Welcome everyone. In starting this new monthly posting I am reminded of the famous movie quote “I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship” (Humphrey Bogart as Rick in Casablanca). Over the upcoming months, I too hope to build our own beautiful friendship.
I first wanted to take a moment and introduce myself to those that might not be familiar with my trade writings. My name is Bob Dolph and for over a decade I have been writing technical related articles for the security and low voltage industry. Many of my monthly articles can be found in the trade publication Security Sales & Integration magazine. My signature monthly column is called Tech Talk. Overall, I have written over 200 trade articles. Additionally, I now look forward to sharing my thoughts, insights, and ideas with you, the readers of the ACT blog.
The theme for this month is “Do It Right”. OK, so you call yourself an professional alarm technician. You have been on the job for many years and you seem to get your work done since the systems perform properly when your assignment is finished. But, is your work truly a professional installation or service repair? How would you know?
Every once in a while traveling this Internet universe I run across what I like to call a ‚Diamond In The Rough” or DIR. A while back I was directed to the LinkedIn home page of Fernando Gonzalez and came across a delightful surprise.
Fernando is an experienced Fire Alarm Technician at Briscoe Protective Systems, Inc. Bronx, NY. When Fernando is done with a system repair or installation he likes to make sure it is completely done right and likes to prove it. An extra virtue, especially when it comes to life safety systems. What actually impressed me about Fernando were the photos on his LinkedIn site showing before and after work was completed. (See photo). We all need to do more of this trade professionalism bragging.
Poor wiring and panel layout can lead to poor system performance.
It appears that an alarm professional was working on this fire control panel. It will also be much easier when another tech has to service this panel. Nice job Fernando!
As techs pursue these “Do It Right” goals a valuable resource to check out might be the Certified Installation Quality Program. This program allows techs and companies to be certified in the installation and service of high-quality security and life safety systems. Make sure to check out the free resource downloads at the IQ Dealer Downloads page. Another security installation certification program for our neighbours across the pond is the Security Systems and Alarms Inspection Board (SSAIB).
Another important area for quality installations is having in-depth knowledge and applying industry standards. Some critical security system standards come from the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). Key standards are the National Electrical Code (NFPA 70), National Fire Alarm & Signaling (NFPA 72), and Installation of Electronic Premises Security Systems (NFPA 731). TIP: Save some money… You now have FREE access for the viewing of NFPA standards documents online. Check out the links above to view these popular and important documents.
Make sure to take a moment and let me know what you would like to discuss in future articles. Are you proud of an installation you or your company completed ? Then let me know. Would you like to brag about other trade related technicians and/or their techniques. Let me know as well.
See you next month………..