Suppose you want to help protect buildings and people from fire, but you don’t want to work as a firefighter. Is there anything else you could do? One option would be to train as a sprinkler system installer and work to help put out fires while they are still small.

Preventing fires from growing and spreading is the main purpose of sprinkler systems in many buildings. Have you ever been in an office or school where someone has burnt a piece of toast or has started a small fire? If the building had a sprinkler system, all of the people nearby would be soaked.

For businesses or other organizations, one option for putting out fires is a built-in sprinkler system. These systems of pipes, tubes, and connections in offices and schools are designed to come on automatically when they detect smoke. Often, these systems spray water from the ceilings, but they might also use foam, fog, and carbon dioxide to put out the flames. The people working in this trade need to know how to handle all kinds of materials safely.

Whether they work in apartment buildings, factories, hotels, or offices, sprinkler system installers need to be physically fit and be able to work well with their hands. They should be able to handle pipes and hoses, sometimes in very high parts of the buildings or in narrow spaces. Installers should be good with their hands and be able to lift heavy objects if necessary. Being able to work with other people is important, since sprinkler system installers need to be able to coordinate their work with everyone else involved in constructing a building.

Besides the initial work of putting sprinkler systems into buildings, installers need to know how to repair and maintain the systems. They need to be able to spot and fix any problems, and keep the systems working properly. Sometimes, this might mean working in the evenings or on weekends, especially if a system suddenly breaks down.
If you want to become a sprinkler system installer, the best way is through a combination of education at a technical college, and an apprenticeship. Before you get to that point, however, you can already practice your mathematical skills for calculating the cost of the materials and labour. You can also begin to work at developing your manual skills at building machines and putting pipes together.

Wages for most sprinkler system installers begin at about $15 per hour and can go to more than $40 per hour, or about $30,000 to almost $90,000 per year. Being a sprinkler system installer is a good job for anyone who enjoys helping to keep people safe from fire.

Bibliography:

Alberta Advanced Education. “Sprinkler Systems Installer.” http://tradesecrets.alberta.ca/trades-occupations/profiles/037/.

Education Planner.ca. “Sprinkler System Installer.” http://www.educationplanner.ca/program/view/camosun/35179/sprinkler-system-installer.

Industry Training Authority. “Sprinkler System Installer.” http://www.itabc.ca/program/sprinkler-system-installer.

Payscale.com. “Sprinkler Fitter Salary (Canada).” http://www.payscale.com/research/CA/Job=Sprinkler_Fitter/Hourly_Rate.

Trades Info.ca. “Sprinkler System Installer Description.” https://bc.tradesinfo.ca/trade-information/sprinkler-system-installer/description.