The UL Qualified Firestop Contractor Program's objective is to give Specialty Firestop Contractors a credible 3rd party Quality Management System Program to set themselves apart, while offering specifiers, building owners and managers a quantifiable qualification of the firm.  The Management System audit verifies that the contractor does what they say in their quality manual, every day, as part of the company culture.  Special attention to how non-conformances are managed. 

The UL Qualified Firestop Contractor Program and the ASTM E 2174 & ASTM E 2393 Standards for the Inspection of Firestop Systems, are complimentary programs.  A contractor who has invested in the UL Program, inspected by a Consultant to the ASTM Standards, means quality contractors and quality installation. The inspection validates that the installation quality process is working.

The UL Qualified Firestop Program has been accepted nationwide by architects and engineers through programs like MasterSpec and other master specifications for projects worldwide.

To become qualified, the contractor firm appoints a Designated Responsible Individual (DRI).  To become a DRI the person must past a rigorous industry exam to become the key person in the firm to manage the firestopping quality management system process. The DRI Designation is not awarded the individual until the firestop contractor firm is Qualified by UL. The firestop firm qualification follows the company.

Once a DRI is in place, the contractor firm then authorizes and pays UL to audit the contracting firm's quality management system (procedures) as listed in their Quality Manual to confirm that the firm's processes meet their own quality manual statements for Firestop Systems installation. A field audit of a jobsite may also part of the process, with a destructive test , performed to verify the management process works in the field.  Upon successful audit, the firm would be deemed 'qualified', by UL.

UL Qualification is only given those firms who have passed both the DRI Test and the Intial Facility and Procedure Audit Process. Follow up Audits are performed by UL yearly by UL Personnel. DRI's must retest or provide verification of CEU eligible Education sessions attended.  Testing and CEU's occurs at FCIA Conferences.