Jack McNamara Memorial Scholarship

The Automatic Fire Alarm Association created the Fire Techs of the Future Scholarship program in 2022, when AFAA awarded a $1,000.00 scholarship. The program was initially conceived to offer $1,000.00 scholarships to one or more students studying fire alarm technology at a post-secondary institution. Our goal was quite simple: Give back to our industry and support the education of the next generation of fire alarm technicians.

On June 9th, 2022, two days after our inaugural scholarship was awarded during the AFAA Annual Breakfast in Boston, MA, Jack McNamara lost his life in a motorcycle accident. At our next Board Meeting, the AFAA Board of Directors voted unanimously to change the name of our Scholarship program to honor someone that meant so much to the Automatic Fire Alarm Association and the Life Safety Industry. Jack had a long and distinguished career of more than 45 years in fire protection and served on the AFAA Board of Directors from 2014 – 2016 as our first President.  He worked tirelessly and was heavily involved with the AFAA for decades promoting the organization anywhere he could. Jack was a true leader in the industry for life safety and helped make the Automatic Fire Alarm Association into what it is today. To celebrate Jack’s contributions to our industry and the AFAA, we have raised the scholarship to $5,000.00.

The recipient must be registered in a post secondary associates degree program or equivalent with a concentration in fire alarm technology related courses.

The applicant must submit a transcript of their academic grades and a letter application summarizing their current studies, extracurricular activities, and involvement with and career plans in the fire alarm industry. Deadline to submit is April 1. Submit application electronically to [email protected].

Selection Process:
The scholarship winner will be selected by the AFAA Scholarship Committee and awarded at the Automatic Fire Alarm Annual Breakfast in June.