American Fire Systems, Inc. history

In 1890, the National Electric Light Association called a meeting to develop rules that would be universal in scope.

Both were involved in the small meeting in March of 1895 when the first seedlings of our Association were sown.

"A Partial record of the Transactions at First Annual Meeting Held in New York, May 19th and 20th, 1897", NFPA, Quincy, MA, 1897.

"A Partial record of the Transactions at Second Annual Meeting Held in Chicago, June 7th, 8th and 9th, 1898", NFPA, Quincy, MA, 1898.

"A Partial record of the Transactions at the Third Annual Meeting Held in Boston, June 13th, 14th and 15th, 1899", NFPA, Quincy, MA, 1899.

"A Partial record of the Transactions at the Fourth Annual Meeting Held in New York, June 26th, 27th and 28th, 1900", NFPA, Quincy, MA, 1900.

With regard to individuals joining in 1904, Russell Grinnell and a variety of other sprinkler manufacturers and installers would join, as well as Captain J. S. Sewell of the Corps of Engineers in Washington, DC, who appears to be the first Federal Government representative.

The first fire department officer was Battalion Chief W. T. Beggin of the New York City Fire Department, who joined NFPA in March, 1905.

When the National Conference on Standard Electrical Rules met on March 24, 1911, they indicated that their purpose had been achieved, and it was thus dissolved.

The Lewis family has a rich history in the service industry dating back to 1915 when Gelder´s grandfather established a plumbing and mechanical contracting business.

Founded in Kansas City, Mo., in 1968

What started in 1973 as a small family business, has since grown into the second oldest and one of the southeast’s largest, fire sprinkler installation companies.

In 1979, the company relocated its offices to Lenexa, Kan., and established a full-service fabrication facility in Kansas City, Mo.

"Minutes of First Meeting of the National Conference on Standard Electrical Rules", Held at the Hall of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, NY, NY, March 18 and 19, 1986.

Eight years later the company consolidated the front office and the fabrication facility into a new location in Mission, Kan., and in 1993, a second office was established in Great Bend, Kan., to serve customers in central and western Kansas, eastern Colorado and Oklahoma.

Jim and Cliftene´s son, James, joined the business in 2005.

He was named Chief Executive Officer in January 2010.