More than 100 donated standpipe valves were on display during a presentation at the Chicago Fire Department Quinn Fire Academy. Officers and instructors gathered at the academy to thank members of the fire sprinkler industry for the donation.
The threaded standpipes with swivel attachment/fittings will be used on each of 100 Chicago fire station engines. They will be used for high-rise standpipe training, with flow meters and pressure gauges to help prepare for stairwell operations. The number of stations and companies made it difficult to get the training done at the academy in a timely manner.
Commissioner Richard Ford II, Deputy Fire Commissioner Timothy Sampey, Commander George Dowling, Lieutenant Paul Clark, Lieutenant Michael Divita and Deputy District Chief Walter Schroeder attended the presentation.
Ford said the Chicago Fire Department expresses its gratitude to the companies that supplied standpipe training valves for all of the Department’s engines.
“Fighting a fire in a high-rise has unique complexities and the more training the department can accomplish is always beneficial. These devices were donated to help increase efficiencies related to hi-rise fire responses,” Ford said.
Commissioner Richard Ford II spoke during the presentation at the Chicago Fire Department Quinn Fire Academy. Also in the photo: Deputy Fire Commissioner Timothy Sampey, Commander George Dowling, Lieutenant Paul Clark and Lieutenant Michael Divita.
The project was initiated last year when Commander Jack Mullen contacted Tom Lia, executive director, Northern Illinois Fire Sprinkler Advisory Board (NIFSAB). Since it was too challenging to train everyone at the academy, the idea was to bring the valves and training to the stations. Lia coordinated the effort working with the contractors and the academy. NIFSAB matched every donation provided by the following donors: The Hill Group, Shambaugh & Son, Nova Fire Protection, United States Alliance Fire Protection, Potter Roemer, C&E Fire Protection, C.L. Doucette, Sprinkler Fitters Local 281, Nelson Fire Protection, Chicago Backflow, Great Lakes Plumbing & Heating, Valley Fire Protection Systems, Chicago Metropolitan Fire Prevention, Century Automatic Sprinkler, Systems Piping, K & S Automatic Sprinklers, RAM Fire Protection, F.E. Moran Fire Protection and Servpro.
“Seeing the valves on display and all of the officers and instructors showed the impact and why this donation is so important,” Lia said. “I thank everyone who made the donations from the bottom of my heart. Our goal was 100 and we surpassed that goal with 108 valves.”
Representatives from some of the companies that donated the valves attended the presentation. (L-R): Pat Connolly (Sprinkler Fitters Local 281), Ed Kadlec (C.L. Doucette), Tom Lia (NIFSAB), Pat Zubricki (Servpro), Commissioner Richard Ford II, Shannon Coomes (The Hill Group), Rick Sawa (The Hill Group), Erik Hoffer (NIFSAB) and Larry Nichols (Sprinkler Fitters Local 281).
Representatives from some of the companies that donated the valves were recognized during the NFSA Illinois Chapter Meeting. (L-R): Tom Lia (NIFSAB), Jamie Reap (United States Alliance Fire Protection), Megan Demereckis (Chicago Backflow), Matt Clegg (Valley Fire Protection Systems), Ed Kadlec (C.L. Doucette), Jack French (United States Alliance Fire Protection), Matt Treutelaar (Great Lakes Plumbing & Heating) and Jim Henry (Potter Roemer).