The National Wireless Safety Alliance (NWSA) convened its 28-member Board of Governors yesterday in New Orleans, La. to discuss key action items and activities related to the organization’s worker certification program development process. The NWSA Board of Governors consists of representatives from a broad cross-section of the industry and are tasked with developing policy and overseeing the activities of the various Committees that will serve under their jurisdiction.
Don Doty, at right, discusses a number of initiatives that the NWSA is working on. Doty recently replaced Jim Tracy as President of the Board of Directors, who was recently elected as Chairman of the National Association of Tower Erectors. Art Pregler, Chairman of the NWSA Board of Governors, to the right of Doty, updated the Governors at their meeting.
The NWSA is a national non-profit assessment and certification organization that has been established to provide thorough, independent assessments of knowledge and skills and provide verifiable worker certification in order to enhance safety, reduce workplace risk, improve quality, encourage training, and recognize the skilled professionals who work on towers and other non-standard structures.
At the meeting the Governors were provided an update on the Telecommunications Tower Technician I (TTTI) and Telecommunications Tower Technician II (TTTII) test development progress, discussed the recent NWSA-TIRAP Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), received a recap on the recent FCC-DOL Tower Climber Safety Workshop and were informed of the recent NWSA co-marketing agreement with the International Wireless Communications Expo (IWCE).
The NWSA Governors also devoted significant time during the meeting to looking ahead to the organization’s roadmap for the remainder of 2016. The NWSA’s TTTI and TTTII certification programs are slated to be unveiled to the wireless industry marketplace in the 4th quarter of 2016. In the months ahead, the NWSA Board of Governors will also be tasked with defining the role and function of an Exam Management Committee, an Ethics and Discipline Committee and an Appeals Committee. Additionally, the NWSA Governors began formal discussions on the organization’s future certification programs that will be developed, including Antenna & Line Foreman, Tower (Stacking) Foreman, Structural Modifications Foreman, DAS Systems, Small Cell Systems and Broadcast Structures.
“Today’s meeting was extremely productive and it has been great to see the outstanding progress that has been made in the NWSA’s quest to develop ANSI ISO 17024 nationally accredited certification programs for the wireless industry’s workforce,” stated NWSA Board of Governors Chairman Art Pregler from AT&T. “The NWSA has been successful in building an outstanding team of over 50 industry subject matter experts who have been instrumental in working to create the NWSA’s Computer Based and Field-Based assessments for various categories of workers in the industry,” said Pregler.
The NWSA organization is the result of collaborative efforts between a broad coalition of the industry’s leading subject matter experts, companies and stakeholders representing wireless carriers, tower owners/vertical realtors, OEM’s, turnkey management firms, small contractors, tower technicians, public safety entities and industry associations.
In June of 2015, the NWSA organization formally entered into a professional development partnership agreement with the National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators (NCCCO). A key component of the partnership agreement involves NCCCO’s professional consulting assistance in helping NWSA’s various worker certification programs achieve ANSI ISO 17024 accreditation, the premier accreditation for personnel certification for governing bodies. NCCCO is also providing test development and administrative services to the NWSA as part of the partnership agreement.
In November of 2015, the NWSA and NCCCO began offering co-branded CCO Rigger and Signalperson Certification programs. These programs have the distinction of becoming the first two assessment and certification offerings available to the wireless industry’s workforce through the NWSA.
Industry workers, companies and stakeholders are encouraged to visit the NWSA website at www.nws-a.org to learn more about the organization.
