Upcoming Meetings

    • Wednesday, November 12, 2025
    • 11:30 AM - 1:30 PM
    • San Marcos Activity Center
    Register

    The Southpark Construction Fire
    What Happened and Lessons Learned

    Location Details: San Marcos Activity Center, 501 E. Hopkins, San Marcos, TX

    Program: 

    Come attend this a deep dive into the tragic circumstances of the Southpark construction fire in Charlotte, North Carolina, highlighting how following the IFC and NFPA 241 could have averted this tragedy. Multiple failures led to the tragic death of two construction workers.

    The presentation will include discussion of:

    • Events that occurred in Southpark: See in real time how the construction crew responded when discovering the fire and what they should have done differently.
    • How a Construction Fire Safety Plan could have helped prevent this tragedy.
    • Components that need to be included in a well-written fire safety plan.
    • The IFC and NFPA 241 and how specific provisions in those documents could have been beneficial in preventing and mitigating this fire and the resulting fatalities.

    Presenter: RAYMOND O’BROCKI, CBO 

    RAYMOND O’BROCKI, CBO, is the Director of Fire Service Relations for the American Wood Council and previously served as Chief Building Official for the City of Rockville, MD.  He retired as the Assistant Fire Chief of the Baltimore City Fire Department in 2013 after having been appointed fire marshal in 2008. Mr. O'Brocki is administrator of the Construction Fire Safety Coalition and has served on many building and fire code technical committees during his career. An adjunct instructor at the National Fire Academy, Mr. O'Brocki is a well-known speaker in fire service circles. He is a graduate of the University of Baltimore School of Law and is a licensed attorney.  He enjoys spending spare time with his three children on the beach in Fenwick Island, Delaware.

    Schedule:

    11:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. - Check-in and networking

    12:00 - 12:30 p.m. - Lunch/Business meeting

    12:30 - 1:30 p.m. - Presentation


    BBQ will be served for lunch and is included.


    GET YOUR CEUs: TFPA members who participate in this program will receive ICC Preferred Provider and TCFP CEU credits. If you're not currently a member, TFPA membership is only $20/year to receive CEUs and other benefits.

    • Wednesday, January 14, 2026
    • 11:15 AM - 1:30 PM
    • San Marcos Activity Center
    Register

    Performance Based Design
    A Valuable Fire Protection Engineering Tool

    Location Details: San Marcos Activity Center, 501 E. Hopkins, San Marcos, TX

    Program: This presentation will inform participants about performance-based fire protection engineering, including advantages and disadvantages of performance-based design. The program will provide:

    • An overview of the performance-based design process
    • A discussion of how to apply the process with both performance-based and prescriptive codes
    • A discussion of how to develop goals, objectives and performance criteria
    • Guidance on different approaches for evaluating performance-based designs

    Presenter: Morgan Hurley, P.E., FSFPE has over 35 years of experience as a fire protection engineer. He serves as Vice President of Engineering with Senez Consulting, a fire protection engineering firm with offices in the U.S. and Canada. Morgan previously served as Technical Director of the Society of Fire Protection Engineers.  He is the editor in chief of the SFPE Handbook of Fire Protection Engineering and has instructed courses at the University of Maryland, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, and CalPoly. 

    Schedule:
    11:15 - 11:45 a.m. - Check-in and networking
    11:45 - 12:30 p.m. - Lunch/Business meeting
    12:30 - 1:30 p.m. - Presentation


    GET YOUR CEUs: TFPA members who participate in this program will receive ICC Preferred Provider and TCFP CEU credits. If you're not currently a member, TFPA membership is only $20/year to receive CEUs and other benefits.