success in that country.

Appearing on the program on behalf of the IFSA were Chairman Bruce LaRue, who discussed the potential role of the IFSA in assisting the fire sprinkler industry in countries like Poland, and Managing Director Russ Fleming, who updated the group on NFPA sprinkler standards and their advantages in bringing new technology to the marketplace.

IFSA’s 2nd “Fire Sprinkler Americas” conference, held 24-25 February 2016 in Medellin, Colombia, was a successful follow-up to the initial 2014 event in Panama. 

A highlight of the recent “Fire Sprinkler Americas” conference in Medellin, Colombia, was the presentation of IFSA’s H.W. Marryatt Award to Mr. Jaime Moncada-Pérez. The award, which has only been given out on five previous occasions, recognizes lifetime contributions in support of the fire sprinkler concept internationally.