IQ Program Chair Explains Recertification Process
ERIE, Pa. — After meeting the required IQ Certification Program guidelines, the IQ Board of Directors approved four companies for recertification.
The companies include:
- Action Alarm Systems Corp. of Nottingham, Md.
- Maximum Security Solutions of Macon, Ga.
- Security Central Network of Lexington, Tenn.
- Total Watch Security of Palm Desert, Calif.
Each month, the board reviews recertification applications. The recertification process, which occurs annually, is similar to the certification process that new companies must undergo. In order to help the process run smoothly, the board provides a checklist to help companies organize all their documents, IQ Certification Chair Tim Creenan tells SSI.
“When people hear recertification, they think it’s either too difficult or too long and drawn out,” he says. “So, we prepared this document that lays out the steps on how to become IQ certified. We’re trying to remove some of the mystery out of becoming IQ Certified. It’s not brain surgery.”
A few of the standards required for companies to gain certification include designating an IQ Compliance Officer, assembling a quality control team, completing the application for certification and providing an insurance certificate naming the IQ board as an additional insured organization.
It also helps companies to have a good relationship with public safety officials, such as police and fire departments, as the IQ Board of Public Safety Directors also play a role in approving companies for certification and/or recertification. For example, if the officials find that a business has a high false alarm rate, it can hinder certification plans.
“After we hear the input from police and fire departments, we give the potential IQ Certified company a chance to address it and rectify it,” Creenan says. “We don’t just take the public safety officials’ word. Another issue that comes up is that companies don’t have the proper licensing. That makes it impossible to certify anyone.”
Because the program’s aim is to help alarm companies and central stations receive certification, the board will send notifications for up to three months to remind businesses that it is time to renew.
“We understand that people are running businesses,” Creenan says. “They get caught up in various things, so we want to help them and make sure that they know what to do. It gives a company plenty of time to renew their certification after the first notice.”
Started in 1997, the IQ Certification Program has roughly 200 companies enrolled. Its goal is to raise the overall installation quality of electronic security and life-safety systems and reduce false alarms. IQ Certification is an official endorser of the Police Dispatch Quality (PDQ) award program.
For more information, click here.
Ashley Willis is associate editor for SECURITY SALES & INTEGRATION. She can be reached at (310) 533-2419.
If you enjoyed this article and want to receive more valuable industry content like this, click here to sign up for our FREE digital newsletters!
Related Content
Security Is Our Business, Too
For professionals who recommend, buy and install all types of electronic security equipment, a free subscription to Commercial Integrator + Security Sales & Integration is like having a consultant on call. You’ll find an ideal balance of technology and business coverage, with installation tips and techniques for products and updates on how to add to your bottom line.
A FREE subscription to the top resource for security and integration industry will prove to be invaluable.
