RIA Launches the Body of Knowledge for the 21st Century Restorer
At the conference, RIA unveiled the Body of Knowledge document that lays out the foundation restorers will need into the future. It breaks up the process of earning the CR designation into more manageable pieces, with the ability to earn a water loss specialist, fire loss specialist, contents loss specialist, and/or environmental restoration specialist designation. Lowry said it’s “exciting to see where the advanced designations are going with the new certifications and how they tie into the Certified Restorer Designation. Can’t wait to apply for the Contents Loss Specialist!”
Students participating in the program must also complete a thesis project that becomes part of a library of advanced documents available to all members and the industry. Gillette added that the Education Committee led by Mark Springer “will solidify our association as the premier source of education and accreditation in our industry.”
RIA Young Professional Restorers Community Looks to the Future
The RIA Young Professional Restorers Community (YPRC) gathered for their third annual networking session at the 2018 International Restoration Convention and Industry Expo in Austin, Texas last week. The intention of the YPRC session is to provide opportunities for networking while sending each attendee home with a takeaway that can immediately be applied to their business.
This year’s takeaway was the ‘Weekly Tactical Meeting Guide’, borrowed from Patrick Lencioni’s book, Death By Meeting. RIA member Christopher Yanker from Buffalo Restoration facilitated the session.
The group used this opportunity to do a quick check-in and share the most important issues they’re facing in their business. The overarching theme of these issues was prioritization, and the specifics of the list were varied, including such topics as:
- Hiring the right people
- Creating a sales-oriented mindset
- TPA training requirements
- Balancing work and life
- Knowing when to say no
- Generational transition of leadership
Take a Break and Join RIA for Australia’s Premier Conference
RIA will be running their third Australian annual event, the RIA Conference & Tradeshow. Experience the industry’s original exposition dedicated to restoration and cleaning technology.
The three-day conference running from Wednesday, June 6, to Friday, June 8, 2018, provides you with valuable knowledge from national and international speakers in the restoration, carpet cleaning and indoor air quality industries and the ability to learn and interact with leading industry professionals throughout the tradeshow portion of the conference. With the venue of Novotel Hotel & Resort Twin Waters, Queensland, it is sure to be an enjoyable family experience.
RIA Environmental Council: Helping Members Deal with Existing and Emerging Environmental Concerns
Third Annual Forensic Restoration Conference Coming in July
The Environmental Council deals with a wide range of topics, so it is currently organized with two subcommittees: the Forensic Restoration/Infection Control subcommittee and the Water Damaged Buildings/Regulated Contaminants subcommittee. The former subcommittee deals with the growing niche in the restoration industry known as forensic restoration. This includes projects that involve crime and trauma scene cleanup, hoarders, illicit drug labs, animal infestation, teargas contamination, and other restoration activities that do not fit in the areas of fire, water and mold. The subcommittee also serves as the primary group that interfaces with the healthcare industry because of the emphasis on infection control. As such, this group covers topics such as bloodborne pathogens, infection control risk assessment (ICRA), decontamination of schools and hospitality venues after an outbreak, etc. This subcommittee has been very active in the last three years with the development of the RIA Professional Forensic Guidelines, and shepherding two independent technical conferences.
