National Fire Sprinkler Association Joins United States Green Building Council, Advocating Environmentally-Friendly Construction Practices

The National Fire Sprinkler Association has joined the United States Green Building Council as a corporate member, affirming its commitment to promote green construction and environmental responsibility among building trades. Fire sprinklers help to reduce the carbon footprint of properties through the entire cycle of construction. They reduce carbon dioxide emissions from fires, reduce the amount of burned or non-recyclable building materials going to landfills, save energy on rebuilding after fire, conserve water, and reduce diesel fuel usage in heavy fire suppression equipment.

PATTERSON, N.Y. — July 8 — The National Fire Sprinkler Association has joined the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) as a corporate member, affirming its commitment to promote green construction and environmental responsibility among building trades.

Fire sprinklers help to reduce the carbon footprint of properties through the entire cycle of construction. They reduce carbon dioxide emissions from fires, reduce the amount of burned or non-recyclable building materials going to landfills, save energy on rebuilding after fire, conserve water, and reduce diesel fuel usage in heavy fire suppression equipment.

“Although codes may not require fire sprinklers in certain size buildings, fire sprinklers must be in all green construction projects to truly reflect this designation,” said Dominick G. Kasmauskas, NFSA’s New York Regional Manager and a member of USGBC. “I ask you – how can a green building, including single-family homes, be considered ‘sustainable construction’ if it is positioned to burn someday without the benefit of an automatic fire sprinkler system to suppress smoke and save materials?”

Kasmauskas said fire sprinklers have been used in property since 1875 and, due to the current green movement have only recently been touted for their positive impact on the environment.

The United States Green Building Council is a nonprofit membership organization with a vision of a sustainable built environment within a generation. Its membership includes corporations, builders, universities, government agencies, and other nonprofit organizations. USGBC is dedicated to expanding green building practices and education, and its LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating Systemâ„¢”.

According to the USGBC, the LEED Green Building Rating System is a voluntary, consensus-based national rating system for developing high-performance, sustainable buildings. LEED addresses all building types and emphasizes state-of-the-art strategies in five areas: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials and resources selection, and indoor environmental quality.

NFSA’s Board of Directors has instituted a Green Committee – with the motto “Save your building, save our environment” – to promote recognition of the environmental benefits of fire sprinklers and to encourage inclusion of credits for fire sprinkler systems in the LEED program. Jack Thacker, of Allan Automatic Sprinkler Corporation, chairs this new committee, and Kasmauskas serves as secretary. Other committee members include Andrea Basalay, ITW Buildex; Fred Benn, Advanced Automatic Sprinkler Inc.; Mark Coad, Western States Fire Protection Company; Norm MacDonald, FlexHead Industries Inc.; Frank Monikowski, SimplexGrinnell; Larry Thau, Victaulic; and Josh Hildreth, Davis-Ulmer Sprinkler Co.

Please visit www.nfsa.org for more information on its Green Committee, its partnership with USGBC and the environmental benefits of fire sprinklers in all dwellings and structures.

About the National Fire Sprinkler Association
Established in 1905, the National Fire Sprinkler Association (NFSA) is the voice of the fire sprinkler industry. NFSA leads the drive to get life-saving fire sprinklers into all buildings; provides support and resources for its members – fire sprinkler contractors, manufacturers and suppliers; and educates authorities having jurisdiction of fire control matters. Headquartered in Patterson, N.Y., NFSA has regional operations offices throughout the country. www.nfsa.org.