NFPA 13 Changes and Trends

Overview

Since 2014 the British Columbia Building Code has referred to the 2013 edition of NFPA 13, so this edition has been well known to the fire protection engineering community. The 2020 edition of the National Building Code refers to the 2019 edition of NFPA 13, which will be the base for the upcoming BC Building Code. This presentation addresses major changes in NFPA 13 (2019) comparing to the currently used NFPA 13 (2013). It will also touch on some of the changes in NFPA 13 (2022) and future changes currently in the development process for the 2025 edition of NFPA 13

Speaker Bio

Alex Hoffman P.Eng is recognised as one of the top specialist FPEs in Canada and has led Viking Fire Protection, a leading fire protection contracting company, for many years in BC Canada.

- Graduated from the Mechanical Engineering program at University of Zagreb,
Croatia in 1984.

- Started working in fire protection in 1991 as a fire suppression systems engineer
with Ansul – division Grinnell, Brussels, Belgium.

- Moved to Vancouver in 1994 and joined Viking Fire Protection, where still working
today. Started as a fire protection engineer, promoted to BC District Manager in
2001, Western Canada Regional Manager in 2004 and Western Canada Vice
President in 2017. Serving as a director in the Board of Directors of Viking’s parent
company Polygon Security since 2006.

- Active in different technical fire protection associations:
- Since 1997 BC representative in the Technical Committee of the Canadian
Automatic Sprinkler Association (CASA). Since June 2012 holding position of the
Committee Chair.
- Since June 2004 CASA representative in the Engineering and Standard
Committee of the National Fire Sprinkler Association (NFSA).
- Since June 2004 CASA representative in the National Fire Protection Association
(NFPA) Technical Correlating Committee for the NFPA 13 (Standard for the
Installation of Sprinkler System). This Committee also covers NFPA 13R, 13D, 291
and 24 standards.