ESA is proud to welcome another of its newest members – Basepoint Building Automations. A provider of integrated building technology, this Iowa-based, employee-owned company offers HVAC controls, security solutions, automatic doors, and monitoring services.    

After joining ESA in December 2024, Basepoint was drawn to its Bulk Training Program. In addition to its National Training School (NTS), which ranks as the leading provider of classroom training, online courses, and certifications for the ever-evolving electronic security and life safety industry, ESA now also offers a customizable employee onboarding and staff development program. This ESA Training as a Service (TaaS) program is an in-house training platform designed to fast-track new hires and existing employees.  

There were many attractive benefits of the Bulk Training Program that prompted Basepoint to sign up for it.  As Tom Fulcher, Director of Education & Safety for Basepoint Building Automations notes, “One of the benefits that we find in the Bulk Training Program is the flexibility of training our technicians to the highest industry standard, coupled with the ability to train our entire team on the same material at relatively the same time.  Online training is a game changer for us to be able to expedite training and certifications.” 

Fulcher explains that “With about 25 employees participating in ESA/NTS training, our primary focus initially lies in the Certified Alarm Technician (CAT) Level 1 as well as Advanced Intrusion Systems (AIS) and Fire Alarm Installation Methods (FAIM) leading to the CAT Level 2 designation. All our employees who attain CAT 2 are then licensed as Alarm System Responsible Managing Employees (RME) by the State of Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing. Moving forward, this process will become part of the Basepoint Academy of Excellence for all electricians we hire.”

Participants in ESA’s TaaS program all benefit from the customizable curriculum which covers coursework spanning technical training, safety skills, and topical industry trends. Convenient and adaptable to each company’s schedules and timelines, TaaS courses are offered online with reporting features that enable supervisors to track their employees’ progress, spanning entry level, intermediate, and advanced employees. Training content imparts critically needed knowledge that meets state licensing requirements. 

For Fulcher and his team, “The ESA training programs are providing significant impact by supporting our best-in-class mentality throughout our organization,” he says. “For Basepoint, training and development is an investment in our human capital and the ROI on that investment is highly qualified and committed technicians, solid industry partners, and satisfied clients. “The membership with ESA provides us with a one-stop shop for much of our alarm training as well as excellent documentation and reporting through the training portal.”

TaaS is broken down into two tiers as follows: 

TIER 1: 

ESA Systems Technician 

CORE SKILLS | 0 – 6 MONTHS EMPLOYMENT 

69 Hours of Training Including: 

OSHA 10 Hour, Basics of Customer Service, Certified Alarm Technician Level I, Communication Strategies, Workforce Skills 

Electives customizable to your business: Cabling, Networking, Wireless Systems, Troubleshooting, Safety 

Upon completion of Tier 1 students will receive: 

ESA Systems Technician Completion Certificate, Level I Certified Alarm Technician Certification, OSHA 10 Hour Certification 

TIER 2 

ESA Systems Specialist 

INTERMEDIATE SKILLS | 6 – 18 MONTHS EMPLYMENT  

80 Hours of Training Including: 

Troubleshooting, Service and Maintenance, NTS Technical Courses, Workforce Skills 

Electives customizable to your business: Conduit Bending, Networking, Codes, Wiring, Customer Service, Safety 

Upon completion of Tier 2 students will receive: 

ESA Systems Specialist Completion Certificate, Troubleshooting, Service and Maintenance Course Completion Certificate, Additional Course Completion Certificates