We ALL owe support of the industry to the industry that puts food on our table. Our training needs for apprenticeship are met by the AFSA program, but we were very impressed with the NFSA's industry promotion fund effort, along with their sharing of market and code development with the ESFN and IFSA when we witnessed it first-hand in Copenhagen last summer, joined NFSA mainly so we had another venue to provide support to the industry. Now maybe in this economy there is a hesitation to do this additional support when margins are - well, what margins! But if we don't increase spending on market development, then internet cable will be strung in schools and sprinkler piping WON'T be as the stimulus package starts spending our tax dollars (and those of our greatgrandchildren). This HUGE opportunity will only be realized with SUBSTANTIAL LOBBYING and since I'm not going to do it myself, I'll help AFSA and NFSA send others in my place.
So while there's every reason NOT to spend the money, there's a bigger picture we must see to gain the market. States are going to start spending money soon, and I have a vested interest in having security upgrades include FIRE safety in schools and public buildings, fire halls, etc. So do you, if you're reading this, or if you have kids and maybe grandkids (I don't have any grandkids yet, despite common believe I'm older than dirt and 3.5" pipe). So re-think where you spend your money and INVEST in the future- or there may not be a future for some of us. If you get a piece of the market, you benefit from market development, and a larger market is a good thing for all of us- and I firmly believe, for society as a whole. It is important to aid the residential fire sprinkler coalitions forming in the states to push back the NAHB, but the bigger piece of market is the stimulus package. Won't have to wait till 2011 to start eating. And it may be what we need to survive till 2011. George Church Rowe Sprinkler -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Ed Kramer Sent: Wednesday, January 21, 2009 11:27 AM To: [email protected] Subject: RE: 1.2 Leg of Remote Area Amen, brother. Ed Kramer Littleton, CO > Now, for my plea for all freelance designers out there: If you use this > email forum and learn from it, pay the $200 AFSA designer dues and > support > the forum. I know I have well earned back my yearly dues with all of > the > knowledge gained from this forum. Too bad it does not count for NICET > credits. I learn more here than some of the seminars I have taken for > CPD > credits. _______________________________________________ Sprinklerforum mailing list http://lists.firesprinkler.org/mailman/listinfo/sprinklerforum For Technical Assistance, send an email to: [email protected] To Unsubscribe, send an email to:[email protected] (Put the word unsubscribe in the subject field) _______________________________________________ Sprinklerforum mailing list http://lists.firesprinkler.org/mailman/listinfo/sprinklerforum For Technical Assistance, send an email to: [email protected] To Unsubscribe, send an email to:[email protected] (Put the word unsubscribe in the subject field)
