CSAA Signals
Vol. 8, No. 11 —May 30, 2002
440 Maple Avenue East, Suite 201, Vienna, VA 22180
703-242-4670; Fax 703-242-4675
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CSAA Signals |
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My fellow CSAA members, we really had a chance to make a difference! Leaving the NFPA 2002 World Safety Conference and Exposition at the Conference Center in Minneapolis, it is hard to believe that after three long years of hard work and planning, it all came down to one vote. As you may have heard, proposal 72-381 was on the table. Among other things, this proposal would have helped assure the continued effectiveness of the commercial fire alarm systems that we install and monitor by instituting mandatory certification by nationally recognized, independent third parties (i.e. UL, FM). This would have the effect of raising the standard on fire alarm systems in both the short term and the long term. There would be enhanced confidence in fire alarm systems. False alarms would be dramatically reduced. In addition, the proposal would have opened new business opportunities for every member company. We blew an opportunity to change our industry for the better and to grow our companies. Talking to my fellow CSAA members, I heard words like, “I didn’t think you needed my vote”, “I thought it would easily pass”, “It’s going to be a slam dunk”. Well, guess what. WE REALLY DID NEED YOUR VOTE! If you have ever said that one vote can’t make a difference, you were wrong. The members that made the effort by spending their time and money to travel to Minneapolis on your behalf could not have felt more devastated when the final vote came back 81 to 80 against Proposal 72-381. A win could have had the potential to create new business opportunities and better ensure the appropriate required compliance with NFPA 72.. We will have another opportunity three years from now. Your board will be putting together a plan of attack and will leave no stone unturned in our quest. We must commit ourselves to bringing an overwhelming number of voting members to that next conference so that we can pass this vital regulation. This is one time when you can truly make a difference. It is a time when we must depend on each other to rally to the cause of our association. You cannot assume that we will have the votes necessary to win. Remember, YOU are the one vote we need. You have The Power of One. |
Click on "Come to CSAA's 2002 Annual Meeting" box at www.csaaul.org to access the hotel reservation form and information on the 2002 Post-Convention Trip to Panama, Quito and the Galapagos Islands REMINDER: Don't forget to visit our State Legislation Report at www.csaaul.org every Wednesday morning for the latest information on pending state and federal legislation. The BloostonLaw Telecom Update is posted on our Web site every Thursday. |