The Electrical Contractors Association of Ontario (ECAO) is undertaking an ambitious rebranding of its Certified Fire Alarm Electrician (CFAE) program.
New brochures, a media campaign and a website have been developed to promote the program, now known as CERTI-FIRE. The intent is to make the program better known to potential end-users. The CFAE program was recognized by the Ontario Fire Marshall in the mid-1990s. It incorporates a four-level, 160-hour certificate course. To date, more than 4,500 electricians have been certified across the province.
Consultant Fred Black, a past president of ECAO and the current chair of the six-person CERTI-FIRE steering committee, said the rebranding under the CERTI-FIRE banner is intended to raise the program’s profile.
The target audience includes building owners and managers, building inspectors, fire prevention officers, local fire departments, architects, engineers and insurance companies.
"The committee had done a great job with designing the course and having it accepted by the Ontario Fire Marshall," Black said.
"But for some reason, the program wasn’t marketed any further. The result is that we know who we are, and the Ontario Fire Marshall knows who we are, but the rest of the industry (end-users and authorities having jurisdiction) doesn’t appear to be aware of us or of our capabilities."
The only other body recognized in the province by the Ontario Fire Marshall is the Canadian Fire Alarm Association. CFAA technicians can test, inspect or verify fire alarm systems. But they cannot install such systems unless they also hold a valid 309A electrician’s licence.
On the other hand, Black said CERTI-FIRE electricians "can do it all—install, inspect, test and verify systems or provide total one-stop shopping to anyone using their services."
Last fall, the CFAE steering committee decided a total rebranding of the CFAE program was necessary. A CERTI-FIRE power point presentation was put together and subsequently presented to both the ECAO and the Joint Electrical Promotion Plan, an organization that has representation from both the ECAO and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. The parties agreed to sponsor a $600,000 rebranding initiative, on basically a shared-cost basis. CERTI-FIRE was launched in April. In its first month alone, the new website received about 500 hits.
Black, a former electrical contractor who retired in 2009, said hits are currently averaging about 40 a day.
The CERTI-FIRE steering committee also had a booth at Springfest in late April, an event targeted at building owners, property managers, facility managers and others responsible for building maintenance and facility operations.
In early December, committee members will be on hand at PM Expo, Canada’s largest property management exposition and conference. The event is held in conjunction with Construct Canada.
To further market the program, the CERTI-FIRE steering committee is in the process of developing three seminar-type courses which Black said will be up and running this fall. The courses are targeted at: building owners, managers and consulting engineers; authorities having jurisdiction, such as building inspectors, and local fire departments; and fire prevention officers specifically.
Black said the ECAO also is holding discussions with a major insurance company in an effort to have preferred rates available to end-users who retain CERTI-FIRE contractors for fire alarm needs.
Black, who joined the CFAE steering committee in 2010, has been making presentations to local electrical contractors’ associations across the province on the rebranding initiative and the potential work that exists for contractors in this realm.
"If you are a small electrical contractor, with say eight to ten employees, you can make a living out of this fire alarm work alone," Black said.
Contractors must register with the ECAO to become a CERTI-FIRE contractor and be listed on the program’s website.
CERTI-FIRE training is open to both union and non-union electricians.
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