| The NFI Advocacy Program represents the industry’s shared commitment in promoting excellence in the performance and safety of hearth products and systems. In 2003, NFI created the NFI Advocate Program to encourage hearth appliance and venting system manufacturers to embrace NFI and promote the certification program to its dealers and distributors.
To become an NFI Advocate, the company must:
1. Suggest or recommend in all relevant installation manuals that installation of their company’s hearth appliances be performed by an NFI Certified Specialist, using the following language, as appropriate:
For gas-fueled products: “We [suggest or recommend] that our gas hearth products be installed and serviced by professionals who are certified in the United States by NFI (National Fireplace Institute®).”;
For wood-fueled products: “We [suggest or recommend] that our woodburning hearth products be installed and serviced by professionals who are certified in the United States by NFI (National Fireplace Institute®) or in Canada by WETT (Wood Energy Technical Training).”;
For pellet-fueled products: “We [suggest or recommend] that our pellet hearth products be installed and serviced by professionals who are certified in the United States by NFI (National Fireplace Institute®) or in Canada by WETT (Wood Energy Technical Training).”;
2. Continually offer and/or promote NFI training and certification exams to their dealers; and
3. Annually apply for NFI Continuing Education Units (hereinafter “CEUs”) towards NFI certification renewal for all of their training sessions and, once they have received approval to offer CEUs, following all appropriate attendance rules to facilitate the distribution of certificates to their attendees and recordkeeping for NFI Certified Specialists so that they may renew their NFI certifications through the earning of CEUs.
NFI Advocate Companies must demonstrate to NFI annually, between January 1st and February 15th, that they are complying with the provisions listed above.
By becoming an NFI Advocate Company, the manufacturer demonstrates its commitment to professionalism and the NFI Certification Program.
The NFI program benefits from the NFI Advocate Program because do-it-yourself installers, retailers, building and code officials, legislators and regulators will see in the instruction manuals the manufacturer’s support for NFI and commitment to public safety.
NFI provides the Advocates with publicity about their status through ads in trade journals and signage at the annual HPBExpo.
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