DALLAS — For his 31-years of dedication to fire protection as a means of saving lives, Rick Matsuda, P.E., was selected by American Fire Sprinkler Association's Public Education and Awareness Committee and approved by AFSA's Board of Directors to receive its Fire Sprinklers Save Lives award, which is presented to individuals or organizations outside the fire sprinkler industry that demonstrate understanding and appreciation of the life-saving capabilities of automatic fire sprinklers by generating positive exposure to the public.

Matsuda is a graduate of the University of Hawaii with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and is registered in Texas as a fire protection engineer. He has been in the fire sprinkler industry since 1978, and currently reviews plans for fire suppression systems for Dallas. Matsuda also instructs new fire department inspectors on fire sprinkler systems and assists the fire department inspectors with code interpretations and corrections of deficiencies in new and existing systems.

With thousands of fire sprinkler system plans reviewed and dozens of educational seminars presented, Matsuda's efforts to educate fire sprinkler installers, system designers, engineers, and fire department personnel span more than a dozen Texas counties. He has presented seminars on fire sprinklers and plan reviews to several organizations in the Dallas area.

Matsuda has been active in AFSA's scholarship program, grading student essay entries, and he has worked closely with fire sprinkler contractors and with other authorities having jurisdiction to see that sprinkler systems are correctly designed and installed.

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