Speakers: Apply Online for CEUs
Certified Chimney Sweeps: 
CEU Record Sheet
CEU Renewal Form
Eligibility
You Must Be a Current CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep ® to participate in this program.
Continuing Education: Staying Current with the Latest Trends and Standards
Through state and regional conventions, vendor training and installation seminars, the NCSG Annual Convention and Trade Show, and other special events, today's chimney service professionals have both the opportunity and the responsibility to take advantage of additional education and training.
A CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep® must retake the certification examination every three years to maintain CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep® status. As an alternative, and to add to his or her body of knowledge, a sweep may renew their certification by accumulating the appropriate number of continuing education credits.
The Continuing Education Certification Renewal Program is a voluntary alternative to re-testing every three years by written exam and is offered to all CSIA Certified Chimney Sweeps® in good standing following their initial certification period. It was developed with the idea to encourage more direct involvement of the individual sweep and continue to build his or her level of industry expertise.
Sweeps may enroll in the Continuing Education Program by simply notifying the Chimney Safety Institute of America office. The enrollment can take place at any time during the candidate's certification period, but early enrollment is encouraged to give the participant maximum exposure to the program.
Requirements
The participant is required to obtain a minimum of 48 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) in a three-year period in order to renew their certification in this program. CEUs will be offered for attendance/participation in seminars and programs approved by the CSIA Certification Renewal Committee.
The material accepted into the program must fall into one or more of these five areas of focus:
• Technical
• Codes & Standards
• Communication & Liability
• Health & Safety
• Business (Business CEUs are elective, not required.)
To ensure the program is well rounded, minimum category requirements are:
| • Technical: |
12 |
| • Codes & Standards |
12 |
| • Communication & Liability |
06 |
| • Health & Safety |
06 |
| • Additional in ANY category (including Business) |
12 |
|
| TOTAL CEUs: |
48 |
Once the minimum CEUs have been met in each of these categories, the remaining balance can be accumulated in any or all categories, including Business. Business CEUs may not be used to meet minimum category requirements in Technical, Codes & Standards, Communication & Liability and Health & Safety. This policy is effective 1/1/06.
CSIA Certification Review
The CSIA Certification Review has been awarded four CEUs for participants needing four or less credits to renew their certification. The credits may be used for any category or in as many categories as needed.
National Chimney Sweep Training School
Candidates enrolled in the National Chimney Sweep Training School who pass the CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep® exam will receive 16 CEUs (four in each category) to be used toward their Certification Renewal during the current three-year cycle.
NFI / HEARTH CEU Reciprocity
As of 2/23/05 , CSIA will accept credits earned from approved NFI/HEARTH courses to be counted toward CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep® certification renewal, provided such courses have been pre-approved by the CSIA Certification Renewal Committee.
The NFI/HEARTH credits must be earned in the same three-year CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep® certification cycle.
ENROLLEES' RESPONSIBILITY
Each CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep® will be responsible for maintaining a record of their CEUs. When you have obtained the necessary CEUs you need to send COPIES of your certificates along with the appropriate fee and a color head and shoulders photograph to the CSIA office for processing.
It is recommended that certificates and related paperwork be submitted 45 days before the expiration date to allow for processing and issuance of a new ID card. This may prevent a lapse in current ID cards.
NCSG members that accumulate 12 credits or more over the minimum of 48 will receive an additional “Over & Above” patch.
Once a certification has been renewed, all CEU credits acquired during the three-year renewal cycle will be forfeited. There will be no carryover of accumulated CEU credits.
Participants that do not accumulate the required number of CEUs during the three-year period will forfeit the credits. In order to renew your certification, you must take the CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep® Certification Exam.
Renewal Time Periods
If you renew your certification within the 6 months prior to your expiration date, you will receive the same monthly renewal date. If you do not renew within 90 days after the expiration date, you will lose your monthly renewal date. When your certification expires, so do the referrals from the CSIA office and the Internet web site.
In order to renew your certification after the 90 days, you will be required to take the Certification Exam to become a CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep® once again. When the certification renewal takes place within 12 months of expiration, the certification number will remain the same. If the certification is allowed to lapse for more than 12 months, a new certification number will be assigned.
Repeat Classes
Participants may not earn CEU credits for classes repeated during the three-year Certification Renewal cycle. Examples would be: D&D, Ahrens Masonry School, National Chimney Sweep Training School, F.I.R.E., etc. Exceptions (but not limited to):
- Classes that have significant changes in content: The instructor must submit a new CEU Application for Course Credit and corresponding course summary and outline. (i.e. Codes and Standards updates)
- CPR or First Aid classes (sponsored by the American Red Cross or other accredited organizations) that issue two-year certifications.
Professional Publications
DESCRIPTION OF ACTIVITIES
Encompasses professional sweeping publications authored by a current CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep®. The CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep's® responsibility in the publication may be authorship, co-authorship, or editorial. The item to be published may be a book, chapter in a book, paper, or article, etc. The item may be published in a book, journal, professional organization's national or local newsletter, newspaper or magazine, etc.
The subject matter must fall under one or more of the current CEU categories to be considered for approval.
CEUs AWARDED
CEUs for joint authorships will be determined by dividing the number of CEUs by the number of authors.
Number of CEUs awarded:
| Article in SWEEPING magazine |
1.00 – 4.00 |
| Writing a CSIA published brochure |
1.00 – 4.00 |
| Article in other industry related magazine |
1.00 – 2.00 |
| Article in a local newsletter or newspaper |
1.00 – 2.00 |
The number of credits awarded will depend on the content and length of the submitted material. Inaccurate or misleading material/articles will not be approved for CEUs.
If the publication is not in SWEEPING , a copy of the published article must be submitted for consideration.
There is a limit of 3 articles/brochure publications allowed for credit in a three-year renewal cycle. No more than 12 total credits in the three-year renewal cycle will be allowed.
Professional Presentations
DESCRIPTION OF ACTIVITIES Encompasses the CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep's® participation as an instructor delivering content to sweeps and other industry-related professionals or to the general public. The presentation must be delivered within a structured framework of teaching/learning.
A presentation may include seminar, conference, public educational program and/or consumer education program.
The participation may be as a primary instructor, member of a team, guest lecturer, or panel of participants etc.
CEUs AWARDED
CSIA ACCREDITED COURSES
CSIA Instructor(s) teaching a CSIA accredited course will receive the same CEUs that are awarded to the students for that course. The CEUs are subject to the same guidelines and limitations in the certification cycle as the students.
OTHER COURSES
Instructor(s) presenting courses that are not CSIA accredited will be awarded CEUs on an individual basis. The CEUs awarded are subject to the same guidelines and limits for CSIA accredited course presentations.
In order to receive credits for a course presentation, a completed CEU Application for Course Credit, course outline and any handout materials must be submitted to the Certification Renewal Committee for approval.
The CEU credits may be awarded, if approved, in the same categories that are currently available in the Certification Renewal program.
Academic Credit Courses
DESCRIPTION OF ACTIVITIES
Encompasses academic courses offered by an accredited college, university, state, national or locally approved courses. These courses should address the knowledge base of the chimney/ venting professional. The course content should address chimney, venting and/or IAQ concepts.
Examples would include chimney sweeping, inspections, masonry, CPR, First Aid, dryer exhaust duct service and installations, indoor air quality issues, etc.
Copies of appropriate attendance verification must accompany any consideration for CEUs from any Academic Credit Courses from the sponsor or organization presenting the course.
A CEU Application for Course Credit must be filled out by or with help of the instructor(s) with contact information of the instructor(s) for verification and/or clarification purposes.
A copy of the course outline and/or summary, or other appropriate materials (handouts) should be submitted to verify the course content.
All credits are subject to approval by the Certification Renewal Committee.
Program Integrity
ATTENDANCE & DOCUMENTATION PROCEDURES
The sponsoring organization will be responsible for the completion of the sign in sheet that must be forwarded to the CSIA office by either fax or US Mail following the completion of the class or convention. If this is not completed and returned to the CSIA Office, the credits may be disqualified for all attendees for that class.
It is the responsibility of the sponsoring organization to monitor attendance at these courses within the CSIA Certification Renewal Guidelines. That means attendees must not arrive any later than 5 minutes after the start of the course and they may not leave the course for more than 5 minutes per hour for personal reasons.
If there is a question of the attendees coming and going without proper monitoring, the entire course may be disqualified for all attendees. The integrity of the education program must be a priority for all involved.
Forms should be completed and returned to:
CSIA, Vicki Barton, 2155 Commercial Dr. , Plainfield , IN 46168
Phone: (317) 837-5362, Fax: (317) 837-5365, Email: vbarton@csia.org
Revocation of Certification
The Chimney Safety Institute of America ( CSIA ) Certification Denial or Revocation Policy allows the CSIA to deny a candidate's application for any CSIA certification or to revoke any CSIA certification for certain specified forms of misconduct. The Policy is intended to maintain the CSIA's integrity and to ensure that the criteria for denial or revocation of applications for CSIA certifications are consistently applied. This policy applies to all candidates for CSIA certification and to anyone certified by CSIA.
An application for certification may be denied, or CSIA certification may be revoked, where CSIA in its sole judgment, finds that an applicant or individual certified by CSIA:
- Has knowingly misrepresented or falsified material information in connection with an application for certification or certification renewal, the CSIA credential, Continuing Education approval, or other materials or information submitted to CSIA.
- Has knowingly engaged in inappropriate conduct in connection with the certification process or renewal of the certification process, including, but not limited to: (1) noncompliance with payment procedures or instructions and/or (2) any other form of cheating or misconduct that compromises the integrity of CSIA and the certification process.
- Has violated the CSIA Code of Ethics.
- Has been convicted of a crime, where the conduct forming the basis of such conviction has involved of such severity that CSIA determines is inconsistent with the standards required of an individual certified by CSIA.
Application Fees
CERTIFICATION RENEWAL BY CEUs
NCSG Members: $269.00
Annual Maintenance Fee: $199.00
Non-Members: $469.00
Annual Maintenance Fee: $249.00
Fees are subject to change without notice. The certification renewal by CEUs fee is for processing and is non-refundable. The fees listed above do not include voluntary Certification Review programs offered by the CSIA.
Program Function
APPLYING FOR CEU CREDITS
Each course instructor(s) must submit a CEU Application for Course Credit for approval each time a class is presented. If the course objective, summary and instructor qualifications have not changed, “on file” may be inserted where appropriate.
Exceptions would be repetitive courses sponsored by the CSIA or other industry courses that have been approved and have no significant changes in the curriculum.
Curriculum Assessment
The Certification Renewal Committee will review the presented material and will be responsible for approving, rejecting or requesting additional information.
The Certification Renewal Committee will be working on five specific areas of focus:
- Technical
- Codes & Standards
- Health & Safety
- Communication & Liability
- Business
A completed CEU Application for Course Credit is needed along with the following:
- A complete detailed, typed (if at all possible) outline. Use additional pages as needed.
- All handouts for the course.
- Length of course (do not include break times, only teaching times).
- All information should be sent to Bo Tasso, Certification Renewal Committee Chair.
- Application deadline is 30 days prior to course date, or CEUs may not be approved. All applications must be complete.
- Incomplete applications will not receive CEU Credits.
CEU Applications for Course Credit
Course applications may be obtained from and returned to:
Bo Tasso
Certification Renewal Committee Chair
9368 E. Big Mound Rd.
Stillman Valley, IL 61084-9755
Phone: 815-645-8103
Fax: 815-645-2666
E-mail: Bo@botasso.com
The preferred contact is by e-mail. The application can be sent as an attachment.
Applications may also be obtained from any Certification Renewal Committee member or from the CSIA office.
APPLICATION APPROVAL
When an application has been approved, the instructor(s) will be sent confirmation with a copy of the completed application.
Regional/State Guild Curriculum Review Procedure
Material presented by speakers and class instructors from either regional or State Guild programs may be included in the CSIA Continuing Education Program if the following criteria are met:
- Presented material meets one or more of the areas of focus.
- The CSIA Certification Renewal Committee reviews speakers' material.
- Sponsors/instructors of the classes must meet the same control and attendance procedures recommended by the Certification Renewal Committee and CSIA office staff.
If classes and all related material are submitted prior to the 30-day deadline, the CSIA will produce certificates or other material labeled with the dates, CEU credits and category for the credits. The CEU candidates are responsible for maintaining a copy and their own records of CEUs obtained.
CSIA Code of Ethics
I fully acknowledge that the application for certification by the Chimney Safety Institute of America ("CSIA") carries with it certain responsibilities and obligations. In this regard, I pledge:
- To learn and to utilize all venting and chimney safety practices and techniques that are promoted by CSIA.
- To render my services in an honest and fair manner and to refrain from engaging in deceptive practices or making any deceptive statements.
- To comply with all applicable building codes in the areas I service, with the manufacturer's instructions for the products I install, and with recognized venting and chimney practices.
- To promote and educate consumers about safe chimney and venting practices.
- To strive to continually update my knowledge, skills, and technique with regard to currently accepted venting and chimney safety practices.
- To conduct myself in a decent, respectful, and professional manner when serving in my capacity as a chimney sweep, or when attending a function or event of an organization in the chimney or hearth products industry,
- To comply with the proper usage of the CSIA Certified ChimneySweep® Trademark as defined in the CSIA Trademark Use Guidelines document.
- I agree to accept and abide by the CSIA Code of Ethics as a standard in rendering services as a CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep® or a CSIA Certified Dryer Exhaust Technician.