Throughout 2 1/2 days, speakers from SMART provided a state of the union in regards to TAB, training, recruitment and retention, health and safety, and certification updates. Industry partners and vendors were on hand to show attendees the latest and greatest — from AI used for building automation to compliance, codes and standards of the National Fire Protection Association and lessons learned from legislative efforts. Other topics included opportunities for fire life safety inspections, maintenance and repair; air balancing in health care facilities; and how to work with vendors to build relationships and foster projects that promote training and education for apprentices and journeypersons.

Eric Grundmeir, general manager at RSAnalysis, presented on air balancing in health care facilities and stressed how indoor air quality specialists keep people safe. In 2018, the importance of clean air in medical environments hit home for Grundmeir, when his wife and daughters were involved in a head-on collision that put one child in the ICU.

“I’m spending every night in the hospital, and it became very personal,” he said. “There are family members, loved ones we are protecting. We are a part of the system that works for the hospital. To me, it’s very personal.”

The opening address was presented by Isaiah Zemke, business manager and financial secretary for Local 49, who used New Mexico’s state motto, “It grows as it goes,” to show how although TAB has grown in regard to technology, it still has far to go.

“This conference isn’t just about education, it’s about unifying around a shared purpose that our buildings perform and our communities thrive,” he said.

Last summer, Local 49 opened its variable refrigerant flow, or VRF, and pharmaceutical lab. At 2,000 square feet each, these spaces help train apprentices and journeypersons on TAB, fire life safety, ventilation, clean room, indoor air quality and more.

“It’s a statement,” Zemke said. “We’re investing in our members in clean energy and quality work. They’ll get hands-on experience with the same systems they see in the field.”

 Matthew Cole, field operations manager for Wing’s Testing and Balancing in Branford, Connecticut, was this year’s keynote speaker. He focused on “kaizen,” a Japanese term that means “continuous improvement,” or as Cole put it, “good change.” 

“The more you learn, the more marketable you are,” he said. 

Jeff Reinhardt, executive administrator for Western Washington Sheet Metal training facility in Dupont, Washington, attended the conference for the first time, and, although he’s an educator, he attended the business track to get a better idea of what the industry offers outside of the classroom.

“I thought it was well put together and informative,” he said. “I thought it was great to hear some of the different opportunities that you could pursue and learning about the support systems that are there to help you navigate the legislative process and where to get the training for your workforce.”

TABB, a program of NEMI, is the first of its kind to earn ANAB (ANSI National Accreditation Board) accreditation for certification in the testing, adjusting and balancing and HVAC fire life safety industry. The TABB program certification is a statement the technician, supervisor and contractor demonstrate the highest level of professional expertise. Certification is gained through the ICB, which is the platform for industry-recognized certifications and meets some of the highest standards for technical excellence and expertise.