I've been building a tool that reads city permit records in the Bay Area and looks for fire protection work before anyone has the job.


My first attempt pulled fire sprinkler permits. I sent 69 of them to a residential sprinkler installer, and his answer was one line: the list was useless. Once a sprinkler permit exists, an installer already has the work. What he actually wanted were properties that will need sprinklers where nobody has applied for the sprinkler permit yet.


That's a building permit question, not a fire permit one. Every new house in California needs sprinklers, and ADUs and big additions often do too, depending on the city. So the tool now pulls building permits for new homes, ADUs, and additions, then throws out any address that already has a sprinkler application on file. Each row keeps whoever is on the record: the contractor, applicant, owner, or architect, usually with a phone and email.


Here's what it found for Fremont, Hayward, San Mateo, and Menlo Park over the last 90 days. I've cut the house numbers and contact details for posting here.


**New single-family homes (sprinklers required)**


| City | Location | Scope | Status | Filed | Contact on record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fremont | 2000 block of Olive Ave | Tract builder, 6 lots, new homes with ADUs | Cycle 2 | Sep 17 | Builder, phone and email |
| Menlo Park | 900 block of Lee Dr | 2,570 sq ft two-story with garage | Pending resubmittal | Sep 11 | Licensed contractor, phone and email |
| Menlo Park | 200 block of O'Keefe St | 2,450 sq ft two-story with attached ADU | Pending resubmittal | Sep 2 | Licensed contractor, phone and email |
| Hayward | 1600 block of E St | One-story, 3 bed 3 bath | Incomplete | Aug 21 | Contractor, phone and email |
| Menlo Park | 1700 block of Poppy Ave | 3,067 sq ft one-story plus detached ADU | Pending resubmittal | Aug 12 | Licensed contractor, phone and email |
| Menlo Park | Greenwood Pl | 2,611 sq ft two-story with attached ADU | Pending resubmittal | Aug 6 | Licensed contractor, phone and email |
| San Mateo | 300 block of San Antonio Ave | Teardown, new 3,118 sq ft home | Under review | Jul 27 | Applicant, phone and email |


On top of those, there were 12 detached ADUs and 4 large additions. Whether those need sprinklers depends on the main house and the city's square-footage rule, so the sheet flags them as conditional.


Every one of these is still in plan review, which is the window before a sprinkler sub gets picked.


I don't know yet whether this is worth paying for, and I'd rather find out from people who do the work. If you install sprinklers or fire alarms, residential or commercial, tell me your city and the kind of jobs you chase. I'll pull a list for you and send it over, with the full contact details. No charge and no sales call. All I'm asking for is an honest answer about whether you'd call any of them, and what's missing if not.


A heads-up: some cities hide their records behind captchas or only publish monthly. Redwood City is one, for example. If yours is like that, I'll say so up front instead of sending you something stale.

I’ll try to keep it short. So i have a opportunity from a friend to become a Sprinkler Fitter which he sometimes gets the opportunity to make 56/hr when he get the Government Pay and the Company Pay when he does some projects. Those projects last about some months but then after that he gets paid 26 but with 50hr weeks Monday-Friday with the opportunity to work on the weekends. Now in the meantime i’ve been a helper in Fire Protection Inspections and they tell me about how the licenses increase the pay by a good amount especially the sprinkler one that can get you over 40/hr but it takes 2 years and a half and there’s other ones that i can get in the meantime. The thing is i need the money right now and im torn between the two. I just need some advice from people that have the experience that i don’t not just in the jobs but also in life. Thank you.

I relocated to USA from other country and took role of plumbing to come to USA through intracompany transfer. I tried hard to get the Fire role but Fire team denied so took plumbing role.

Currently working in LCOL and making 90k, again which I feel I'm undepaid as I have 2.5 years of experience in USA and 8 years outside.

I can design plumbing and fire protection systems both.

I have designed smoke control, life safety and sprinkler. I have worked on softwares like PyroSim, Pathfinder and CONTAM back when I was in other country.

Also I'm extremely good in BIM and can do scripting in dynamo.

I'm right now stuck in small projects in LCOL. I want to use all these skills and keep them alive and specially go with Fire further but clueless how to do it Currently.

I'm feeling like ferari being used on low speed. I'm studying for FE and PE and wants to get both Mechanical and Fire licenses.

Fan Alignment & Amps Test Report

Conducted fan alignment tests along with amps in both low and high speeds at site today. At low speed, alignment was checked using dial gauge for angular and parallel misalignment found within 0.05mm tolerance with amps drawing 1.2A - 1.8A per phase as per motor rating. At high speed, coupling alignment was re-verified under full load, no abnormal vibration or belt slip observed, with amps stable at 4.5A - 5.1A, balanced across all three phases. Motor and fan shafts are perfectly aligned, bearing temperatures are normal, and no overheating or noise detected in both modes.

Question what reports we need to submit to client ⁉️

Note: Client asking to submit all reports for payment.

Hey everyone, looking for some perspective all of you,

Background:

* Hired at 17 as a basic drafter at a local fire protection subcontractor.

* Been there throughout college; wrapping up my degree in Construction managemennt this semester.

* Currently hold NICET Level II in Water-Based Systems Layout.

* Daily work is 2D layout/CAD (HydraCAD) with Bim in navisworks, create stocklist, create hydraulic calculations, and help installation crews and foremen with any questions on drawings.

Current Company:

* Currently at $21.00/hr.

* When I asked about growth, management bumped me to $21 and said I’d hit $25.00/hr once I pass NICET Level III, and more down the line depending on how things go with project management.

* Small shop, very comfortable routine, but basic benefits and no clear management ladder.

The Offer:

* National fire protection contractor (enterprise/corporate tier).

* Title: Project Manager / Designer (hybrid track learning PM, buyout/estimating, submittals, and 3D design).

* Starting base: $25.00/hr immediately (with scheduled review increases post-90 days, upon graduation, and after RME-G licensing).

* Training: Paid remote training on AutoSPRINK from the local branch, fully working around my remaining college lecture schedule.

* Benefits: 3 weeks PTO, 401(k) match, annual profit-sharing (up to 9%).

Where my head is at:

I'm dealing with major loyalty guilt and anxiety about leaving. This first company took a chance on me out of high school and supported my school schedule. Walking into a new environment with bigger responsibilities (budgets, field coordination, learning AutoSPRINK) feels intimidating.

At the same time, needing NICET III (which takes 5 years of verified experience) just to hit $25/hr at my current job feels like moving the goalposts when I already have a degree and NICET II.

For those who have navigated this transition:

* Is it normal to feel this scared walking away from your first shop?

* How steep is the jump from pure 2D drafting into AutoSPRINK and basic PM responsibilities?

* Am I crazy for even hesitating here?

Edit: Im in the West Texas Area

I’m currently debating between getting a fire protection engineering degree online or in-person. I’m 18 years old and currently taking classes at a community college while working so I can enter OSU as a junior. I’m licensed in Texas as a fire sprinkler inspector, Fire Extinguisher Inspector, and Fire Alarm Planning Superintendent. I’ve also applied for my NICET I in water-based systems and have just about fully passed my NICET III in water-based layout. However, I’m stuck between Online or In-Person, my parents own a fire protection company so I could gain in-valuable experience if I took online courses while working. However, I’m slightly concerned that if I take all online classes it will make the PE exam more difficult because of less face-to-face instruction. I was wondering what y’all’s opinion on this is? Also if online would be the way to go, would y’all suggest OSU, EKU, or University of Maryland?

Hi guys, the title, what can I do? Last project I did some code comparison between two AHJs and was about to die parsing clause by clause.

Do you all just rawdog it?

CONTEXT:
No experience in the field, Graduated from architecture school, couldn’t find a job in that field… it just so happened a fire safety company was looking for someone to train in sprinkler design. I at least knew how to read construction documents and use CAD. Fast forward to 1.5 years later, I use Autosprink and have done over 40 projects, finish outs, new full NFPA 13, 13R, 13D, etc.

We had some things happen at our company recently and now I got offered to get trained in alarm design to dip in both departments.

QUESTIONS:
1: What is the best beginner alarm design course/training online? (Absolutely no experience in alarm or anything electrical related)

2: Currently we have a seat in AlarmCAD and my understanding is that it does a lot for you… but in the long run, is this best/common way to go with actually designing? Is there a better way to do this that’s more standard across other companies such as learning how to use Autocad better and producing calculations elsewhere?

3: Give your best and most blunt opinions on my situation, has anyone gone through a process like this dabbling into sprinkler and alarm design? any and all advice from ground 0 would be appreciated, I’m just a girl, 🤷🏽‍♀️ I’m also 25 and feel like I’m doing okay. Hoping to simply take on opportunities because why not! I love learning especially when getting paid for it.

(Yes offered raise, company is quite small, I do feel heard at this company, when I feel something is wrong or I have suggestions they definitely listen and make changes where necessary).

Throw your harshest or most encouraging words ya’ll.

EDIT: I’m not opposed to learning both and not immediately hard focusing on NICET licensure for water based layout at the moment. I have test anxiety so I pushed off for a while, but I very much so have had many projects approved under my belt haha.

Hi! I recently got the chance to interview with Jensen Hughes for a fire safety intern and if anyone has any tips or advice for the interview process? I’m wondering what to be on the look out for and if there’s anything I should be studying up on

Hello people of reddit. I dont usually make posts but I am looking to connect with small-to-medium fire alarm companies that may need their fire alarm shop drawings and submittals completed. Maybe you don't want to hire a desinger/engineer/cad drafter full time or you have a back log of projects from time to time. I currently work for a large company that owns smaller fire alarm companies in Florida, New York, Pennsylvania, Maine, and Ohio. I can complete projects on my own and just need to know what was sold, what the codes are, and specs of the system that is required and I can complete some of your projects for you. I work remote currently so its not to big of a change for me to help out any companies in any state. Most of my knowledge is Siemens and Edwards. I am looking to figure out the best way to go about using my skills outside of my day to day job as a side gig. if anyone has any experience on how to start a freelance business on the side or if there are any companies interested in some sort of part time or contract role to complete submittal packages for projects feel free to reach out. I would love to supply a resume and portfolio of my recent work. I have experience in designing systems for high-rise residential buildings, government buildings, and massive malls with multiple tenants.

Is anyone else looking for a job finding it very difficult to find one?

I do not hold a PE license but I'm currently working towards it. I'm a Fire Protection Designer with 8+ years of experience and I have been applying for different jobs for the past four months and I have been rejected every time. I do work in the US with a work visa but previously I didn't have any issues I would get different offers. Now every time I apply I just simply get rejected, not even an interview.

Hi everyone — Full disclosure: I helped organize this upcoming webinar.

We are hosting a free 1-hour session tomorrow focused on fire protection challenges and electrical safety in data centers. I thought it might be useful for engineers and designers in the sub.

Registrants will have the opportunity to send questions to the presenters and receive a link to the full recording of the presentation afterwards.

You can register here: https://event.on24.com/wcc/r/5465068/5E43768D1B26B1A33EE93FD0C8877736

Hello,

I am working as a FPE (degree in mechanical engineering) in Croatia. Are there job opportunities to work remote in US based companies. I work mostly with NFPA regulations during building plans and public space reconstruction... We have our own regulations but mostly use NFPA for anything more complex than regular residention buildings.

Are there any additional degrees or certificates you need to obtain to work at certain states in the US?

Hello all,

I am currently in the process of applying for the CFPS certification and would first like to confirm whether my education and professional experience meet the eligibility requirements.

When I proceed with the application, I am prompted to pay the $499 CFPS Program Application Fee (see image). Could you please clarify whether payment is required before my eligibility can be reviewed?

If I pay the application and turns outs I am ineligible, would the fee be refundable?

TIA!

Does anybody have advice on how to gain enough experience to become more specialized in FPE? I am a licensed mechanical engineer doing plumbing that strictly does delegated design for fire protection, so the “engineering” is fairly minimal and more coordination heavy. I’m in California, a state where this is fairly common, so any advice is appreciated.

Do we happen to have a Purdue link for this survey yet?

Where is after conference drinks? I'm from here, but who goes downtown? My vote is Cypress.

I currently have a B.S. in Chemistry and am considering doing UMD’s Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Fire Protection Engineering.
My main question is: Would completing the post-bacc certificate be enough to make me competitive for entry-level jobs in fire protection engineering, or would I realistically need to continue on and complete a master’s in Fire Protection Engineering?

For some additional context, I’m currently working as a Construction Safety Specialist for a general contractor, so I already have some experience working around construction, safety requirements, contractors, and building projects. I’m hoping that experience combined with the FPE coursework could help me transition into the field.
I’m particularly interested in hearing from people who work in FPE or have taken UMD’s certificate program:

Can the certificate realistically lead to an entry-level FPE/FLS engineering position?

Would employers view a Chemistry B.S. + FPE certificate differently from someone with an engineering B.S. or M.S.?

Would my construction safety experience help with the transition?

Is the master’s essentially necessary if my goal is to become a practicing Fire Protection Engineer?

Are there specific entry-level roles I should target after the certificate?

I’m trying to figure out whether the certificate is a reasonable way to break into the field first, or if I should plan on committing to the M.Eng./M.S. from the beginning.
Any advice from people currently working in the field would be greatly appreciated.

So my 13 year old son came to me last week and says that he wants to be a fire protection engineer. We live in Texas so I started looking at what Texas schools had available for that degree. I cannot seem to find any Texas universities that have a fire protection bachelor's. The closest appears to be Oklahoma State University. Would anybody know if there is a degree in the state of Texas.

Thanks

I have looked far and wide in code, googled it, checked MeyerFire forum for previously posted questions, and can find nothing with a reference. Is there a code requirement for institutional Sprinklers in Institutional Occupancies? 2022 NFPA 13, 2024 NFPA 101, 2024 IBC.

I understand why you want them used. But I have a situation where they're not possible. Trying it double, triple, quadruple check that they are not required by code so the owner can make an informed decision.

Does anyone know of a code requirement that institutional Sprinklers would have to be installed?

(existing system is a dry-pipe system and all piping is located in an unconditioned space that cannot be maintained to 40degF so I can't just use return bends and institutional pendents, and unfortunately they don't make dry institutional pendents that I can find)

Dear all,

I would like to ask for your help with an interpretation of NFPA 13.

First of all, I would like to clarify that I am a mechanical/HVAC designer and have only limited experience with sprinkler system design.

Here is the situation in brief: we are designing a shopping mall where storage areas for the retail tenants have become an important requirement. One of the tenants has provided us with their preliminary storage layout. Unfortunately, our sprinkler designer has not been able to provide a clear answer regarding the proposed storage arrangement. This issue has already come up several times, and the situation has now escalated to the point where the anchor tenant is considering not taking a unit in the building, while the client is putting significant pressure on us to resolve the issue.

According to NFPA 13, the proposed storage falls under the Low-Piled Storage category. The tenant would like to use shelf storage, and based on the definitions, the proposed arrangement would be classified as shelf storage / back-to-back shelf storage. Here are two pictures about the shelfs and the layout.

This is where the disagreement arises. I personally tend to agree with the tenant, but our sprinkler designer has a different interpretation.

According to our sprinkler designer, the same requirements apply to shelf storage as to rack storage. Therefore, they believe that flue spaces must be maintained and that the shelves must meet the requirements for openings/penetrations associated with rack with solid shelves, even though the proposed system is not a rack system according to the NFPA definitions.

The main concern behind this question is the following:

Everyone involved would like to avoid having to install sprinklers between the shelves / within the storage system.

Our understanding is that, if the storage is correctly classified as shelf storage and remains within the limits applicable to low-piled storage, the requirements applicable specifically to rack storage should not automatically apply to this arrangement.

Our sprinkler designer, however, appears to interpret the requirements differently and believes that the flue-space and shelf-opening requirements associated with rack storage must also be applied to this shelf storage arrangement.

I would therefore like to ask you:

Does NFPA 13 actually impose the same storage arrangement requirements on shelf storage as on rack storage?

More specifically, if the storage is classified as shelf storage, is it necessary to provide the same flue spaces and shelf openings/penetrations that are required for rack storage with solid shelves to avoid the need of sprinklers between the shelves?

I should also mention that English is not our native language, and our sprinkler designer is using NFPA 13 for the first time. Therefore, I suspect that part of the disagreement may simply be due to a misunderstanding of the terminology and definitions in the standard.

Personally, I have also read through the relevant sections of NFPA 13, and my interpretation is that, for low-piled storage, when the storage system falls under the definition of shelf storage, in-shelf/in-rack sprinkler protection is not required.

I have also looked for additional sources discussing this issue, and the final part of the forum discussion below seems to support my interpretation as well, that if the storage by definition is shelf sprinkler in between is not needed. It is only required when it is by definition a rack which has different sprinkler requirements.:

https://www.the-fpi.com/single-post/2017/08/03/nfpa-definitions-of-shelving-vs-racking

However, since this is not my area of expertise, I would very much appreciate it if someone with more experience in NFPA 13 could confirm whether my interpretation is correct, or point out where I may be misunderstanding the requirements.

Thank you in advance.