Team Florida Wins First Ever “Top Tech” Competition at NFSA’s 2007 Annual Seminar & Exhibition

Patterson, N.Y. (June 13, 2007) – The National Fire Sprinkler Association (NFSA), the longest-tenured fire sprinkler advocacy organization in the U.S., hosted the first ever “Top Tech” competition to crown the best fire sprinkler system layout technicians. The competition took place at NFSA’s 2007 Annual Seminar & Exhibition at the Red Rock Resort in Las Vegas on May 4 with Team Florida winning the competition.

Rudd Milam, Ray Vance, Ricardo Vasquez, and Gene Grant of Team Florida defeated the very competitive Team Northeast of Brian Baima, Michael Mackey, and Marc Ruggiero in the game show format competition to be crowned “Top Tech Champions for 2007.”

“This competition was a great opportunity for fire sprinkler layout technicians throughout North America to showcase their skills and knowledge,” said John Viniello, President of NFSA. “It also proved to be an entertaining event for both the competitors and the crowd, while demonstrating the NFSA’s commitment to continued education throughout the industry. Congratulations to Team Florida on their victory.”

In order to qualify for the competition, contestants were required to take an open book exam on NFPA 13 (the National Fire Protection Association’s Standard for the installation of fire sprinkler systems) at various locations around the country in January. These regions include: Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, Florida, North Central, Mid-West, South Central, Great Plains, Mountain and Southwest, West, Pacific Northwest, and Canada. The top scorers from each designated region joined together as a team consisting of three players, and in some cases one alternate.

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.

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