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Is it time for NFPA to roll out a standardized test?
FOR MORE THAN 20 years I've been an alarm professional in Wisconsin.
Though I am NICET IV certified and have a license to install fire alarms in Illinois and Denver, Colo., I cannot get a license in Wisconsin. The reason? A license is not required or even offered in Wisconsin.
In Wisconsin, electricians and sprinkler fitters must be licensed. They must document relevant training and pass a certification exam before receiving a license. Even barbers have similar requirements. Funeral directors are required to be licensed before they can usher you into the next life, but fire alarm professionals, charged with keeping you and your family alive and kicking in this one, are not.
Wisconsin is not alone. Many other states have no licensing requirement for fire alarm contractors. The lack of licensing in this country creates a hazard in our industry by allowing non-qualified individuals to design, install and test fire alarms.
Over the years I've witnessed hundreds of alarms installed or designed by non-qualified individuals that weren't even close to meeting minimum code requirements. One alarm approved by a local AHJ utilized a motorized flag which, when tripped by a relay and a heat detector, waved in front of a motion sensor to trip a burglar alarm to dispatch the fire department.
This is a problem that needs to be addressed, and several options are available on the municipal, state and national levels.
Some states require licensing of alarm contractors, but do not ensure that the company or the installer has proper fire alarm training.
Last year, I received my private alarm contractor license in Illinois, where my company also does business. Although the test was challenging, only a handful of the 60 questions were related to fire alarm design, installation and testing. Upon successfully passing this test, I was able to pursue and...