Now through May 17, Telgian Executive Chairman Russell Leavitt will present at the Oregon Fire Marshals Association Annual Business Meeting. The event, held at the Hallmark Resort in Newport, OR, is an opportunity for attendees to learn from some of the fire protection and life safety industry’s leading experts. The Annual Business Meeting furthers the mission of the OFMA, to support the fire service and its stakeholders by providing education and forums for discussion, addressing current fire and life safety issues.

At the Oregon Fire Marshals Association Annual Business Meeting, Leavitt will present two important topics including NFPA 13 2019 Edition Update: The Reorganization of the Standard that Started it All. This 8-hour course begins with a review of the reasons and the process followed in reformatted the standard.  It also includes a detailed review of the new chapters, with a special emphasis on those dealing with high-piled storage.  The more significant revisions to requirements are discussed, along with major proposed changes that were not accepted, and the reasons why.

At the conclusion of the presentation, participants should be able to:

• Explain the reasons for the reorganization of the standard
• Identify and apply the new chapter layout
• Identify and explain the new method for determining high-piled storage design criteria
• Locate and explain the major revisions from the 2016 edition

Leavitt will also present NFPA 25 2017 Edition Update: What’s New for Inspection, Testing and Maintenance of Water-Based Fire Protection Systems. This 4-hour seminar reviews the scope and purpose of NFPA 25.  Attendees learn about the revisions to chapter summary tables designed to make their use easier.

Significant revisions from the 2014 edition are also reviewed, such as new requirements for automated testing, fire pump testing (including the TIA eliminating the need for opening energized electric fire pump motor controllers), air compressor testing, decreased frequencies for some inspections and tests, and system tagging.  The latest information regarding the use of antifreeze systems is covered, including the new listed antifreeze solution.

Participants who complete this session should be able to:

• Locate and explain the scope and purpose of the standard
• Locate and apply the significant revisions to the 2014 edition of the standard
• Explain the recommended practices for tagging systems
• Explain the requirements for inspecting and testing antifreeze systems including the use of the new listed solution

For additional information about the Oregon Fire Marshals Association Annual Business Meeting, please click here.

Russell B. Leavitt, CFPS, SET Telgian Executive Chairman

Russell Leavitt’s Telgian roots can be traced to the genesis of the company. In 1990, he co-founded Fire Design Group, which merged with Tomes, Van Rickley and Associates in 1991. He subsequently served in numerous executive positions including TVA Fire and Life Safety President, Managing Member of Fire Materials Group, LLC, and CEO of Telgian. Today, Leavitt serves as the Executive Chairman and Board Member for Telgian Holdings, Inc., as well as the Chairman of Telgian Corporation.

Leavitt is active in numerous trade and professional associations and holds several leadership positions. In addition to serving on the Board of Directors for National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), he is the organization’s 2nd-Vice Chair. He is also the Chair of the NFPA 13 Technical Committee for Fire Sprinkler System Discharge Criteria, a Principal Member of the NFPA Technical Committee for Installation and a Principal Member of NFPA 3, 4, and 25.  Leavitt is a non-voting member of the Automatic Sprinkler Correcting Committee and represents NFPA 13 on the Technical Committee for NFPA 909 (Code for the Protection of Cultural Resource Properties) and 914 (Code for the Protection of Historic Structures).

Throughout his career, he has authored numerous articles and training guides, including the American Fire Sprinkler Association (AFSA) Beginning Inspector Training Program and the AFSA Online Hydraulics Training Program.  In addition, he is a major contributor to several NFPA Handbooks and served as the subject matter expert for numerous NFPA live and online training programs.

Leavitt shares his 38+ years of experience in the fire protection industry by conducting training presentations for the Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE), along with NFPA and AFSA.

In 2013, he received the AFSA Henry S. Parmelee Award for dedication to the professional advancement of the fire sprinkler industry and improvement of fire safety through automatic sprinklers. He is also the recipient of the NFPA Standards Council Special Achievement award in 2018 for his work on the 2019 edition of NFPA 13.

Leavitt is a Level IV NICET certified technician and Certified Fire Protection Specialist who holds fire protection contracting licenses in 35 states. He earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.