(1) A certified unlimited electrical contractor or licensed fire alarm contractor may not employ a person to perform the duties of a fire alarm system agent unless the person:

(a) Is at least 18 years of age or has evidence of a court-approved declaration of emancipation.
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Terms Used In Florida Statutes 489.5185

  • Alarm system: means any electrical device, signaling device, or combination of electrical devices used to signal or detect a burglary, fire, robbery, or medical emergency. See Florida Statutes 489.505
  • Alarm system contractor: means a person whose business includes the execution of contracts requiring the ability, experience, science, knowledge, and skill to lay out, fabricate, install, maintain, alter, repair, monitor, inspect, replace, or service alarm systems for compensation, including, but not limited to, all types of alarm systems for all purposes. See Florida Statutes 489.505
  • Burglar alarm system agent: means a person:
    (a) Who is employed by a licensed alarm system contractor or licensed electrical contractor;
    (b) Who is performing duties which are an element of an activity which constitutes alarm system contracting requiring licensure under this part; and
    (c) Whose specific duties include any of the following: altering, installing, maintaining, moving, repairing, replacing, servicing, selling, or monitoring an intrusion or burglar alarm system for compensation. See Florida Statutes 489.505
  • Certification: means the act of obtaining or holding a certificate of competency from the department as provided in this part. See Florida Statutes 489.505
  • Contractor: means a person who is qualified to engage in the business of electrical or alarm system contracting pursuant to a certificate or registration issued by the department. See Florida Statutes 489.505
  • Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
  • Department: means the Department of Business and Professional Regulation. See Florida Statutes 489.505
  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • Fire alarm system agent: means a person:
    (a) Who is employed by a licensed fire alarm contractor or certified unlimited electrical contractor;
    (b) Who is performing duties which are an element of an activity that constitutes fire alarm system contracting requiring certification under this part; and
    (c) Whose specific duties include any of the following: altering, installing, maintaining, moving, repairing, replacing, servicing, selling, or monitoring a fire alarm system for compensation. See Florida Statutes 489.505
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • Licensure: means any type of certification or registration provided for in this part. See Florida Statutes 489.505
  • Monitoring: means to receive electrical or electronic signals originating from any structure within the state or outside the state, regardless of whether those signals are relayed through a jurisdiction outside the state, where such signals are produced by any security, medical, fire, or burglar alarm, closed-circuit television camera, access-control system, or related or similar protective system and are intended by design to initiate a response thereto. See Florida Statutes 489.505
  • person: includes individuals, children, firms, associations, joint adventures, partnerships, estates, trusts, business trusts, syndicates, fiduciaries, corporations, and all other groups or combinations. See Florida Statutes 1.01
  • unlimited electrical contractor: means a person who conducts business in the electrical trade field and who has the experience, knowledge, and skill to install, repair, alter, add to, or design, in compliance with law, electrical wiring, fixtures, appliances, apparatus, raceways, conduit, or any part thereof, which generates, transmits, transforms, or utilizes electrical energy in any form, including the electrical installations and systems within plants and substations, all in compliance with applicable plans, specifications, codes, laws, and regulations. See Florida Statutes 489.505
(b) Has successfully completed a minimum of 14 hours of initial training, to include basic fire alarm system technology in addition to related training in National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) codes and standards and access control training, with at least 2 hours of training in the prevention of false alarms. Such training must be from a board-approved provider, and the employee or applicant for employment must provide proof of successful completion to the licensed employer. The board, by rule, shall establish criteria for the approval of training courses and providers. The board shall approve qualified providers that conduct training in other than the English language. The board shall establish a fee for the approval of training providers, not to exceed $200, and a fee for the approval of courses at $25 per credit hour, not to exceed $100 per course.
(c) Has not been convicted within the last 3 years of a crime that directly relates to the business for which employment is being sought. Although the employee is barred from operating as a fire alarm system agent for 3 years subsequent to his or her conviction, the employer shall be supplied the information regarding any convictions occurring prior to that time, and the employer may at his or her discretion consider an earlier conviction to be a bar to employment as a fire alarm system agent. To ensure that this requirement has been met, a certified unlimited electrical contractor or licensed fire alarm contractor must obtain from the Department of Law Enforcement a completed fingerprint and criminal background check for each applicant for employment as a fire alarm system agent or for each individual currently employed on the effective date of this act as a fire alarm system agent.
(d) Has not been committed for controlled substance abuse or been found guilty of a crime under chapter 893 or any similar law relating to controlled substances in any other state within the 3-year period immediately preceding the date of application for employment, or immediately preceding the effective date of this act for an individual employed as a fire alarm system agent on that date, unless the person establishes that he or she is not currently abusing any controlled substance and has successfully completed a rehabilitation course.
(2)(a) Any applicant for employment as a fire alarm system agent, or any individual employed as a fire alarm system agent on the effective date of this act, who has completed alarm system agent or burglar alarm system agent training prior to the effective date of this act in a board-certified program is not required to take additional training in order to comply with the initial training requirements of this section.
(b) A state-certified electrical contractor, a state-certified fire alarm system contractor, a state-registered fire alarm system contractor, a journeyman electrician licensed by any local jurisdiction, or an alarm technician licensed by a local jurisdiction that requires an examination and experience or training as licensure qualifications is not required to complete the training required for fire alarm system agents. A state-registered electrical contractor is not required to complete the training required for fire alarm system agents, so long as he or she is only doing electrical work up to the alarm panel.
(c) A nonsupervising employee working as a helper or apprentice under the direct, onsite, continuous supervision of a state-certified electrical contractor, a state-registered electrical contractor, a state-certified fire alarm system contractor, a state-registered fire alarm system contractor, a journeyman electrician licensed by any local jurisdiction, an alarm technician licensed by a local jurisdiction that requires an examination and experience or training as licensure qualifications, or a qualified fire alarm system agent is not required to complete the training otherwise required and is not required to be 18 years of age or older.
(d) A burglar alarm system agent employed by a licensed fire alarm contractor or certified unlimited electrical contractor who has fulfilled all requirements of s. 489.518 prior to the effective date of this act is not required to complete the initial training required by this section for fire alarm system agents.
(e) Persons who perform only monitoring are not required to complete the training required for fire alarm system agents.
(f) If a person holds a current National Institute of Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET) Level II certification or higher in Fire Alarm Systems or Inspection and Testing of Fire Alarm Systems, a current certification as an Electronic Security Association (ESA) Certified Fire Alarm Technician, or a current certification as an ESA Certified Fire Alarm Designer, he or she is required to complete only the 2 hours of training in the prevention of false alarms required by paragraph (1)(b) from a board-approved sponsor of training and through a board-approved training course.
(3) An applicant for employment as a fire alarm system agent may commence employment, or an individual employed as a fire alarm system agent on the effective date of this act may continue employment, pending completion of both the training and the fingerprint and criminal background checks required by this section, for a period not to exceed 90 days after the date of application for employment or 90 days after the effective date of this act for individuals employed as fire alarm system agents on that date. However, the person must work under the direction and control of a sponsoring certified unlimited electrical contractor or licensed fire alarm contractor until completion of both the training and the fingerprint and criminal background checks. If an applicant or an individual employed on the effective date of this act does not complete the training or receive satisfactory fingerprint and criminal background checks within the 90-day period, the employment must be terminated immediately.
(4)(a) A certified unlimited electrical contractor or licensed fire alarm contractor must furnish each of his or her fire alarm system agents with an identification card.
(b) The card shall follow a board-approved format, to include a picture of the agent; shall specify at least the name of the holder of the card and the name and license number of the certified unlimited electrical contractor or licensed fire alarm contractor; and shall be signed by both the contractor and the holder of the card. Each identification card shall be valid for a period of 2 years after the date of issuance. The identification card must be in the possession of the fire alarm system agent while engaged in fire alarm system agent duties.
(c) Each person to whom an identification card has been issued is responsible for the safekeeping thereof, and may not loan, or allow any other person to use or display, the identification card.
(d) Each identification card must be renewed every 2 years and in a board-approved format to show compliance with the 6 hours of continuing education necessary to maintain certification as a fire alarm system agent.
(e) Each licensed electrical or alarm system contractor must obtain an updated criminal background check from the Department of Law Enforcement for each fire alarm system agent who renews certification.
(5)(a) Except as provided in paragraph (b), each fire alarm system agent must receive 6 hours of continuing education on fire alarm system installation and repair and false alarm prevention every 2 years from a board-approved sponsor of training and through a board-approved training course.
(b) A person holding a current NICET Level II certification or higher in Fire Alarm Systems or Inspection and Testing of Fire Alarm Systems, certification as an ESA Certified Fire Alarm Technician, or certification as an ESA Certified Fire Alarm Designer is required to complete only 2 hours of continuing education training in the prevention of false alarms every 2 years from a board-approved sponsor of training and through a board-approved training course.
(6) Failure to comply with any of the provisions of this section shall be grounds for disciplinary action against the contractor pursuant to s. 489.533.
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