Can I hire a C-10 to facilitate monitoring requirement

[TomCal]

I have an out of state alarm monitoring company and have an opportunity to monitor a commercial fire alarm in California. The installation and maintenance was performed by a local license alarm company and they will continue to maintain the system. Our central station is UL approved for fire. According to code I can’t monitor because no one in the company has a C-10, although we have license holders in many states (non reciprocity with CA). I’m looking to hire a C-10 until someone in my company can became a C-10 contractor and I would pay $XXX.00 per month.

(A) Is that legal and (B) anyone interested?

 

[petersonra]

I have an out of state alarm monitoring company and have an opportunity to monitor a commercial fire alarm in California. The installation and maintenance was performed by a local license alarm company and they will continue to maintain the system. Our central station is UL approved for fire. According to code I can’t monitor because no one in the company has a C-10, although we have license holders in many states (non reciprocity with CA). I’m looking to hire a C-10 until someone in my company can became a C-10 contractor and I would pay $XXX.00 per month.

(A) Is that legal and (B) anyone interested?

You are going to go to all this trouble to monitor one fire alarm system?

The devil is in the details. Does the law say the C-10 has to be an employee or a principle of the fire alarm company?

 

[Jraef]

I think you are confused about something, most likely a poorly worded document. A C-10 license has zip to do with “monitoring” anything, other than the INSTALLATION of electrical equipment and systems, including fire protection sensors. It’s the functional equivalent of what’s called a “Master’s License” in other states in that you must have at least one person on a job with a C-10 in order to supervise other electricians. I would suspect that was the MEANING of the statement you read, not that you need a C-10 license to sit there and watch little LEDs and displays. You can have an ACO license (Alarm Company Operator) to MONITOR a fire alarm system and a C-7 license to run alarm systems OTHER than fire detection (smoke/heat detection) and or a C-16 license for everything ELSE related to fire protection, but the smoke/heat detectors MUST be installed under a C-10 licensed ELECTRICAL contractor. If it is already installed and there was no C-10 licensee involved, you may be screwed.

So as petersonra said, the devil is in the details, including context. Can you post the exact wording and context?

 

[TomCal]

Ok, let me clear some things up. I'm monitoring about 900 accounts in CA and about 40 - 50 of those are Fire systems. We've have our ACO since 2011 and our ACQ has never heard of this before a local licensed contractor that we hired to install a fire system. They told our client that we needed the C-10 to monitor. I can't find anywhere where "fire alarm monitoring" is associated with an ACO license.

 

[Jraef]

Was that a typo? Because an ACO is exactly who can monitor fire alarms. It’s the C-10 license being needed that doesn’t make sense. I’d say that it’s more likely that someone is confusing the term “monitor“ here. YOU are meaning monitor in the sense that alarm companies monitor alarms, the other guy is thinking “monitor” as in supervise an installation process. THAT would be true as I said. In California, only C-10 licensed electrical contractors can install smoke/heat/fire detection equipment. After it’s installed and passes inspection, he’s no longer needed (as far as operating or “monitoring” the alarm system).

Besides, that would be a criminal waste of talent.

 

[jaggedben]

I agree with Jraef, the 'contractor' has confused your client. At most you might need to hire a C-10 if your contract with the client included maintenance and repair.

 

[TomCal]

I appreciate everyone's input. We do have an ACO license (Alarm Company Operator) and what I expect is the sub who my project manager hired to do the install and maintenance was simply trying to steal the monitoring. I jumped the gun asking my original question because my client wasn't happy that he was told I couldn't monitor the account.

Again I appreciate everyone's time!

 

[gadfly56]

I appreciate everyone's input. We do have an ACO license (Alarm Company Operator) and what I expect is the sub who my project manager hired to do the install and maintenance was simply trying to steal the monitoring. I jumped the gun asking my original question because my client wasn't happy that he was told I couldn't monitor the account.

Again I appreciate everyone's time!

Yeah, that right there.