Florida Fire Equipment Dealers Association (850)224-0711

Final Rule 69A-21.113 has been adopted and will become effective on 8/11/2011

69A-21.113 Required Continuing Education
(1) Licenseholders and permitholders shall complete a continuing education course or combination of courses in compliance with Section 633.061, F.S., for each permit held.
(2) The continuing education course or combination of courses shall be related to the scope of each license and each permit held. All licensed fire equipment dealers are required to complete at least, one hour of a business practices class, one hour of a workersï¿½ compensation class, and fourteen hours of technical content as part of the required continuing education for license renewal each two year period, except that a licensee who receives an initial license issued for 1 year or less shall be required to complete 50 percent of the required hours for a biennial license. All permitted fire equipment permittees are required to complete at least one hour of a workplace safety class, one hour of a business practices class and fourteen hours of technical content as part of the required continuing education for permit renewal each two year period, except that a permittee who receives an initial permit issued for 1 year or less shall be required to complete 50 percent of the required hours for a biennial permit. All current licenseholders and permitholders, regardless of any previous continuing education due date, must provide proof of sixteen hours of continuing education for renewal on December 31, 2011 and every two year period thereafter.
(3) The course or combination of courses shall be conducted by persons approved by the Regulatory Licensing Section. Approval of such persons shall be based on the personï¿½s training, experience, and expertise in the subject of the course. The instructor must be qualified, by education or experience, to teach the course, or parts of a course to which the instructor is assigned. Any person with a four year college or graduate degree is qualified to teach any course in their field of study. Any equipment manufacturer or state certified fire equipment dealer with at least five yearsï¿½ experience may teach any technical course within the scope of the dealerï¿½s license; however, no dealer whose license is suspended or revoked as a result of administrative action shall teach any course or serve as a continuing education course instructor. The Regulatory Licensing Section is not permitted to reject a course based upon the proposed instructor, but is permitted to approve a course contingent on certification that all instructors meet those minimum requirements before conducting the course and before advertising that the course is approved for continuing education credit.
(4) The course or combination of courses shall be approved in advance by the Regulatory Licensing Section. The number of contact hours assigned to any course shall be determined by the Regulatory Licensing Section based on course content and length.
(5) Requests for approval of a course shall be submitted on Form DI4-394, Revised 03/00 ï¿½Request for Approval of Fire Equipment Continuing Education Course Workï¿½ as adopted and incorporated herein by reference. Forms are available from and submission shall be sent to: Regulatory Licensing Section, 200 East Gaines Street, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0342. The application shall include the total number of classroom or interactive distance learning hours, the course syllabus, a detailed outline of the contents of the course, and the name and qualifications of all instructors. The Regulatory Licensing Section shall approve each continuing education course which appropriately relates to the technical skills required of fire equipment licensees and permittees and contain sufficient educational content to improve the quality of the licenseeï¿½s or permitteeï¿½s performance and are taught by qualified instructors. Continuing education coursework approval is valid for two years from the date of issue, provided no substantial change is made in the approved course. The number of classroom hours must be devoted to course content and does not include registration periods, meals and keynote speakers or any similar nonsubstantive time periods.
(6) The Regulatory Licensing Section shall approve continuing education courses in compliance with the time limitations specified for licensing in Chapter 120, F.S. Such approval shall be based upon the submission of coursework which relates to the technical fire protection skills of fire equipment dealers and permittees which contain educational content to improve the quality of work being performed.
(7) Each approved course will be assigned a course number and the course will be identified by course title as submitted and the number of continuing education hours awarded. The course provider shall use the course number in the course syllabus, in all other course materials used in connection with the course, and in all written advertising materials used in connection with the course. A listing of approved courses will be available from the Regulatory License Section, the course list will include the course number, the course title, the course submitter, and the type course (portable or preengineered systems).
(8) Within 30 days of the conclusion of each approved course, the organization or person offering the course shall inform the Regulatory Licensing Section that the course was completed and shall supply the Regulatory Licensing Section with a sign in sheet or roster. The sign-in sheet or roster shall identify: (a) The course name;
(b) The course number;
(c) The course provider;
(d) The date the course was offered;
(e) The duration of the course;
(f) The licenseeï¿½s or permitteeï¿½s name;
(g) The license or permit number; and
(h) The licenseeï¿½s or permitteeï¿½s signature.
For interactive distance learning courses, in lieu of the original sign-in sheet required above, the course provider shall maintain and provide a records of the registration log-in, course access log, and course completion, which shall contain the information required above. In lieu of providing a document bearing the licenseeï¿½s or permitteeï¿½s signature, the course provider shall provide the licenseeï¿½s or permitteeï¿½s identity verification data which shall include the licenseeï¿½s or permitteeï¿½s password and the licenseeï¿½s or permitteeï¿½s motherï¿½s maiden name.
(9) Each person who completes an approved course shall be issued a certificate of completion by the course provider. The certificate of completion shall contain the name of the person who completed the course, the course providerï¿½s name, the course name as approved by the Regulatory Licensing Section, the course number, the date the course was taken, and the number of continuing education hours awarded for the course as approved for the course by the Regulatory Licensing Section. The course provider shall maintain a list of the names and license or permit numbers of each person who completes each course conducted by the course provider for four years from the date of the course.
(10) Each licenseholder or permitholder is responsible for attending the appropriate course or courses and for maintaining proof of completion of the course or courses. The Bureau will not accept any proof of completion except that submitted in accordance with subsection (11), below.
(11) The licenseholder or permitholder shall submit proof of completion of the required course or courses to the Regulatory Licensing Section on Form DFS-K3-393, http://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-00412 ï¿½Fire Equipment Continuing Education Coursework,ï¿½ amended July 2011, adopted and incorporated herein by reference. Form DFS-K3-393 may be obtained by writing Bureau of Fire Prevention, Regulatory Licensing Section, 200 East Gaines Street, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0342. Each licenseholder or permitholder will be notified by the Regulatory Licensing Section, in writing, if the continuing education course work submitted does not satisfy the continuing education requirement in Section 633.061(3)(a), F.S. No notification will be given over the telephone.
(12) Any licenseholder or permitholder who does not complete the continuing education requirements of Section 633.061, F.S., shall not have his or her license or permit renewed. If the license or permit is not renewed, the former licenseholder or permitholder shall perform no work for which a license or permit is required. A former licenseholder or permitholder wishing to become licensed again shall meet the requirements of Section 633.061, F.S.
Rulemaking Authority 633.01, 633.061(4) FS. Law Implemented 633.061 FS. Historyï¿½New 2-7-89, Amended 10-20-93, 11-21-01, Formerly 4A-21.113, Amended 8-11-11.

Download Rule 69A-21.113 here: 69A-21.113 Final Rule effective 8-11-2011

Notice of Florida Fire Safety Board Meeting/Workshop

Notice of Meeting/Workshop Hearing - Fire Safety Board Meeting
Department: Department of Financial Services
Division: Division of State Fire Marshal
Subject: Quarterly meeting of the Florida Fire Safety Board. Anyone wishing to attend may attend in person or by telephone conference call. Those attending by telephone conference call should dial (850)413-1591, (SC)293-1591. (Cisco VoIP Internal callers may reach the conference call by dialing 11591.) Once you have dialed the initial number you will be prompted to enter the Conference ID which is 782830. The connection will be available 5 to 10 minutes before 10:00, a.m.
Date/Time: Tuesday, August 9, 2011, 10:00 a.m.
Location: State Fire Marshal Conference Room, Third Floor, Atrium, 325 John Knox Road, Tallahassee, Florida 32303.
https://www.flrules.org/gateway/View_Notice.asp?id=10032436

Man dies when fire extinguisher explodes in Melbourne, FL

A 73-year-old worker was killed Monday when the fire extinguisher he was refilling backfired and ricocheted around a Melbourne business. Police and fire officials said two workers were filling extinguishers Monday afternoon at Global Aerotech Inc., a business at 2885 Electronics Drive. The company's Fire Fight division, located at the building just north of Wickham Road and Eau Gallie Boulevard, routinely recharges and pressurizes extinguishers.

At some point around 2:45 p.m., "one of the main cylinders vented off," said Assistant Chief Bobby Apel of the Melbourne Fire Department. Powered by rapidly releasing fire retardant, the canister bounded around the 8-foot-by-20-foot room.

"Like you might see on TV, it tends to shoot off," Apel said. "Apparently, that's what it did in this case."

Apel counted at least six places where the cylinder struck the wall.

"The victim was attempting to relieve pressure from a valve," said Sgt. Byron Barnes of the Melbourne Police Department. "A reaction occurred, causing the extinguisher to propel itself. It became self-propelled, at which point it injured the victim severely."

Two people were taken to Holmes Regional Medical Center, where one died. The police did not release his name, saying only that he was a 73-year-old beachside resident. The second worker suffered minor injuries.

Global Aerotech was founded in 1993 by Ralph E. Kennerknecht of Satellite Beach, according to the Florida Department of State. The company manufactures "high-tech extinguishers" and performs custom installation of fire-protection systems on recreational vehicles and cars, according to its website.

Code enforcement officials and representatives of the Melbourne Fire Prevention Office planned to visit the business today. Police detectives also are investigating the incident, but Barnes said "there's no reason to suspect it was a homicide or anything like that."

Reprinted from Florida Today at http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20110614/NEWS01/106140311/1006/rss01/Man-dies-when-fire-extinguisher-explodes-Melbourne

Water tank blast leads to two deaths in Highlands County

Two men were killed Thursday in Lake Placid when a 300,000-gallon water tank burst and caused the building the two men were inside to collapse, the Highlands County Sheriff's Office said.

The men were identified as Jon Martinez and Jason Steele. Both men worked for United Fire Protection in St. Petersburg.* Martinez, 34, who grew up in Town 'N Country and attended Tampa Bay Tech, moved back to the Tampa area six months ago. His mother and sister live in the area.

The men were inside the building working on a pump designed to fill the tank. The tank was adjacent to the building, said sheriff's spokeswoman Nell Hays. When the tank exploded, the water rushed through the concrete-block building, causing it to collapse, Hays said.

The building is part of the former Georgia Pacific plant, 400 State Road 70. Investigators don't know how much water was in the tank when it burst. They also don't know what caused it to burst, Hays said.

United Fire Protection issued a statement Thursday night saying their "thoughts and prayers are with the families of Mr. Martinez and Mr. Steele."

* Note: FFEDA member company United Fire Protection in Orlando is not involved in this incident.

FFEDA extends its deepest sympathies to the families of these gentlemen and encourages all fire equipment professionals to use caution and follow all safety procedures to ensure they are safe.

FFEDA Responds to NFPA Web Article

NFPA Responses in Black FFEDA Responses in Red

Article posted on www.nfpa.org: NFPA issues safety alert regarding antifreeze in residential sprinklers. Fatal fire raises concern about antifreeze.

July 6, 2010 ï¿½ The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) today issued a safety alert recommending that residential fire sprinkler systems containing antifreeze should be drained and the antifreeze replaced with water. The alert follows a research study and an initial set of fire tests conducted after a fire incident raised concerns about antifreeze solutions in residential sprinkler systems. The incident involved a grease fire in a kitchen where a sprinkler with a high concentration of antifreeze deployed. The fire resulted in a single fatality and serious injury to another person.

ï¿½Fire sprinklers are one of the most effective ways to save lives and property from fire,ï¿½ said James M. Shannon, president of NFPA. ï¿½Until we can provide further information based on additional research that is currently underway, we are urging the public to continue the use of sprinklers but to follow our interim safety guidelines by removing antifreeze if it is in their sprinkler systems.

According to NFPA, the home is the place where most fire fatalities occur, and when home sprinklers are present, the risk of dying in a home fire decreases by 83%.

Shannon said based on testing conducted, 70/30% glycerin and 60/40% propylene glycol antifreeze may provide an unacceptable risk of harm to occupants in certain types of fire scenarios, in particular kitchen grease fires. There were successful tests where kitchen grease fires were extinguished or contained with a 50/50% glycerin solution but it was felt there should be additional testing to more fully understand if there is a risk associated with 50/50% glycerin solution.

NFPA offers the following interim guidance on residential sprinklers:

Fire sprinklers are extremely effective fire protection devices, significantly reducing deaths, injuries and property loss from fire.

These systems should not be disconnected.

Until the results of further testing on antifreeze are available, NFPA recommends the following:
ï¿½ If you have, or are responsible for, a residential occupancy with a fire sprinkler system, contact a sprinkler contractor to check and see if there is antifreeze in the system.
ï¿½ If there is antifreeze in the system, as an interim measure, drain the system and replace it with water only. Problems associated with freezing of sprinkler pipes can be mitigated by alternative measures such as insulation. NFPA hopes to provide further guidance based on additional testing before the winter freezing months.
ï¿½ If you are putting in a new residential sprinkler system, design and install a system that does not require antifreeze.

ï¿½We are providing this safety alert as interim guidance based on the information we have right now,ï¿½ said Shannon. ï¿½As soon as more information is available, we will update the public.ï¿½

NFPA also reminded the public about basic fire safety tips for kitchen fires. All consumers should take important fire safety precautions regarding kitchen fires. ï¿½ Pay attention when you are cooking.
ï¿½ Should you have a grease fire on your stovetop, smother the fire by sliding a lid over the pan and turn off the stovetop. Leave the pan covered until the pan cools completely.
ï¿½ Never put water on a grease fire or use a fire extinguisher on a grease fire.
ï¿½ Never attempt to carry a flaming pan across the kitchen.

Response to NFPA from FFEDA (President Bill Johnson)

My name is William (Bill) D. Johnson, I am a NFPA member #214507 and also I am the current president of the Florida Fire Equipment Dealers Association for the State of Florida. There is so much good work NFPA does for our industry and public safety it is hard to measure.

I would like to make you aware of something on your webpage that seems to be in direct conflict with what NFPA 10 Standard tells us. The sentence of concern is:

ï¿½ Never put water on a grease fire or use a fire extinguisher on a grease fire.

Most of that sentence is so very important but within that sentence it states to never use a fire extinguisher. Yet NFPA 10 educates us on the correct extinguisher for the type of fire/hazard to be protected. For NFPA to have a statement like that on their website seems to be very counter-productive to public safety. I do understand that using a fire extinguisher improperly on a small grease fire in a pan on the stove could easily spread the fire into something much larger. But if properly trained to use the extinguisher, it could save the structure. I hope that I can help you to correct this statement on your website either by just bringing it to your attention or actually submitting alternate language at your request.

NFPAs Follow up Response to Bill Johnson:

Thanks for reaching out. We have adjusted our message on this point to include the word "multi-purpose" before fire extinguisher.

FFEDA Response Back to NFPA from Bill Johnson:

Thank you so much for your response and quick action. I do however need to suggest that you not use the wording "multi-propose" in your message knowing that the ABC or "Multi-purpose" extinguisher would not be the "best" choice for a grease fire but it does have a UL rating for flammable liquids therefore can be used on a grease fire. On behalf of the Florida Fire Equipment Dealers Association I would like to suggest a few options.
ï¿½ Never put water on a grease fire or use a water fire extinguisher on a grease fire.
or
ï¿½ Never put water on a grease fire.
or
Simply add a line that might say this: Only use the proper fire extinguisher on a grease fire at a safe distance per it's labeling.
I hope you do not see my response as a knee jerk reaction but there is groups within the fire protection industry that would like to see fire extinguishers go away completely so when I see or someone brings to my attention a negative statement about fire extinguisher I try very hard to limit that negativity if it is at all possible. If you do just a little research I think you will find that the information I am giving you is correct. I welcome any and all conversation on this subject and again thank you so much for taking the time.