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September Educational Meeting

of the

Fire Prevention Association of Massachusetts

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Sept 8th, 2026 at 1000 hours

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at the 

 

Auburn Lodge of Elks #2118

754 Southbridge St, 

Auburn, MA 01501

 

  Deadline for Reservations is 

 

Thursday Sept 3rd at 5:00 PM​​

*Please note that if you are attempting to register for the upcoming meeting and you are asked for a password, it is because you are trying to register outside of the open registration window.  ​

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Registration opens 2 weeks before meeting and closes 5 days prior. 

 

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This month's speaker(s)

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Morning Session​

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Code Clarification for a Modern World

Paging through virtually any code book, particularly those related to fire protection, you’ll see
two colors: black and white. All the requirements, measurements, tables, charts, graphics, and
even the explanatory material appear in precise black-and-white text and graphics.
Unfortunately, the world where we work and must apply these codes and standards is one big
shade of gray. Far too often, we find that the design, evaluation, or enforcement situation we
face in the real world doesn’t fit into the nice, neat, precise tables, charts, graphs, and
definitions reflected in the applicable code or standard.
We can’t write codes and standards to address every possible situation we might face. The
codes and standards writers anticipate use by trained, knowledgeable individuals. Not just by
someone with access to a code book and a lot of time on their hands. Using or enforcing any
code or standard requires understanding the “whys” behind the specific requirements. This
means proper code application is a continuous learning and educational process regardless of
your role.
Much like the old computer adage that “garbage in equals garbage out” that describes the use
of a computer program without any understanding of the underlying programming, being able to
pick up a code book and read it no more qualifies an individual to use, apply, or enforce it than
being able to dispense an aspirin and apply a bandage qualifies someone as a doctor. Any
effective code user must understand the foundational science, technology, and experience on
which the requirements reflected in a code are based. Without this fundamental understanding,
you cannot properly use, apply, or enforce the intent of a code or standard, and in some cases,
create more problems resulting from misapplication of the document.
This program examines, through a few representative examples, how quickly the application of
a code or standard can go sideways when used by an untrained or uninformed individual and
explains why codes and standards users must understand the “whys” behind the requirements if
the codes and standards are to be properly applied.
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Leonard Belliveau, Jr., PE, SET, is a senior fire protection engineer for Protection
Engineers, LLC (PELLC) in Worcester, MA. He has over 30 years of experience
designing, analyzing, evaluating and commissioning all types of fire protection systems
for transportation, industrial, commercial, and educational facilities. He is a licensed
professional engineer in 11 states and is a NICET Level IV certified engineering technician in the
field of fire alarms and is NICET Level I in the field of inspection and testing of water-based
systems. He has served as a Principle Member and the Former Secretary of the SIG-
PRO technical committee on NFPA 72 for more than 17 years and as a Principle
Member on NFPA 76 for over 25 years. He serves as the co-chair of the AFAA Webinar
Topics and Presenter Task Group and on the Board of Directors for the New England
Chapter of the AFAA. He is a co-contributor and author of specific chapters in several
editions of the NFPA 72 National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code Handbook and the
NFPA Fire Protection Handbook. He is an NFPA Approved Training Instructor.

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Afternoon

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TBD

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