The Iowa State Fire Marshal recently approved the Certified Fire Alarm Designer (CFAD) designation from the Electronic Security Association’s (ESA)National Training School (NTS) as an acceptable form of training for applicants seeking Fire Alarm System Contractor licensing in the state of Iowa.

Iowa licensing laws state that alarm system contractors and installers must have prior training and be certified by the fire marshal. In order to attain proper licensing, individuals must apply for endorsements in the scope of work that they perform. CFAD is one of three acceptable certification programs for the Fire Alarm System Contractor endorsement in Iowa.

“Gaining approval for CFAD in Iowa is a major accomplishment for NTS,” said ESA Vice President of Training and Certification Michelle Yungblut. “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). The 14-hour course provides individuals with specific training for developing an installation plan based on field conditions and project requirements.

The newly developed course is the most advanced fire class offered by NTS. It’s also the most up-to-date fire course in the industry.

“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 PFAD subject matter expert. “And the depth of knowledge that ultimately created this course cannot be compared to any other organization’s offerings.”

CFAD isn’t the only NTS certification that gained recognition in Iowa. CFAT was also recently approved for the Nurse Call System Contractor endorsement. CFAD and CFAT join two other certifications previously approved through the Iowa State Fire Marshal: Certified Alarm Technician Level II and Certified Alarm Technician Level I.