AFSA Chairman Manning Strickland (left) presents Tom Groos, Chairman of the Board, Viking Group Inc., Hastings, Mich., with the 2007 Henry S. Parmelee Award during the general session of the AFSA 26th Anniversary Convention & Exhibition in Phoenix Sept. 28.

The American Fire Sprinkler Association presented its 2007 Henry S. Parmelee Award to Thomas T. Groos during the general session of its 26th Annual Convention and Exhibition held in Phoenix September 28.

The high honor recognizes an outstanding individual who has dedicated him or herself to the professional advancement of the automatic fire sprinkler industry and to the goal of fire and life safety through automatic sprinklers. It is named for Henry S. Parmelee, who is recognized as the inventor of the first commercially successful closed sprinkler head.