|
|
|
The Scratch Pad / June 1999 |
|
|
|
The Scratch Pad / June 1999 |
President’s Message
Fort Lauderdale
Survives IKECA’s 1999 Annual Meeting
By Tim Greene, CECS
Another IKECA annual meeting has come and gone. I hope those of you who were fortunate enough to attend had as much fun and learned as much as I did. Your board of directors made a commitment to provide a top-notch program. From our keynote speaker, Nelson Kraus, and our tour on the Jungle Queen to our annual membership meeting, the conference was an unqualified success.
A special thank you to Roy Leonard, CECS, for his years of service on the IKECA board. Roy has completed two three-year terms of service on the board. His influence in the fire prevention community in a progressive market like New York City gave our fledgling organization instant credibility during our early years. Roy’s seat on the board is being filled by recently elected H.J. (Butch) Houck, CECS, from Capital Kleen-Air, Inc., in Corpus Christi, Texas. IKECA welcomes Butch and looks forward to his energetic input. The board also voted to honor our good friend and inspiration, Mr. Jay Taylor, CECS, of Jay Taylor Custom Cleaning in Boise, Idaho, with a lifetime IKECA membership in recognition of his service to the industry. Jay has recently sold his business and retired but brought the new owner, his son, Jay “Reno” to meet us all. Best of luck to both Jays.
The board continues to be proactive and is developing an exciting new Inspector’s Certification Program in response to the recent changes in NFPA Code 96. We intend to present this program to our membership at the October technical seminar along with the planned training session and opportunity to take the certification exam. This is in addition to our current Certified Exhaust Cleaning Specialist Program. Please remember that we have made employment of a certified exhaust cleaning individual a condition of membership beginning January 1, 2000. We have made every effort to separate ourselves from the competition by our commitment to quality and integrity through this certification program, and we will see it through. We are also pleased to announce that Glenn Fellman has been retained to continue serving as our certification administrator through 1999.
Our management company, the Raybourn Group, has begun a new marketing program to reach those quality kitchen exhaust cleaning vendors who will help us get stronger and benefit all of our businesses. Please contact IKECA headquarters and let them know of any suppliers of equipment, chemicals, or other cleaning accessories in your market that may qualify for IKECA membership.
Should you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact our executive director, Mr. Harold Caldwell at (312) 923-8500, or me at (954) 792-1770.
See you in Dallas in October!
Association News
Certification
Update
By Tim Greene
As explained in detail by Glen Fellman in his article “IKECA to Launch Inspector Certification Program,” IKECA is preparing to unveil the new Certified Exhaust System Inspector (CESI) program in October. Of course, IKECA has supervised the Certified Exhaust Cleaning Specialist (CECS) program for more than two years. CECS certification is the most important way to be recognized in your market. It is the best way to separate your company from all others in the eyes of the customer, the insurance industry, and the fire prevention community. Many restaurants now insist on using companies with IKECA certified CECS on staff!
Shortly after IKECA began the CECS program, the board of directors voted to make CECS certification of at least one person on staff a mandatory requirement of IKECA active membership. To date, the vast majority of our members have met the challenge. Unfortunately, however, the December 31, 1999, deadline approaches, and a handful of members still have not sent a representative to take the CECS exam!
For those of you who are members and have not sent a staff person to take the CECS exam, your best opportunity is to do so at the 1999 technical seminar in Dallas, Texas. If circumstances prevent your attendance, you can also make arrangements to take the exam at our association offices in Chicago or at our certification administrator’s office in Kensington, Maryland. Contact IKECA headquarters at (312) 923-8500 for more information.
Remember—if you don’t have a CECS on staff by December 31, 1999, your company cannot renew IKECA membership in 2000!
Association News
IKECA Golf
Tournament Under Investigation
An investigation has been launched into possible improprieties as President Tim Greene snatched the “Closest to the Pin” award from under the nose of Mr. David Richards, and Vice President Neal Iorii landed “Ringers” Tiger Rauscher, Richard Kaminski, and Ronnie Castaldo on his team to win the event.
Twelve golfers participated in the first annual IKECA golf tournament held Saturday, March 27, in the afternoon at the beautiful but challenging South Course at Fort Lauderdale Country Club. The golfers enjoyed south Florida sunshine, cigars, and a few beers as they made their way around the eighteen holes. The lovely and talented Sharon Curry did her best to salvage her team’s effort, but none could catch Neal Iorii’s “long and straight gang.”
Congratulations to the winners, and we hope to have an even larger turnout next year.
Association News
Assessment
By Harris L. Rothenberg
Dear Members,
We are all aware of the reasons for the assessments. Many members have paid theirs, and it is most appreciated. It would certainly help if everyone could please send in his or her $195.00 for the assessment.
Thank you in advance for your support.
Harris L. Rothenberg currently serves as IKECA’s treasurer. He can be reached at Airways Systems, Inc., at Tel (847) 676-4242.
From the Sidelines
Finding the Right Truck
By Rod Getz
Here at Getz Pressure Washing, we recently added a new vehicle to our fleet that has made our daily kitchen exhaust cleaning operations much smoother and more manageable. Until recently, we had two full-sized vans—one cab and chassis with a nine foot body (it is tall enough for someone to stand up in) and a pick-up truck with a specially designed topper on the back. When adding our first cab and chassis truck and then the pick-up to our fleet, we felt that each was the best design available. After using both trucks over a period of time, we developed a number of concerns and problems with each of them, which led us to a third type that we currently favor.
The long-time problems we experienced with the van type vehicles included hazardous fumes from the kitchen cleaning equipment, which is a safety factor. Also, unless equipped with a ‘jump seat’ in the rear, the unit can only transport two individuals. This works most of the time, but on some larger jobs we send a third person.
While the cab and chassis style vehicle (pick-up truck with the large box on the back) eliminated the safety concerns and fumes issues, the body we chose was a tall one, and it was difficult to put a ladder on top. We had to purchase an expensive ladder designed to fit inside the nine-foot body that would extend appropriately up to a single story restaurant.
We then chose a pick-up with a custom designed topper on the back of the pick-up bed. While it was an improvement and addressed our concerns, there was not a lot of room, and it was difficult to get the equipment in and out to clean the hoods as well as service the pressure washer.
Our current design, the one we are most satisfied with, incorporates a Ford F250 cab and chassis. This is a smoother riding vehicle, is easy to handle, and transports three individuals. We had the body custom designed so that it is low enough that we could put an extension ladder and an eight-foot stepladder on top of the body. The body is constructed of fiberglass reinforced plywood (FRP) with aluminum corners and an aluminum tread plate bumper that will most likely outlast two or three chassis in the future. You simply unbolt it from the existing chassis and remount on a new chassis.
There are four swing-up doors incorporated in the body of the vehicle so that you can step under the door to load or unload the equipment if it is raining. We also designed it so that the passenger side (curb side of the body) has the electric reel for the high pressure hose, chemicals, etc.—this way it is also possible to load and unload from the curb. The driver’s side incorporates items that are not used on a regular basis (i.e. wet vac). The inside of the body incorporates wire shelving for, among other things, small items and additional chemicals.
We have two pressure units inside of the vehicle: a small 110v electric, 1200 psi; and a 5 gallon per minute, 3000 psi hot water machine.
It appears, at this point, that this will be our vehicle of choice when we add additional transportation to our fleet. We feel that it also takes care of our safety concerns and the fumes issue. It safely seats three individuals, is easy to work from, and is very simple for a mechanic to work on the high-pressure equipment inside of the body.
Our concept of pressure washing is as follows: after the hood is draped and all appliances are covered, one individual uses the hot water machine and begins cleaning the fan and ductwork. The second individual working in the kitchen uses the customer’s hot water with the small electric unit and does the inside of the hood while watching the plastic funnel for drainage. This saves time and simultaneously acts as a back up—if one machine breaks down, we can still finish the job.
Rod Getz currently serves as IKECA’s secretary.
Getz Pressure Washing is a division of Getz Fire Equipment. Providing pressure washing services for over six years now, Getz Pressure Washing operates with five two-person crews that clean kitchen exhaust systems and concrete cleaning of ‘drive-thru’ areas of fast food restaurants. Contact Getz Power Washing at 1615 SW Adams St., Peoria, IL 61602, Tel (309) 673-0761, Fax (309) 673-8067.
Association News
IKECA to Launch
Inspector Certification Program
By
Glenn Fellman, IKECA Certification Program Administrator
The International Kitchen Exhaust Cleaning Association (IKECA) is developing a new certification program designed to test the competency of commercial kitchen exhaust inspectors. Those individuals who demonstrate their qualifications by passing a written examination will be designated Certified Exhaust System Inspectors (CESI). The CESI program will complement IKECA’s existing Certified Exhaust Cleaning Specialist (CECS) program.
Last year NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) came out with a new edition of Standard 96. The new edition requires periodic inspections of commercial cooking establishment exhaust systems by “a properly trained, qualified and certified company or person.” IKECA’s new program will quickly yield a large group of professionals who can fill this role.
The program will initially include a three-hour training course, a certification examination, a study guide, and a generic inspection form that the association may license and/or sell to its members for use in the field. The program will make its debut at the IKECA Technical Seminar in October 1999.
The CESI program will revolve around the principle that any qualified kitchen exhaust system inspector must be capable of fulfilling these tasks for his or her client:
Each of these tasks is broken down into several sub-tasks and knowledge areas that a competent inspector must thoroughly understand.
The System Assessment requires that the inspector have thorough knowledge of all kitchen exhaust system components. When producing an inspection report for the customer, the inspector must demonstrate the ability to identify everything from the starting point at the hood to the concluding point at the end of the exhaust duct and/or fan.
The Cleanliness Inspection includes a complete evaluation of the cleanliness of the system and its individual components. Those awarded CESI certification must demonstrate their ability to evaluate and report cleanliness conditions for various system components.
If the system is contaminated (e.g. if any component is contaminated), the inspector will further be expected to characterize the level of contamination according to the following scale:
Heavily Contaminated • Moderately Contaminated • All Require Cleaning Lightly Contaminated • Not Contaminated
The characterization of contamination levels as “heavily,” “moderately,” and “lightly” is, by nature, a somewhat subjective determination. However, as per NFPA 96, any identified contamination is cause for cleaning. The characterization of contamination levels therefore serves solely to assist the customer in understanding the condition of the system, as well as to assist the customer and the inspector in developing an appropriate cleaning frequency schedule.
The CESI program will also test the inspector’s ability to report Conclusions and Recommendations for the customer. At a minimum, persons awarded the CESI designation must be able to clearly report the following:
PROGRAM POLICIES & PROCEDURES
The CESI Certification Examination consists of seventy-five to one hundred multiple-choice questions. The time limit to complete the examination is two hours. Questions on the examination shall be derived from the following sources approximately as follows:
| 33% (or less) | NFPA Standard 96 |
| 33–50% | 1995 ASHRAE Applications Handbook, Chapter 28 “Kitchen Ventilation” |
| 33% | Miscellaneous / Mechanical |
Candidates who correctly answer seventy percent or more of examination questions shall be deemed certified.
In addition to a three-hour kitchen exhaust inspection course, IKECA shall make available the following materials at a reasonable cost for study purposes:
The tentative plan is to compile these materials into one handy reference guide. The guide will be available before the end of July 1999.
The CESI program is one of the most exciting developments to come out of IKECA since the original CECS program. Don’t miss your first chance to attend a superb education workshop on inspections and take the CESI test—be sure to participate in the Technical Seminar this October in Dallas, Texas!
Glenn Fellman is President of Fellman Business Consulting, LLC, in Kensington, Maryland. The company has been retained by IKECA to administer the CECS program and to develop and implement all aspects of the new CESI program.
Association News
New Board Member
IKECA would like to welcome its newest board member, H.J. (Butch) Houck, the owner (with his wife, Virgie) of Capital Kleen-Air, Inc., in Corpus Christi, Texas. After attending Del Mar College in Corpus Christi, Butch joined the company in 1961 and purchased it four years later in 1965. More than thirty years later, he and Virgie are still the proud owners of this successful kitchen exhaust cleaning company that services clients in the southern half of Texas and Louisiana.
In addition to Capital Kleen-Air, Butch and Virgie own Guard Master Fire and Safety, Inc., which they started in 1991. Guard Master installs kitchen hoods, ducts, fans, and automatic fire suppression systems.
Capital Kleen-Air has been an IKECA member since 1993.
Capital Kleen-Air, Inc. can be reached at Tel (512) 854-3064.
New Members
IKECA Welcomes
New Members!
Blastmasters, Inc.
Big Spring, Texas
Cool Runnings Fire Equipment
Mount Vernon, New York
Commercial Kitchen Cleaners
Washington DC
SSC Service Solutions
Arlington, Virginia
Association News
New Member Spotlight
By Richard Kaminski
I would like to thank all of the IKECA members who greeted Tiger Rauscher and me so warmly and made us feel welcome right away at the IKECA convention in Fort Lauderdale last March. We weren’t quite sure what to expect at our first annual meeting, but we are sure glad that we went. We left the meeting feeling energized and excited about getting back to work with new knowledge and new friends. Many of you said “Give me a call anytime, and I’ll do my best to help out.” Some members even gave us their home phone numbers. This meant a lot to Tiger and me, knowing that there are other people like us out there with the same headaches who are willing to help.
We can’t wait for the upcoming IKECA technical seminar in Dallas to see our new friends and learn more new ideas.
We also look forward to defending my “Longest Drive” title and Tiger’s “IKECA Golf Tournament Championship” title. Special thanks to Tim Greene for organizing the event. We wear our IKECA champion golf shirts proudly.
See you in Dallas!
Richard Kaminski, A-1 Professional Exhaust
A-1 Professional Exhaust is located in Sheffield Village, Ohio, and can be reached at (440) 277-7500.
Executive Director’s Report
Executive
Director’s Introduction
By Harold R. Caldwell
The kitchen exhaust cleaning industry has without a doubt captured its own unique marketplace. As IKECA continues to guide and nurture this industry to professional standardization, I am glad to be a part of the process. The recent board meeting held here in Chicago proved to be quite an interesting and educational experience. As we move closer to the new millennium, preparation is already in the works to launch IKECA’s elite memberships to the next level. IKECA is committed to its part of ensuring that its members have all the necessary fire-power within the realm of education and informational resources, keeping them abreast of evolving changes.
In the upcoming months our coordinated efforts will springboard changes in several sectors of our association. Firstly, as our newsletter continues to capture the pulse of the industry, I ask that everyone pitch in when asked to submit articles and letters. This directly contributes to the association’s exchange of industry news and ideas among its members. Further, plans are in progress to make more efficient use of one of today’s greatest communication venues…..THE WEBSITE. I invite you to take a gander at the new site: www.ikeca.org. Recent updates are now in place with more to come.
Also, months of collective efforts are beginning to take shape as our 1999 Technical Seminar in Dallas grows near. The event will be held at the Embassy Suites Hotel, Oct. 28–30. Mark your calendars and be on the lookout for upcoming program details! These are just a few of the changes and events that are in the making as we continue to build and strengthen our organization.
In closing, I am pleased to be aboard and ready to hit the ground running. I look forward to becoming a more vital part of the association.
Harold R.
Caldwell
Executive Director
Association News
To the Membership:
Our membership list is provided to the entire membership at each of our meetings or upon request for those unable to attend. Its intention is to allow members to communicate among one another for the good of the organization or the exchange of useful information.
Recently many of the members received an unsigned document in which the writer expressed some concerns and made some comments regarding another member. We have tried hard to involve our membership in the decision making process and keep everyone informed. If there are concerns, please bring them to the attention of the board and allow us the opportunity to address them. In addition, please realize that an unsigned correspondence has no credibility and any unsubstantiated claims have no validity and will not be recognized.
Please give our membership list the respect it is due and use it only for the exchange of ideas that benefit the industry as a whole and allow us all to do more profitable business.
Thank you.
Tim Greene
President
| Home|About Us|Events|Newsletter|Guidelines & Best Practices|NFPA 96|Services & Benefits|Members Only| Member Info|Certification Info|Archive|Contact |
International Kitchen Exhaust Cleaning
Association, 12339 Carroll Avenue,
Rockville, MD 20852
Phone: (301)
230-0099 • FAX: (301)
231-4871 • E-mail:
info@ikeca.org
Copyright © 1998-2007 International Kitchen Exhaust Cleaning
Association. All rights reserved.
This site is maintained by Webfoot.Net
which can be contacted at
webmaster@webfoot.net
