MEMBERSHIP HAS ITS BENEFITS Discover what LEGISLATION you’re missing WHY MONITORING IS A CRITICAL ASSOCIATION SERVICE
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REBECCA HERRING | AMERICAN FIRE SPRINKLER ASSOCIATION ou’ve heard it before—being a part of an association is invaluable—and it is. Still, in the digital age, where information is more readily available at lower costs than ever before, it may leave you questioning why you should spend your hardearned dollars on association membership. The answer to this question lies in the services provided to members by the association. AFSA keeps its mission at the heart of each and every action we take. Our mission is simple: “AFSA is the voice of the merit shop fire sprinkler contractor. We educate and train the industry while promoting fire protection systems to save lives and property.” With this mission in mind, the association works every day to further the fire sprinkler industry and our members’ businesses.
FREE Trial Membership*
* Free trialGive membership newa AFSA contractors AFSA isavalid Try for with Free Trial or AHJ members only, or former members lapsed at least three years.
Membership for Contractors and AHJs!
We’re growing and introducing many new programs to help meet your team’s growth and business needs. Currently, AFSA is offering a six-month trial membership for contractors and a 12-month trial membership for municipal Authorities Having Jurisdiction (AHJs). Let’s help potential members see what they’re missing! Current members who recruit a new contractor member will receive a $100 gift card and the new member gets a free recorded webinar. Let’s grow stronger together!
www.firesprinkler.org/trial *This trial offer conveys full AFSA member benefits for six months for contractors and 12 months for municipal Authorities Having Jurisdiction (AHJs). Trial membership offer is only good for new members who have never been a member of AFSA or whose membership lapsed over three years ago. One trial membership per company every five years.
24 SPRINKLER AGE | MAY/JUN 2021
With so much going in our fast-paced day-to-day lives, it’s not always easy to identify all the activities AFSA is participating in to further this mission, much less keep up with all of the membership benefits to which you actively have access. With that in mind, this new feature series, “Membership Has Its Benefits,” was born. Its goal is simple—to highlight the value of membership by taking a more in-depth look at the membership benefits you have access to as a valued AFSA member. Each issue of Sprinkler Age will highlight a new benefit.
WORKING TOGETHER TO MAKE A LEGISLATIVE DIFFERENCE AFSA has long been a source of information on legislative activities throughout the nation, but with a new presidential administration comes a renewed and even greater need for the fire sprinkler community to be proactive in identifying legislation as it pertains to the industry and monitor its progress. AFSA has actively increased legislative advocacy efforts on behalf of its members this year and will continue to increase the voice and influence of fire sprinkler contractors on the Hill and at the state level. When legislation, regulations, and policies are debated, fire sprinkler contractors are rarely given an opportunity to provide feedback. It’s beneficial for AFSA members to provide more input in shaping these laws. Below are some of the actions being taken by AFSA at the national level: • Searching for and monitoring state and federal legislation that negatively or positively affects the fire sprinkler industry. AFSA has newly invested in its ability to search and monitor upcoming state and federal legislation that could either impact the fire sprinkler industry and, in turn, AFSA members. Upcoming legislation rarely makes headlines, so AFSA has prioritized keeping members apprised of legislation that is poised to make a significant impact on fire sprinkler businesses. Additionally, staying up-to-date on new legislation can result in new business opportunities for AFSA members or help prevent costs from unknown or overlooked legislation. • Researching and communicating with members about regional legislation to see if potentially affected members want AFSA national to monitor, support, or oppose, and to do so at what priority level. There is a lot of legislation in consideration at any given time, and the hard truth is monitoring all of this legislation isn’t
