ISSUE 41 | Spring 2016 - IKECAISSUE 41 SPRING 2016 The IKECA Journal is an industry publication for cleaners, fire marshals, insurance professionals, facility managers, vendors and

ISSUE 41 | Spring 2016

Salute to the Professionals

IN EACH ISSUE06 Letter from the IKECA President Kathy Slomer, CECS | Kool Kleen, Inc.

07 From the Desk of the Executive Director Sarah Hagy, CAE | Fernley & Fernley, Inc.

08 Membership Updates

09 CEU Business Training: Understanding the Business Side of Business Tom Grandy | Grandy Associates

11 Standards Matter: Updates on ANSI/IKECA Standards

12 IKECA Certification Update

32 Newly Certified KEC’s

33 New Members

DON’T MISS IN THIS ISSUE24 From the Desk of an IKECA Member Greg Fisher, President | Grease Stop LLC

31 2016 Annual Meeting Sponsors

FEATURED ARTICLES14 Looking Beyond the Hood: Inspecting Grease Exhaust Ductwork in Type I

Hood System Installations Todd Hohbein | Utah State Fire Marshal’s Office

16 Move into the Fishbowl; Get Involved in Local Issues Brian Smith, PhD | Individual Advantages

17 Make Up Air Brian Murray, CECS | Providet Service Associates Inc.

21 KEC Maintenance: When Having to Answer to a Higher Authority Reuben Levine, CECS | Scientific Fire Prevention Co.

AHJ CORNER26 Investigating Commercial Kitchen Exhaust System Fires Oliver Moore | AHJ Committee Chair, IKECA

ISSUE 41SPRING 2016

The IKECA Journal is an industry publication for cleaners, fire marshals, insurance professionals, facility managers, vendors and other interested parties in the commercial kitchen exhaust cleaning and inspection industry

Serving the Commercial Kitchen Exhaust Industry WorldwideThe IKECA Journal is an industry publication for cleaners, fire marshals, insurance professionals, facility managers, vendors and other interested parties in the commercial kitchen ex-haust cleaning and inspection industry.

IKECA PresidentKathy Slomer, CECS

IKECA Executive DirectorSarah Hagy, CAE

IKECA Journal EditorGina Marinilli

IKECA Journal Editorial Review Board Christoper Bisbee Grant Mogford, CECS, CESI Kevin Pearson, CECS Donald Pfleiderer, CECS, CESI Randy Russo, CECS, CESI Jason Wellman

100 North 20th Street, Suite 400Philadelphia, PA 19103

Tel: 215.320.3876Fax: 215.564.2175

Email: [email protected]

The IKECA Journal is a publication of the International Kitchen Exhaust Cleaning Association © 2016. All Rights Reserved. For more information or to order additional copies, contact the IKECA headquarters office. Unless otherwise noted, all images are copyright IKECA and their respective owners. Unless otherwise noted, all articles are copyright IKECA. Direct requests for reprint to the IKECA headquarters office. The International Kitchen Exhaust Cleaning Association prints the IKECA Journal to provide its member and other interested parties in the commercial kitchen exhaust cleaning industry with a forum for the discussion of topics of interest to the entire industry. The ideas and opinions expressed in the IKECA Journal are solely those of the contributors and do not necessarily represent the view, positions or policies of IKECA, its members, its board of directors, officers or staff. IKECA is not responsible for any claims made in any advertisements, and does not endorse any manufacturer, supplier or vendor. IKECA does not warrant the performance of any member or member employee or subcontractor.

Cover art © iStockphoto | Thinkstock

PAGE 6 | SPRING 2016 THE IKECA JOURNAL

From the Desk of President Slomer:Kathy Slomer, CECS

Dear IKECA members,

As I write my last letter for the Journal, I reflect on my time as president and think what a great ride it has been.

I was blessed with the best board of directors and committees that worked hard for your association, and they made my journey as president one of the most rewarding experiences. At

the end of the day, we are all volunteers working together to meet the strategic objectives we set forth, which match close-ly what this association set as goals 27 years ago. Although the new standards published and marketing initiatives have changed some of our direction, the education and outreach goals have not because our beliefs in the life safety work we do are always at the forefront of every discussion.

What has not changed is our focus on the members. We are continually striving to add member benefits so that you are getting the most out of your membership. I think what I am most excited to see evolve in the future is providing virtual education for our members to better support their efforts in having more certified members on their staff. A big “thank you” to each and every board member, committee chair, committee co-chair, and committee member for all the successes we have achieved and for the ones to come.

Second, I have to thank Sarah Hagy and her team at Fernley & Fernley. Her expertise and guidance in association man-agement has truly made a difference in the growth we have seen with our association. We all know what a unique group

we are, and at times, we can be a little demanding and diffi-cult, but Sarah and her team handle it beautifully by making sure we follow all policies and procedures. With their guidance and working with various committees, we are seeing meetings packed with substantial content, marketing initiatives that are branding IKECA’s name in a way we have never seen, a mentor-ing program for our members, and an AHJ membership that started with four and has grown to more than 250 AHJ mem-bers. Wow—can’t wait to see where we go from here.

More than anything, I want to thank all of the members, whether you are a KEC, associate, AHJ, or our newest food ser-vice industry member, your support of the board of directors and the association has been instrumental to us working hard-er as a group to meet the needs of all members and prospective members.

A little over six years ago, I’ll never forget, Jim Roberts, Barney Besal, and my mom Janice Paulat approached me with a soft tackle, lol, and asked if I would consider running for the board. Of course, you can imagine I laughed because I certainly had no experience being on a board, but they assured me that they would be a phone call away if I had any questions, and they kept their word. As I always do, I would encourage you to take that leap and get involved with your association. I promise you will not regret it, and when you do take the leap, if you need me for anything along the way, feel free to give me a call; I promise I will answer.

See you all in Portland for one of our best conferences yet!

Kathy Slomer, CECS

Letter from the IKECA President

20192015 2016 2017 2018

Your Company NameYour Street AddressYour City, US 98765

IKECA Members Proudly Show the IKECA Logo! Customized Hood Stickers Customized Access Panel Stickers Customized Grease Gauges

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Go to www.ikeca.org, log in with your mem-ber username/password, and click on the On-line Store to automatically receive member pricing/quantity options on merchandise. Call 215.320.3876 with any questions.

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SPRING 2016 | PAGE 7THE IKECA JOURNAL

Dear IKECA members and industry con-stituents,

This April, we bid farewell to our presi-dent, Kathy Slomer, CECS, of Kool Kleen, Inc. It has been an honor and a privilege serving under Kathy’s lead-ership the past two years, which has advanced IKECA’s mission, grown the IKECA brand, and added more value to IKECA membership without raising fees (which was no small feat). As we share

gratitude for the time Kathy spent leading the organization, we also enthusiastically welcome a new leader to the role of presi-dent: Randy Rauth, CECS, of Hood Cleaning, Inc.

Last fall, the board and management team convened in ad-vance of the Fall Technical Seminar and spent a day and a half planning for 2016. We refined our mission and vision and es-tablished new goals for the year that will help advance IKECA’s mission and ultimately the industry at large. Our goals for 2016 include the following:

1. Evaluating the current certification program to maintain an effective and widely recognized industry credential

2. Grow active North American membership

3. Identify affordable virtual education to support certification holders

4. Continue to build the IKECA brand in the market, adding value to membership and certification

5. Engage members within IKECA to help advance objectives and strengthen the IKECA community

There are a variety of action items and plans that are in place to support each of these objectives, but they will not advance overnight. Nor will they advance without the help of our mem-bers. As a volunteer-led organization, member involvement is critical. (Yes, I will continue to beat this drum until I see more members engage!)

As you read our objectives for the year, what are your thoughts? What’s missing? What do you like? Contact me, and let me know your thoughts: [email protected] or call me directly at 215.558.2361. I would also like to ask you to think about how you intend to support our new president, Randy Rauth, as he assumes his leadership role in April and works on your behalf to advance the quality of cleaning, inspection, and maintenance in commercial kitchen exhaust systems worldwide.

Respectfully,Sarah Hagy, CAE

Sarah Hagy, CAEIKECA Executive Director

From the Desk of the Executive Director


Membership Updates2015 ANSI/IKECA I10-Standard for the Methodology for the Inspection of Commercial Kitchen Exhaust Systems Now Available for Purchase!

By now, all members should have re-ceived a complimentary copy of IKECA’s latest ANSI-approved national stan-dard, ANSI/IKECA I10. Members may purchase additional copies of the stan-dard in IKECA’s online store; be sure to be logged in to get the discounted member rate!

New Member Benefit: On-Demand Business Management Learning with Grandy & Associates

In our ongoing efforts to provide members with access to experts in various fields that will help build and manage their businesses, we

have partnered with Grandy & Associates to offer members on-demand e-learning on various aspects of managing your business. Modules include business management topics, such as pricing, key performance indicators, motivating career techs, and service department leadership. Each module is self-paced and comes with a quiz at the end. This is also another way to earn CEUs; each module will count toward one hour (.01) CEU toward renewal.*

Learn more in the following article, The Most Profitable Compa-nies Within the KEC Industry Understand the Business Side of Their Business.

*As a reminder, business management courses are eligible for up to 25% of your total CEUs due for renewal. Learn more at http://www.ikeca.org/certification/continuing-education.

New! Online Membership Applications

We are pleased to announce that we have made joining IKECA easier than ever for our active international, associate, AHJ, and food service industry prospects. Making referrals has never been easier! As a reminder, referrals made for dues-paying members gets you $100 off your next year’s annual dues.

Journal Reader Satisfaction Survey: Raffle WinnersThank you to those who partici-pated in our reader satisfaction survey sent out to all members in February. The editorial review board will analyze the responses and use the feedback to enhance the value of this biannual publica-tion.

We would like to thank Omni Con-tainment Systems and Zep for their generous donations of prizes for those who entered to win by responding to the survey. We are pleased to announce the fol-lowing winners:

1) Omni Containment Systems – Quick Fit SuperHinge: Donald Kaufman, Ductworks Inc., Arvada, CO

2) Zep – Five Gallon Pail of Super Doug, ZECO 40, Oven Brite and Polish: Brian Murray - Providet Service Associates Inc., Millington, NJ

3) Zep – Lafferty Pump Up Foamer: Jim Beaudoin, Assured Solutions, Carol Stream, IL

Referrals = RewardsHelp IKECA grow by referring members! For any dues-paying member referred by you who joins IKECA (active international, active North American, and associate memberships) gets you $100 off your following year’s membership renewal fee.

Special thanks to Joel Berkowitz, CECS, Fire Proofing Corporation of America, for referring new associate member United Air Spe-cialists dba Smog Hog.


Membership Updates

Listen to these scary government numbers: 90% of all the busi-nesses that start up this year will fail within 12 months. Worse yet, only one company out of a thousand that starts up this year will ever see its 20th birthday. We don’t know about you, but those statistics got our attention!

Guess what the government listed as the number one reason for failure. It was “poor paperwork” or, translated, most new com-pany owners are really, really good at getting the work done, but few understand the business side of their business. The re-sults are predictable, and the statistics speak for themselves.

How much business training did you have before you started your company? How did you set your pricing? How much cash did you have on hand day one? Did you create a month-by-month cash flow budget to project negative months of cash flow? Do you have a system in place to tell you what’s making money and what’s not? Are you putting money back for equip-ment replacement? Did you actually get paid last year, and if so, how much? We could go on, but we think you get the point. The business side of your business is just as important, and per-

haps more important in some ways, than doing the actual work. Most company owners work really hard, but unfortunately, few have any money left at the end of the year.

Understanding the business side of your business is really im-portant. Sure, you know you should attend the seminars and/or go to the conferences to pick up some business tips, but my goodness, we are busy! We don’t really have time to do that. Well guess what? Now there is an option available to IKECA members with which you can learn at your own pace and on your own timetable.

IKECA has partnered with Grandy & Associates to provide on-line business training. The best part is that you can also earn CEU credits to learn what you need to know anyway.

The Most Profitable Companies Within the KEC Industry Understand the Business Side of Their BusinessNew online CEU business training available soon.

By Tom Grandy, Grandy Associates


The first program is called Service Manager’s University. It con-sists of eight modules, which are listed below:

Module 1: Profitable Service Starts with a Solid Foundation

Module 2: Demand Service – It’s All About the Price

Module 3: Demand Service – Key Performance Indicators

Module 4: Maintenance Agreements – Creating Profitable Lifetime Customers

Module 5: Maintenance Agreements – Key Performance Indicators

Module 6: ProfitSmart Activities – Turning on the Cash Flow

Module 7: Career Techs, Goals and Motivation

Module 8: Service Department Leadership

Each module lasts about 40 minutes with interaction through-out and a 10-question quiz at the end. Each module you com-plete with a score of 80% or above, will earn you one (.01) CEU. Each module can be taken individually, so you can listen to what interests you.

Additional modules will be coming out approximately every 30–45 days. The next one is called Why Do We Need To Charge So Much? It will be followed by collections. The normal investment

is $39.95 per module, but IKECA has arranged for a $5 discount for members, making your investment per module only $34.95. If you start a module and get a phone call, no problem; simply come back any time and pick up where you left off.

Accessing the Online ProgramYou will be able to access the online CEU programs in one of two ways: First, there is a section for online training within the IKECA website. You can go to the website any time, http://www.ikeca.org/Resources/BestPractices. Then simply click on any module you wish to take.

You can also access the online program via email: When the on-line program is up and ready to go, every member will receive an email with the subject line “Online Business CEU Training Is Now Available.” That email will contain a link that you can sim-ply click on to access the programs.

As each new program is added, you will receive an email an-nouncing the new program, again with a link to take you right to the presentation.

IKECA is really excited to be able to offer its members online business training at a discount for CEU credits. If you have any questions, give the IKECA office a call.


Standards Matter

What Is a Standard? A standard is a document, established by consensus that pro-vides rules, guidelines, or characteristics for activities or their results.

Why Are Standards Important?Behind the scenes, standards make everyday life work. They may establish the size, shape, or capacity of a product, process, or system. They can specify performance of products or person-nel. They also can define terms so that there is no misunder-standing among those using the standard. In the United States alone, there are more than 100,000 standards at work across all industry sectors. These include the standards developed by IKECA.

How Are Standards Created?Standards are developed by technical experts who work to-gether to meet a common marketplace need. The term “vol-untary consensus standard” describes a document developed through a process in which all views and objections are consid-ered and affected parties (including government, consumers, and business) have reached consensus on its contents.

Who Creates Standards?In the United States, any entity or individual can participate in standards development activities. The U.S. market-driven, sec-tor-based approach to standards development offers flexibility, efficiency, and a responsiveness that is unparalleled in most other nations. IKECA became a standards-developing organiza-tion (SDO) in 2009.

Lots of companies, organizations, trade associations, consumer groups, and government agencies are already developing stan-dards. And by being an active part of the process, these groups are gaining a tangible competitive advantage over their com-petitors. For example, they are doing the following:

• Gaining insider knowledge and early access to information

• Exerting influence on technical content

• Developing new markets for products, services, and technol-ogies and keeping market access doors open

Hundreds of SDOs such as IKECA and consortia are engaged in the creation and maintenance of standards used in virtually every industry sector. These SDOs—and the experts who popu-late their committees—work to enhance quality of life and im-prove the competitiveness of U.S. businesses operating in the global marketplace.

What Is Conformity Assessment?Conformity assessment is defined as any activity concerned with determining directly or indirectly that relevant require-ments are fulfilled. Sometimes, conformity assessment is re-ferred to as conformance or compliance.

Although a standard is a technical expression of how to make a product safe, efficient, and compatible with others, a stan-dard alone cannot guarantee performance. Conformity assess-ment, however, provides assurance to consumers by increasing consumer confidence when personnel, products, systems, pro-cesses, or services are evaluated against the requirements of a voluntary standard.

How Is Compliance with Standards Verified?Conformity assessment is a vital link between standards that define product characteristics and the products themselves. It can be used to verify whether a particular product meets a given level of quality or safety. And it can provide information about the product’s characteristics, the consistency of those characteristics, and the performance of the product.

The task of assessing compliance to a standard may fall to a manufacturer, to an independent third party such as an audi-tor or testing lab, or to a public official such as a building code inspector or AHJ.

Standards Boost Business! ANSI Promotes Campaign to Educate the Business and Technical Community to Get Involved


An Update on Standards Activity

Attention is now turning fully to the completion of the third of the trio of standards for the kitchen exhaust cleaning in-dustry. At its next meeting in Portland, OR, on April 13, 2016, during the IKECA Annual Membership Meeting, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Standards Development Committee Consensus Body will continue to discuss the user maintenance standard.

Background

IKECA develops voluntary consensus standards for the clean-ing, inspection, and user maintenance of commercial cooking operations for the purpose of protecting life and property from fire. IKECA became an ANSI-accredited standards developer in 2009. The standards include the following:

• Cleaning: ANSI/IKECA C10 – Revisions to the 2011 edition will be published in 2016.

• Inspection: ANSI/IKECA I10: Available now in the IKECA online store and ANSI eStandards Store.

• End User Maintenance: M10 – The standard is currently under development.

Can You Make a Difference with Your Expertise?

The ANSI Standards Development Committee strives for bal-ance of all interested and affected parties, giving them an opportunity to participate in development of ANSI-approved standards. By adhering to ANSI’s due process of openness, bal-ance, and consensus, members help to serve and protect the public. Please contact IKECA headquarters if you would like to be involved and fit into one of the following interest categories:

• End user • Restaurant industry • Fire-prevention authorities • Insurance industry • Code-enforcement authorities • Kitchen exhaust system designers, engineers, installers

Interested individuals also may submit an application to [email protected]. Applicants are then presented to the con-sensus body for consideration and balloting.

More information can be found at http://www.ikeca.org/about-ikeca/standards.

Standards MatterDeveloping and Maintaining Standards for Cleaning, Inspection, and MaintenanceGina Marinilli, Standards Development Director

Coming Soon: New CECT Study Guide Members of the Certification Committee have been working to develop a study guide to as-sist technicians who wish to be-come a Certified Exhaust Clean-ing Technician (CECT). With some recent modifications to the exam

to cover OSHA regulations important to field technicians, this study guide will assist with test preparation. Once ready, an announcement about how to obtain the study guide will be shared through IKECA Enews.

Boston Certification: Important Program Updates For those conducting work in the City of Boston, there are some important changes coming to the Boston certification program. As previously announced, both the Boston Certified Cleaning Specialist (BCCS) and the Boston Cleaning System Inspector (BCSI) certification exams have been updated to reflect NFPA 96 (2011 edition) as well as regulations specific to Boston for con-ducting work in the city.

Through a special collaboration with AHJ members at the Bos-ton Fire Department, Captain David Cushing and Inspector Da-vid Hayes (thank you both!), the BCCS and BCSI will now have a 50-question quiz, which will be required to renew certifications. The cost for the quiz, which includes the renewal fee, is $150. Renewal quizzes will be offered during the monthly exam ses-sions held in the city of Boston.

For those who currently hold or have previously held a BCCS or BCSI certification, you will receive further details by mail regarding how these changes may affect you directly. For questions, contact Michael Canino, associate director, at [email protected] or 215.320.3701.

IKECA Certification Updates

PLEASE NOTE: If you rely on attending IKECA meetings or conferences to obtain the required CEUs, attendance is tracked, and certificates of attendance issued based on actual attendance.

*Acceptable organizations include: NADCA, ASHRAE, NAFA, NFPA, NAFED, RFMA, NASFM. For all others, please contact IKECA to confirm eligibility.

**Must be taught by 3rd party instructor or certified to train the subject matter. (Qualifying topics include but are not limited to: ladder safety, PPE, fall protection, hood/system service, near miss reporting, defensive driving, etc.) Before pursuing a course, contact IKECA to ensure the course qualifies.

CECT = 10 hours (1.0 CEUs) every 24 months

CECS = 20 hours (2.0 CEUs) every 12 months

CESI = 40 hours (4.0 CEUs) every 24 months

Attendance at the IKECA Annual Meeting or FallTechnical Seminar

Presenting at the IKECA Annual Meeting, Fall Technical Seminar OR other industry-related events

Up to 20 hours of content available per meeting

Approximately 5 hours of content deveploment and presentation

Submission of a technical article for The IKECA JournalApproximately 3 hours of content per article

Attendance at an industry-related conference, meeting or seminar *Eligible for a maximum of 1.0 CEUs per meeting

Attendance at in-house training seminar, orone at another facility **

Online educational training programs

0.1 CEUs per one hour of content

0.1 CEUs per one hour of content

Technical Code Committee Work(NFPA, SHRAE, ANSI Consensus Body)

Active Participation in an IKECA Committee0.1 CEU per committee meeting

Up to 2.0 CEUs

Up to 1.0 CEUs

0.5 CEUs

0.1 CEUs/Hour

0.1 CEUs/Hour

College courses - general and business management courses by accredited universitiesOnly 25% of CEUs per renewal cycle may come from college courses

0.1 CEUs/Hour

Develop online assessment content with a�liate industry organizationsApproximately 5 hours of content development

0.5 CEUs

1.0 CEUs/Day

0.1 CEUs/Meeting

0.3 CEUs

Presenting to local AHJs within your jurisdictionMust submit o�cial documentation signed by an AHJ on their letterhead indicating date, location and time of presentation

0.5 CEUs


Featured Articles

It is almost a certainty that, at some point during your career in the fire ser-vice, you will be asked to inspect a kitch-en hood and its fire suppression system. Nearly every restaurant has one as does almost every school, hospital, and cor-rectional facility.

The most commonly performed fire inspection of a kitchen hood fire-sup-pression system involves inspecting the

nozzles, hood, and filters and witnessing a trip test of the sys-tem, activated by the manual pull station and/or a fusible link. Although this certainly covers the intended basic operation of the system, if you stop at that point, you’re neglecting the hood’s most important function: to safely and efficiently re-move grease from the kitchen itself. If grease-laden vapors are not properly extracted and exhausted through the ductwork, the chances of a kitchen fire increase significantly due to the accumulation of combustible grease, the clogging of the ex-haust system, and the real potential for grease to drip through the exhaust ductwork and collect in other parts of the building.

To prevent this from happening, the International Mechani-cal Code (not the fire code) spells out extremely specific re-quirements for the grease exhaust ductwork from the point at which it leaves the hood system and continues through the building to an exhaust termination point. If you, working in tandem with your local building inspector, conduct a thorough exhaust ductwork inspection before the ceiling is finished and the system hidden from view, you can locate and have correct-

ed many deficiencies that otherwise would have contributed to the chances of a serious kitchen fire.

The 2012 IMC, Section 506, details the requirements for com-mercial kitchen hood ventilation ducts and exhaust equip-ment. I highly recommend you purchase the 2012 IMC Code and Commentary, bound together as one book. The commen-tary features numerous photos, diagrams, and schematics that are essential to understanding the fire safety requirements for both simple and complex hood ventilation installations. Here is a brief overview of the things you as a fire inspector need to be looking for when you look “beyond the hood”:

1) Proper welding: Joints, seams, and penetration of grease ducts are required to have a continuous weld to prevent grease and residue from leaking from the duct interior. Sheet metal locking joints, rivets, screws, or any mechani-cal connectors are prohibited, save for the three exceptions to IMC 506.3.2. Many contractors simply use sheet metal locking joints in hopes that the building or fire inspector is not aware of the weld requirement, which saves them from having to do a significant amount of hot work.

2) The light test: Prior to the use or concealment of any por-tion of a grease duct system, a leakage test should be per-formed. So very few building inspectors know about it, and even fewer conduct this test. The ductwork contractor is required to pass a 100-watt lightbulb through the entire section of ductwork to prove that all welded joints are liq-uid tight. Obviously, if the bright light shines through any portion of the ductwork in a darkened room, grease would be able to leak out of those holes and gaps as well (IMC 506.3.2.5).

3) Bracing and support: Grease duct bracing and supports shall be of noncombustible material, and bolts, screws, and rivets

Looking Beyond the Hood: Inspecting Grease Exhaust Ductwork in Type I Hood System Installations – Part 1

By Todd Hohbein, Deputy Fire Marshal, Utah State Fire Marshal’s Office

Figure 1. Many fire inspectors never look past this view of a hood system.

Figure 2. Accumulated grease in an exhaust duct in dire need of cleaning.


shall not penetrate duct walls. Simply put, ductwork is to be cradled or hung from supports, but supports cannot be attached to the ductwork by means that penetrate the duct wall. If they were, you would eventually see grease leakage at the points of penetration (IMC 506.3.3).

4) Air velocity: If you don’t have enough exhaust up-blast to remove all the grease-laden vapors, what’s the point of having the system in the first place? Grease duct systems in any type I hood shall provide an air velocity within the duct of not less than 500 feet per minute. To properly measure this, you will need an air velocity meter. These palm-sized devices vary widely in price, depending on if you buy digital or mechanical, and are a valuable tool for any fire building inspector. (They also come in handy at fire scenes, so you can justify them in your budget by their dual-purpose use!) (IMC 506.3.4)

5) Clearances to combustibles: The ductwork, when it is not enclosed in a rated shaft, requires specific clearances to combustible construction. Clearance from the ductwork to combustible construction shall be not less than 18 inches. Clearance from the ductwork to noncombustible construc-tion and drywall attached to noncombustible construction shall be not less than 3 inches. Certain wraps, such as the commonly used FyreWrap, when properly installed, can re-duce these clearances to 0 inches. There are a few excep-tions to this rule, so please refer to 2012 IMC 506.3.6 for more detail.

6) It’s all about the cleanouts: If maintenance personnel can’t get into the grease ductwork to properly clean it, the build-ing owner is going to have a lifetime of problems with the system, which could very well culminate in a structure fire.

Grease duct horizontal clean outdoors shall be spaced not more than 20 feet apart. They also must be located not more than 10 feet from changes in direction of the duct-work.* They must have listed doors and assemblies that can be opened without special tools and have minimum dimen-sions of 12” x 12” (IMC 506.3.8 & 506.3.9).

That brings us to the point at which the ductwork penetrates an exterior wall or ceiling/roof assembly. There is a whole host of additional codes that deal with that particular instance and the requirements for the exhaust fan and termination point it-self. We will discuss an overview of those requirements next. Be safe and inspect thoroughly!

* Editor’s note - Other accepted codes call for access at the change of direction.

Todd Hohbein serves the Utah State Fire Marshal as a Fire Cause and Arson Investigator. Deputy Fire Marshal Hohbein has served in this capacity for sixteen years. He previously worked for the Nebraska State Fire Marshal’s Office. Deputy Hohbein is an ICC Certified Fire Marshal, Fire Inspector II, Fire Plains Examiner, Building Plans Examiner, and Building Inspector. Todd is also a CFI, CFEI and CVFI. Inspecting kitchen hood systems and exhaust installations is one of his favorite responsibilities as a fire inspec-tor.

Deputy Hohbein resides in sunny southern Utah with his wife and three children, and can be reached at [email protected]

Figure 3. A proper access door in a grease duct covered in fire wrap. Note the door is UL listed. Hand-operable wingnuts will go on the exposed threaded bolts, thus complying with the “no tools” requirement of the code.


Move into the Fishbowl; Get Involved in Local Issues By Brian Smith, Individual Advantages

Running an international management consulting practice has its advantag-es and disadvantages; all of them are just a piece to my puzzle of life. Moving our firm to a small rural community seemed, on the surface, to be the only logical way to manage the complexities of my pro-fession with my require-ments as a spouse and father.

Prior to moving to south-ern Oregon, the limit to my community involve-ment was attending my children’s school functions along with Chamber and

Rotary functions. You could say that my family’s involvement was compartmentalized, and aside from our peers in these three areas, we were anonymous to our community.

In my work, I teach that a major part of the recipe for success in business is discovering one’s passion and going after that pas-sion with an objective perspective. We preach that objectivity, clarity, and integrity together equal prosperity. Keeping an open mind, making your actions and communications clear, and do-ing all you can do honestly and ethically will allow a person to prosper in every way measurable.

Becoming involved in local issues when you are a business own-er is something akin to moving your life into a fishbowl. This becomes magnified if the community you live in is smaller or you have a large organization. For those who have lived gener-ally anonymous lives, finding yourself inside the fishbowl can be an unpleasant surprise.

As you mature in life, regardless of your profession, political af-filiation, or any other socially measured factor, your passions grow in different areas. As your passion grows, your opinions or, I should say, your ability to proclaim your opinions may become less inhibited. This can become another unwelcome plunge into the fishbowl as your peers learn about your personal passions. You will find that you become measured by a different standard: If you were a great accountant, lawyer, plumber, or mechanic you will now be measured by your newly found public social image.

This new measurement can be very uncomfortable and, quite frankly, confusing to many. Business can grow or shrink because of a personal belief that may not be in line with your commu-nity’s way of thinking. It can be something as simple as a stance

on licensing animals to something more complex, such as local tax spending initiatives or national elections.

The natural reaction to any negative feedback is to be defensive: “My personal belief or stance on this issue has nothing to do with how I fix a broken toilet.” Apply that statement to your pro-fession, and most anyone can agree that your ability to do your job as an accountant, lawyer, plumber, or mechanic has nothing to do with who or what position you take on political issues. But stand up in a community meeting and voice opposition and you just dove into the fishbowl, naked.

Staying true to your beliefs is something we should all do, and I am not going to dissuade anyone from becoming involved in community issues. I am, however, going to argue for people to pursue their civic passions with objectivity.

First, generally speaking, you cannot change people’s minds on political issues. If you could, you would see politicians chang-ing parties, and there would be so much turmoil at all levels of politics that nothing would get done. Understanding that your beliefs are generally held by half of the people in your commu-nity is the first step toward not becoming jaded by one’s civic pursuits.

Second, never use your business to pursue a political issue un-less, of course, you are sure your business will not be affected negatively or that the impact you get is worth the effort. When addressing the public, do not allow anyone to confuse what you do for a living with your political message. This can be tough in a smaller community, especially on issues related to taxes or other government-regulated business issues. You alone can judge the weight of including your business in a political dis-cussion, but keeping the input objective will surely give you an advantage and allow your business to have solid footing should you need to defend your position.

Third, always listen to the detractors. Regardless of how silly they may seem, give them a fair voice. If you are associated with anything controversial and you can objectively listen and acknowledge the other side without insult or disrespect, you will gain respect from them and their peers as a fair person. Dis-agreement on issues can be healthy—it can resolve issues for the betterment of an entire community—but allowing emotion into the discussion will come back to haunt you both personally and professionally.

Finally, do not underestimate the power of ignorant people. Ig-norant people manage all manners of business and government offices. We are all ignorant to many things, sometimes to things we think we know for sure. Public or civic issues are usually where ignorance hurts us the most socially. People generally do not understand the constraints that our local, state, or federal government entities must work within. What we must remem-ber is that, although laws should be objective, the people who

Continued on page 20


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If our job as CECS professionals is to clean kitchen “exhaust” systems of grease to prevent fires, why should we be concerned with make-up air? First of all, let’s define make-up air. Make-up air is used to replace air be-ing drawn out of the kitchen by the ex-haust system.

It has two basic purposes:

1) It reduces energy costs. Without make-up air, the kitchen exhaust system would pull only the “conditioned” air out of the building, forcing the HVAC system to run continually to keep the building at acceptable comfort levels (kind of like having a fan pulling air into the building while the door is open).

2) Without make-up air, the kitchen exhaust system could keep the kitchen under negative pressure. Like a vacuum, the exhaust system can only draw out what is available to draw in. It cannot exhaust to design specifications when the room is under negative pressure.

Although the first purpose stated has importance, it does not concern us in terms of fire protection. The second purpose, however, does. If the make-up air system is not working proper-ly and results in a “negative-pressure kitchen,” then the kitchen exhaust system cannot work in accordance with design. This will result in grease-laden vapors accumulating in the system at faster rates.

Suppose you submitted a proposal to service an account four times per year. You based that recommendation on the require-ments spelled out in NFPA 96 and your own observations of what is needed. However, after you have serviced the account a time or two, the fan belt breaks on the make-up air system. This sets up a chain of events that may not be immediately noticed. First, the exhaust system may have less air to draw; therefore, it is not working at optimal capacity. Grease-laden vapors begin to accumulate in the kitchen exhaust system at a faster rate. Instead of the system needing a service in three months, it is needed in two. The building is at risk of fire two months after your last service.

There is another potential problem in terms of fire safety. In the same scenario in which the fan belt breaks on the make-up air system, the kitchen exhaust system is working at less than design specifications for the reasons stated. Now, at peak hours the grease vapors overflow from the hood and are not all captured by the exhaust system. Where does that air go? I have seen it end up going up the make-up air duct. Hot air rises, and the make-up air duct can act like a chimney to draw this hot air. This can end up being a very dangerous problem over time.

Although kitchen exhaust ducts are specified to be 16-gauge black iron, the make-up air duct does not meet that require-ment. It is designed only to bring fresh air into the space. It is not designed to remove grease vapors, nor is it equipped with the fire-suppression system that is in place in the exhaust duct. A fire starting or reaching here could spread undeterred.

Make-Up AirBy Brian Murray, CECS, President of Providet Service Associates Inc.

Continued on page 20


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What can we do? What should we do? I think it is important that part of our service should be to at least inspect make-up air units and duct systems periodically. This first means finding the units—which are not often in the same area as the exhaust fan—making sure the system is working and the fan belts are in good condition. Putting a hand over the air outtake of the make-up air in the kitchen and feeling air coming in is not an adequate way to inspect the system. Because our service does not take place during peak hours, the exhaust system will not be over-whelmed with heat and vapors and will therefore draw air from the make-up air duct even if it is not running, making it seem

as if air is being pushed into the space from a properly work-ing system when it may be simply be pulled from the exhaust. Part of the inspection should include looking at the make-up air ductwork, making sure there are tight connections and that air is being blown into the specified kitchen area and not other spaces, such as the ceiling plenum.

Of course, this overall inspection should be noted in your re-port to the customer with any recommendations that may be needed for repair, protecting your customer and yourself from potential fire and liability.

work and manage them may not be. We are all governed by the interpretation of the laws.

When we allow ignorance to create emotions in a civic matter, we open the door to our involvement in these matters affecting our business. Should you decide to become involved in local is-sues, do so with objective passion. Remain true to your beliefs, and pursue the end you desire. Do so with an understanding that there will be a lot of people who are ignorant and believe differently than you, and they will have the same passion about their beliefs as you. If you keep your mind open, your emotions true, and your business out of it, you will, in the end, make a dif-ference that may not always have the ending you hoped for, but you will have maintained your integrity and standing in a way

that may have educated a few and sowed the seeds of change for the future.

Brian Smith is the chief operating officer at Omni Containment Systems and an active member of IKECA as well as the senior managing partner at Individual Advantages, an international business consulting firm. He has spent his 26-year career consult-ing to the industry around the world and holds a Ph.D. in indus-trial psychology, a M.S. in information management systems, and a B.S. in accounting. Smith is also a Master Six Sigma Black Belt and has served on numerous educational and charitable boards and is a Rotarian..

Make Up Air (cont.)

Move into the Fishbowl; Get Involved in Local Issues (cont.)


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Last year, I was at our IKECA board re-treat as a newly elected board mem-ber. During one of our casual lunch breaks at which we informally discuss matters of our association, one of my fellow board members saw I was eat-ing different prepackaged food than what was being offered to all the other board members. Although their food looked better than mine, I informed my fellow board members that I eat

strictly kosher food. Following the ooohs and ahhhhs, every-one began to share his or her respective exposure to the world of kosher. One had a friend who was kosher and told a tidbit about him, but many had a story about a kosher restaurant or catering facility that they service or had once serviced. The col-lective opinion of this fine consensus body was that when it came to duct cleaning in a kosher kitchen it was a pain in the tuchas (Yiddish for one’s behind).

As a result of this, our esteemed association director, Sarah Hagy, asked if I would be willing to write an article about how an IKECA member can best approach and manage the ongo-ing KEC maintenance of a kosher kitchen with all of its unique rules and special requirements having nothing to do with fire safety. The truth is that I believe I can give you the five com-mandments (or truths) of how to win over and retain the ko-sher client as a loyal customer. (Note: I tried to come up with 10 for theme’s sake, but there really aren’t that many. You can always read the article twice for biblical consistency.) They are not so much commandments as they are truths about kosher kitchen compliance, but given the topic, let’s assume the words are synonymous.

If you follow these truths, the kosher customer will become so loyal that you might score a good bowl of matzo ball soup in the process. The first commandment you must accept is that for many who only eat kosher food the rules are mandated to these people by God, and because, in their eyes, the good Lord who places thine ductwork over thy head says it has to be that way, that’s the way it’s going to be! I guess another way to put it is that it is a religious matter, and the belief is that by observ-ing kosher dietary laws, God will serve as the best suppression system the world can offer.

This is best exemplified by the famous old Hebrew National commercial. Back in the early 1970s, Hebrew National ran this funny commercial that started out with a close up of an actor playing Uncle Sam. This actor was holding a delicious-looking, juicy hot dog on a bun, looking as if he cannot wait to treat his taste buds to the delectability of it all. A narrator’s voice is heard, making various value statements about the tastiness and healthiness of the product, and with each tag line, Uncle Sam would make these animated facial expressions of glee and wonderment. But just then, the voiceover reveals, “We’re ko-

sher.” Uncle Sam turns curious and takes a big bite of the hot dog. The camera rises above him to a blue and cloudy Heaven, a thunderous lightning bolt flashes across the screen, and the big tag line appears: “Hebrew National—we answer to a higher authority.”

The fact is that there are at least 10 organizations that provide kosher food supervisory services in the United States, and some groups, particularly the ortho-dox, do not agree with the methods and thorough-ness of all of them. Hebrew National, for instance, does not receive a ko-sher certification from the most stringent of the associations that provide them and, as such, may not be kosher enough for some subgroups of the kosher-eating popula-tion. These people would opt for a different brand if they had a craving for a good kosher dog, and they might not even feel I’m kosher enough to come within reach of their BBQ. Therefore, the first commandment (or fact) for us KEC companies to understand is that kosher means dif-ferent things to different people, and if you want to service a kosher kitchen, you should adhere to the highest standard. (Note: The same goes for my Muslim cousins when it comes to Halal kitchens—of which I service several—in peace and in harmony.)

I recommend you find out who the local authority is that over-sees the kosher standard in your territory and ask the rabbi to give you some guidelines. As with NFPA, IKECA, and even the AHJ, there are local and national standards kosher kitchens re-quire in order to be considered trustworthy. Without them, the kosher kitchen does not have any customers to feed. As in any situation in which standards exist, some authorities are stricter than others, but there is a certain baseline all must follow. A good place to start is the Orthodox Union (www.oukosher.org), which is the most widely used agency that is generally accept-ed. It may be able to point you in the direction of the local indi-vidual overseeing your territory (often referred to as the Vaad HaKashrus, the local kosher AHJ). If you impress them with your interest and desire for compliance for your customer, they may provide you with further leads as well. Once they give you the procedures you should follow, advertise that fact when pitch-ing your business to the kosher establishment. It will impress them that you are familiar with and sensitive to their rules. The rabbi may even require that you pay their kosher “monitor” to

KEC Maintenance: When Having to Answer to a Higher AuthorityBy Reuben Levine, CECS


TITLEbe present while you perform the KEC work to ensure you do not disturb anything that should not be handled. They call this guy a mashgiach (don’t try to pronounce the “ch”). Of course, these costs should be passed through as part of your service.

Now that we have established the first commandment, the second commandment is that you ain’t gonna understand it; you just need to deal with it. If you try and understand the ex-tensive kosher laws, you’re going to have to grow a long beard and sideburns and look something like Charlton Heston in the movie The Ten Commandments (if you can remember that far back). It would literally take years to wrap your head around it. Therefore, don’t try to make all kinds of creative suggestions about how to manage your presence in a proprietor’s kosher kitchen unmonitored. As in any KEC situation, follow the rules set forth by the customer regarding his special requirements for cleanliness and not disturbing anything unrelated to your immediate work area.

This leads us to the next extremely important truth: the third commandment. Kosher kitchens are exclusively concerned that the food in the kitchen should not be touched by anyone. This includes anyone touching the pots, pans, and cutlery used and any cooking surface with which food is in direct contact (like a griddle). Tell the proprietor about how you expect to cover every-thing with plastic and seal the refrigerators with tape or a pad-lock. Tell them you’ll do it, and take before and after pictures of the protection provided so that none of your crewmen can touch anything. This is really all they are concerned about. No one should be able to un-kosher-ify their food or the things that con-tact the food. Assure the proprietor that none of your workers will bring outside food into the kitchen or even eat in the estab-lishment—not so much as a mere beverage that, in your belief, is kosher. If the proprietor suspects that any of the food or items that come in contact with the food were, in any way, touched or handled, the costs they will have to incur to recertify the place would be astronomical—many a hood cleaning…

The fourth commandment is that customers who try to skirt code requirements and our IKECA standards come in all shapes,

sizes, colors, and religious beliefs. This is irrelevant. If anyone says our standard does not apply to them for financial gain, religious belief, or otherwise, they should be avoided. That is called dishonesty, and it places another person’s life in danger, which is very non-kosher in anyone’s book. Any savvy restau-rateur is seeking the best and most economical arrangement, kosher or not. Therefore, if you can’t give them an acceptable quality standard of results and safety, walk away.

The fifth commandment (or, again, fact) is that a strictly kosher restaurant has a somewhat unique window for their hours of operation. The Sabbath starts Friday night and ends Saturday night. Strictly kosher restaurants typically close earlier than sundown on Friday (and sometimes are not open Friday at all), and if they open for Saturday night, it is a good hour and a half after sunset. Therefore, if you leave a message about plans to service the restaurant sometime during the following week, do not assume the right person got the message. In addition, there are Jewish holidays that fall during the week at various times throughout the year that also receive this same Sabbath treat-ment. There is also a specific week here or there (e.g., Passover) during which the establishment is likely closed altogether.

One way you can get familiar with some of those key dates is by checking https://www.hebcal.com/holidays/2016-2017. This listing may not be all-inclusive, and every year, these dates change because the Jewish calendar runs on a lunar year, not on the solar year to which we are most accustomed. Last, some restaurants are referred to as “kosher style,” which means they may serve some kosher food, but they may not adhere to the strictest of these Sabbath and holiday rules and, in fact, may desire service on a Saturday. It is always a good idea to check with the customer regarding any holiday conflicts you need to be aware of and follow their lead.

Although not a commandment or truth, per se—just a recom-mendation—is when the New Year is rolling around don’t send your kosher customer a ham or a non-kosher box of chocolates or non-kosher wine in gratitude for your business relationship. They may not appreciate it as much as some of your other cus-tomers. Also, the Jewish New Year is usually around Labor Day, and in December, you might want to send a “Happy Hanukkah” card or a generic “Seasons Greetings” card as that will resonate more than Santa (although he would look quite rabbinic in a black hat and black coat).

When it comes to finding an appropriate gift or gesture for a ko-sher customer, type “kosher gift ideas” into Google, and it will give you more than a million items in your search result. How-ever, as stated above, don’t trust anyone’s say-so on whether it really is kosher. Be sure to check the certification; an “O” with


TITLEa “u” in the middle of it is a safe bet (the symbol for the Orthodox Union). There are also specific holidays throughout the year that have certain customary foods and sal-utations associated with them. Showing the customer you are aware of these holi-days by even just calling to wish them well

is a fast way to find your way into their heart. I actually have an Indian fellow who has been a customer for years. I get two cards from him and his wife every Jewish New Year and again at Passover. Don’t think for a minute I don’t jump to take his call. I remember, and it goes both ways.

I hope you all find these five commandments useful when en-gaging in KEC services with kosher establishments. If not, I at least hope you got a decent chuckle or two out of my attempt at Kosher KEC code drafting and biblical thematics. On a per-sonal note, I would like to sincerely thank the IKECA manage-ment team and my fellow board members for ensuring my partner and I can attend the semiannual IKECA meetings with such convenience and care.

Weeks prior to every conference, we get calls from IKECA’s meeting manager telling us they found a local food purveyor who is kosher so that we have food to eat during all the vari-ous meals and breaks we indulge in. They make sure it is ac-ceptable to our personal standard, and even if the food is not as good as back home, the concern they show in their efforts is all that really matters to us. We also know that when the conference committee is planning the events well in advance, they give great consideration in checking the Jewish calendar to ensure we won’t have a conflict in attending and at least be able to attend the important elements of each conference. I think this mindset is extremely kosher, and it is a good busi-ness model to follow in any business we pursue. That’s plain old Customer Satisfaction 101. This is not exclusive either. As a board member, if anyone else requires special “higher author-

ity” accommodations that we can fulfill within reason, please do not hesitate to contact any of the board members with your request. We aim to please and make our conferences as accom-modating as possible for all of our members and attendees.

To conclude, kosher kitchens are not much different from other venues in that they have their own unique set of special re-quirements. For example, hospitals place a greater emphasis on cleanliness and disease control. Prisons, banks, law firms, power plants, stadiums, and the Empire State Building all place stringent rules on vetting our manpower before we can gain entry. We are constantly adapting our service models to our customers’ higher authorities. Kosher kitchens are no different.

Any and all are invited to reach out to me at [email protected] (718.433.3880) if I can be of assistance in helping you bid work or better adapt to the needs of a kosher kitchen. If you have that covered, I’m also available for consultation on gift-giving ideas as well for your kosher kitchen customer (although I would not consider myself the highest of authorities in the gift-giving department—ask my wife...).

Reuben Levine, CECS, is President of Scientific Fire Prevention Company. Reuben has been an active member on IKECA’s Finance Committee, recently assumed the role of Chair on IKECA’s new Education Committee, and his company is a long-time member. Following more than a decade in finance and bank operations, Reuben became an independent entrepreneur. After launching and spinning off several enterprises, Reuben settled in for the long-term as a co-owner and President of Scientific Fire Preven-tion in 2007, a company focused primarily on serving commer-cial kitchen exhaust, air ventilation and grease waste manage-ment markets.

A graduate of Yeshiva University, Reuben resides in Long Island City, NY with his wife Renee and three children.

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From the Desk of an IKECA Member


AHJ Corner

Fires that involve commercial exhaust systems and cooking equipment can be a significant concern for the fire or insurance investigators. More than two thirds (69%) of structure fires in eating or drinking establishments were caused unintentionally. One in five (22%) were caused by the failure of equipment or a heat source, and one in five fires (21%) in eating or drinking es-tablishments had a failure to clean as a factor contributing to its ignition. An

electrical failure or malfunction was a factor in 16%, and a me-chanical failure or malfunction was involved in 13% of the fires. Radiated or conducted heat from operating equipment was the leading heat source in these fires (20%). Sparks, embers, or flame from operating equipment was a factor in 12%, and 5% were set intentionally. Fires and property damage are signifi-cant factors in cost loss or dollar loss in commercial kitchens. (U.S. Fire Admin, NFIRS and NFPA)

A circular opening in the roof above a commercial kitchen is burned away by fire. The investigation, collection of evidence, and analysis of burn and fall patterns is a sure way to diagnose the cause and responsibilities associated with the event. Once it is identified that the fire has been started by heat from com-mercial cooking operations, mental red flags should wave vig-orously before and during the fire investigative process. Here are a few helpful points.

Fuel LoadingFuel loading in a kitchen exhaust system is just as damaging as a match or lighter in the hands of a child. With a volume of flammable grease buildup and contaminants at levels above 50 µm (0.002 in.) to 2000 µm (0.078 in.) and extremely high levels of 3175 µm (0.125 in.),¹ depending on the extent and depth of fuel loading in a commercial kitchen exhaust system, this con-tained fuel loading can generate extremely high temperatures

when burning. Within this confined and ventilated environ-ment of 1200°F to 2000°F, the carbon steel 1.37 (0.054) No 16 MSG or stainless steel not less than 1.09 (0.043 in.) No 18 MSG in thickness will glow white hot, emanating radiant heat on enclosed structural members. These structural members have a code-required clearance of 18 inches or more around duct-work.² Inadequate clearances less than code construction re-quirements may be a major factor in the extension and spread of the fire.

Kitchen exhaust systems are de-signed specifi-cally to contain fire and to re-move heat and products of com-bustion, grease-laden vapors, and toxic gases up and away from the appliance cooktops at an air velocity of not less than 152.4 m/min (500 ft./min).³ This air movement is designed to con-tinue running after the fire-suppression system fuses and/or until power is manually shut down. Older systems may have switch-controlled exhaust fans. Make-up air should shut down when the system fuses.4 Steel hood, plenum, and ducts are constructed of and supported by steel not less than 1.09 mm (0.043 in., No. 18 MSG) in thickness, stainless steel not less than 0.94 mm (0.037 in., No. 20 MSG) in thickness, or other approved materials.5

The exhaust fan airflow draws 2.54 m/s (500 fpm) through the ductwork and fan housing continually, thereby cooling the metal, which allows heated grease to condense on the inte-rior walls of the hood, plenum, and ductwork and in the fan housing during cooking operations. “Deposition velocity is the fundamental parameter used to describe the rate at which par-ticles (effluent) deposit to a surface,” says William D. Gerstler, Ph.D., member ASHRAE.6

In a very short period of time, the residual oil, particles and grease will accumulate on the walls of the exhaust system. Oily grease turns to crust laid over grease and then to creosote, cre-ating a very serious fire hazard. If not regularly maintained and cleaned to a bare-metal standard of clean throughout the sys-tem, including the fan blades, heated flammable grease vapors will flame over. Many kitchen operators and inspectors are not aware of how combustible these cooking residues are and how important it is to have the exhaust system cleaned thoroughly. Cleaning to bare metal by properly trained, qualified, and certi-fied persons should be done at regular intervals according to the degree and frequency of cooking operations is vital.

Investigating Commercial Kitchen Exhaust System Fires By Oliver C. Moore, Deputy Utah State Fire Marshal

SPRING 2016 | PAGE 27 THE IKECA JOURNAL

“Hoods, grease-re-moval devices, fans, ducts, and other ap-purtenances shall be cleaned to re-move combustible contaminants prior to surfaces becom-ing heavily contami-nated with grease or oily sludge” (NFPA 96.11.6.2).

Top-to-bottom cleaning of all grease, oil, crust, or creosote to bare metal removes all combustible, flammable, and toxic resi-dues from the system. Important rules to remember include the following: 1. All ductwork should be designed and built to be completely accessible. 2. Crust and grime on duct walls can and should be removed completely during cleaning. 3. Fire cannot exist or extend in a bare-metal environment.

Fire Investigation and Evidence CollectionFire investigation of a commercial kitchen fire shall include a study of the cooking operation, hood, plenum, and ductwork up to and including the fan housing and fan to determine the ex-tent of creosote, crust, or grease present at the time of the fire. This can be accomplished by first identifying the cleaning cycle, by date of cleaning or date of next cleaning.7 Did the fire occur at the beginning, middle, or end of the three-month cleaning cycle or was the system cleaned at all? This information can be found by requesting the Completion and Deficiency Report from the owner and checking the date stamps or the cleaning hood label or interviewing the owner and the responsible cleaning tech-nicians.8 All are important methods of evidence collection and help to identify if fuel buildup inside the exhaust system was enough to propagate or extend the fire. Of course, insurance investigators will absolutely be interested in this information; however, consideration of notification to all interested par-ties—that is, owners, system cleaners, suppression service rep-resentatives, installers, insurance investigators, claims examin-ers, appliance/equipment purveyors, etc.—should be made to prevent potential spoliation accusations or adverse legal mo-tions. “Protecting the loss, destruction, or material alteration of an object or document that is evidence or potential evidence in

a legal proceeding is paramount should the case move to subro-gation” (NFPA 921.3.3.167).9

One deficiency that should not be ignored is on the rooftop. Has the roof cover-ing been damaged through neglect or ignored during cleaning? Has the roof been burned out or significantly damage by fire? Has grease accumulation, spillage, and grease or water overflowed onto the roof covering, spread and damaged the roof membrane, or saturated into the underlayment of the roof covering? Is grease spillage or saturation concentrated around the duct and fan housing dis-charge, or has extreme grease collection, seepage, or another situation violated the roof below the roof covering? Saturation to this extent is an embedded fuel-acceleration process that should be identified and addressed during evidence collection. Also, have roof structural members been pyrolyzed by heat from the sun or saturated with combustible grease or oil from the absence of grease maintenance? Or have both happened?

Kitchen exhaust system fuel loading may have occurred be-cause of the following reasons: • Poor maintenance practices on the part of the kitchen staff • Inadequate cleaning frequency • Incomplete cleaning services • Inaccessible areas within the system • Poor service accountability • Restaurant owners not willing to pay for proper or com-

plete system services

There are two major reasons kitchen exhaust systems are not cleaned properly: 1. The responsible party in the kitchen did not allow system

maintenance or cleaning to take place. a. Pressures from a higher authority to keep costs down b. Attempting to balance cost versus risk c. Maintenance costs were not budgeted d. They were too busy to notice or believed kitchen help

was doing the job


e. Ignorance to the danger 2. A nonprofessional cleaning technician was hired to do

the job. a. The technician is not trained, certified, or qualified to do

the work b. Did not complete the contracted job as agreed c. Cut corners to get more jobs done (polishing stainless

for show, but ignoring hidden areas of the ductwork to cut time)

d. System inaccessibility (access doors and hinge sets missing and/or inadequate tool stock to reach inaccessible areas)

e. Is inexperienced and does not have the confidence or know-how, equipment, or skill to do the job properly or to meet industry standards

f. Scheduled cleaning dates are missed, put off, or overlooked

Fire Protection and Fire Suppression SystemsThe UL 300, Wet Chemical, Type 1 Hood Fire Suppression System is the standard and law in Utah. Ten water wash or dry chemi-cal suppression systems do not meet UL 300 standards and are prohibited in Utah. Any observations or findings of a system not compliant with UL 300 standards shall be red-tagged and not allowed to be used for cooking operations.

Due to the cooking medium used in commercial kitchens today, it has become necessary to adjust fire-suppression standards to meet these high-energy, highly efficient, and elevated heat-rat-ed cooking oils. Animal fats and AF oils, such as butter or mar-garine, will burn at considerably lower heat with auto-ignition temperatures of most animal fat–based cooking oils at around 550°F. However, modern vegetable oils heat release rates were designed to be higher—that is, auto-ignition temperatures are from 685°F to 820°F, depending on the type, concentration, depth, and viscosity of the oil. Once vegetable oil reaches its threshold temperature, the oil will self-ignite.12

After the heat source has been removed, these oils retain con-fined temperatures for longer periods of time. In an enclosed environment—that is, vats, deep fat fryers, containers holding appreciable depths of 1/4 inch or more—oil will hold and retain self-ignition temperatures for 25 to 40 minutes after heat has been removed. Should the oil temperature become compressed or pressure density heightened by draining and removing ma-terial from the container, the heat flux within the heated vat will raise to the level of auto-ignition and will reignite. This phe-

nomenon is especially true in insulated deep-fat fryers. Safety tip: Deep fat fryers should not be drained for investigative pur-poses until residual oil has been cooled at the core, well below ignition temperatures.

The wet chemical agent found in automatic fire-suppression systems and in Type K fire extinguishers is designed to reduce surface heat and allow for saponification to expand to seal the container edges separating the oil’s flammable fuel vapors from ambient air.

Observations with photographs during the initial investigative walk-through should address the following: 1. Did the automatic fire-suppression system fuse and ac-

tivate, leaving a residue of wet chemical on the cooking line surface? (Fusible links in commercial kitchen applica-tions will fuse at 350°F to 500°F. Most hood links are set at 450°F, depending on appliance type, coverage, and ap-plication.)

2. Was the suppression system within the hood and plenum clean? Were wet chemical nozzles plugged at the time of the fire? Is the wet chemical cylinder empty or full? Did the gas valve trip?

3. Identify if ABC/BC extinguishing agent and or any other extinguishing agents were used on the fire. The cooking surface and the floor will reveal the extinguishing agent used.

4. At the time the system fused, were the make-up air fans shut down, and did the exhaust fan continue working during the suppression sequence?

AccessibilityAccess panels may be ac-cessible along the length of vertical and horizon-tal ductwork. These ac-cess panels should have a sign that reads “Access Panel–Do Not Obstruct” to identify the panel and bar any obstructions to the panel and will be of value in determining the

following: 1) Was cleaning accomplished above the duct orifice or vi-

sual portion of the ductwork? 2) Identify the extent of heat flex within the duct walls (dis-

coloration, warping, melted weld-flux, etc.)

SPRING 2016 | PAGE 29 THE IKECA JOURNAL

3) The condition of the ductwork—that is, weld failures, visible cracks/leaks, transition openings, and separa-tions, must be identified for fire cause and used to iden-tify the extension patterns of the fire.

4) Any deficiencies in the ductwork must be repaired or re-placed before the cooking line can be used or reopened.

Access to duct discharge through the fan housing/airstream will be necessary to identify the following: 1) Type and size of fan installed (up-blast, in-line, utility

sets or other). Is a hinge set provided for access? 2) Fan operation at time of fire: Was the fan working dur-

ing the fire event? Is the fan motor underpowered? Is the fan belt in place and in good working condition?

3) Is all wiring and electrical equipment in place and is power wiring connected? (Wiring systems of any type shall not be installed in ducts. NFPA 96.9.2.1.)

4) Were the duct discharge and fan blades cleaned? Was the extent of combustible oils, grease, and flammable creosote identified at the fan housing height level?

5) Is the fan base screwed to the airstream or has a hinge set been provided for ease of access?

While on or observ-ing the roof, look for kitchen oil and grease spillage, leaks, or grease flows on the roof membrane or shin-gles. Kitchen grease is slightly acidic and in time will cut, eat, and seep into roof coverings and the underlayment.

Suppression Methods and Fire ExtensionIt will be important for the investigator to simply discern or identify by evidence if suppression methods were used to cool or retard the fire and how the fire was able to extend beyond the cooking surface. If airflow was working properly, wet chem-ical agent would have drawn up the duct to help cool, retard, or extinguish fire in the duct.

Grease baffle filters usually shield the plenum and fusible links from flame impingement but not from the heat. • With steel baffle filters, fire extension into the duct re-

quires a high-heat fuel of some type on or near the filter itself or behind the filters. Grease, oil, or creosote residue will be identifiable as a stain or crust depth in measure-able amounts in filter troughs, collection pans, ridges, and on the metal of the filters, hood, and plenum and duct walls.

• Was excessive grease found on the filters or the exhaust system, or was a disproportionate amount of grease found in horizontal ducts or grease traps?

• Were the filters separated, removed, or burned away? • Were mesh or cloth filtering materials found on filters or

on top of the cooking line? • Did fire burn through and beyond the filters where grease

had collected? • How did the fusible link melt? fused by heat or direct fire

impingement or was stainless steel cable burned through to fuse the system?

• What type of filters were found? Aluminum baffle filters will melt at 1221°F, and steel filters fail at higher tem-peratures, depending on the alloy; steel filters under heat may soften at 1000°F; however, steel melts at around 2500°F.

If high heat flux to this extent has been identified within the exhaust system, the duct will have to be evaluated for dam-age—that is, weld failures, leaks, and separations. These must be identified before the cooking line can be used or reopened; otherwise grease will leak and or saturate structural members.

In SummaryKitchen exhaust systems are often difficult to understand. Their design is easy to see at the appliance, hood, or plenum level, but within the ductwork, the design may be obscured and complicated. Final questions to ask: Is the duct straight up, or does it tie to a horizontal and 45° turn to vertical? Are there two ducts and one duct discharge with one fan or is there one duct that transitions to two duct discharges? And what is the adjustment for different types and sizes of ducts and fans?13

When questions present themselves during your investigation, feel free to call upon trusted kitchen exhaust system profes-sionals for answers. These professionals should be network-ing relationships previously developed and vetted. “Trusted” means they are trained, qualified, certified, and experienced to do this kind of work. They must be familiar with the system in question. Can they quickly and accurately recognize the types, features, equipment, and code requirements that apply to un-familiar or new system types? Remember, suppression system professionals may not hold the same credentials as do exhaust system cleaning professionals. They are two separate indus-tries and may require two separate professionals.14 However, they will be of great value in developing case suppositions sup-ported by decisive evidence.


Questions that may arise during the investigation may also be answered by reviewing the International Fire Code (IFC), the International Mechanical Code (2012 edition), NFPA 96 (2008 edition), and NFPA 17A (2009 edition). The ANSI/IKECA C10-2011 Standard for Cleaning of Commercial Kitchen Exhaust Systems will be an extremely valuable resource. All apply to practical applications of exhaust system design, suppression systems, airflow requirements, grease handling, and inspec-tion, and cleaning processes.

Applying the investigative principles found in NFPA 921 and ap-plying the code principles to kitchen exhaust system fires will answer vital points of the investigation, support evidence col-lection, and strengthen your determinations and case develop-ment. “The purpose of this document (NFPA 921) is to establish guidelines and recommendations for the safe and systematic investigation or analysis of fire and explosion incidents. Fire investigation or analysis and the accurate listing of causes are fundamental to the protection of lives and property from the threat of hostile fire or explosions. It is through an efficient and accurate determination of the cause and responsibility that fu-ture fire incidents can be avoided.”15 Last, it is important that all interested parties attached to a kitchen exhaust system fire incident be involved to prevent potential spoliation of evidence and to avoid subrogation issues later in the case.

Normal combustible fires in the kitchen, freezers/coolers, storage rooms, and offices may require normal investigative principles and procedures to be applied. This is also true with commercial kitchen exhaust system fires. With the high cost of commercial kitchen appliances, hood and duct systems, notifi-cation, suppression systems, and exhaust system equipment, these fires can be daunting. Considering the downtime, loss of revenue, employee costs, and emotional loss, these fires can be devastating to the owner and to the community. Commercial kitchen fire investigations require a great deal of coordination and communication with staff/employees, cleaners, installers, and kitchen and building owners to identify cause and respon-sibility. With this coordination, witness and participant con-cerns, interference, and media and community pressures, are all considerably perplexing; however, bear in mind that inves-tigations of this kind of fire can be exhilarating, most challeng-ing, and professionally rewarding.

Oliver C. Moore retired as a Battalion Chief with a 36 year career in the fire service. For the past nine years, Chief Moore has served the Utah State Fire Marshal in the role of Fire Prevention Special-ist with a focus on life and fire safety inspections, commerce and trade licensing coordinator with an emphasis on fire protection concern licensing and technician certifications.

As a published fire and life safety professional, he also serves as the AHJ Committee Chairman for the International Kitchen Exhaust Cleaning Association (IKECA), where he has established the Mutualistic Fire Protection initiative to help bring the AHJ,

the Fire Protection Industry, and the Commercial Kitchen/Res-taurant Industry together in a coordinated effort to establish a culture of fire and life safety protection nationally.

His oversight and development of programs designed to support the Utah State Fire Marshal in his mission and take a leadership position with the Kitchen Exhaust Inspection and Cleaning In-dustry is remarkable. Customer service and safety goes beyond responding to emergencies, it is most characteristic in preventing hostile fires before they happen, to protect and serve is his phi-losophy and the basis of Mutualistic Fire Protection.

References

1) National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 96 “Standard for Ven-tilation Control and Fire Protection of Commercial Cooking Opera-tions, 2011 Edition.” Annex A 11.6.2

2) The International Code Council, “International Mechanical Code, 2012 Edition” 506.3.6

3) NFPA 96 “Standard for Ventilation Control and Fire Protection of Commercial Cooking Operations, 2011 Edition.” Chapter 8.2.1



6) Gerstler, William D., Ph.D., Member of ASHRAE, ASHRAE Journal, November 2002, “New Rules for Kitchen Exhaust.” Page 26, Results

7) NFPA 96 “Standard for Ventilation Control and Fire Protection of Commercial Cooking Operations, 2011 Edition.” Chapter 11.4 and Table 11.4

8) Office of the State Fire Marshal, firemarshal.utah.gov. “Kitchen Ex-haust Duct Cleaning Systems.” Completion and Deficiency Report and Hood Service Label with Instructions

9) NFPA 921 “Guide for Fire and Explosion Investigations, 2014 Edi-tion.” Chapter 3.3.167

10) 15A-5-204(16), Utah Code Unannotated, Amendments and addi-tions to IFC related to fire protection systems, IFC Chapter 9, Sec-tion 904.11 is rewritten to meet UCU Statutes

11) Cote, Arthur E., P.E., Editor, “Operation of Fire Protection Systems, A Special Edition of the NFPA Fire Protection Handbook.” Chapter 34, Page 609, Uses and Limitations of Wet Chemical Extinguishing Systems

12) Dr. Sunderland and Krystyna Buda-Ortins, B.S. Student, “University of Maryland Department of Fire Protection Engineering, May 19, 2010,” Auto-Ignition of Cooking Oils, Page 2 Abstract

13) www.solutionsforair.com. “Solutions for Air,” “Ventilation Rules of Thumb” Type of Cooking Equipment, CFM/Ft² of Hood

14) Moore, Oliver C., Deputy Utah State Fire Marshal, “Mutualistic Fire Protection.” UFRA Straight Tip, January/March, Volume 14, Issue 1, Page 24

15) NFPA 921 “Guide for Fire and Explosion Investigations” Adminis-tration, Purpose, Chapter 1, 1.2.1, Pages 921–9

16) Evarts, Ben, NFPA Fire Analysis and Research, Structure Fires in Eat-ing and Drinking establishments, (November 2012) Page 2


2016 Annual Membership Meeting Sponsors

Thank you to the following companies for their generous sponsorship of the 2016 Annual Membership Meeting!

(as of 3/14/16)

5 Star Sponsors

4 Star Sponsors

3 Star Sponsors

Lanyard Sponsor Beverage Break Sponsor

Save the Date!2016 Fall Technical Seminar & Expo

October 26-29, 2016Resorts Casino, Atlantic City, NJ


Congratulations to those who recently achieved their designations and certifications!

• Floyd Terral Airways Systems, Inc.

• Mario Candela Enviromatic Corporation of America

• Carlos Gomez Enviromatic Corporation of America

• Derek Jacobsen Enviromatic Corporation of America

• Luke Jacobsen Enviromatic Corporation of America

• Manuel Rodarte Enviromatic Corporation of America

• William Gasper Grease Busters, LLC

• Bryan A. Henry Hardgrove Fire Protection and

Hoodcleaning

• Damian Brown Performance Industrial

• Leo VanNess Performance Industrial

• Ramon Bowlyn Pressure Kleen Services Company, Inc.

• Shevaugn Newell Pressure Kleen Services Company, Inc.

• Mike Graham Triple B Cleaning, Inc.

PECTProfessional Exhaust Cleaning Technician (designation)

New Certifications

• Richard Torrey A and R Pressure Washing

• Randy Kostelak AirTek Indoor Air Solutions, Inc.

• Walter Peinhardt Commercial Services, Inc. dba

Commercial Kitchen Exhaust Cleaning, Inc.

• Ivan Adrian Franco Ortiz Ductos Y Climas Garcia, SA De CV

• Denisse Gonzalez Ducts, Air, Kitchen & Environmental

Services, Inc. (DAKES)

• Rigoberto Rivotta Jr. Enviromatic Corporation of America

• Eric Orrick Enviromatic Corporation of America

• Jarred Stratton Enviromatic Corporation of America

• Mackenzie Johnson Fire Protection Equipment Company

• Patrick Haxaire Grease Busters, LLC

• Jerry Clark Nelbud Services Group, Inc. dba

Nelbud 360 And Team 360

• Jeremy Smith Nelbud Services Group, Inc. dba

Nelbud 360 And Team 360

• Tim McNamara Northeast Cleaning Services

• Bixx Kailey Pressure Pro, Inc.

• Dante Cabrera Pronto Mechanical Services

• Timothy Byars Unlimited Exhaust Cleaners, LLC

CECSCertified Exhaust Cleaning Specialist

• Toby Grossman Bay State Exhaust Services

• Doeun Chan Cochrane Ventilation, Inc.

• Charlie Cochrane Cochrane Ventilation, Inc.

• Scott Cutler Cochrane Ventilation, Inc.

• Michael Hickey Cochrane Ventilation, Inc.

• Savoun Po Cochrane Ventilation, Inc.

• Savoung Po Cochrane Ventilation, Inc.

• Sineth Por Cochrane Ventilation, Inc.

• Keooudone Savanhmixay Cochrane Ventilation, Inc.

• Paul Traynor Cochrane Ventilation, Inc.

• Mike White Cochrane Ventilation, Inc.

• Sophea Peter Ying Cochrane Ventilation, Inc.

• Michael Murphy Kitchen Klean, Inc.

• Samuel McNary Noble Hood & Duct Cleaning Co.

• Edgar Sepulveda SimplexGrinnell

BCCSBoston Certified Cleaning Specialist

• Floyd Terral Airways Systems, Inc.

• Austin Carter Afenir Buzcor Heating and Air Conditioning

• Devon Dunmire Enviromatic Corporation of America

• Joshua Morris Moore Grease Guru

• J.J. Belisle Reliable Cleaning Services

• Keldrick Milton Sani-Vac Service, Inc.

CECTCertified Exhaust Cleaning Technician


Welcome New Members

New Members

AHJ

Ductos Y Climas Garcia, SA De CV, Rodolfo Valentino Garcia, Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico

Ducts, Air, Kitchen & Environmental Services, Inc. (DAKES), Elizabeth Velez, San Juan, PR

Fire Protection Equipment Company, Robert K. Benz, Minneapolis, MN

Northeast Cleaning Services, Tim McNamara, CECS, Gansevoort, NY

Pressure Pro, Inc., Laureen Kailey, Spokane, WA

Pronto Mechanical Services, Antonio Cabrera, Chicago, IL

Enviro Care Services, Ramesh Kannan, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

EPSCO Chennai, Richard Scen, Channai, Tamil Nadu, India

Athol Fire Department, Jeffrey Parker, Athol, MA

Avondale Fire Department, Roger Parker, Avondale, AZ

Brunswick Fire Department, Rhett M. Fairfield, Brunswick, GA

Brunswick Fire Department, Thomas Wolff, Brunswick, GA

Burlington Fire Department, Lazo Di Sibio, Burlington, Ontario, Canada

Carleton Place Fire Department, Rick Jackson, Carleton Place, Ontario, Canada

Carleton Place Fire Prevention, Matt Anderson, Carleton Place, Ontario, Canada

City of Edina, Jeff Siems, Edina, MN

City of Rock Springs, David Rhoades, Rock Springs, WY

Clark County Fire Marshal’s Office, Jonathan Dunaway, Ridgefield, WA

Clearview Township, Michelle Davies, Stayner, Ontario, Canada

Cottleville Community Fire District, John Remsteadt, Saint Charles, MO

Easthampton Fire Department, Wayne Hennemann, Easthampton, MA

Edina Fire Department, Brian Hanrahan, Edina, MN

Fire District No. 1, Jason Houle, So. Hadley, MA

Hadley Fire Department, Nicholas McKenna, Hadley, MA

Hadley Fire Department, Michael Spanknebel, Hadley, MA

Hannibal Fire Department, Damon S. Jaeger, Hannibal, MO

Harker Heights Fire Department, Brad Alley, Harker Heights, TX

Holyoke Fire Department, Michael Boucher, Holyoke, MA

Kingston Fire & Rescue, Delbert Blakney, Kingston, Ontario, Canada

Lenexa Fire Department, Butch Diekemper, Lenexa, KS

Polk County Fire District No. 1, Albert Alcalde, Independence, OR

Prince Edward County Fire Department, Michael Branscombe, Octon, Ontario, Canada

River Forest Fire Department, Kevin Wiley, River Forest, IL

St. Catharine’s Fire Service, Frank Donati, St. Catharine’s, Ontario, Canada

Town of Horseheads, Thomas R. Skebey, Horseheads, NY

Utah County Fire Prevention Bureau, Jack Snow, Provo, UT

West Springfield Fire Department, Daniel Culver, West Springfield, MA

Westerville Fire Prevention Bureau, Jeff Lear, Westerville, OH

Westerville Fire Prevention Bureau, Chris McConnell, Westerville, OH

Westerville Fire Prevention Bureau, Gary Schubert, Westerville, OH

Westerville Fire Prevention Bureau, Kevin Crace, Westerville, OH

Westerville Fire Prevention Bureau, Paris Smith-Higbie, Westerville, OH

Active InternationalActive North American

Associate

United Air Specialists, Inc, Joseph Petrone, Cincinnati, OH


IKECA Board of Directors 2015-2016

PRESIDENTKathy Slomer, CECS (2016)Kool Kleen Inc.Murrysville, [email protected]

PRESIDENT-ELECTRandall Rauth, CECS (2017)Hood Cleaning, Inc.Waukesha, [email protected]

TREASURERJesse Getz, CECS (2017)Getz Fire Equipment Co.Peoria, [email protected]

SECRETARY Anne Levine, CECS (2018)Applied Building TechnologiesBaltimore, [email protected]

IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENTJack Grace, CECS, CESI (2016)Western Commercial ServicesLas Vegas, [email protected]

DIRECTORS

Neal A. Iorii, Jr., CESI (2016)Olympia Maintenance, IncMelrose Park, [email protected]

Reuben Levine, CECS (2018)Scientific Fire Prevention Co.Long Island City, [email protected]

Frank Mitarotonda, CECS, CESI (2018)Chief Fire PreventionMount Vernon, [email protected]

Grant Mogford, CECS, CESI (2018)Flue Steam, Inc.Culver City, [email protected]

Don Pfleiderer, CECS, CESI (2016)Enviromatic Corporation of AmericaMinneapolis, [email protected]

Alex Young, CECS (2017)Power King Exhaust CleaningSutton, [email protected]

Submit an Article for the IKECA Journal

Contribute to the conversation in the com-mercial kitchen exhaust cleaning industry – write an article for the next issue of the IKECA Journal. Articles should be on current subjects of interest to those in cleaning and inspection, including contractors, fire author-ities, insurance providers, facility managers and owner/operators.

* Your perspective on today’s industry topics

* Share your story with an innovation or new device or procedure

* Your personal experience that offers les-sons learned

* Best practices on maintenance or repair

* Frequently asked questions that you want to answer

* Personnel or staffing tips that you’ve learned

Details• View IKECA’s full Article Submission Guide-

lines for all details.

• Email complete articles to [email protected]

• Articles should be between 750 and 2,000 words (between 1 ½ to 4 typed pages)

• Charts, tables and photos are welcome, subject to editorial approval

• Include a short biography of the author (50 words)

• Articles must be educational and informa-tive in nature, and must not be advertise-ments for specific good or services. All are subject to review, approval and editing before publication.

Share your IdeasNot sure about writing an article? Our professional staff will help you “polish” your article. Don’t let the thought that “I’m not a writer” stop you from sharing your ideas or perspective.

Need more incentive?Earn CEUs!

Need continuing education credits to main-tain your certification? Earn 0.3 CEU for submitting an article for publication in the IKECA Journal. Questions? Call IKECA at 215-320-3876 or email [email protected].

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Thanks for your efforts in growing IKECA!

Documents

ISSUE 41 | Spring 2016 - IKECAISSUE 41 SPRING 2016 The IKECA Journal is an industry publication for cleaners, fire marshals, insurance professionals, facility managers, vendors and