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Provides Testimony In

Fire Alarm System Design, Fire Alarm System Code, Automatic Detection, Air Sampling Detection, Flame Detection, Heat Detection, Smoke Detection, Aspirating Smoke Detection, Video Image Smoke Detection, Fire Alarm, Fire Alarm Shop Drawings, Fire Alarm Calculations, Fire Alarm Notification, Evacuation, Emergency Voice Alarm, Communications, Emergency Communication System, Fire Alarm Code Analysis, Fire Alarm System Commissioning, Fire Alarm Inspection Test, Fire Alarm Maintenance, Security System Design, Access Control, Intrusion Detection, Video Management System, IP Video, Electronic Security


Professional Synopsis

Expert joined A Company with over 20 years as an expert in fire alarm and security system design, specification and commissioning.  His experience with fire alarm systems ranges across the education, healthcare, high-tech, industrial and commercial/high-rise markets.  He is nationally recognized as a provider of NICET exam preparation courses, and has published and presented papers on fire alarm system issues.  By combining his experience and expertise with fire alarm and security systems, he is able to leverage technology to the ultimate benefit of the end user client.  He is an advocate of “Convergence” which is the combining of security and IT technologies, and in his design philosophy extends to the inclusion of fire alarm systems with convergence where practical.  His expertise includes the use of cameras for smoke and flame detection and aspirating smoke detection (ASD) for special hazard and commercial applications.

Expertise

-20 Years Fire Alarm and Security Systems Design
-11 Years Consulting in Fire Alarm and Security Systems encompassing system design, specification, construction administration, and commissioning
-10 Years as NICET Level IV Fire Alarm Systems
-Extensive experience in evaluating existing facilities fire alarm systems for compliance with current and prior editions of Code.
-Ability to clearly articulate fire alarm Code violations and identify discrepancies not in compliance with commonly accepted best practices or national standards.
-Documented experience in classifying buildings and structures for correct Use Groups and implementation of Code compliant fire alarm systems.
-5 Years teaching fire alarm code and NICET fire alarm exam preparation.
-Expert witness in evaluating plaintiffs’ claims of improperly installed fire alarm systems.
-Experienced creator and writer of fire alarm and security technology and installation standards for end user clients.
-Experienced fire alarm technologist in networked systems, voice evacuation, aspirating smoke detection, smoke and flame detection methods and means, interface to special systems, and clean agent suppression systems.
-Conversant in latest technology and Code changes including fire extinguisher monitoring, directional exiting, camera based smoke and flame detection, and IP technology related to fire alarm systems.
-Extensive experience with security systems integration including access control, intrusion detection, video management and surveillance, and intercom system, including electrified door hardware.
-Working knowledge of physical barriers such as fencing, gates, and CPTED.

Key Qualifications

-Fire Alarm System Design & Specification
-Security System Design & Specification
-Technology & Installation Standards
-Systems Commissioning (Cx)
-Code Expertise in IBC, NFPA and National Electrical Code
-Systems Integration Specialist
-Expert Witness in Fire Alarm System Applications
-Experienced in developing and apply Threat and Risk Assessments to Technology Design

Professional Certification and Affiliations

-American Society for Industrial Security International (ASIS)
-National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
-NICET Level IV Fire Alarm Systems

Education and Professional Development

-University of Maryland, College Park
-United States Naval Academy
-Multiple manufacturer certifications across a wide range of fire and security products
-Over 20 years specifying, designing, project managing and commissioning fire alarm and  security systems

Breadth of Experience, Professional Standing and Ethics

As the “Company” fire alarm Subject Matter Expert (SME), Expert learned the application of fire alarm systems from the “ground up”, starting off in Operations for an engineered systems distributor who supported such accounts as the White House, Smithsonian, U.S. Department of State, and other notable clients and sites in the Washington D.C. area.  He later transitioned to systems sales positions in the Midwest and Western U.S. where his market segments including a broad range of applications.  In 2000, he transitioned into his current capacity as a fire alarm and security consultant; which continued to broaden his range of experience.

This Broad Range of Experience includes high-tech (fab) facilities, healthcare, senior living, multi-family residential, education (both K-12 and higher education) facilities, and commercial facilities including government offices.  Included with this experience is specific experience with mission critical and high-rise facilities.  He has experience in designing residential fire alarm systems for high net worth individuals.  Coupled with this expansive vertical market experience is a thorough knowledge of fire alarm system technologies that encompasses detection and control, notification including voice evacuation, networked systems, and the latest advancements in the industry.

Code Expertise is the clear differentiator that allows Expert to leverage his broad range of experience in the fire alarm industry.  His thorough understanding of the International Building Code and its implications and requirements for fire alarm systems sets him apart from many practitioners in the industry.  Often he is able to determine that a “required fire alarm system” is in fact not required, but that other aspects of the building environment such as sprinkler system monitoring, elevator recall and shutdown, egress-controlled doors, and HVAC detection and control including fire/smoke dampers create a need for a “building fire alarm system.”

When the end user has Resiliency requirements directly related to the implementation of fire alarm systems, it is Expert’s ability to determine Code requirements and to leverage technology to meet those resiliency expectations that make him an invaluable asset to his clients.  These requirements and expectations often relate to early detection of smoke and/or fire and the associated notification of those conditions.  By using his experience, judgment, and understanding of current technology he is able to devise a system that meets the client’s resiliency requirements, minimizes nuisance alarms, and reduces their maintenance and testing costs.

As an Educator, Expert has taken his real world expertise and created training programs for practitioners within the fire alarm industry.  His interface with industry students/peers throughout the U.S. has exposed him to nuances within the industry.  As an example, by working with students from the New England states, he has a solid working knowledge of the master box systems required in New England and other major cities such as San Francisco.  Another example is his work with students from the Southeastern U.S.; primarily Florida, who have shared their learned dos and don’ts related to surge (lightning) protection, allowing him to create standards of design that benefit his clients.  In the classroom, he strives to create a true win/win situation for both his students and himself.

As a Security Consultant, Expert’s expertise is in the application of access control systems and their basis as a means of creating integrated security solutions which can include intrusion detection, video management and surveillance, and security intercom systems.  His designs are considered highly technical and comprehensive by the security integrators that service his market areas.  He has historically blended highly detailed plan sets with comprehensive specifications that are a cohesive set of documents that ultimately benefit the end user client.

By leveraging his technical acumen and broad experience in both fire and security systems, Expert has been able to provide Design and Installation Standards for various clients.  These standards allow the client to create a repeatable and sustainable security implementation and to ultimately acquire significant savings as the knowledge base amassed creates documentation that can be leveraged on an ongoing basis.

The Combined Experiences of Expert have provided him with a unique ability to bridge the fire alarm and security sectors into an ability to apply them in mutually comprehensive approach and not simply as disparate systems.

Life Time Achievements

Cerberus Pyrotronics President’s Club for Outstanding Sales Accomplishment, 1999

References are, of course, available upon request

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