Baker honored by NFPA

Weston C. Baker Jr., assistant vice president, senior engineering technical specialist at FM Global, received the 2015 Special Achievement Award by the National Fire Protection Association. Baker spent the last two years leading an effort that improves the installation and overall design of automatic sprinkler systems. Risk & Insurance Magazine also recognized Baker as a “Risk Innovator” in 2008. He has been with FM Global since 1985, starting as a loss prevention consultant. He holds a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Tufts University.

Do you have any tips for business owners on protecting their establishment from fire damage?

One of the best ways to safeguard your facility from fire damage is to try to prevent fire from occurring in the first place. … If you only did one thing, then install automatic fire sprinkler protection – it won’t prevent a fire, but when designed correctly it will help minimize damage and get a business back up and running quicker.

What are some of the biggest property damage risks for small businesses?

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When fire occurs, any resulting damage often comes from fire, water and smoke. Properly designed, installed and maintained automatic sprinklers can “control” or “suppress” a fire depending on the type of sprinklers in a facility.

Have you made any other innovations?

In 2010, I introduced a new method to the way ceiling-level sprinklers are designed and installed that allows business owners to reduce their installation costs by taking advantage of the performance of today’s modern-day, automatic sprinklers. In a similar fashion, in 2015 I introduced new methods to the way sprinklers are installed within storage racks (known as “in-rack sprinklers”) for warehouse-type use. The new approach results in better sprinkler system performance (reduced damage during a fire), the installation of fewer in-rack sprinklers, and a lower installation cost. •

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