The instructional staff at the Livermore training facility hosted a demonstration event for members of the Livermore/Pleasanton Fire Department, including battalion chiefs, captains and firefighters, on Monday, Sept. 11.
The event began with a discussion about the current fire code and enforcement requirements by Duane Davies, from the California chapter of the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors’ National Association, or Cal-SMACNA, and Chris Ruch, director of education for the National Energy Management Institute (NEMI). Local 104 training coordinators Nate Vennarucci and Pat Pico then performed a demonstration of fire and smoke damper (FSD) installation and testing that stressed the importance of each task. Pico and Dion Abril, of Western States Council, further demonstrated the smoke control system trainer module to show the significance of proper balancing, commissioning of controls systems and periodic testing as required by code.
Information clicked with participants, and Pico said the reaction was overwhelmingly positive. Many of them had never witnessed a damper failure or experienced how various air pressure differentials felt. They’ve really only read about certain failures, Pico said.
“There aren’t a lot of simulators out there, and in the module, we can simulate these different forces,” Pico said. “They’re used to what normal is in the correct building, but when things go wrong, they don’t have that experience of how failures change things. We were able to show them different types of failures for FSD components, failures we see out in the field, and components that are not regularly tested.”
The education extended to an update of code enforcement, including when systems are supposed to be tested. Through no fault of their own, some professionals in the room weren’t aware of the code in their jurisdiction. Local 104 members trained and certified in fire and smoke damper installation, repair and assessments can do that portion of the job for them.
“We recognize how pressed they are for time. Let us do it on your behalf, and all you have to do is ask for the report of a certified inspection. We’ll do it for them,” Pico said. “We know what to look for better than anyone.”