Training

The OSFAA is please to partner with the ESA national training school to offer 81 hour courses designed for technicians, service personnel, installation personnel, sales staff, and business owners.

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2023 Training Courses

These are live instructor-led classes that are held virtually. The course will allow you to get the full benefit of a live instructor teaching a course without the travel time or expense. You are able to interact with the instructor and ask questions all from the comfort of your home or office. In order to participate, you are required to provide a computer or tablet with high-speed internet, webcam (visual attendance required), full audio via phone or computer, and a quiet place to access the online course that provides little to no distractions.
Please be aware that if you are using these course(s) for licensing you will need to take (and pass with a 70% or higher score) the proctored open book multiple choice question exam with a verified proctoring service. Once you complete the course, you will be provided instructions on how to take the proctored exam. Who Should Attend? Technicians, service and installation personnel, sales staff, and business owners.

Course Descriptions

Click the course description links below for detailed information on each of the courses.

  • Plan for and initiate a successful installation while being able to tailor it for commercial or residential applications
  • Act responsibly and safely while on the job
  • Communicate effectively with customers and others in the industry
  • Understand the importance of codes and standards and how to locate and apply them
  • Define basic installation procedures and compare the underlying technology behind the various security system tools and equipment
  • Pursue advanced and specialized training that can lead to enhanced profits and increased compensation for the student credential holder

This foundational course, followed by a two-hour examination, provides students with an understanding of the industry and their role within it and provides the essential knowledge and skills for all forms of electronic security: intrusion detection, fire detection, video surveillance and access control. Professionals that complete the certified alarm technician level 1 course perform higher quality work more efficiently leading to greater productivity and higher profits for employers.

TOPICS EXPLORED

  • The industry; Standards; Alarm management; Electricity; Alarm systems; Perimeter sensors; Interior sensors
  • Fire systems; Notification devices; Power supplies; Control panels; Communications; Related systems; CCTV
  • Access control; Wiring methods; Quality and planning; Tools; Troubleshooting; Client relations; Job safety

 

Why the OSFAA / ESA CAT Level I ?

  • The best recognized and most insisted upon credential by state and local licensing authorities, regulators and others with jurisdiction over security integration work
  • Provides essential knowledge and skills for all forms of electronic security: intrusion detection, fire detection, video surveillance and access control
  • Level I trained and certified professionals do higher quality work, more efficiently and at higher profits.
  • A building block for more advanced and specialized training which can lead to further enhanced profits and increased compensation for the student credential holder

Who should attend:

Technicians, service personnel, installation personnel, sales staff, and business owners.

This course will provide individuals with the knowledge and skills to:

  • Install and maintain fire alarm systems that comply with NFPA 72 and NFPA 70
  • Properly service and maintain those systems

This course, followed by a two-hour examination, provides broad training for attendees to learn proper installation and service requirements for commercial fire alarm systems based on NFPA and ICC codes.

NFPA now requires that fire inspection and testing personnel be knowledgeable and trained, and that service personnel be qualified and experienced. This course provides the information needed for installers and service technicians to become familiar with fire alarm system requirements necessary to gain certification and prove competence.

TOPICS EXPLORED

  • Fire alarm system introduction, Codes and standards, Fire system fundamentals, Initiating device operation, Initiating device spacing and location
  • Emergency control functions, Notification appliances and circuits, Communication and reporting, Testing & inspecting
  • Household systems, Documentation, Wiring, CO detection, Emerging technologies

Why the OSFAA / ESA FAIM Course ?

  • Provides essential knowledge and skills for all forms of electronic fire detection systems
  • Trained and certified professionals do higher quality work, more efficiently and at higher profits.
  • A building block for more advanced and specialized training which can lead to further enhanced profits and increased compensation for the student credential holder

Who should attend:

Individuals seeking fire certification, technical staff, sales personnel, business owners, fire service and code officials.

Advanced Intrusion Systems will provide individuals with the knowledge and skills to:

  • Select and apply sensors, control panels and communication devices to provide effective intrusion detection
  • Take technical knowledge and skills in intrusion detection to the next level, qualifying students for valuable advanced credentials

This course, followed by a two-hour examination, is an advanced look at the design and installation of intrusion systems. Students learn how to select and install proper equipment in a variety of intrusion system applications. The course provides basic electronics instruction and how it pertains to system design, component selection and troubleshooting, as well as information on system testing, commissioning and project management.

TOPICS EXPLORED

  • Practical application of electronics
  • Practical application of controls
  • System power
  • Input and output
  • Networking and Communication
  • Advanced systems and devices
  • Testing and commissioning
  • Project management
  • Residential and commercial sensor application

Who should attend:

Technical staff (installation, service, and maintenance).

This course, followed by a two-hour examination, provides specific training on developing an installation plan based on field conditions and project requirements. Whether preparing plans for a factory’s monitored suppression system with seemingly minimal requirements or designing a voice evacuation system for a movie theater complex, plans should be developed by persons experienced in the proper design, application, installation and testing of commercial fire alarm systems.

The course focuses on providing a more advanced level of knowledge gleaned from national codes regarding proper detector selection, required coverage for specific building occupancies, as well as documentation and plan submittal requirements.

Professional Fire Alarm Design will provide individuals with the knowledge and skills to:

  • Design a system affording the best life safety for a building’s occupants based on codes and standards
  • Prepare plan submittal documents required by regulatory groups

TOPICS EXPLORED

  • Determine protection criteria
  • Identify statutory requirements by occupancy type
  • Additional system design requirements
  • Owner’s protection goals
  • Other hazards
  • Defining project scope
  • System types and features
  • Emergency control function interfaces
  • Choosing initiating devices
  • Choosing supervisory components
  • Choosing notification appliances
  • Fire system programming
  • Submittal package preparation
  • Other important documentation
  • Plan preparation project

Prerequisite:

  • Those wishing to attend this course must have taken the Fire Alarm Installation Methods course.
  • The Life Safety Code course is also strongly recommended.

Who should attend:

Fire alarm system designers, fire alarm project managers, fire alarm plan reviewers, fire alarm company owners, senior fire alarm technicians, commercial fire alarm salespersons, architects and engineers

The Electronic Access Control (EAC) course will provide the latest information students need to successfully design and install an electronic access control system. The primary focus of this course is to equip learners with knowledge on the most common devices and methods to connect them. Students will learn how to assess the customer’s needs, what to look for when performing a site survey, and then how to translate the data into an effective system.

Through this industry leading course, students will learn:

  • Concepts behind access control systems
  • Basic locksmithing system design
  • The details of basic access control system components national building codes
  • Wiring and power supplies
  • Designing layers of protection focused on outer perimeter, building perimeter and interior spaces
  • Establishing policies for lockdown and egress
  • A review of DHS Guidelines for active shooters

TOPICS EXPLORED

  • Overview
  • Building Codes
  • Locksmithing
  • Locks and Barriers
  • Entry Devices
  • Exit Devices
  • Powering Components
  • Controllers and Processors
  • Wiring Methods
  • System Design
  • Common Errors and Solutions

Who should attend:

Technical staff (installation, service, and maintenance)

This course, followed by a two hour examination, gives students the knowledge to successfully design and install a basic closed circuit television (CCTV) system. It focuses on traditional methods and equipment including analog cameras, coaxial cabling and VCRs as well as offering insight into technologies including digital cameras, Network Video Recorders (NVRs), fiber optic cable and Power over Ethernet (PoE).

Video System Technologies will provide individuals with the knowledge and skills to:

  • Designing and installing a basic video surveillance system
  • Learning about the functions and applications of all major equipment types
  • Students will complete two extensive practical exercises culminating in an actual system design per a customer’s specification and building plans

TOPICS EXPLORED

  • Imaging hardware
  • Transmission media
  • Power
  • Auxiliary equipment
  • Video processing
  • Monitors
  • Recording
  • System design
  • Commissioning
  • Troubleshooting

Who should attend:

Technicians, service personnel, installation personnel, sales staff, and business owners.

This course will provide individuals with experience designing, selling, installing, servicing and maintaining residential fire alarm systems.

It teaches the code knowledge and practical technical skills you need to design, install and maintain residential fire alarm systems that comply with NFPA 72, the IRC, NFPA 101 and NFPA 70.

The course provides the information necessary for individuals and companies previously focused solely on intrusion systems to expand their business services to include residential fire alarm systems.

Take this course to offer current and prospective customers the code-required system test and inspection services included in today’s fire alarm codes!

TOPICS EXPLORED

  • Codes And Standards
  • Control Panels
  • Power Requirements
  • Notification Appliances
  • Initiating Devices
  • Communication Methods
  • Wiring
  • Testing And Cleaning
  • Documentation
  • Client Relations

Who should attend:

Technical staff of residential fire systems (installation, service, and maintenance).

This course, followed by a two-hour examination, focuses on the service, repair, testing, inspection and preventative maintenance aspects of today’s electronic security systems. Troubleshooting, Service and Maintenance offers dealers and integrators an additional revenue stream and the potential for significant profits through these additional services. This course is ideal for individuals seeking to expand their knowledge on the proper procedures to service, repair and maintain intrusion, fire, video surveillance and access control systems and covers the fundamentals of troubleshooting as well as specific troubleshooting procedures for today’s systems. The course includes reference material from NFPA 70, NFPA 72, and NFPA 730/731 covering the proper test and inspection procedures of these systems.

Why Troubleshooting, Service and Maintenance?

  • Increases the efficiency and effectiveness of service professionals by teaching essential concepts and methods
  • The first and only course of its kind, focused on the service function
  • Designed to help make one of the key profit engines of an installation company more productive

TOPICS EXPLORED

  • Troubleshooting mindset
  • Preparation
  • Test equipment
  • Basic circuit troubleshooting
  • Panels & power supplies
  • Burglar alarm and fire alarm devices
  • Communications and notification
  • Closed circuit television (CCTV)
  • Electronic access control
  • Maintenance and inspections

Who should attend:

Technical staff

intrusion

Associate Members & Sponsors

Our featured associate members have sponsored OSFAA events and are engaged in manufacturing, distributing, supplying, dealing in or selling products or services generally used by Alarm Industry installers, dealers and systems integrators. 

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Start enjoying the benefits of our community. Our affordable membership options will open new doors and opportunities for your business. 

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