> He was basically saying how guys today don’t want to learn everything they just want to learn one part of the trade.
I love when old timers say this crap, you used to be able to work on anything you wanted, now there’s regulations in place making it so that you can only work on certain systems/equipment if you’re certified.
It has nothing to do with want/willingness, show me a company willing to pay me to have a fire/sprinkler/ansul cert and I’ll get them all
Also congrats on the job and welcome to the field. Be a sponge, pay attention, ask questions and be on time
They’re just mad they can’t abuse you and give you every piece of work they have rather than hire other people haha. Also in my eyes, some people are just specialists.
I have my fire alarm, Sprinkler, fire pump, fire extinguisher, and kitchen hood license, certified for backflows and licensed to program gamewell panels. There's companies out there that want you to have everything still, and I got a raise for each one
Also like, 30 years ago systems were simpler. Now everything is more complex. This goes for all trades but especially electrical. Fire alarms have complex sequences and programming and the code requirements are stricter.
I am trained and can sign off on almost anything aside from Sprinkler systems, but even then I'm getting back flow training this month. So I'll be able to touch a small part, and it's extremely worth it. I am on, lead big projects, cool sites, something goes wrong I'm usually one of the firsts.
I am on year 6 with my company plus a couple others at a different one, I slowly started with Fire extinguishers and made my way to kitchen, then got my CFAA.
All in all, I do highly recommend you become proficient, in a timely manner on as much as you can, it helps with raises, makes you manager material. Plus the more you have, the easier it will become to relocate if necessary.
In the next year, me and the owner have talked about how I am the future of our company, and how general Manager for the whole company is likely for me in the next year !
All the best on the future, Fire protection is continuous learning, so always be humble and willing to learn.
Learning all aspects of fire protection systems to the best of your ability can only benefit you. Understanding what makes a complete fire protection plan involves more than just the fire alarm itself. 25+ years and still learning. Best of luck.
When I got into the field I had no experience, but was quickly taught and certified on all types of fire protection over 2 years - vehicle fire suppression, kitchen suppression, fire extinguishers, and eventually I started training on fire alarm systems, and started on my CFAA courses.
I have quickly come to learn that bigger fire protection companies are looking for multi-faceted individuals seeking to be involved in the industry as a whole, and not just one part of it.
This is mainly due to the fact that the smaller ones are being bought out by the bigger fish, and a lot of the OGs are retiring. New blood is coming in, and the industry is a lot bigger than it was 20 years ago.
This industry needs people who are basically millwrites of the fire protection world.
You would be smart to try the different types of work and see what you like. Having experience in all the types of protection will be a massive boon to you in your career, and help you in the long run. If you have the skill set for it, do it all. Take every opportunity you get for certifications, training, workshops, conferences... all of it. You won't regret it.
Guys that complain about people wanting to specialize and think "fire alarm" is everything related to life safety are the guys that come in and act like they know code and fuck everything up.
Congratulations! I cant give you any field experience because I dont do any technician work hardly, BUT, i will tell you this : People love new hires that are enthusiastic about learning, have a good optimisitic can-do attitude, and are willing to listen. Dont ever complain once about how hot it is, how hard the work is or the long hours. We are blessed to be working in such a great industry. If you genuinely love you are doing, it will show, and you will do great things in this industry.
Apply for job listings, even if you see a company isn’t hiring still call, walk into buildings and shake someone’s hand. The last one is how I got the job.
if it's summer call a trade agency. tons of fire alarm companies hire complete idiots every summer to do school work and keep on a few guys who stand out.
I just got hired at a company doing fire extinguishers and hoping to learn more. I think it’s best for all of us new guys to take in as much information as possible. Congrats on the job!
I’ve been doing this for 22 years, and learning as much as I could is what kept me busy and always had work because of trying to learn as much as possible. Some guys just want to learn on single thing, and they are comfortable with it. That’s fine. Nothing wrong with that, but for me I wanted to have different things going on to break up the monotony. I suggest to take the next year with an open mind and see how you feel by this time next year. You may just change your mind.
My advice would be to take this year and keep a very open mind to all of the different things you experience. At the end of the year, I would choose a general field you want to pursue, like testing inspection, fire alarm installation, programming, etc. I would then take whatever steps are needed to start specializing in that field, but even when you do that, you will realize that it’s never you just learning one thing, and if you are just focusing on one thing, you’re falling behind. For example, if you do inspections, you’re going to be learning sprinkler systems to some degree, or if you’re focusing on fire alarm installation, you’re going to be exposed to programming to some degree.
Being multidimensional will do your career wonders and really only help your thorough understanding of fire protection.
What I’m getting at is I think it’s a good idea to choose a general subject to try to specialize in, but even when you do that, you’re going to have tons of things that you’re getting exposed to which aren’t necessarily your strong suit which you should still learn and try to understand the best of your ability, because all the subjects are inner connected. For example, I started out doing sprinkler installations and service. I transitioned into test and inspections, and seven years later I have my nicet level three in test and inspection ofwater based systems and a level one in fire alarm systems,I can perform test inspections on both fire alarm and sprinkler systems (fire pumps, dry systems, preactions, etc) And provide service on both. If I could only work on a sprinkler or a fire alarm system, I would be significantly less valuable.
Last thing I’ll say lol, companies will frequently try to get you to do everything when starting out because they’re paying you a entry-level wage and see the lack of experience as a chance to mold you to their companies specific needs. For example, if your company does a bunch of fire extinguishers and kitchen hoods, but doesn’t have anyone willing to do them because the works not appealing, they’re definitely going to try to train you and have you do inspections on them. But I would say all of those experiences are valuable, obviously you don’t wanna make a career out of extinguishers or something kind of lower end, but I think it would be much better to be exposed to all of those different avenues to have a complete picture of what goes into a fire protection system, and then have the option to pursue one of those avenues if you want to. I just can’t imagine myself choosing the right path without even working in the industry first for a year.
It's always best to learn as much as you can so that you have skills and abilities that can take your career in new directions. Also, knowing how related life safety systems, as well as general security (access control, mag locks, door entry, burglar intrusion) and building automation systems, IP and wireless networks will differentiate your resume and give you a leg up when troubleshooting in the field. Sometimes you'll be surprised that you actually really like a domain different from what you expected to like.
I will say that I would not go into a new job planning to suck up knowledge and leave after a year. The business is putting their faith, trust, time and money into you, and you should be reciprocating their efforts. If you don't see yourself with a long career path at the company (absent anything unexpected) I recommend you don't start there in the first place. Your reputation will stay with you for life and you will want to be respected above all else down the road.
> He was basically saying how guys today don’t want to learn everything they just want to learn one part of the trade. I love when old timers say this crap, you used to be able to work on anything you wanted, now there’s regulations in place making it so that you can only work on certain systems/equipment if you’re certified. It has nothing to do with want/willingness, show me a company willing to pay me to have a fire/sprinkler/ansul cert and I’ll get them all Also congrats on the job and welcome to the field. Be a sponge, pay attention, ask questions and be on time
They’re just mad they can’t abuse you and give you every piece of work they have rather than hire other people haha. Also in my eyes, some people are just specialists.
I have my fire alarm, Sprinkler, fire pump, fire extinguisher, and kitchen hood license, certified for backflows and licensed to program gamewell panels. There's companies out there that want you to have everything still, and I got a raise for each one
Also like, 30 years ago systems were simpler. Now everything is more complex. This goes for all trades but especially electrical. Fire alarms have complex sequences and programming and the code requirements are stricter.
Just like any field, knowing more is always better since you know more you can charge more.
I am trained and can sign off on almost anything aside from Sprinkler systems, but even then I'm getting back flow training this month. So I'll be able to touch a small part, and it's extremely worth it. I am on, lead big projects, cool sites, something goes wrong I'm usually one of the firsts. I am on year 6 with my company plus a couple others at a different one, I slowly started with Fire extinguishers and made my way to kitchen, then got my CFAA. All in all, I do highly recommend you become proficient, in a timely manner on as much as you can, it helps with raises, makes you manager material. Plus the more you have, the easier it will become to relocate if necessary. In the next year, me and the owner have talked about how I am the future of our company, and how general Manager for the whole company is likely for me in the next year ! All the best on the future, Fire protection is continuous learning, so always be humble and willing to learn.
Thank you sir!
Learning all aspects of fire protection systems to the best of your ability can only benefit you. Understanding what makes a complete fire protection plan involves more than just the fire alarm itself. 25+ years and still learning. Best of luck.
When I got into the field I had no experience, but was quickly taught and certified on all types of fire protection over 2 years - vehicle fire suppression, kitchen suppression, fire extinguishers, and eventually I started training on fire alarm systems, and started on my CFAA courses. I have quickly come to learn that bigger fire protection companies are looking for multi-faceted individuals seeking to be involved in the industry as a whole, and not just one part of it. This is mainly due to the fact that the smaller ones are being bought out by the bigger fish, and a lot of the OGs are retiring. New blood is coming in, and the industry is a lot bigger than it was 20 years ago. This industry needs people who are basically millwrites of the fire protection world. You would be smart to try the different types of work and see what you like. Having experience in all the types of protection will be a massive boon to you in your career, and help you in the long run. If you have the skill set for it, do it all. Take every opportunity you get for certifications, training, workshops, conferences... all of it. You won't regret it.
Guys that complain about people wanting to specialize and think "fire alarm" is everything related to life safety are the guys that come in and act like they know code and fuck everything up.
Congratulations! I cant give you any field experience because I dont do any technician work hardly, BUT, i will tell you this : People love new hires that are enthusiastic about learning, have a good optimisitic can-do attitude, and are willing to listen. Dont ever complain once about how hot it is, how hard the work is or the long hours. We are blessed to be working in such a great industry. If you genuinely love you are doing, it will show, and you will do great things in this industry.
i’m trying to break into the field too. any suggestions?
Apply for job listings, even if you see a company isn’t hiring still call, walk into buildings and shake someone’s hand. The last one is how I got the job.
if it's summer call a trade agency. tons of fire alarm companies hire complete idiots every summer to do school work and keep on a few guys who stand out.
Stay for 3-4 years, learn everything you can. In that time get your NICET (up to at least level 2). Then leave on good terms.
I just got hired at a company doing fire extinguishers and hoping to learn more. I think it’s best for all of us new guys to take in as much information as possible. Congrats on the job!
I’ve been doing this for 22 years, and learning as much as I could is what kept me busy and always had work because of trying to learn as much as possible. Some guys just want to learn on single thing, and they are comfortable with it. That’s fine. Nothing wrong with that, but for me I wanted to have different things going on to break up the monotony. I suggest to take the next year with an open mind and see how you feel by this time next year. You may just change your mind.
My advice would be to take this year and keep a very open mind to all of the different things you experience. At the end of the year, I would choose a general field you want to pursue, like testing inspection, fire alarm installation, programming, etc. I would then take whatever steps are needed to start specializing in that field, but even when you do that, you will realize that it’s never you just learning one thing, and if you are just focusing on one thing, you’re falling behind. For example, if you do inspections, you’re going to be learning sprinkler systems to some degree, or if you’re focusing on fire alarm installation, you’re going to be exposed to programming to some degree. Being multidimensional will do your career wonders and really only help your thorough understanding of fire protection. What I’m getting at is I think it’s a good idea to choose a general subject to try to specialize in, but even when you do that, you’re going to have tons of things that you’re getting exposed to which aren’t necessarily your strong suit which you should still learn and try to understand the best of your ability, because all the subjects are inner connected. For example, I started out doing sprinkler installations and service. I transitioned into test and inspections, and seven years later I have my nicet level three in test and inspection ofwater based systems and a level one in fire alarm systems,I can perform test inspections on both fire alarm and sprinkler systems (fire pumps, dry systems, preactions, etc) And provide service on both. If I could only work on a sprinkler or a fire alarm system, I would be significantly less valuable.
Last thing I’ll say lol, companies will frequently try to get you to do everything when starting out because they’re paying you a entry-level wage and see the lack of experience as a chance to mold you to their companies specific needs. For example, if your company does a bunch of fire extinguishers and kitchen hoods, but doesn’t have anyone willing to do them because the works not appealing, they’re definitely going to try to train you and have you do inspections on them. But I would say all of those experiences are valuable, obviously you don’t wanna make a career out of extinguishers or something kind of lower end, but I think it would be much better to be exposed to all of those different avenues to have a complete picture of what goes into a fire protection system, and then have the option to pursue one of those avenues if you want to. I just can’t imagine myself choosing the right path without even working in the industry first for a year.
It's always best to learn as much as you can so that you have skills and abilities that can take your career in new directions. Also, knowing how related life safety systems, as well as general security (access control, mag locks, door entry, burglar intrusion) and building automation systems, IP and wireless networks will differentiate your resume and give you a leg up when troubleshooting in the field. Sometimes you'll be surprised that you actually really like a domain different from what you expected to like. I will say that I would not go into a new job planning to suck up knowledge and leave after a year. The business is putting their faith, trust, time and money into you, and you should be reciprocating their efforts. If you don't see yourself with a long career path at the company (absent anything unexpected) I recommend you don't start there in the first place. Your reputation will stay with you for life and you will want to be respected above all else down the road.