I wanted to focus a few thoughts on looking forward. NFPA’s theme for the week is Look, Listen and Learn. Last week, I attended the AFSA (American Fire Sprinkler Association) conference in Washington, DC and have some other events for the NFSA, AFAA, and NAFED, coming up in the next few months. It got me thinking about how we are as fire protection professionals should always be wanting to Look, Listen and Learn.
Look
New technology is constantly emerging in the market place. If you don’t stop your daily duties and look around once in a while, technology could have progressed you by. Blogs, and social media groups help you keep on new products to the market.
Listen
Get out and talk to people. See what they are experiencing in their daily professions, especially the technicians and inspectors in the field. Recently I have learned a lot of great information from various sprinkler technician social media groups. Check out the Fire Sprinkler Podcast, where Chris Logan discusses various topics from the fire protection industry.
Learn
Getting involved in seminars in the fire protection industry is key to staying up on current codes and trends. The internet alone does not educate you on everything important in fire protection. Whether its conferences or your local association chapters, getting out with other FP professionals and learning in person is a must.The NFPA codes can be a challenge to navigate sometimes. Learning about the process of how codes get processed is eye-opening. James Golinveaux, from the Viking Corporation, gives a great presentation on the inner workings of these code committees.
“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.” – Benjamin Franklin
