Now that I am getting more involved on the design aspect I dont see any difference from the inspection and testing side of the business.
I started laying out sprinkler systems 36 years ago. It is all I have ever done. When I started 98% of everything was pipe schedule and we had three heads to contend with; upright, pendent and sidewall.
Twenty years ago Georgia was cowboy land where licensing wasn't required and all it took was fitter helper, two wrenches and a beat up pick up truck to become a fire sprinkler contractor.
I've seen the results first hand; a row of 1/2" standard response,standard coverage sprinklers 11'-6" off the wall and 1/2" pipe coming out of reducing tee to feet 4 sprinklers in a paint booth. Some of what was installed 25 years ago is simply appalling.
To address the problem a few years back the Georgia Fire Marshal made licensing a requirement and the penalty for working without a license is a third class
felony.
Starting six or seven years ago Georgia requires all inspectors to obtain NICET Level III (not II like most states but III) in inspection and testing with each being issued a personal license, one that is attached to the company, to be able to perform inspections.
In Georgia as well each company location must have must have a certificate of competency holder and the only way you get that is to be Level III or IV layout technician.
Is this perfect? Of course it isn't but in my opinion it is the best route so far. For example as a C of C holder I am required to visit a job site a minimum of three times and document that I have by filing a form with the Fire Marshal's office. On larger jobs I might be there a dozen times or more but it is me and only me that can file the form.
On hydrostatic tests I am the only one that can sign the test papers. I have to be there and I have to personally witness the hydro
and the flushing of underground if underground is involved.
When everything is done I have to sign a certificate of completion saying I inspected the installation throughout the process and everything was done in accordance with standards and approved plans.
I take what I do very seriously because maybe some are to stupid to recognize what's happening but it's obvious to me the fire marshal is preparing to jerk the licenses of people who don't take their job seriously. There have been some five figure fines handed out and it is preparing to get a whole lot worse.
I think it is going to become effective in June but a few months ago I saw a draft of regulations where if an engineer flubs up in specifications or drawing as the technician I am supposed to draw it up that way submitting a form on what I think is incorrect when I submit drawings. At this point the argument isn't between me and the engineer it's between the engineer and his state licensing board.
As a result of this getting out it is becoming ever much harder to find an engineer that will seal drawings if needed. Hard and much more expensive.
I also know the state is about ready to really start clamping down on C of C holders for not doing their job. I, more than anyone, applaud this move.
As for the inspectors who else? I would guess Georgia has somewhere around 750,000 sprinkler systems and as of February 23, 2012 Georgia had exactly 125 Level III inspectors living in the state. If everything was inspected per state regulation each inspector would have to do 6,000 inspections annually for an average of 24 inspections per day.
It isn't perfect but it is better than no inspections at all.
The NICET layout technicians gaining plan approval? It isn't perfect, and sometimes it gets downright scarey, but there really isn't any alternatives. I believe it's ingrained in how the industry developed through the insurance industry 40, 60, 80 years ago.
These same insurance companies, like Chubb, built this industry that has saved tens of thousands of lives and billions of dollars. Chubb designs its training around the type of guys who will do the work. I've found most to be your smarter than average fitter with a lot of field experience. Who else you going to design the training for, people with masters degrees in engineering? Should we take our experienced fitters and sent them to Harvard for four years?
That is the best we got, it isn't going to get any better so why not everyone do their part to help make it better if you see faults?
I got into detail about the way Georgia approaches the problem because of all the states I have, or have held, licenses (about 20 total from Alaska to Vermont) in my opinion Georgia has it most right.
