Popular Questions About Fire Alarm and Fire Sprinkler Apprenticeship Programs
Last year we released two blog posts about becoming fire alarm and fire sprinkler apprentices. The fire sprinkler apprenticeship post talks about the new California law that requires apprentices, the process on becoming an apprentice, and how you become a journeyman. The fire alarm apprenticeship post talks about the process of becoming an apprentice, how you become a journeyman, and the importance of having apprentices in our company.
Both posts are still up on our blog; you can check them out here:
While both posts offer up a lot of information, we thought that we would check back a year later and answer some frequently asked questions about both programs.
General Questions
Q – Can you be enrolled in both apprenticeship programs?
A – Technically yes, but both programs are very intensive and it would be very overwhelming to be enrolled in both of the programs at once.
Q – Are fire and life safety companies required to have apprentices?
A – While fire and life safety companies are not required to have apprentices, they must have apprentices on their prevailing wage jobs. Because of this, we always have both fire sprinkler and fire alarm apprentices a part of our team.
Q – How many apprentices does IFS have at one time?
A – This amount varies. But, we always have at least one fire sprinkler and one fire alarm apprentice enrolled in their respective programs at one time.
Q – Why do companies have apprentices?
A – The fire alarm and fire sprinkler industries are growing at a rapid pace. In order to have enough qualified technicians you need to have new people joining the industry continuously. To allow for this constant influx of people entering the industries, there needs to be apprenticeship programs so people can get the training and knowledge they need to become journeymen.
Fire Sprinkler Questions
Q – Do you have to be involved in an apprenticeship program to work in fire sprinklers?
A – Yes and no. As of July 1, 2017 all fire sprinkler fitters in the state of California need to hold their journeyman card. If you have not been working in the fire sprinkler industry for 5 years and have a total of 7,000 hours in the trade then you do not qualify for your fire sprinkler journeyman card. Now, the only way to earn those hours in the trade is to be enrolled in a fire sprinkler apprenticeship program.
Q – What apprenticeship program is IFS involved with?
A – We work with a non-union fire sprinkler apprenticeship program.
Q – How long does the program take to complete?
A – 5 years.
Q – What does the fire sprinkler apprenticeship consist of?
A – Apprentices must attend weekly classes, hands-on labs, and have on-the-job-training.
Q – Are online classes available?
A – No, you must physically attend all classes and labs in a traditional classroom setting.
Q – How do you become a fire sprinkler apprentice?
A – You must be 18 years of age or older, have your high school diploma or GED, take the ABLE test (an 8th grade equivalency test) and pass with a 70%, and be employed with a fire and life safety company.
Q – What happens once you complete the apprenticeship program?
A – You will then take the state certification test to obtain your journeyman card.
Q – When can you work by yourself?
A – You can work by yourself as a fire sprinkler journeyman once you have completed your apprenticeship program and passed the state certification test.
Fire Alarm Questions
Q – Do you have to be involved in an apprenticeship program to work in fire alarms?
A – Yes and no. In order to become a fire alarm journeyman you must have 4,000 hours of verified work experience in the fire alarm industry. If you do not have those verified hours then you must complete a fire alarm apprenticeship program before you can become a fire alarm journeyman.
Q – What apprenticeship program is IFS involved with?
A – All of our fire alarm apprentices are enrolled in the WBFAA’s program.
Q – How long does the program take to complete?
A – 3 years.
Q – What does the fire alarm apprenticeship consist of?
A – Apprentices must attend weekly classes and obtain 6,000 hours of on-the-job-training.
Q – Are online classes available?
A – Yes, all of the fire alarm apprenticeship classes are done online. There are no on-campus classes available.
Q – How do you become a fire alarm apprentice?
A – You must be employed with a fire and life safety company.
Q – What happens once you complete the apprenticeship program?
A – You will then take the state certification test to obtain your fire and life safety certification card.
Q – When can you work by yourself?
A – You can work by yourself as a fire alarm journeyman once you have completed your apprenticeship program and passed the state certification test.
Additional Questions
If you are interest in becoming a fire alarm or fire sprinkler apprentice, or if you have any additional questions about either of the two programs, give us a call at 888-987-5322.
-The IFS Team
