Cherokee Fire Protection

Social Security Judges and Sprinkler Inspections

2011-07-12T05:43:00.000-07:00

The Wall Street Journal reports that a judge working for the Social Security administration awarded benefits in every case he presided over in the first six months of fiscal 2011. After the article ran, the judge was placed on leave while the Inspector General investigated.

Using statistical analysis, the Journal found an anomaly that raised concerns.

Fire sprinkler systems also have statistical failure rates that owners can use as a benchmark to evaluate against their own sprinkler systems.

For example: a Hotel in Ohio was regularly inspected by the same sprinkler Contractor since opening. Each year, the Contractor would inspect and certify the system. There were no deficiencies or equipment failures ever identified by the Contractor.

Using Cherokee Fire Protection Co's own internal statistics, 1 out of 5 hotels in the state of Ohio contained recalled fire sprinklers in 2006. So, there was a 20% chance that this hotel contained recalled fire sprinklers.

When Cherokee Fire inspected the Hotel, which was passing previous Inspections for the past several years, we found that 100% of the fire sprinklers were recalled. Unfortunately, the Hotel owner missed the filing deadline for a free replacement program through the sprinkler manufacturer and had to pay out-of-pocket to replace all of the fire sprinklers.

Here's another example: The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) recommends that sprinkler systems are inspected on weekly, monthly and quarterly intervals. These guidelines are based on statistical data from sprinkler failures and losses from fire which has been carefully analyzed. Properly conducted, and inspection program consistent with NFPA standards would minimize the risk of fire sprinkler failure and associated loss from fire.

A Fireworks store in Kentucky recently burned to the ground. The store was equipped with an automatic fire sprinkler system. The Fire Marshal determined that the valves controlling water to the fire sprinkler system were Shut OFF. So, the sprinklers had to water to operate and control the fire. Since the NFPA recommends weekly inspection of Control Valves to verify they are properly open, this owner may have additional costs if the Building Insurer determines that weekly inspections were not conducted and denies coverage based on the Insurance Policy requirement to follow NFPA standards. (Statistics indicate the most common reason for fire loss in a building equipped with fire sprinkler systems are closed Control Valves).

So, owners should expect failure rates from their sprinkler inspections that are consistent with industry statistics. Higher than average failure rates may be due to faulty installations, improper maintenance or other reasons and a root cause analysis should be considered to determine the reason. Lower than average, or in the case of the Hotel, no failure rates during inspections over a period of time should raise owner concern.

The last thing that the Social Security Administration wants is a rubber-stamping judge; owners should be wary of rubber-stamping fire sprinkler contractors/ inspectors.

Cherokee Commences Work on Plato's Closet

2011-06-16T13:38:00.001-07:00

Cherokee Fire Protection was recently awarded the fire sprinkler scope of work at the future Plato's Closet in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio.

We will be working closely with the Wilson Architectural Group and General Contractor Rorick's to ensure that this client's needs are met every step of the way!

Follow Cherokee Fire on Twitter!

2011-05-09T08:29:00.000-07:00

https://twitter.com/#!/CherokeeFirePro

Happy Buffet Opens in Beavercreek!

2011-04-29T10:17:00.000-07:00

Hungry for great Chinese food in Beavercreek, OH?

Check out the Happy Buffet, across from the Fairfield Mall.

Cherokee Fire worked with this Small Business Restaurant to modify the existing fire sprinkler system in their tenant space to meet their needs.

We installed Tyco fire sprinklers, which carry a 10 year warranty throughout the restaurant and inside the stores walk-in freezers and coolers. That way, the restaurant can focus on cooking and serving great food.

The installation was inspected and approved by the Greene County Building Department and Beavercreek Fire Department.

I really enjoyed meeting with the owner, because I love Chinese food...especially before and after running a marathon!

"Thank you for helping us meet our project deadlines and open so we can serve our customers!" - David Li, owner

Cherokee Fire recognized for 5 years as NFSA member

2011-04-24T08:50:00.000-07:00

Cherokee Fire Protection was recently recognized for 5 years of membership in the National Fire Sprinkler Association (NFSA).

The NFSA is the oldest and largest fire sprinkler trade association. Founded in 1905, the mission of the NFSA is to reduce the loss of life through the widespread acceptance of the fire sprinkler concept.

Forest Wilson, President of Cherokee Fire, regularly works with local NFSA officials on state and local matters affecting the fire sprinkler industry. Cherokee is also a member of the Fire Sprinkler Industries Best Practices Initiative, a program of the NFSA designed to promote the use of industry best practices.

For additional information about the NFSA, visit www.nfsa.org.

Read Report: Click here: Cherokee Fire Featured in Case Study

2011-04-18T07:44:00.000-07:00

Cherokee Fire Protection was recently featured in a case study performed by a valued vendor, Egnyte. To view the Report, click link above. Founded in 2005, Cherokee is an industry leader in Quality Management and Control. In order to comply with our internal Document Retention Policy and Disaster Recovery Plan, Cherokee moved to a "paperless" format more than a year ago. Clients are provided the opportunity to view, print or email their inspection reports and other documents through a secure cloud server. Egnyte, an industry leader in cloud storage, was slected as the vendor we would work with to meet our cloud storage needs.

Proper Care of Post Indicating Valves

2011-03-28T15:21:00.000-07:00

A local home improvement store recently called Cherokee Fire because someone had ran over their outside Post Indicating Valve (PIV) with a vehicle.

Our Service Technicians quickly replaced the damged Post Indicator and the store was back to business.

What is a PIV? Well, it's a valve which indicates if its Open or Shut. These valves usually control water to fire sprinkler systems and its important to visually verify, on a weekly basis, that the valve is Open.

The valve should be equipped with a special wrench to operate the valve and it should be exercised (fully Shut then Opened) every 3 months. Proper exercise of the valve will help ensure a trouble free operation and reduce expensive service calls to rebuild valves frozen in the Open position, or difficult to operate during annual sprinkler inspections.

Lighthouse Baptist Church

2011-03-17T14:51:00.000-07:00

The Lighthouse Baptist Church recently opened its doors to the Xenia community, after renovating the old Don's Supervalue Store building to meet their growing needs.

Cherokee Fire Protection make renovations to the existing fire sprinkler system to bring the system up to code and ensure safety in the remodeled building.

Lighthouse Baptist Church selected a Cherokee Fire Inspection and Maintenance Plan to ensure that their system properly inspected and maintained. We are happy to meet their needs and wish them well.

Forest Wilson served as Project Manager and Mark Karr of MG Design served as Layout Technician.

Based in Xenia, Ohio, Cherokee Fire Protection Company specializes in Fire Sprinkler Installation, Inspections, Maintenance and Service. We proudly install Tyco Fire Sprinklers, which are backed by an industry leading 10 year manufacturer warranty. For further information, please visit our website: www.cherokee-fire.com

Cash America Pawn

2010-10-11T13:35:00.000-07:00

Cherokee Fire Protection Co. recently completed a renovation of the Cash America Pawn Store in Moraine, Ohio. The owner modified the interior of the store to accomodate new Pawn Shop operations. We modified the layout of the existing fire sprinkler system to accomodate the changes.

Cherokee Fire was subcontracted to perform this work by L.F. Wolf Contracting, Inc. of Hubbard, OH. Forest Wilson served as Project Manager and Mark Karr of MG Fire Design served as the Fire Sprinkler Layout Technician.

For additonal information, please call Forest Wilson: 937-376-2333.

Running for the Phoenix Society

2010-09-20T07:20:00.000-07:00

A Message from Forest Wilson, Vice President of Cherokee Fire Protection:

On October 10, I will join nearly 40,000 runners in Chicago for the 2010 Chicago Marathon.

I will be running as part of Team Phoenix, with the goal of rasing funds for the Phoenix Society for Burn Survivors. The Society is a non-profit organization which works to help burn survivors in numerous ways.

The Chicago Marathon is held during Fire Prevention Week, and part of the run is through areas destroyed by the Great Chicago Fire.

If you feel inclined to support the Phoenix Society, please do so. You can become a member, or sponsor me during my run. All monies go directly to the Phoenix Society. For more information, please visit: www.active.com/donate/teamphoenixchicago/forestwilson.

If you have any questions about Team Phoenix, or running in general, feel free to email me @ fwilson@cherokee-fire.com You can also follow my running on Twitter @forest_wilson.

Thank you,

Forest

(pictured above, my run at the Whiskey Row 2010 Half Marathon in Prescott, AZ..one of the toughest marthon courses in the country due to the hill climbs)

Fire Sprinklers and Building Insurance

2010-08-16T16:54:00.000-07:00

On March 7, 2007 the Planters Hotel in Brawley, CA (pictured above) burned down.

P. Allen Early, the building owner, filed a claim with his insurance carrier for the $3.1 Million loss.

Although fire investigators ruled that the fire was an act of arson, Early faced a problem:

The hotel's fire sprinkler system was shut off when the fire occurred. Documents presented in court indicated that the fire sprinkler system was discovered shut off the day before the fire by the local Fire Department during a routine inspection.

Early's insurance carrier, the Chubb Custom Insurance Company, originally denied the claim for fire loss because of the shut down fire sprinkler system.

"There was an insurance policy issued by Chubb Custom Insurance Company that had a provision that required the insured to maintain the sprinkler system in complete working order. At the time of the fire the sprinkler system was turned off, and it is Chubb's position that a minimum, maintaining it in complete working order means having it turned on, otherwise there's no way it can work and it accomplishes nothing. The policy says it is the insured's responsibility to maintain in in complete working order, and whether or not he knew it was turned off, he was the one in control of the situation," explained the insurance company's attorney.

The two sides later settled after a lengthy legal battle, but this unfortunate incident should be a lesson we can all learn from. Let's look at how this could have been prevented:

1. Fire protection systems, including fire alram and fire sprinkler should always be on in operating condition. The International Fire Code, adopted in most states and localities, requires owners of fire protection systems to notify the local Fire Department of any impairment.

2. The Fire Department found this system shut off the day before the fire and testimony indicated that the Fire Chief intended to take legal action against the owner the following business day. Perhaps if the Fire Department would have taken immediate action when the impairment was discovered, the building would not have been lost in the fire.

3. The owner indicated that he had no knowledge of the sprinkler control valve being turned off. Yet, the Building and Life Safety Codes clearly indicate that owners of fire protection systems are responsible for maintaining them in operating condition. NFPA 25, which regulates maintenance of fire sprinkler systems, requires valves controlling fire sprinkler systems to be inspected weekly to verify they are open. The owner was apparently not performing this task.

Owners of fire protection systems have both legal and contractual obligations to maintain their fire sprinkler systems. Failure to do so could result in serious financial and legal penalties, from loss of insurance coverage to negligent wrongful death or injury claims if someone is injured.

A qualified fire protection contractor can assist the owner in meeting obligations through discussing the required maintenance and inspections and determining which items the owner can self-perform and which items the contractor can perform.

Cherokee Fire Protection Co. serves clients throughout Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky and Michigan. We work with clients to develop maintenance plans suitable for their systems which meet legal requirements and reduce overall risk for the systems owner.

For further information, please contact Forest Wilson, Vice President of Cherokee Fire at 937-376-2333 or email: fwilson@cherokee-fire.com

Sprinklerfitter or Technician?

2010-08-02T15:55:00.000-07:00

Al Schwartz, writing for the July 2010 issue of Contractor magazine, laments over the increasingly common use of the word "technician" in lieu of "plumber."

Those of us in the fire sprinkler industry have also seen this trend as more unqualified people enter this trade. Sprinklerfitting has been a specialty trade since the invention of fire sprinklers. As early as 1905, there were trade unions established to ensure training of apprentices and a qualified work force.

Cherokee Fire Protection belongs to the National Fire Sprinkler Association (NFSA) and is signatory with the United Association of Pipefitters and Sprinklerfitters Local 669. Since 1915, these organizations have worked in unison to improve the industry through development of codes, labor relations and apprenticeship training.

In order to become a journeyman sprinklerfitter, a person must apply to the Apprenticeship Board for admission as an Apprentice. The Board requires applicant be of good character, in possession of a high school diploma or GED, and be honorably discharged from the military if having served.

Upon admission into the apprenticeship program, the applicant receives On The Job (OTJ) training in the sprinklerfitting industry. This includes installing and servicing fire sprinkler systems of various types such as wet, dry, preaction and rate of rise. In addition to the OTJ training, the apprentice must also complete correspondence courses with Penn State University pertaining to the Sprinklerfitting Industry.

Weekends are sometimes spent in a classroom taking such hands-on courses as OSHA training, trenching, rigging or product demonstrations.

Prior to admission as an apprentice, and throughout his career, sprinklerfitters must pass a drug test and oftentimes a background check. The Apprenticeship Board also reviews the apprentice's progress at least every 6 months.

After 5 years of full compliance with the training standards of the Apprenticeship Board, the Apprentice is awarded his Journeyman Card. This Card can be presented to any contractor in the country as evidence of his qualifications to work on fire sprinkler systems.

Contrast these training standards with those of a "technician." Technicians are usually employed by fire extinguisher service companies or plumbing contractors entering the sprinkler industry. Many of these companies completely lack the expertise in engineering and manpower capabilities to install a fire sprinkler system. Yet, they often offer their services to inspect and service fire sprinkler systems.

A fire sprinkler inspector or technician usually receives between 16 to 40 hours of documented, accredited training. Contrast that with the 1700 hours an apprentice receives annually.
A fire sprinkler technician may have been a tire salesman a week before his new job as a "fire sprinkler inspector" or technician. Many have a background in the fire extinguisher sales business, which is largely a commission-based business in which extinguisher technicians are rewarded for selling extinguisher's and accessories to the building owner.

Many extinguisher companies will advertise that they can "Do It All."

A fire extinguisher technician will earn between $8 - $10 before commissions, with no benefits. A union sprinklerfitter earns nearly $34 an hour with union benefits. Sprinklerfitters are not paid on commission. They are paid to get the job done, the building inspected and the repairs made right the first time.

Building owners should insist on a union Sprinklerfitter to perform their inspections, repairs and maintenance. A technician will only cost them more money in the long term through faulty, inadequate inspections, substandard repair work and potential system failure.

Qualified companies can be found at: http://www.sprinklerfitters669.org and http://www.nfsa.org

For additional information, feel free to call me: Forest Wilson 937-376-2333

Cherokee Fire and Sprinklerfitters Local 669 Reach Tentative Agreement on New Contract

2010-04-04T14:27:00.000-07:00

Cherokee Fire is pleased to announce it has reached a Tentative Agreement with Sprinklerfitters Local 669. The Agreement addresses wages, pension and health insurance for the field employees of Cherokee Fire.
The Agreement also recognizes the past success and continued importance of a strong Apprenticeship program and continues to ensure that apprentices receive the finest training available nationwide, through the jointly managed Apprenticeship and Training Committee.
Cherokee Fire looks forward to a continued harmonious working relationship with Sprinklerfitters Local 669, as we move forward together to meet the needs of our clients.
For additional information concerning this Agreement, please contact Forest Wilson, President of Cherokee Fire: 937-376-2333, or John Bodine, Business Manager Local 669: 410-381-4300.

The Pursuit of Best Practices

2009-12-28T07:11:00.000-08:00

As we close the year 2009, we are eagerly looking forward to 2010 and 2011!
Cherokee Fire Protection will be performing installations of fire sprinkler systems in grocery stores, government buildings, hotels and many other occupancies in 2010. We will also continue to provide high quality inspections of fire sprinkler systems throughout Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana and Michigan.
We look forward to meeting our customers needs in the months and years to come. In fact, we're going a step further in meeting customers expectations: We're shooting for the best!
Since 2008, Cherokee Fire has been utilizing Best Practices in construction and project managment. As we enter into 2010, we will be examing and revamping all organizational aspects of our company utilizing accepted ISO standards.
ISO, the International Standards Organization (www.iso.org) registers organizations which have created and maintained a quality management system which complies with their standards. Prior to registration, orgaizations must apply and be subject to an on-site audit of their facilities by an ISO auditor to gain approval.
Cherokee Fire Protection has set an internal deadline of April1, 2011 for application of registration to the ISO 9001:2008 standard. We will be utilizing these quality standards in 2010. Since we're already utilizing industry Best Practices, some customers and vendors may not notice significant changes while others will. Any changes observed, however, will be good changes.
For additional information about the Fire Sprinkler Industry Best Practices, visit: www.fsi-bp.org
For additional information about the International Standards Organization, visit: www.iso.org

Questions regarding Cherokee Fire Protection's quality management system and ISO planning my be addressed by Forest Wilson, President of Cherokee Fire and Quality Compliance Official. (ph: 937-376-2333)

Cherokee renews commitment to Protect Lives and Property

2009-11-22T09:09:00.000-08:00

Cherokee Fire Protection Co., based in Xenia OH is proud to renew it's membership with the National Fire Sprinkler Association (NFSA). Founded in 1905, the mission statement of the Association is "To protect lives and property through the wide spread aceptance of the fire sprinkler concept."
The NFSA membership is composed of manufacturers, contractors, public officials and friends of the industry concerned with stopping death by fire with fire sprinklers.
Recently, the NFSA was instrumental in promoting residential fire sprinklers in new houses and apartment buildings. Since the majority of deaths by fire occur in homes, these new requirements will SAVE LIVES!
The NFSA also works with contractors and building departments to assist in code interpretations and ways to make fire sprinklers an affordable option for any building project.
Cherokee Fire is proud to be a part in this endeavor. For more information, visit the NFSA homepage: http://www.nfsa.org/.
Remember, FIRE SPRINKLERS SAVE LIVES!

Cherokee Fire Completes Kroger Store

2009-11-10T11:29:00.000-08:00

Cherokee Fire Protection recently completed the Kroger store renovation in Kettering, Ohio. The store was completely renovated. Cherokee performed exhaustive work on the fire sprinkler systems protecting the store.

We are proud to have completed the job on-time and on-budget. Forest Wilson served as Project Manager and General Foreman. Local 669 Journeyman Cliff White did an outstanding job in the field. William Schmidt of Fire Sprinkler Design, Inc. served as Fire Sprinkler Layout Technician.

Pictured above, at the end of the project and prior to the store's Grand Opening are (l-r): Mr. Tamer, Kroger Store Manager; Gary Bennett, Reece Campbell, Inc., Forest Wilson, Cherokee Fire.

Additional pictures of the Grand Opening may be viewed at the Dayton Daily Newspaper, link provided above.

Based in Xenia, Ohio Cherokee Fire Protection services the entire state of Ohio, reaching into Eastern Indiana, Michigan and Kentucky. We provide both service and new construction services. For information on how we can help you in your fire protection needs, call Forest Wilson @ (937)-376-2333.

Cherokee Fire Protection is Committed to Employees Health Care

2009-08-26T10:01:00.000-07:00

As our national leaders debate health care reform, they consider the following:

*Health care insurance premiums are rising three times faster than wages or inflation.

*One in four families is having a hard time paying for medical care-and two-thirds of those had problems with their insurance.

*Every 30 seconds someone files for "medical bankruptcy."

*Today, 47 million people in America have no health coverage-including 8.7 million children.

*Lack of health insurance hurts us all-premiums for employer-provided health coverage include about $1,000 toward the cost of care for the uninsured.

*Ninety percent of Americans say the U.S. health care system needs to undergo fundamental change-or be rebuilt completely.

Hoever, Cherokee Fire Protection is committed to providing health insurance for our hard-working employees and their families. As a union signatory contractor with the United Association of Plumbers, Pipefitters and Sprinklerfitters (UA) we contribute towards employees ongoing training, pension and health insurance.

We believe it is not only our social responsibilty but also a good business practice. As a result, our employees live more healthy, fulfilling lives and are better trained to meet our customer's needs.

For more information about our relationship with the UA, visit www.ua.org or contact Forest Wilson, President Cherokee Fire Protection: 937-376-2333.

Forest Wilson Responds to Scandaliato's Article in Contractor Magazine

2009-08-17T13:42:00.000-07:00

Forest Wilson, President of Cherokee Fire Protection Co. recently responded to Steven Scandaliato's assertion that plumbing contractors are better suited to install fire sprinkler systems than fire sprinkler contractors.
"The plumbing industry should stick to developing the green portion of their industry and leave fire sprinkler installation to the same people that have been doing it for the last 100 years," wrote Wilson.
Mr. Wilson's article was published in the August 2009 issue of Contractor magazine and can be viewed online at: www.contractormag.com/columns/letters/leave-sprinkler-installation-0809/

US Fire Administration Promotes Residential Fire Sprinklers

2009-07-27T08:42:00.000-07:00

NFSA Homepage: "United States Fire Administration Promotes Residential Fire Sprinklers
The USFA has promoted research, development, testing, and demonstrations of residential fire sprinkler systems for more than 30 years. Research regarding residential fire sprinklers has indisputably demonstrated that they save the lives of occupants and firefighters, significantly reduce the risk of premature building collapse in a fire where lightweight construction components are used, and reduce property loss caused by fire."

Registered Small Business with Hamilton County

2009-06-30T08:41:00.001-07:00

Cherokee Fire Protection Co. successfully registered as a Small Business Enterprise with Hamilton County, OH on June 29, 2009.

This registration will allow Cherokee Fire to offer quality fire protection services to the governmental agencies of Hamilton County. In order to successfully register, Cherokee Fire was required to demonstrate that we met the detailed definitions and size requirements established by the Small Business Administration (SBA).

Since 2005, Cherokee Fire has performed extensive work in Hamilton County...from rebuilding a fire pump at a local Home Depot store to installing a fire sprinkler system at a Men's Warehouse mall outlet. We also perform fire sprinkler and backflow testing within the city of Cincinnati as a bonded waterworks contractor.

We look forward to working with the Hamilton County Small Business Program on developing strategies to better serve the area residents and businesses in their fire sprinkler, fire pump and backflow needs.

For more information about the Small Business program, visit: www.hamiltoncountyohio.gov/das

The Cost of Maintaining Fire Sprinkler Systems and Choosing a Qualified Contractor

2009-06-02T07:06:00.000-07:00

The May 2009 issue of Today's Facility Manager featured a well-written, thought provoking article by Rick Stathis titled, "The Importance of Maintenance in a Tough Economy," which is accessible by going to: www.todaysfacilitymanager.com

As the author of the article explains, facility managers are often tempted to delay expensive repairs or even postpone routine maintenance during these trying economic times. The article examines the cost of delaying the resurfacing of a parking lot. An intital bid of $200,000 increases to $260,000 because the price of materials, labor and taxes will continue to rise and the contractor passes these on to the customer.

Fire Sprinkler systems also require regular maintenance. The Industry standard for regular Inspection, Testing and Maintenance of systems is found in NFPA 25. (www.nfpa.org) Most states and localities have adopted NFPA 25 as a standard and legally enforce the maintenance to be performed as part of the Fire Code.

Owners of fire sprinkler systems are responsible for ensuring that their systems are properly maintained, for both Fire Code and Insurance reasons. A large number of Insurance Companies will not recognize or give discounts for fire sprinkler systems if the system is neglected for a period of 3 years and Fire Marshal's can issue fines against owners that do not comply with the Fire Code.

A motel operator may be first inclined to pick up the phone book, look up a fire protection contractor and call the first company listed to perform his sprinkler inspection. Or, he may call all of the companies listed to get the lowest price quoted. This is a rough economy and all businesses are affected, many are struggling to survive and nobody wants cash to go out the door. But there is one lesson we often learn in business: You Get What You Pay For!

I know a motel operator (actually a few, along with a few facility owners) that used the most inexpensive inspection and maintenance company they could locate..after all, there's not much to maintain in a motel, right? WRONG! This operator was never told that his facility had recalled fire sprinklers! To make matters worse, the manufacturer of these sprinklers offered a FREE Replacement Program, at NO COST for SIX YEARS! The motel owner was not informed of the recalled fire sprinklers or the free program! The State Fire Marshal did a routine inspection of the property, noticed the recalled sprinklers and ordered them replaced! This cost the motel owner $25,000! The motel owner later contacted us and asked me to inspect his system for additional deficiencies and I found other components that were NOT being maintained!

Now it is not the motel owners job or specialty to MEASURE competency in contractors, but there are a few things owners can do to locate a good inspection company:

1. Contract with a "FIRE SPRINKLER" company! There are a lot of "Fire Extinguisher" companies out there that claim they can do everything, but if they are unable to install fire sprinklers than they really shouldn't claim they have ability to inspect them.

2. A good contractor will belong to the National Fire Sprinkler Association (www.nfsa.org) or the American Fire Sprinkler Association (www.sprinklernet.org) Contractors pay hundreds of dollars in dues to belong to these organizations because they offer training, product research and development and play an active role in development of the Fire Codes.

3. References! If a property owner calls me for a reference, I'll give him a few! My references will say that I'm reasonably priced and SAVE THEM MONEY! Some will say we fixed problems that were ongoing for years, which resulted in expensive emergency calls with competitors. Others will say we saved them TENS OF THOUSANDS of DOLLARS by identifying recalled sprinkler components when the competition failed to do so! The one thing our customers will NOT say is that we are the CHEAPEST in town.

Remember, PROPER INSPECTION AND MAINTENANCE OF FIRE SPRINKLER SYATEMS SAVES MONEY!

For more information, call me at 937-376-2333.

Cherokee Fire Commences Work on Kroger Store

2009-05-04T12:10:00.000-07:00

Kroger Store
Kettering, OH

Cherokee Fire Protection Co. was recently awarded the Contract for Fire Sprinkler scope of work at the Kroger Grocery Store in Kettering, OH.

As reported on WHIO Television, Kroger is undergoing an extensive interior remodel to better serve its customers and the community. When it opens, it will have a new name: Fare Fresh by Kroger. To view the exclusive TV report, click here: http://www.whiotv.com/news/18616315/detail.html

Forest Wilson, President of Cherokee Fire Protection is serving as Project Manager. Cherokee is subcontracted through Reece Campbell, Inc. Cole-Russell is the Project Architect.

"We look forward to working with Kroger and Reece Campbell on this job," stated Wilson. "Kroger and the community will appreciate the new store layout and it will be protected with a fully automatic fire sprinkler system."

For futher information about the services of Cherokee Fire Protection, please call our office at 888-347-3079.

Forest Wilson invited to Focus Group on Industry Best Practices

2009-04-10T09:31:00.000-07:00

Forest Wilson, President of Cherokee Fire Protection Co., was recently invited to a select Focus Group for development of Best Practices procedures for the Fire Sprinkler Industry.

Mr. Wilson joined in collaboration with top industry leaders working on Best Practices procedures for Project Management.

"Cherokee Fire prides itself on being a Best Practices company," stated Mr. Wilson. "We go the extra mile to ensure our jobs are completed safely and on-time/ on-budget. I deeply appreciate the opportunity to participate in this forum with such industry leaders."

Cherokee Fire Protection has been operating in Ohio since 2005 and now services the entire state of Ohio, northern Kentucky and Indiana. We are signatory with Sprinklerfitters Local 669 and a member of the National Fire Sprinkler Association (NFSA). We take pride in "Doing It Right the First Time!"

For additional information about Best Practices for the Fire Sprinkler Industry, visit: http://www.fsi-bp.org/ .
Forest Wilson can be contacted by calling 888-347-3079.

Zanesville Health Department

2009-02-20T07:13:00.000-08:00

ZANESVILLE MUSKINGUM HEALTH DEPARTMENT

ZANESVILLEVILLE, OH

completion date: February 2009

Zanesville Health Department is working hard to serve the residents of Muskingum County, Ohio and recently underwent an extensive remodel and equipped their dental office with updated equipment. The changes will be noticed by anyone who visits the County Building.

Cherokee Fire was proud to play an important role in this remodel by ensuring that their fire sprinkler systems were properly modified during the remodel. Fire Sprinklers save lives and property and they must always be reviewed and modified during remodels. During this project, we worked closely with Lepi, the Building Officials, and owner to ensure that all work was completed to owners satisfaction and installed to the highest industry standards.

Lepi Enterprises, Inc. of Zanesville, OH was the General Contractor. Brian King served as their Project Manager.

Cherokee Fire enjoyed working with Lepi Enterprises and we believe the County residents will appreciate the value they received from Lepi and all of the contractors involved.

Forest Wilson served as Project Manager. Bill Schmidt of Fire Sprinkler Design, Inc. served as Fire Sprinkler Layout Technician. Cliff White, Local 669 Journeyman, did a great job in the field.

Vendor Recognition

2009-02-11T17:05:00.000-08:00

Cherokee Fire Protection celebrates 1 year as a client of Dunlevey, Mahan Furry Law Firm

We first encountered Dunlevey Mahan Furry (DMF) through the Dayton Builders Exchange, of which Cherokee Fire is a member.

Specializing in Construction and Contract law, DMF Associate Attorney Donald Rineer has performed more as a business partner than a vendor.

"In business, you need sound legal advice. Dunlevey Mahan Furry delivers and is there when you need them. We are glad to have them representing our interests," said Forest Wilson, President of Cherokee Fire Protection.

We look forward to continuing our relationship with Dunlevey Mahan Furry throughout 2009!

For information about DMF, visit: www.DMFDayton.com