New NY State Low Voltage Code Requirements

Status
Not open for further replies.

mjn

New member
Location
Wantagh, NY
Hi,

Im new to this forum. I just took the alarm license class and the instructor said as of February 2018 its required to have your NY State Alarm License to run any low voltage cables. This now includes all networking cables for computer networks, speaker cables, and voice. So from what understand is computer guys have to get their alarm license to run cat5e/cat6 cables. Below is the link to the proposed law. But my interpretation after reading 195.1(g) is that its talking about network cables for the operation of security, video, and alarm detection. Can anyone here confirm this is the new law and can point me to the code that shows this is for all low votage cables under any circumstance.

(g) Network- A network, also referred to as a computer network, consists of two or more devices that are linked together through any means, including but not limited to, ethernet, wifi, or serial bus, so that they can communicate with each other and thereby exchange commands and share data that may operate hardware and utilize other resources for the operation of a security, video, access and alarm detection and/or notification system.

https://www.dos.ny.gov/licensing/alarminstall/proposed21214.html

Here is another article i found online that mentions this on page 10
http://www.mbfaa.com/resources/Docu...018/S-L JANUARY - FEBRUARY 2018 - DIGITAL.pdf
 

GoldDigger

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Placerville, CA, USA
Occupation
Retired PV System Designer
Just looking at that definition, with no context on the history of the legislation, I would have to say that it limits its scope explicitly by redefining for its own purposes the existing common term "network" and therefore does not apply to networks in the more general sense used only for purposes other than security, video, access control and alarm monitoring.

That said, it may be hard to find a data network these days that does not incidentally serve one or more of those functions.
 

hbiss

EC, Westchester, New York NEC: 2014
Location
Hawthorne, New York NEC: 2014
Occupation
EC
First off, The Metropolitan Burglar & Fire Alarm Association of New York (MBFAA) is a self serving organization trying to drum up business for itself. I mean really, they say that the gal in your front office needs to be fingerprinted because she takes information from customers so she is classified as a security guard:lol:.

As far as networks go, which came first- the chicken or the egg? Nearly all businesses and a lot of homes have some kind of network. Is NY saying that when a beanie boy* plugs his panel into your switch or router now anyone having to do with IT for that customer has to be licensed? The MBFAA wants you to think so.

In reality, the way I interpret the law is that wiring for IP security devices (which are becoming increasingly popular) must be installed and maintained by a licensed security tech. Really, nothing new there because that's the way it always was with security wiring. If at some point the security network shares the resources of the data network, there is no way that anybody can enforce requiring anybody associated with administering, having access to or maintaining that network to be licensed as a security tech or security guard and fingerprinted.

I'm sure that the MBFAA wants to sign you up if you install any other LV wiring.

So in short, I would file this whole thing in the BS file like anything else out of Albany.


*Alarm guys are called "beanie boys" because they use beanies (B crimp splices) to splice their wires.

-Hal
 
Last edited:

sameguy

Senior Member
Location
New York
Occupation
Master Elec./JW retired
Also what happens is the holders of a masters license get grandfathered, so only the new guys need to worry.
Lucky for us we have Andy Coocoocomo as king to make N.Y. great as per him "the U.S.A. never was"!
 

hbiss

EC, Westchester, New York NEC: 2014
Location
Hawthorne, New York NEC: 2014
Occupation
EC
It wasn't too many years ago that NY decided that ECs needed a security license to install wired smokes in residences. Since Masters are exempt from taking the test, all they had to do is fill out the paperwork with the Dept of State and pay the fees (like anybody else). Unforeseen, the license meant an increase in liability insurance premiums.

I suspect that because that "shakedown" went without much backlash they are going for round II.

-Hal
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top