Sprinkler Fitters install the fire protection systems that save lives and property.

Sprinkler fitters literally save lives through their work. Sprinkler fitters are pipe fitters that specialize in the installation and maintenance of fire protection systems.

If a fire emergency occurs in an office tower or industrial plant, it is critical for the automatic sprinkler system to work reliably. How important is a sprinkler fitter's work? Consider this fact: there has never been a case of multiple deaths due to fire in a building that had a professionally installed sprinkler system.

Fire protection systems range from the simple to the complex. Systems sometimes have to deal with freezing conditions, which makes it impossible to have water constantly flowing through pipes. Other systems must have additional safeguards to prevent false triggering. And in instances where grease or oil fires are likely, chemicals rather than water are used to extinguish the flames.

Fire protection systems begin with underground supply piping that is connected to an integrated overhead piping system inside the building. Sprinkler fittings are spaced along this overhead pipeline.

Each sprinkler head consists of a glass fuse that holds a seal in place. When the temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit the glass fuse breaks. Without the fuse holding it in place, the seal drops allowing the water to rush through the sprinkler head.

When sprinkler systems are hidden above a drop ceiling, a plate is put in place under each sprinkler head. These plates are attached to the ceiling with material that melts at 135 degrees Fahrenheit. When the temperature reaches that point, the plates drop, allowing water to flow unimpeded a short while later when the heat triggers the sprinkler head.

A dry system is used in areas that are at risk from freezing temperatures. The dry system pipe network contains compressed air between the alarm valve and the sprinkler head. This prevents the water from freezing in the pipelines. When the sprinkler head is engaged, the air flows out the sprinkler. As the air pressure holding back the water dissipates, the water can then flow through the pipes and to the flames.

With the advent of expensive computer and telecommunications equipment, pre-action systems have emerged. The "Pre-Action System" combines a fire detection system with a sprinkler system. The pre-action valve is opened by a signal from the detection system. This fills the pipe network with water, awaiting the operation of the sprinkler heads by the fire heat output. In this way, two modes of detection prevent accidental discharge.

Construction projects will range from residential to nuclear power plants. Except for under ground supply piping, most sprinkler piping is installed at or near the roof deck. Most of the installation is performed while working on ladders, scaffolds or manlifts. In New Jersey, a new law requires sprinklers in college dormitories and in all multi-family facilities.
For more careers in pipe trades, take a look at the plumbers/pipe fitters section.

Salary and Benefits
One of the primary - if not the primary - factors in choosing a career is the compensation - salary and benefits. Professionals in the finishing trades earn a high wage and excellent benefits.

Following is the current range of salaries for union sprinkler fitters in New Jersey. The precise wage depends on the area of the State in which the sprinkler fitter works.

Journeyman Foreman

$33.30 to $43.30 $35.05 to $46.45

Even without overtime, a typical journeyman can earn $1475 per week and a foreman as much as $1578.40.

Benefits Include:

• Family health insurance • Pension • Annuity • Disability Insurance • Vacation

Working Conditions
Sprinkler fitters work indoors a great majority of the time. The only outside work is to connect water supply to the fire suppression system. Sprinkler fitters do work at heights, as all systems are installed in room ceilings.

Career Outlook
Job opportunities for sprinkler fitters will grow between 10 and 20 percent between now and 2010, which is an average growth rate, according to the federal Occupational Outlook Handbook.

Sprinkler fitters are immune to declines in construction activity because of the constant need for maintenance on existing systems. This trade also benefits from the need to install modern systems in older structures. This need to install new systems in order to bring existing structures in line with stricter fire codes will sustain demand for sprinkler fitter professionals.

Apprenticeship
The five-year apprentice program consists of 10,000 hours of field-related training along with a four-year correspondence course from Penn State University that covers subjects from basic job safety to advanced hydraulic calculation. The fire protection field undergoes advancements and changes more than most industries, thus the courses are regularly revised from year to year. The apprentice is on probationary status for the first year, to ensure that he or she is fit for the trade.

The correspondence course is augmented by weekly classes at a training facility. Through the correspondence course and classroom instruction, apprentices learn the fundamentals they will apply on the job. Instruction begins with safety, which is a priority for all construction trades. Apprentices then are taught how to use the tools of the trade, introduction in how systems work, how to read drawings and the basics of installing a system.

What they learn through the course and in the classroom prepares the apprentice for what they will experience on the job. At the outset of their training, apprentices are assigned to a qualified contractor where they accompany experienced journeymen to real projects. They begin with the most rudimentary tasks but as they show greater aptitude, apprentices take on more advanced tasks. By the time the five years is through, apprentices are performing most of the same tasks as journeymen.

Training does not end there, however. When their apprenticeship is complete, journeymen fitters then attend upgrade classes for backflow prevention, hazwoper training and many other advanced courses in the fire safety field.

Apprenticeship does not only provide a free education. Apprentices are paid and earn benefits while they are training on the job. In their first six months, apprentices earn about $9.60 per hour and that hourly rate increases to $11.40 in the second six months. Once the one-year probationary period is over, apprentices earn 50 percent of the journeymen rate. That wage rate increases 5 percent every six months until the apprenticeship ends.

Requirements

• 17 years old at time of application • High School Diploma or GED (transcripts must be presented) • Social Security Card • Valid Drivers License

Applicants are given the Work Keys aptitude exam. They will be tested on applied math and reading for information.


Profile
The ideal sprinkler fitter candidate will:

• Show proficiency in math • Be fairly athletic, as all work is done off the ground • Display some mechanical ability • Show good intelligence and make a presentable appearance

Contact

Essex County and Northeast New Jersey region: Sprinkler Fitters Association Local No 696 41 East Willow Street # 43 Millburn, NJ 07041 (973) 379-7446 For other parts of New Jersey, call the Joint Apprenticeship Training Committee of Local 669, which is a nationwide local that operates in New Jersey: (410) 312-5202