Aico Ltd, market leader in residential Fire and Carbon Monoxide (CO) Alarms in the UK, is celebrating training 14,000 customers across the UK through its Expert Installer Training scheme, with 2,500 of those being in the first half of 2017 alone.
Launched in 2008, originally under the name of AFPTIS, Expert Installer is a modular training scheme created by Aico to ensure everyone involved in domestic alarm specification and installation has all the information they need, from standards & regulations, alarm system design and installation, through to specific technologies.
Expert Installer recently received CPD accreditation, making Aico the only domestic smoke alarm manufacturer to provide customers with CPD accredited training free of charge.
Expert Installer training can be held in a number of places – at the customer’s premises, at Aico’s Centre of Excellence in Oswestry, Shropshire or in one of Aico’s new Mobile Training & Demonstration Units.
Neal Hooper, Managing Director of Aico, commented: “We have always been committed to providing education and practical support to our customers.
"We manufacture life saving devices so it’s important that the right alarms are specified and installed and maintained correctly to protect people within their homes.
"Expert Installer gives customers this knowledge and also enables them to keep up to date with the latest developments, which is essential if you are to provide the best protection. Training has a vital role to play and is not just for contractors on the ground, but for anyone involved in alarm specification and maintenance.”
Aico’s Centre of Excellence is a purpose built training and meeting facility which also enables the company to demonstrate its product range and technologies. Launched in 2015 as part of Aico’s 25th anniversary celebrations, it has been extended to double its size in 2017 to meet customer demand for its facilities.
The Centre of Excellence features a new workshop that easily accommodates 20 people in a hands-on training session and enables visitors to view alarms in action with the use of a smoke chamber. In addition, it is home to ‘Ember Place’ - a furnished bungalow fitted with suitable Aico alarms and accessories - large modern meeting and conference rooms, break out areas and a Heritage and Manufacturing Area featuring a virtual tour of the Ei factory in Ireland where all the alarms are made.
A new addition to Aico’s training facilities and much in demand are the Mobile Training & Demonstration Units. These vehicles enable training to be delivered, along with detailed product and alarm technology information, right to customers’ doors.
The Mobile Units cater for many different requirements, be it a hands on training session with Aico alarms and technologies, a product demonstration, or working on bespoke specification projects.