by Brianna Crandall — March 6, 2022 — The global nonprofit National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has launched a new Water Based Inspection Testing and Maintenance (WBITM) Online Learning Path to help sprinkler technicians, contractors, and others grasp the content in a new Water-Based Fire Protection Systems Inspection Testing and Maintenance (ITM) Certification Program. Properly maintained water-based fire protection systems are critical for building and life safety and ensure that suppression technology will adequately contain a fire in case of an emergency and allow occupants the precious time needed to escape, if necessary, points out NFPA.
The online learning and credentialing opportunities have been developed to help those who are charged with independently managing the full spectrum of inspection, testing, and maintenance (ITM) duties.
The fully digital Water Based Inspection Testing and Maintenance Online Learning Path provides certification candidates with flexible, self-paced studying options so they can better understand the current edition of NFPA 25, Standard for the Inspection, Testing, and Maintenance of Water-Based Fire Protection Systems against the blueprint of the certification exam. NFPA offers a complete range of NFPA 25 and WBITM certification-related content with the flexibility for practitioners to choose a single training module or put together a variety of modules to suit their skill set or aspirational goals.
Learning Paths feature interactive exercises, case studies, knowledge checks with ITM benchmarks, as well as instructional videos on when and how to test water-based systems. Learners receive one year of access to exclusive online content and lessons developed by NFPA experts who have an intimate understanding of codes and standards and how they work together to support professional credentialing. Each NFPA Learning Path program has its own set of strategies for helping students understand the subject matter and includes a practice exam component as well as a final Capstone activity to test knowledge and core responsibilities.
The aforementioned Learning Path is designed to help practitioners grasp the information in the new Water Based Fire Protection Systems Inspection Testing and Maintenance Certification Program, which helps professionals demonstrate their proficiency, knowledge, and a firm understanding of water-based systems inspection, testing and maintenance. The certification exam features online remote proctoring so that candidates can conveniently skill up on fire suppression systems from their home or office.
For employers and clients such as building owners and facilities managers (FMs), the certification is a useful metric for gauging qualifications and making hiring decisions easier during today’s robust job market. To earn the certification, candidates must have a minimum of five years of relevant work experience, obtain an attestation from a supervisor or employer, and pass the exam.
Dan Pickel, NFPA director of certification and accreditation, stated:
We spoke with a variety of stakeholders, including international facilities management personnel and authorities having jurisdiction, about the difficulty of identifying qualified contractors who can competently perform necessary ITM tasks for water-based fire suppression systems. We then worked with a group of subject matter experts to identify the tasks, knowledge, and skills needed for this role so that we could create effective content and context for this new certification offering. The result is a certification program that helps professionals demonstrate their knowledge and skills so that facility managers and code enforcers can feel confident in their capabilities and so that certification achievers can stand out among their peers in the industry.
