NICET CPD’s – A Quick 45!

Staying Qualified by Staying Current

The National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code, published by NFPA , requires system designers [1, 10.5.1.3] and installers [1, 10.5.2.3] to be qualified. Examples of qualified personnel listed are a nationally recognized certification organization, or personnel who are registered, licensed, or certified by a state or local authority. NFPA 72 is one of 300 NFPA codes and standards which editions are updated every three years. Although NFPA 72 requires personnel to be qualified, it does not require one to stay current by personnel development.

People without a conscious should not be in the fire protection or fire alarm industries.

Industry certifications to satisfy NFPA 72 requirements are offered by such organizations as NICET [2] and NFPA. To become certified, one demonstrates their knowledge by examination. I would speculate that the fear most people experience when they jump out of an aircraft is due to the knowledge that they cannot fly. When we do something, we know we are not supposed to, or we do not have the knowledge or skill we feel a little fear as well. Or we should, and people without a conscious should not be in the fire protection or fire alarm industries. Industry certifications require personnel development for renewal, and by extension ensure qualified personnel stay current.

NFPA’s Certified Fire Protection Specialist (CFPS) is one of two expert level certifications. The CFPS is earned by demonstrating “competency in the application of fire safety, protection, prevention, and suppression technologies.” Renewal for the CFPS is on a three-year cycle and requires 50 points of documented professional development. The categories to earn points vary from professional practice and service, and training, but are limited so no one can satisfy all the points needed. The most you can earn in any one category is 36 points and one college credit earns 3 points. Fire Alarm System Training and Apprenticeship programs award college credits upon successful completion. CFCC would provide the Alarms 101 or Alarms 102 transcript required by NFPA to award the maximum 36 points for 14.4 CEU's.

If one applies themselves, you can learn something new every day

Fire Alarm Systems (FAS) is one of about a dozen certification programs offered by NICET. The disciplines are varied, but they all require personnel development to renew. As with the editions of NFPA codes and standards, the cycle is every three years. Personal development is quantified by earning Continuing Personal Development (CPD) points. If one applies themselves, you can learn something new every day. In recognition, NICET awards CPD points by working in the industry as an “Active Practitioner.” The remainder of the points, which must come from two of five categories, can be obtained through “Additional Education.”

College level courses award Continuing Education Credit, or CEU’s NICET awards 1 CPD point for 0.1 CEU (10 points per CEU). Those who are using the Alarms 101 (14.4 CEU) or Alarms 102 (14.4 CEU) courses at Cape Fear Community College to obtain NICET Continuing Personal Development (CPD) points, will max out the category “Additional Education” and earn 45 points!

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Bibliography

[1] NFPA 72, National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code, 2022 ed., National Fire Protection Association, Quincy, MA, 2014.

[2] National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET), a Division of the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE), Alexandria, VA [Online]. Available: https://www.nicet.org/

Paul J. Inferrera has an extensive background in training and instructional design consisting of creating in-house training programs, customer equipment start-up training, private and institutional organizations to apprenticeship programs. Combined with the experience in the fire protection and fire detection and alarm industries. Serving as a member of the Ship’s Special Fire Fighting team while in the United States Navy aboard the USS Kittyhawk (CV-63). Working at Wal-Mart’s Regional Distribution Center, he served as Fire Brigade Chief and T-3 (Train the Team) Trainer for the Maintenance Department.

Paul is also a NICET Ambassador, past Chair on the NICET Board of Governors; and qualifications include NICET Level IV, Fire Alarm Systems and NICET Level II, Special Hazard Suppression Systems.

Instructional Design Group, LLC, “IDG,” is dedicated to providing training and development programs designed to a higher, industry-recognized standard. Our courses will focus on building knowledge of the codes and standards that are adopted and specified across trades and industries.

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