Award presentation details

The International Fire Suppression Alliance (IFSA) has awarded its highest honour, the H. W. Marryatt Award, to Kevin T. Fee of The Reliable Automatic Sprinkler Company.

This rare accolade was presented during the Fire Sprinkler International conference in Dublin, Ireland, on April 24, 2024, by IFSA Chair Mike Bosma.

The award is named after Sir Harry Marryatt of Australia, a seminal figure in fire sprinkler advocacy and a founder of the Australian Fire Protection Association.

Sir Harry is celebrated for his influential writings on the effectiveness of fire sprinkler systems over the last century.

Kevin Fee’s contributions

Kevin Fee has recently concluded his tenure on the IFSA Board of Governors, a role he has held since he was a founding member and the organisation’s first chairman.

His contributions to IFSA and the wider fire suppression community have been extensive and sustained over the years.

As the current president and chairman of The Reliable Automatic Sprinkler Co., Inc., and a third-generation leader of the business, Fee has been a cornerstone of the fire sprinkler industry both in the United States and internationally.

His educational background includes a BS in business management from Boston College and an MBA from Columbia University, which he put to use at Reliable starting in 1973.

Industry recognition and personal life

Throughout his career, Kevin Fee has been honoured with multiple awards, including the Golden Sprinkler Award from the National Fire Sprinkler Association (NFSA) and the Henry S. Parmelee Award from the American Fire Sprinkler Association (AFSA).

He has been a member of the National Fire Protection Association since 1974 and has held significant advisory roles in several industry bodies.