The National Fire Sprinkler Association (NFSA), the longest-tenured fire sprinkler advocacy organization in the U.S., has announced that Robert “Mac” McLeod, former Vice President of the NFSA, will be this year’s Golden Sprinkler Award recipient. McLeod will accept the award at a special presentation on Thursday, May 3, at the 2007 NFSA Annual Seminar & Exhibition in Las Vegas.
“The coveted Golden Sprinkler Award recognizes outstanding contributions by an individual to the fire sprinkler industry,” said John Viniello, President of NFSA. “Throughout his career in the fire services industry and the NFSA, Mac’s energy, enthusiasm, and belief in the benefits of fire sprinklers have been contagious. He represents the very best of what the Golden Sprinkler Award stands for and the NFSA is honored to present him with this award.”
In receiving the Golden Sprinkler Award, McLeod joins fellow industry-changing leaders, including Frank J. Fee III, President of The Reliable Automatic Sprinkler Co.; and Gene Endthoff, author ofThe Fire Sprinkler Guide; as recipients of the Golden Sprinkler Award.
McLeod began his career in the fire service industry in Florida – where he started as a Probationary Firefighter in 1955 and quickly moved up through the ranks as Senior Captain, Battalion Captain, Training Director, and Executive Battalion Captain of Emergency Services. McLeod joined the NFSA in 1984 as a Regional Manager. Over the next 15 years, he served the sprinkler industry by driving a series of initiatives for the organization, including:
- Leading National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET) exam preparation and education;
- Representing the fire sprinkler industry as a member of Southern Building Code Congress International (SBCCI), developing building safety and fire prevention codes;
- Serving on the Fire and Life Safety Committee, that promotes firefighter safety through education and training.
McLeod later became NFSA’s first director of training and education and was later promoted to the position of director of regional operations. He went on to become vice president of regional operations, where he supervised NFSA regional managers across the nation and drove the growth of the fire sprinkler industry at the local level.
McLeod retired from the NFSA in 1999, but is still a valued supporter and friend of the association. Today he resides in Sarasota, FL, with his wife Joann.
For more information on this year’s NFSA Golden Sprinkler Award recipient and the NFSA Annual Seminar & Exhibition (May 3-5), please visit the NFSA Web site, www.nfsa.org.
