Louisiana is the latest state to approve the Electronic Security Association’s (ESA) newest fire certification, Certified Fire Alarm Designer – Level III (CFAD), as an acceptable form of education to meet the requirements for fire alarm contractors in the state. Louisiana joins Iowa and Tennessee as the third state to approve the designation as an education requirement since it launched in the fall of 2013.
ESA’s National Training School (NTS) and the Louisiana Life Safety & Security Association (LLSSA) presented the CFAD certification path to the Louisiana Life Safety & Property Protection (LSPP) Advisory Board on Feb. 13, 2014. By a majority “yes” vote, the Board approved CFAD III as an acceptable fourth alternative to prior National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET) Level III in Fire Alarms, Electrical or Fire Alarm Engineering competency requirements.
“This new training offering adds another layer of professional certification potential in our life safety and security offerings from NTS and the Louisiana Life Safety and Security Association,” said LLSSA Education Coordinator Danny Northcutt, who worked closely with NTS on the approval process. “Acceptance by the LSPP Board, which some members of the board are NICET certified professionals, is a strong endorsement of the quality of this NTS training and certification program.”
Louisiana state laws require fire alarm companies to have at least one “qualifier,” a full-time employee who has demonstrated knowledge in all aspects of designing and supervising the installation of required fire alarm systems. Qualifiers are required to complete advanced fire training and obtain certification, which now includes CFAD.
The certification path through NTS is a stair-step succession of education courses including Certified Alarm Technician (Level I); Fire Alarm Installation Methods (FAIM); either Life Safety Code (LSC) or International Building Code (IBC); and Professional Fire Alarm Design (PFAD).
Individuals seeking the CFAD designation must also provide notarized affidavits from approved personnel confirming that he or she has at least 36 months of experience in fire detection and signaling systems. Relevant experience includes installation; maintenance; inspection; testing; commissioning; technical system estimating and sales; plan preparation; code compliance review; project management and/or technical business management. Field experience, team leadership and technical management role experience are also required.
