Iowa to use ESA fire certification for licensing

The Electronic Security Association announced on Thursday that the Iowa State Fire Marshall recently approved the Certified Fire Alarm Designer designation from its National Training School as an acceptable form of training for those seeking a fire alarm system contractor’s license in the state.

According to Iowa law, alarm system contractors and installers must have prior training to be certified by the fire marshal. The CFAD is now one of three acceptable certification programs to receive fire alarm licensing in the state. 

“Gaining approval for CFAD in Iowa is a major accomplishment for NTS,” ESA Vice President of Training and Certification Michelle Yungblut said in a statement. “Having this new certification recognized as equivalent to NICET III has been a goal of the ESA Education Committee for quite some time, so this is a momentous occasion. This is the first of many states we will pursue to get CFAD on the ticket for acceptable licensing.”

To earn CFAD status, a student must hold Certified Fire Alarm Technician (CFAT) status or higher for 36 months or prove equal work history by work verification and successfully complete ESA’s newest course, Professional Fire Alarm Design (PFAD), which provides individuals with specific training for developing an installation plan based on field conditions and project requirements.

"PFAD is based on the 2013 NFPA 72, which is more current than many, if not all, of the competing courses,” said Greg Kessinger, national training director at Zenith Design Group and a PFAD subject matter expert. "And the depth of knowledge that ultimately created this course cannot be compared to any other organization’s offerings.”