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NBFAA Accreditation
The National Burglar and Fire Alarm Association
(NBFAA) is the nation's oldest and largest organization representing,
supporting and promoting the electronic life safety, security
and systems industry. Founded in 1948 and celebrating its 55th
year, the association represents more than 2,400 member companies.
In addition to traditional burglar and fire alarm installations,
in recent years, NBFAA members have expanded their range of services
to include Closed Circuit Television, Access Control, Home Automation,
Structured Cabling, and Home Theater and Sound. NBFAA members
adhere to a stringent code of ethics and have access to the most
up-to-date industry information.
The National Training School (NTS), founded by
NBFAA in 1985, was established to meet the ever-increasing need
for standardized training in the electronic life safety, security
and systems industry. Earning an NTS designation allows electronic
life safety, security and systems professionals to serve as role
models for the profession by proving their knowledge, skills and
adherence to the highest ethical standards.
NBFAA encourages sponsoring organizations to provide
educational activities for members, clients, customers, prospects
and personnel. NTS certificate holders are required to participate
in on-going professional education to maintain their credential(s),
and many sponsoring organizations have found NTS Program Accreditation
and the NTS logo to be effective tools for marketing their continuing
education programs. NBFAA has initiated an administrative review
and accreditation process for those organizations wishing to include
the NBFAA/NTS logo and program approval in their promotional literature.
Note: NTS certificate holders report
1.2 CEUs, or 12 hours, directly to NBFAA and are not required
to obtain course approval in advance of participating a continuing
education
activity.
Qualifying Activities
Programs covering "generic" or
"product-specific" topics or content are eligible for
NTS accreditation.
Generic subject matter means that the skills or
knowledge gained by the attendees during the course is easily
transferable from one product or product line to another. For
example, a course covering selection of correct types of wire
for a given system based on the use, environment, load, etc.,
could apply to any manufacturer or system type.
Product-specific training is useful only for a
given piece of equipment or a particular system. For example,
a class providing information on how to program a "Brand
XXX Access Control System" would be product-specific, because
the skills acquired would not necessarily be applicable to a "Brand
ZZZ Access Control System."
Courses submitted as "product-specific"
which appear to be sales pitches or product endorsements will
not receive approval. This distinction is important because NTS
does not endorse specific manufacturer's products. The NTS endorses
competence in given areas of expertise. Product-specific courses
may be approved when they are designed to convey application guidelines,
proper installation, service, or troubleshooting techniques.
Application Process
Organizations interested in receiving NTS
accreditation must complete and sign the attached two-sided application
form, which includes a Limited License Agreement for use of the
NBFAA/NTS logo and approved tag line. Organizations must attach
a schedule/agenda indicating the session topics and length, scheduled
breaks and meals, whether the course is generic or product-specific,
and a brief course description to include intended audience (see
below) and course objectives (see below). Without this information,
applications cannot be processed.
Accreditation requests should be submitted at
least two months prior to the program date. This will ensure adequate
time for NBFAA/NTS to process the application and allow the sponsoring
organization to use the NBFAA/NTS logo in their marketing materials.
Programs submitted less than two months prior to the program date
will be evaluated on a best-effort basis. Please allow at least
two weeks for application processing.
Each program an organization wishes to have accredited
requires a separate application. The attached form may be duplicated.
Only one application is necessary for programs with multiple presentation
dates, providing the presentation does not vary in length or content.
Please include all dates and locations on the application form.
Audience
Course descriptions must indicate the intended
audience and course content must be a reasonable match for that
audience. For example, if the course content was on the installation
and adjustment of infrared detectors, the appropriate audience
would be installers and service technicians, not sales representatives.
Courses with content inappropriate for the target audience will
not receive approval.
Objectives
Applications for accreditation must be accompanied
by a brief course description, including the length of course
and key learning objectives. This information allows potential
attendees to determine whether the course will meet their educational
needs and know what they can expect to get out of the course before
they invest their time and money.
For example, "At the completion of this course
attendees will be able to: understand how EMS will provide dramatic
increases in security and reduction in costs, how robotic vision
systems save lives and protect property, and why they are an important
new weapon in the war on terror" is a reasonable objective
- for security center operators. It may not be a good match, however,
for the people who have to install, adjust, or troubleshoot
it.
If you can't tell or can't decide what knowledge
the attendees will gain from the course, we can't determine if
the instruction will be useful for the intended audience, nor
is it possible to justify attendance at this educational event.
Promoting Your Program
Programs receiving accreditation may be
listed on the NBFAA website with the contact name and phone number.
Sponsors can elect not to have their programs published by NBFAA
by checking the box in Section One of the application. Once your
program brochure is printed, please forward a copy to NBFAA in
order to complete your file.
Determining NTS Credits
Every 50-minutes of qualified education
will qualify for one NTS CEU (or renewal credit). This calculation
will determine the amount of your payment.
Fees
A $50 processing fee must be included with
the application in order for it to be reviewed and processed.
This fee is non-refundable and non-transferable. In the event
that your program is approved, this fee will be applied to any
additional monies owed, for which you will be invoiced by NBFAA.
If your application is not approved, this fee will not be refunded.
Required fees are $100 per course hour. For web
or computer-based training, course hours shall be based on how
long the course would take if offered in an instructor-led, live
classroom setting.
Upon approval of your accreditation application,
you will be invoiced for the balance due. The course submittal
fee is waived for NBFAA members.
Attendee Records
NTS certificate holders are required to
maintain individual documentation for courses attended. Written
documentation of attendance should be provided to attendees by
the sponsoring organization. NBFAA will provide a template document
to the program sponsor, which may be customized, reproduced and
distributed to program participants, if desired.
Still have questions? Please don’t hesitate
to call us.
National Training School
3718 West Lake Road
Erie, PA 16505
Phone: 866-636-1687
Fax: 814-838-5127
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