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70 • JULY 2012 • WORLD FENCE NEWS ECGOI hosts gate operator installer certification test A gate operator installer certifica- tion test was held June 8 at East Coast Gate Operators Inc. (ECGOI) in Char- lotte, N.C. Todd Thomas of the Institute of Door Dealer Education and Accredita- tion (IDEA) administered the UL safety and electrical exam, which is sanctioned by IDEA and the American Fence Association (AFA), and certifies installers to service and install auto- matic gates, according to Shawn Lalli of ECGOI. Fred Ross of Linear and Nick Valdez of HySecurity gave study guide presentations and course reviews with a Q&A to all the installers prior to the exam, he added. Following the test, Valdez offered hands-on training of HySecurity's SwingSmart, SlideSmart and SlideDriver operators. "We're passionate about educating our installers so they will have the ex- pertise in successfully installing the various automation products offered by ECGOI," said Lalli. "We plan on offering more certification opportuni- ties and manufacturer training later in the year." East Coast Gate Operators Inc. is a wholesale distributor of gate operators and access peripherals to profession- als in the gate and access industry. For information on the company, its product lines and seminars, visit www.EastCoastGateOperatorsInc.com. NAFCA holds initial Gate Operator School The North American Fence Con- tractors Association (NAFCA) held its Entry Level Gate Operator School on March 21 in Brown Deer, Wisconsin, at the training facility of Traffic and Parking Control Co. (TAPCO). The event was hosted by NAFCA Region 2; Total Security Warehouse gate and entry systems, and TAPCO. The instructors for the school On hand for the June 8 seminar were: Back row left to right –Sandra Grondin, ECGOI; Billy Meredith, ECGOI; Roger Mabry, Mayberry Fence; Fred Ross, Lin- ear; Aaron Mabry, Mayberry Fence; Josh Penn, Automated Controls; Daryl Kidd, Xact Gate; Bill Barr, Linear; Todd Thomas, IDEA; Shawn Lalli, ECGOI. Kneeling –Mike Smith, Smith Security; Mike Ashworth, Overhead Door; Nick Valdez, HySecurity; Bobby Jones, Fence Builders; and Ricky Shouse, Fence Builders. Fred Ross of Linear leads a study guide review with installers prior to the exam. were Larry Wanat, DoorKing; Al Pic- ciolo, TAPCO; and Mark Henke, TAPCO. They were assisted by NAFCA Region 2 director Tom Wright, Total Security Warehouse, and NAFCA secretary-treasurer Harriet Statz, Qual Line Fence Corp. The 16 students in attendance were instructed in operator safety, UL325 and ASTM F2200 standards, and the importance of implementing and following those standards. Other sessions involved differing gate types and arrays of operators, as well as proper installation and instal- lation planning. The afternoon session focused on differing types of loop detection de- vices and their applications, and the proper installation of vehicle detection systems. The final portion of the school re- Nick Valdez of HySecurity demon- strates a HySecurity operator for Bobby Jones, Billy Meredith, Roger Mabry, Josh Penn of Automated Controls and Mike Ashworth. Below, lunch under sunny Carolinas skies. moved the students and instructors from the classroom for activity in the field, which included gate operator in- stallation and inspection of gates for code standard compliance. Each session held was followed by a question and answer period, which proved to be very active. School attendee Mike Jacob com- Ready for the gate operator exam are: Mike Smith; Roger Mabry; Aaron Mabry; Ricky Shouse; Mike Ashworth; and Bobby Jones. (ECGOI photos) mented, "I finished the day with a solid understanding of the processes and the challenges involved in in- stalling operators and loop detection systems. The value of learning the ma- terial presented and the connections made with other contractors and ven- dors at the school was well worth the cost and the time spent. "NAFCA is committed to provid- ing its members with valuable services and this school was an excellent ex- ample of the value that can be added when experts come together to share their knowledge. At the end of the day I can say that I now know what I don't know! And that makes me think I'm a little less dangerous." Students in attendance made many positive comments and most stated they would be back for the September NAFCA Advanced Gate Operator School, the association stated. "NAFCA would like to thank all the attendees, instructors, support staff and host and sponsors who made the school a success," said director Wright. For more information on the Sep- tember Advanced Gate Operators School, contact Wright at 262-814- 7304 or Tom@tapconet.com. For more about the North Ameri- can Fence Contractors Association, contact President@4nafca or any member or visit www.4nafca.com. Above and below, scenes from NAFCA's Entry Level Gate Operator School. An advanced gate operator school is scheduled for this September. PETE AND JAKE CARTOON IDEAS WANTED! World Fence News is always looking for fresh ideas for Pete and Jake, and wewelcome contributions from our readers! If you have experiences that you feel would make a funny cartoon, please send them in. All readers whose ideas are used receive full editorial credit! Send to Rick Henderson at editor@worldfencenews.com