Alan Larson, AQUASAFE(r) Product Manager, Uponor North America, has more than 20 years of experience in all aspects of fire suppression systems. He has worked as a fire protection contractor with various consulting engineering firms and as a technical representative for a large North American sprinkler manufacturer. He is certified as a fire sprinkler
designer with the National Institute for the Certification of Engineering Technicians (NICET), and is certified in plumbing engineering by the American Society of Plumbing Engineers (ASPE). Larsonis also a professional member of the American Fire Sprinkler Association (AFSA), the National Fire Sprinkler Association (NFSA) and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) committee on residential fire sprinkler systems. Visit www.wirsbo.com for more information on AQUASAFE products.
There are several things to consider not readily covered in NFPA 13D and 13R: water supply, backflow prevention, alarms/accessories and fire department connections.
To reduce the devastating effects of residential fires, the NFPA recommends better fire safety education, greater use and maintenance of smoke alarms, development and practice of escape plans and, most importantly, wider use of residential sprinklers.