3.6 Training Schools, Instructors and the Residential Technician Course

Why This Section Matters

Even a technician who will never teach gets tested on this material, because the RAL pathway is the structural exception to "every license requires a state test." The hour breakdown in § 34.628 is exact and therefore very easy to write questions about.

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1. Who May Be a Training School (§ 6002.158(a); § 34.627(b))

• The applicant submits an application with the complete course or testing curriculum.
• A registered firm, or an affiliate of a registered firm, is not eligible for approval as a training school. This independence rule prevents a company from certifying its own hires.
• The application form is Form SF246 (Training School Approval Application), adopted in § 34.630(e). Approvals are not transferable and apply only to the entity named as responsible on the form; changing the responsible entity requires applying for and receiving a new approval.
• The school must obtain approval of the outline of each RAL training course before conducting a class, and may only use SFMO-approved instructors.
• Access obligation: after approval, the school must annually conduct, within 125 miles of each county with a population greater than 500,000, at least two classes that are open to the public (§ 6002.158(f); § 34.627(b)(5) states the same rule keyed to the last decennial census and each calendar year from the approval date).

Timeline: the state fire marshal reviews the materials and approves or denies in a letter not later than the 60th day after receipt. A denial must disclose specific reasons, and the applicant may reapply at any time by addressing them.

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2. Who May Be an Instructor (§ 6002.158(c); § 34.613(c)(1); § 34.627(a))

An instructor applicant must:

1. Hold a current fire alarm planning superintendent, residential fire alarm superintendent, or fire alarm technician license issued by the SFMO;
2. Submit a completed Instructor Approval Application, Form SF247, signed by the applicant and accompanied by all fees; and
3. Furnish written documentation of at least three years of experience in fire alarm installation, service, or monitoring — unless the applicant has held an APS, RAS, or FAL license for three or more years.

Once approved, the instructor:

• May provide training only through an approved training school (§ 34.627(a)(1));
• Must teach the subjects in the approved outline submitted by the school (§ 34.627(a)(2)); and
• Must carry the instructor's approval while providing training (§ 34.611(b)(2)).

Renewal is Form SF255. Instructor approval is valid one year; the fee is $50 initial and $50 renewal.

Note who is excluded. An AMT, RAS-SS, or RAL license does not qualify a person to be an approved instructor.

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3. The RAL Curriculum (§ 6002.158(e); § 34.628)

The training curriculum must consist of at least seven hours of instruction on installing, servicing, and maintaining single-family and two-family residential fire alarm systems as defined by NFPA 72, allocated as follows:

The in-course examination (§ 6002.158(e))

Separate from the seven instructional hours, the course must include an examination on NFPA 72 for which at least one hour is allocated for completion. The examination must:

• Consist of at least 25 questions; and
• Require the applicant to answer at least 80 percent correctly to pass.

Compare that with the SFMO tests: 50 questions at 70 percent. The RAL in-course exam is 25 questions at 80 percent. Mixing up these two number pairs is the most common error on this topic.

Section 34.613(b)(1) adds that the qualifying test given as part of RAL training must include questions regarding Insurance Code Chapter 6002 and Subchapter F — which is why the curriculum devotes a dedicated hour to it.

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4. Summary Comparison

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5. Applying the Rules

Scenario A. A large registered alarm company wants to run its own SFMO-approved RAL school to train new hires. → Not eligible. § 6002.158(a) and § 34.627(b)(3) bar a registered firm or an affiliate of one from being an approved training school.

Scenario B. An RAS with four years of service experience applies to be an instructor. → Eligible. § 34.613(c)(1) accepts an APS, RAS, or FAL license plus three years of documented experience — and holding the qualifying license itself for three or more years also satisfies the experience requirement.

Scenario C. An approved school in Amarillo holds one public class per year and otherwise trains only private clients. → Non-compliant. § 34.627(b)(5) requires two or more classes open to the public each calendar year within 125 miles of each county with a population over 500,000.

Scenario D. A course runs seven hours and ends with a 20-question, 70-percent quiz. → Non-compliant twice over: § 6002.158(e) requires at least 25 questions and at least 80 percent to pass, with at least one hour allocated for the exam.