REFLECTIONS ON A VERY GOOD YEAR!

By Frank Kurz - January 2010

2009 has turned out to be one of those banner years you often hear about (at least for me). The Network's website saw significant growth in "unique visits" over the latter half of the year, and we are very well positioned in Google search results (usually on the first or second page). Some of the typical search terms that have been used to find us are:

Fire alarm verification, ULC 537, Edwards 6249C, fire alarm glossary, fire protection technician, Fire Blockade, Simplex 1800 smoke sensitivity, fire alarm zone fault forum, Active Fire and Safety Services Ltd., fire sprinkler system heat trace, etc.

Granted some of the search terms point directly to the various inspection forms available on the site or our Universal Smoke Detector Cross-listing Index, but the fact that we're consistently ranked in the first two pages is a significant achievement (and one which a lot of website owners pay big money for in Page Per Click ad campaigns with companies that specialize in SEO - Search Engine Optimization).

My focus however remains on improving the functionality of the firetechs.net web site to help make finding the information you need in a few simple clicks and to present that information in a medium that's easy to download to hand-held "smart" devices.  You won't find fancy coding or flash media here. KIS (Keep It Simple) is the order of the day.  If you can't find the answer here, feel free to pick up the phone and call anytime. You don't have to be a "member" (or even in the business) to ask a question and get the answers you need.

Some of my fellow technicians (here in the Lower Mainland particularly) have formed a somewhat less than complimentary (and that's putting it mildly) opinion of my efforts.  I'm investing a great deal of my own time and financial resources into this project.  I'm not here to “throw anyone under the bus” (as one individual suggested in the General Forum).  I do want to raise awareness of how important the job of fire protection service technician is and to ensure we're all playing on a level field when it comes to skill set and knowledge.  This also means raising the bar for inspections, testing, service, and installations.  Some players in the industry will have to refocus their efforts for the better and if they succeed in doing so, then we will all win in the end.  Those that continue to provide substandard, slipshod, or irresponsible service don't belong in this profession and good riddance to them (let's hope the door hits them in the ass on the way out).

Let's strive to make 2010 a "banner year" for all of us!

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January, 2010