NICET Ambassador Tom Rose

It is our pleasure to congratulate NICET Ambassador Mr. Tom Rose for his award from the Alabama Fire College (http://www.alabamafirecollege.org/) The award recognizes Tom’s efforts to train fire inspectors in Alabama.

Mr. Rose earned NICET Level IV in Fire Alarm Systems in 2005. We recently caught up with him to ask a few questions about his successful career.

How did you get into this field? What was your career track?

After I received my associates degree in Electronics I was hired by a local company specializing in suppression systems utilizing Halon. Shortly after, was on to Simplex Time Recorder and then ultimately many other cities and companies. Over the past 36 years, I have lived in Miami, North Carolina, Virginia, Atlanta, New Orleans and of course once again in Mobile. The work has taken me throughout the western hemisphere including Canada and the Caribbean. I have performed all aspects of fire alarm systems activities including sales, installation, service and inspections. I have had management, engineering, and project management positions.

How did you learn about NICET certification?

I first learned of NICET certification in 1996 from my supervisor while I was a National Senior Service Representative for E.S.T. assisting offices throughout the U.S. I was told at that time the fire alarm industry was placing a lot of significance on having this certification.

What did achieving higher levels of NICET certification mean to you?

My NICET certification allows me to communicate and interface with individuals involved in the fire stakeholder’s attachment. Fire inspectors, electrical engineers, business owners, and my own fellow employees and supervisors will typically listen closely to my opinions regarding fire scenarios. It offers a recognition and respect I might not ordinarily enjoy in my business practices.

How has NICET certification played a role in your career path?

At one point of my career path, I was hired by Johnson Controls and later by Simplex/Grinnell (Tyco) because of my certification.

What impact could NICET certification have on an individual’s career path?

I believe that any individual willing to undergo testing for various levels of NICET certification will open windows of opportunity and a dialogue of respect with community that ordinarily would not be extended to someone without NICET.  It distinguishes that individual to all concerned that they have undergone rigid testing to insure their competency within their field of specialty.

What advice would you give someone new to the industry?

The best advice that I can give to anyone entering the field of fire alarm or other fields of certification is first, never discount the communication of those  that you might believe would have no information or can offer any assistance in completing the task at hand. For example, when I was a Simplex technician in the mid-80s, I was at a college campus searching for an activated alarm point on a system. It was annunciated on a graphic annunciator but the point was added after the fact with no nomenclature to indicate what that one lone LED represented on the second floor. On the third day of walking around and scratching my head, I finally listened to a campus handyman (he was responsible mostly for plunging overflowing toilets) whom took me to an area approximately 10’ x 10’ with a one zone fire alarm panel and two smoke detectors connected to it. The panel had been silenced but had not been reset. It was a film editing lab and after looking through that area several times the professor looked at us and stated "I didn't realize that was what you were looking for all this time." It just shows even the toilet plunging guy can offer something. Everyone is valuable and should be treated accordingly.

Don't be arrogant, but rather be willing to listen to others opinions before reaching a conclusion.  Most importantly, listen to your senior industry peers. They have experiences and knowledge that will fade into the background one day. I have learned so much from others in my field through the years. Lastly, be humble in all endeavors in this field or other fields of specialty. A person’s reputation or legacy will be measured by those that you help along the way.