Fire Alarm 101
The Problem
Traditionally, people who enter the fire alarm industry learn via on-the-job mentorship. At first, this sounds like a great approach. Let the current experts teach the new folks so they can become experts. At the same time, you get the added productivity of having new staff onsite right away.
In reality, this approach is terrible.
Fire alarm code is complex. Most people working for a fire alarm company or a fire department have received instruction that was mediocre at best. Sure, they might have achieved a certification or received a license at some point, but those tests only cover a tiny fraction of the requirements.
There are tons of rules that apply to fire alarm. Most code books are updated every three years. Despite this, there are often no continuing education requirements. When you combine the complexity of the codes and the frequent changes with pressure be productive, most people are unable to keep up with the code. No wonder they're not great teachers. Their teachers were in the same boat. Same with their teachers before them.
The mentorship approach assumes that your senior staff have a desire and a skill to teach others. When I was an ops manager, I made this assumption. Almost everybody does. If you ask around, you'll find that less than 30% of people have the desire. If you objectively evaluate teaching skills, you'll find the percentage of skilled trainers is much lower.
So you have the blind leading the blind - often reluctantly. That might sound hyperbolic, but I've been teaching fire alarm skills for nearly 30 years. Whether I'm giving an assessment to a cadre of techs or teaching a room full of AHJs, I consistently find massive knowledge gaps.
It gets worse. Nobody hires new employees unless they have more work than they can handle with existing staff. When you throw someone out in the field under those circumstances, do you think anyone is taking the time to teach them well? No, if they graduate from go-fer (go for this, go for that), they'll be shown something quickly and mostly left on their own. It's a very sink-or-swim approach.
We already have massive shortages of skilled techs and inspectors in the industry. How do you think these approaches affect employee retention? Hint: it's not good.
Solution
Fire Alarm 101 is a bundle of foundational courses that everyone entering the fire alarm industry needs to take. On the commercial side, this applies to electricians, fire alarm technicians, helpers, inspectors, and even salespeople. On the enforcement side, this applies to fire marshals and inspectors (government and insurance).
My recommendation is to have students go through a few modules at a time and then let them try out what they've learned in a safe environment. That could be a training room, a warehouse or a even jobsite, given adequate supervision. After a bit of practice, have someone more senior watch over their shoulder and offer feedback (preferably someone who has also taken these courses and knows the right way to do things).
With this approach, you can get new employees up to speed in a week! No more waiting six months before they new guy or gal is productive enough to cover their salary. Employees have the confidence that they were taught correctly and know what they're doing. And they feel like you've invested in them, making them more likely to stick around.
Courses Included
Fire Alarm 101 includes 12-months of access to the following:
- Introduction to Fire Alarm
- Tools for Techs
- Construction Basics
- Reading Architectural Drawings
- Field Drafting and As-Builts
- Installing Electrical Boxes
- Intro to Wire
- Pulling Wire*
- Terminating Wire
- Addressing Devices
- Installing Smoke and Heat Detectors
- Installing Sprinkler Devices
- Installing Modules & Pull Stations
- Installing Notification Appliances
- Installing Surge Suppressors
*Pulling Wire is in progress. Fire Alarm 101 subscribers will automatically get access as soon as it is published.
Details
You can purchase training for yourself or for someone else in your organization. Licenses are valid for 12 months from the date they are assigned to a student.
In addition to granting access for a full year instead of 30 days, purchasing Fire Alarm 101 saves you money compared to buying each course individually.
Fire Alarm 101 is also the only way to take advantage of our Teams feature, which allows you to assign licenses to your employees and track their progress.
If you are already enrolled, login to access your training.