ILLINOIS FIRE INSPECTORS
ASOCIATION
Board Message Posted May 2022
April marked the first time we began our monthly meetings in-person. It was great being back in person.
With many OSFM divisions making presentations, being in-person was very beneficial. It was interesting to
see the divisions listening to everyone else, as many of them did not really know what work the other
divisions actually did.
We are trying to rotate the location of our monthly classes. Let any Board member know your thoughts
on this, or if you have a facility that could house around 50 people.
Dan Finnegan has retired from Siemens. He was a big supporter of the IFIA for years, in instruction, and
sponsoring many of our events. To recognize him, our President’s award was presented at the Illinois
Automatic Fire Alarm Associations annual summit on April 27th.
We will be doing an Inspector I class in Glendale Heights in August. Openings are available, so register now on our website www.IllinoisFireInspectors.org
Our next mini mini-seminar will be May 20th in Elmhurst. It will be done by Spears, and will cover inspections and plan checking of CPVC piping. Additional information is on our website. Class size will be limited to 45 people, so register early.
The IFIA is still accepting names of individuals interested in teaching the Office of the State Fire Marshal (OSFM) Fire Inspector 1 and 2 certification classes which we present. If you have an interest in teaching these classes, submit a resume to our Office at ifiafire@illinoisfireinspectors.org.
On an average, the IFIA presents two Fire Inspector I classes and one Fire Inspector II class per year. These classes rotate around the Chicago metropolitan area. Each class is five days long, eight hours each day. An instructor typically teaches only one day, and they are paid for their instruction time.
The minimum requirements to instruct are:
OSFM Fire Inspector I Class
OSFM Instructor I certification
OSFM Fire Inspector I or OSFM Fire Prevention Officer 1
Preferred certifications: OSFM Basic Fire Prevention Officer
OSFM Fire Inspector II Class
OSFM Instructor I certification
OSFM Fire Inspector II
Preferred certifications: OSFM Advanced Fire Prevention Officer
In lieu of the above qualifications, you can be considered a Subject Matter Expert. In order to do so, you will need to submit your resume of qualifications and a cover letter. Your cover letter will need to provide an explanation of why your experience is equal to, or exceeds, the above requirements.
If you have any questions, you can email us at ifiafire@IllinoisFireInspectors.org
It is not too late to think about August. That is when the Illinois State Fair in Springfield is. There is a fire safety tent that it staffed by the major fire service organization in the State. The IFIA’s day is Sunday, August 21st. We desperately need volunteers. The tent is only open from 10 – 4. All we would ask for is help for half of the day. We will provide gate and parking passes for you.
If you have never been to the Fair, spend a few hours at our tent, and then join your family and enjoy the Fair. Contact our office if you can help us out.
This is an interesting read if you are trying to find a way for your jurisdiction to update its codes.
FEMA recognizes the valuable role of building codes
To see the latest in the State for CRR, visit their website at www.illinoiscrr.com. For those on Facebook, they have a page on there as well for you to follow. Just enter Illinois Community Risk Reduction in the search box.
The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) represents nearly 350 electrical equipment and medical imaging manufacturers at the forefront of electrical safety, reliability, and resilience, as well as efficiency and energy security. NEMA provides a forum for the development of technical standards that are in the best interests of the industry and users, advocacy of industry policies on legislative and regulatory matters, and collection, analysis, and dissemination of industry data.
They have a website with many resources. A link to their publication can be found at https://www.lifefiresafety.org/publications/. It will also be available on our website resources tab.
The following are the latest recalls from the Consumer Products Safety Commission:
Check the website for the following upcoming events:
May 20 –Mini-seminar in Elmhurst: plan checking of CPVC piping
June 24 – Mini-seminar – IFC update
August – Inspector 1 at Glenside
August 21 – Fire Safety Exhibit at the State Fair
October 28 – mini-seminar: Accessibility update
November – “Did You Know” mini-seminar
