The Raymond Group is pleased to announce the approval of its San Diego operations as a Spray-Applied Fire Resistive Materials (SFRM) Accredited Contractor by the National Fireproofing Contractors Association (NFCA).
Raymond-San Diego, Inc. joins Raymond’s Southern California region as the sole accredited contractors in California. Raymond’s Southern California region was originally listed as an approved SFRM Accredited Contractor in 2010, becoming the first SFRM Accredited Contractor in California and the second in the nation.
The NFCA’s Accredited Contractor Program is for NFCA member contractors who install SFRM and/or Intumescent Fire Resistive Materials (IFRM), with the purpose to improve the quality and accuracy of such installations. The program aims to set an industry standard, requiring contractors to establish, implement, and maintain a management system specifically focused on the proper selection and installation of SFRM. The program requires at least one Designated Responsible Individual (DRI) at each accredited location. The DRI must go through an extensive NFCA training program and examination, as well as participate in continuous learning through yearly educational requirements. (The NFCA contractor must also have been in business applying SFRM for at least two years.)
The Raymond Group, who has been performing SFRM for several decades, began working to become an accredited contractor in 2007. At the time, the program was a joint effort between the NFCA and U.L. (a global independent safety science company).
Paul Steele, DRI for Raymond’s Southern California region and current NFCA Vice President, explains that “for Raymond, the SFRM Accredited Contractor status ensures that [its] operations are installing fireproofing to the highest life-safety and quality standards, thereby protecting against structural building failures and risk of loss. It is a distinction that sets Raymond apart from its competitors.
Together with NFCA Inspector training programs, the SFRM Accredited Contractor Program will raise the level of safety through increased accuracy in building code compliance. It will level the playing field for contractors pursuing fireproofing work. Soon, NFCA accredited status will be in specifications as a requirement for any successful bidder.”
As a pioneer of the accreditation process, Raymond has become a leading company in the NFCA and the fireproofing industry. As Paul Steele takes the reins as president of the NFCA in 2013, he will strive to dramatically raise the prominence and stature of the organization by promoting its accreditation programs to the architectural and contractor communities.