CEO's Report June, 2022
Posted on : Friday, 17 June 2022
Dear members,
The NFPA Conference was held from 6-8 June in Boston,
Massachusetts, and it was a great privilege for Leigh Gesthuizen
and me to have represented FPA Australia at this major
international event.
What struck me most was how much the Australian and US
industries have in common.
Despite a huge ocean separating us, we have many of the same
challenges and opportunities:
- an ageing workforce;
- a lack of available trainers;
- inadequate gender diversity;
- the need for better product certification;
- regulations and standards lagging behind
innovation;
- emerging new risks, such as Lithium-ion batteries and
electric vehicles;
- the need to manage the cost implications and environmental
risks of fire protection;
- new technologies and processes that make fire protection
and training easier and more effective; and
- recognition of the pivotal role played by sprinklers in the
protection of commercial and residential buildings.
That last point is of particular importance.
A lot of the research underpinning our technical
specifications and our approach to standards is carried out
overseas, and FPA Australia and the Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition
Australia (HFSCA) use these findings to advocate for residential
sprinklers.
And often the test videos are powerful evidence of the
dangers of fire and the effectiveness of fire
systems.
The Conference also provided us with a unique opportunity
for FPA Australia to re-establish important relationships with key
industry partners, and to pursue mutual goals in fire safety and
protection, following two years of pandemic
restrictions.
Other key highlights of the visit included meetings with
senior management at NFPA, UL Safety and Uptick; inspection of the
Viking Group's immersive and practical training, R&D, and
manufacturing facility at Grand Rapids, collaboration with the
local US based Home Fire Sprinkler (HFS) Coalition team; and
Leigh's subsequent presentation to the International Fire
Suppression Alliance (IFSA) Board on our local own HFS program,
which secured further funding for this important work in the year
ahead.
As COVID showed, teleconferencing has its role to play … but
it is no substitute for personal engagement in developing
collaborative relationships and partnerships with like-minded
organisations.
And it's comforting to know that we can work together to
solve our common problems.
All the best!
John Kilgour
CEO