Standard Spray Sprinkler Obstructions

Upon completion of this webinar, participants will be able to:

1. Explain the impact of obstructions on standard spray sprinklers.
2. Differentiate obstructions to determine which rules apply to common items.
3. Discuss the variations in the rules for pendent sprinklers, upright sprinklers, and sidewall sprinklers.
4. Use the obstruction guidelines to efficiently locate standard spray sprinklers.

Speaker: Victoria B. Valentine, PE, FSFPE

Victoria Valentine is currently the Director of Engineering & Technical Services for the American Fire Sprinkler Association (AFSA). Before joining AFSA, Victoria worked for the Society of Fire Protection Engineers as the Director of Professional Qualifications. In this role she served in a staff capacity working with professional credentialing, professional development programs, conferences, and industry alliances. Prior to that, Victoria worked with the National Fire Sprinkler Association (NFSA) in various roles within the Engineering Department including serving as the department head.

She holds a BS in Civil Engineering and a MS in Fire Protection Engineering both from Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI). Also, Victoria is a licensed Professional Engineer (PE). Throughout her professional career, she has written many publications and presented on fire protection systems to many audiences.

In addition, Victoria is actively involved with many organizations including the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), the International Code Council (ICC), the NFSA, and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) among others. Over the years she participated at a chapter, national, and international level within the fire protection industry. She has also served in leadership roles such as Director on the SFPE Board of Directors from 2015 to 2016, President of the SFPE New York Metropolitan Chapter (2014-2015), and continues as a trustee for the SFPE New Jersey New York Metropolitan Education Foundation (2016 to present).