• Welcome to the new and improved Building Code Forum. We appreciate you being here and hope that you are getting the information that you need concerning all codes of the building trades. This is a free forum to the public due to the generosity of the Sawhorses, Corporate Supporters and Supporters who have upgraded their accounts. If you would like to have improved access to the forum please upgrade to Sawhorse by first logging in then clicking here: Upgrades

Fire Marshals, Builders At Odds Over Bill To Require Sprinklers In New Homes

This is for California:


Business and Professions Code §7026.12. The installation of a fire protection system,

excluding an electrical alarm system, shall be performed only by a contractor holding a

fire protection contractor classification as defined in the regulations of the board or by an

owner-builder of an owner-occupied, single-family dwelling, if not more than two singlefamily

dwellings on the same parcel are constructed within one year, plans are submitted

to and approved by the city, county, or city and county authority, and the city, county, or

​
city and county authority inspects and approves the installation.

NOTE to CONARB: Union workers are not required when installing, repairing, or maintaining fire sprinklers, regardless if it's commercial, residential, or whatever.
 
Beach:

I have been told by my fire sprinkler subcontractor that all employees now have to be union or carry a registration certification in their wallets to touch a sprinkler system, researching it I found this and don't feel like researching the law, but bills were introduced in both the Legislature and the Senate:

California Fire Trades Alliance said:
  • AB 660 (Alberto Torrico) like last years AB 2288, AB 660 bill prohibits any person from installing or modifying a fire sprinkler system, a wet standpipe system, or an automatic fire extinguishing system without a certificate of registration issued by the State Fire Marshal (SFM). Sponsored by California's three sprinkler fitter unions, the bill also requires all fitters who have not passed the registration, to be enrolled in an apprenticeship program. This bill, because of the state costs associated, is on the Appropriations Suspense file.
  • SB 405 (Dave Cogdill) AFSAs alternative to AB 660, requires any commercial or residential fire sprinkler installation project performed by a Class C-16 fire protection contractor to be under the direct and immediate supervision of a commercial fire sprinkler supervisor or a residential fire sprinkler supervisor. Also requires fire protection contractors to implement a fire sprinkler installation-training program for their sprinkler fitters and supervisors. Requires contractors to file a description of this training program with the State Fire Marshal and upon request by state or local fire authorities, requires the contractor to show proof that the contractor's sprinkler fitters and supervisors have received training. States that a violation of these provisions could be subject to disciplinary action. A 2-year bill, SB 405 will be taken up in 2010.¹
Click to expand...
To be enrolled in a state apprenticeship program you must be enrolled in a union program, I can see that a guy could complete a 5 year apprenticship program and while working for a union contractor, get is own C-16 and become a non-union contractor hiring no employees.
Fill out a Certification of Experience form, also available at the CSLB website. This is used to report your level of experience in building and installing fire prevention systems. A minimum of four years' experience is required for certification.²
Click to expand...
¹ http://www.cftalliance.org/cfta-legislative.php² http://www.ehow.com/how_7904388_c16-state-contractor-license-board.html
 
Further research shows that I am wrong, there is one program to get the requisite certificate without going through the union program.

California Sprinkler Fitters said:
In California, there are 4 state-approved sprinkler fitter apprenticeship-training programs, administered by its Department of Apprenticeship Standards (DAS). Three are union sponsored; the other sponsored by the American Fire Sprinkler Association (AFSA) for nonunion sprinkler fitters. The AFSA state-approved apprenticeship-training program provides the nonunion sprinkler fitter the opportunity to obtain the necessary skills required to be qualified to install fire suppression life safety systems.¹
Click to expand...
The AFSA, yet another coalition of fire sprinkler manufacturers, has got their own apprenticeship program certified to sell more sprinklers by installing them cheaper.

¹ http://www.californiasprinklerfitters.org/featured-articles/
 
The AFSA, yet another coalition of fire sprinkler manufacturers, has got their own apprenticeship program certified to sell more sprinklers by installing them cheaper.
Click to expand...
Did you think NAHB would be providing the training??? That would be like UCLA coaching Stanford..... I'm sure you're a Stanford fan....with a pendant on your antenna!
 
So now we are going to have $500,000 a year firemen sitting on their asses doing nothing but advocating fire sprinklers to get kickbacks to their unions from the fire sprinkler industry, while the sprinklers themselves are being installed by $9 an hour illegal aliens.
 
CA -

Thanks for the links. Printed the one with the instructions for the next contractor who tells me he's/she's going to get his/her C-16 license. :) No one here has the experience as far as I know.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top