When considering any company for the ongoing maintenance of your fire alarm and low-voltage systems, there are criteria which you should insist be met. These include:

	The company should be NYS Licensed for the installation and maintenance of life safety systems, and if required, permitted by the local jurisdiction for fire alarm system maintenance.
	The company should be fully insured with general liability, workman’s compensation, errors & omissions, vehicular coverage.
	The company should have a staff of technicians large enough to handle more than just your District’s requirements.
	The company’s technical and design personnel should have NICET (National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies) certification. At least one senior manager in the company should hold a NICET Level IV certification.
	The company should represent a number of known product lines capable of handling the service and installation needs of the Company.
	The company should not represent any proprietary product lines which would restrict the Company’s ability to solicit bid from other vendors at a later date.
	The company should have a policy of automatically assigning copyrights and database ownership to their customers.
	The company should be able to provide references from within the Code enforcement community.
	The company should be able to provide references from within the engineering and school community.
	The company should be able to provide references from customers of equal or larger size than your Company.
	The company should not only have service capabilities, but the ability of provide turnkey installation services regardless of the size of work being performed.
	The company should be able to provide samples of their comprehensive inspection reports which clearly identify; (a) the location and description of every inspected device, (b) operating instructions for your system, (c) copies of insurance certificates, factory certifications, or licenses/permits which may be applicable to your facility, and (d) the field technician service invoices and deficiencies report.