The Board of Governors of the International Fire Suppression Alliance has voted to bestow its highest honor on Kevin T. Fee of The Reliable Automatic Sprinkler Company. The award, which has only been given out on six previous occasions in the 25-year history of the IFSA, recognizes lifetime contributions in support of the fire sprinkler concept internationally, and was announced by IFSA Chair Mike Bosma on April 24, 2024 at the Fire Sprinkler International conference in Dublin, Ireland. The award is named after Sir Harry Marryatt of Australia, whose advocacy for fire sprinkler systems is legendary. A founder of the Australian Fire Protection Association, he is most remembered as the author of a text that documented the high reliability and capability of fire sprinkler systems over a period of 100 years.
Kevin Fee, who recently stepped down from the IFSA Board of Governors, was a founder and first chairman of the organization, meaning that his service on the board essentially tracked that of the IFSA itself. Throughout the decades, he has been an ardent supporter of the IFSA and its mission.
Kevin is president and chairman of The Reliable Automatic Sprinkler Co., Inc., and is a third-generation owner and operator of the company. He holds a BS degree in business management from Boston College and an MBA degree from Columbia University, and started his full-time career with Reliable in 1973 as Sales Manager after receiving his MBA. He moved up through various sales and executive positions to become President and CEO in 2015.
An industry legend for his strong support of industry associations, Kevin is the longest tenured board member in the history of the National Fire Sprinkler Association (NFSA) in the U.S., having served on that board for more than 40 years. He is a past board chair and treasurer of that organization, and in 2008 was recognized with its highest honor, the Golden Sprinkler Award. He was also honored by the American Fire Sprinkler Association (AFSA) in 2022 with its Henry S. Parmelee Award, recognizing his dedication to the fire sprinkler industry.
A member of the National Fire Protection Association since 1974, he has served for many years on the FM Approvals Advisory Council and the AFSA Manufacturer and Suppliers Council, and was elected chairman of the latter group in 1986. In 2019 he was elected to the board of Common Voices, an organization of fire-impacted individuals who share tragic stories that highlight the fire problem in a way that promotes advocacy and proactive policy decisions. He was recently elected chairman of the Common Voices Board of Directors.
Kevin is strongly committed to the continued promotion of the fire sprinkler concept, protection of the integrity of fire sprinkler systems, and protection of the identity of the fire sprinkler industry.
Kevin has been married to his wife, Christine, for over 50 years and has three children – Kevin Jr., K.C., and Courtney. His favorite activity is spending time with his six grandchildren, collectively known as “The Six-Pack” – Bella (13), Alex (11) , Harley (9), Charlie B. (9), Brody (7), and Alice (7).
