BICSI, a professional association supporting the information transport systems (ITS) industry, and the National Burglar & Fire Alarm Association (NBFAA) have entered into a memo of understanding (MOU) agreement to promote further growth and development of global ITS and Electronic Life Safety and Security (ELSS) systems.
NBFAA has been working alongside BICSI for several years, but when it came to looking at government relations and driving standards and regulations, NBFAA President Mike Miller tells SECURITY SALES & INTEGRATION it was necessary to take the next step with a formal agreement.
The agreement is expected to create new opportunities for the group’s members and between both industries. BICSI hopes the agreement will expand its NxtGEN outreach programs, while NBFAA sees advancement for educational and training opportunities.
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As part of its workforce development effort, NBFAA is promoting its National Training School (NTS) and its federally-approved apprentice program.
“We’re trying to develop career pathways and we’re trying to develop people who recognize this as an industry to work in — not just a stepping stone,” says Miller. “All of these efforts as far as education, training and the apprentice program really do fall under our workforce development effort.”
The two organizations plan to engage in a variety of cooperative activities, including exchanging visits and views between the members of the two entities in order to promote a qualified and skilled workforce; promoting and developing reciprocal training, education and certifications of ITS and ELSS design and installation professionals; and pursuing other cooperative activities as appropriate.
“We see ourselves growing to integrate with IT. One of NBFAA’s concerns is a perception of our members being only the burg/fire guy,” Miller tells SSI. “There is a lot more to it than just burg and fire. We have members who do home theaters and network structure cabling. A lot of our members are probably also members of BICSI. It augments the reason why we need to have training on the network structuring cable side of the business.”
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