Meeting Minutes
February 17, 2009
Hooks Central Library at 3:00 p.m.

Majid Hatamzadeh, President called our February 2009 meeting to order at 3:10 P.M. and he welcomed everyone.

Majid has application forms for members for the 2009 year. He has asked that members review their contact information on the spreadsheet and make corrections as needed.

Our speaker for the meeting was Justin Strousse. Justin is the Sales manager for Clarke Fire Protection products, Inc. The company specializes in Fire Pumps. His presentation was about NFPA 20, specifically Chapter 11 about Diesel Engines. Justin passed on information about his company’s web site that it will perform calculations for us such as the D-Rate. This will enable us to figure out exactly what size fire pump is needed. This presents a huge cost saving for the owners. We were informed as to the type of test that should be performed, the minimum gauges and he also discussed the fact that electronic control modules are utilized in place of fuel injectors. Justin also educated us on the importance of redundant sensors for the ECM and the ability to tell you when something is wrong with the system. We also learned about coolant types and that it conforms to ASTM standards. Another important aspect that was brought up was the actual temperature of the room. Requirements do have to be met in order to have an environment that is conducive to pump operation. The Clarke website also has installation and operating data available. A program is also available for calculating back pressure and exhaust calculations. Beginning January 1, 2009 the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is also requiring Tier 3 Emissions that must be certified. We also discussed variable speed drivers to include variable suction pressure which involves pump curve rise to shutoff and engine speed increasing to shutoff or “droop”. This is important due to the fact that variable speed is recognized as a solution to system over-pressure, according to the 2003 edition of NFPA 20. All of this information is available on the Clarke website at www.clarkefire.com. Justin provided us with an excellent presentation and it was enjoyed by all participants.

Majid announced that our next meeting will be held on March, 10, 2009 at the library.
The meeting was adjourned at 4:35 P.M.

Respectfully Submitted,
Diane Hughes, Secretary, Mid-South SFPE