New AFAA group formed in central Virginia

LAKE MARY, Fla.-A new member group that encompasses fire companies in the central Virginia area has formed as a member association of the Automatic Fire Alarm Association, the AFAA's 25th such member organization. About 30 new members met in an organizational meeting in late May, said Tom Hammerberg, vice president for education for the AFAA. The group, called the Central Virginia AFAA, elected a temporary board as well as a president and at press time, planned to meet again in mid-June to formulate bylaws and a membership fee structure, Hammerberg said. The target area for the association is from Roanoke to Richmond to the Tidewater Area, and designed for fire companies not willing to make the trek to the meetings of the Maryland, Washington D.C., and Virginia joint AFAA association. AFAA membership is open to many different companies within the automatic fire alarm industry, including distributors, manufacturers, engineering firms and AHJs. "The majority of our membership is made up of the installing companies," Hammerberg said, "and some of our members actually work for end-users." AFAA first formed in 1953 by a fire alarm equipment manufacturer and started to expand in the 1980's. It is now comprised of state and regional associations, such as the New England AFAA and the Pennsylvania Regional group that represents Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey and Delaware. A group that formed in southern Nevada last year was the AFAA's most recent member association, Hammerberg said.