Now in its 39th year, the IICRC continues to grow in many directions. With more than 56,000 Certified Technicians, the IICRC offers certification in 20 areas of discipline, with new designations consistently being considered. The recent addition of the Commercial Drying Specialist (CDS) designation has generated a lot of activity and enthusiasm in the restorative drying community.
IICRC classes continue to be very popular. There is an average of 160 classes held each month, which means IICRC is processing an average of 2,300 certification exams every month. Average attendance in classes is 14 students per class, and there are now nearly 140 IICRC-approved instructors conducting classes worldwide.
All IICRC instructors must meet strict annual professional development requirements as well as industry participation requirements to maintain their approved status. This is all done to ensure IICRC instructors remain on the leading edge of technology and skill needed to present the highest possible quality training for our industry.
IICRC headquarters handles over 2,000 phone calls each month from registrants, industry partners, and consumers dealing with issues such as continuing education, business referrals for Certified Firms, certification renewals, or class schedules. We also handle thousands of pieces of mail each month for certification renewals, exam results and much more.
The IICRC Standards Committee is busy as well. Work is currently being done on a carpet installation standard, a flooring inspector guideline, and a new edition of the S100 Carpet Cleaning Standard. The S500 Water Damage Restoration Standard has started the update/revision process as well. Regular reviews and updates are required to maintain the document’s accreditation through the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). IICRC standards continue to be recognized more every day by government agencies, insurance companies, manufacturers and professional service providers as the industry standard of practice.
When a technician renews his/her certifications this year, they will receive an updated identification card that has a bar code printed on it. This bar code carries the technician’s unique identifier number in the IICRC database.
When attending an industry event where the IICRC is in attendance, the cards can be scanned at the booth for quick uploading into the IICRC database. This process will greatly speed up the crediting of continuing education credits needed to maintain IICRC certification, which is yet another reason that all IICRC Certified Technicians should carry their identification card with them.
The IICRC board of directors and certification council met in April and laid the ground work for an aggressive new strategic plan and marketing plan aimed at better branding the IICRC among the general public and industry partners such as manufacturers and insurance professionals. The intent is to improve communication with all parties about the value and benefits of trained certified professional service providers.
As we look forward to our 40th anniversary next year, IICRC is excited about the future and the role of IICRC certification in helping to build a stronger, more professional inspection, cleaning and restoration industry.
