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AGREEMENT WITH LICENSE HOLDER
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 Ken
    We're considering bringing in an employee who carries a license to do work outside our current scope.  My concern is our company pursuing work which costs time and money then him leaving with his license. I need to lock him in for 5 years or so with some added details such as per job profit distribution. Do you have such a contract and/or advise?
Paul C
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RESPONSE
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    Relying on someone who is an employee to hold the company license is pretty scary if you're the owner, but not really that much different if you are relying on an employee to do all kinds of work that you either don't know how to do or don't want to do.  Trust of course is essential; economic incentive is also sometimes important, but favorable working conditions often is a significant motivating factor.  
    Both the company and the license holder require a written agreement.  We call it the Qualifier Agreement [and you get it by contacting our Contract Administrator Eileen Wagda at (516) 747- 6700 x 312, and she will work with our licensing attorneys Jesse Kirschenbaum, Esq. (516) 747-6700 x 307 and Nicoletta Lakatos (516) 747- 6700 x 311 to incorporate all of the licensing requirements for the agreement].
    Spelling out the duties of the qualifier and the company are key provisions, and providing for termination of the relationship is of course important to both parties.  These are negotiable provisions.  The company generally pays for the Qualifier Agreement and I will assist with structuring the relationship before the agreement is drafted.  
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QUESTION: WHO SIGNS OFF ON FIRE ALARM PLANS FROM AUGUST 17, 2015 ARTICLE
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Ken
    My question pertains to your below statement
    "The Commercial Fire All in One requires boxes to be checked on the Commercial Fire All in One and information provided regarding who signed off on plans and specifications"
    I've been putting my company and personal name there. Is that the name that goes there or three ahj information?
Sincerely,
Ross C
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RESPONSE
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    The above quoted language appears in the Commercial Fire All in One.  That agreement provides that the system is NOT code compliant unless there are approved plans and specifications.  There is a line where you are to fill in the name of the party who has signed off on the plans and specifications submitted to the AHJ for approval.  
    Some jurisdictions require a PE or architect to sign off on the plans.  Other jurisdictions permit the alarm company to sign off.  The fill in information is for the party signing off.
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SMOKE DETECTOR QUESTION
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Ken,
    I am interested in knowing how long we can leave System Sensor 2 wire and or 4 wire Smokes (with & without built in sounders) in service in a residence before we need to advise our customers to have them replaced. 
    I have been using 10 years in service as a end of life marker to recommend smoke replacenent. I thought I remembered this being written somewhere, but, the manufacturers paperwork does not state an end of life recommendation that I could find when i looked again recently. I have the System Sensor sensitivity tester which we are now using on annual test & inspection but I am still not clear on how long photo electric smokes remain at their peak performance.
I asked this question during Jeff's recent webinar, but so far have not heard back.
    Thanks for all the really important work that you do and we found Jeff's webinars
to be extremely useful.
    Maybe someone from System Sensor would like to chime in to answer this question.
Best,
Randy Stone
Estate Watch LLC
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RESPONSE
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    Can anyone assist with answer?