Tampa, FL, June 10, 2008-According to the EPA Indoor Environments Division, 20 percent of the U.S. population, or nearly 55 million people, spend seven or more hours per day indoors. Coupled with the fact that indoor air pollutants can be between 5-100 times higher than outdoor levels, it makes sense that Pure Air Control Services, Inc. (PACS) has recently added the innovative Certified Indoor Air Quality Managers (CIAQM) course into its IAQ Learning Institute’s curriculum offering. This training prepares the attendee for an off-site examination for certification by the American Indoor Air Quality Council (AMIAQ).

 Established in 2001 and certified by the AMIAQ, the CIAQM is designed for property, building and asset managers, as well as facilities directors and other professionals (such as school principals or hospital administrators) to whom indoor air quality is a crucial concern. The CIAQM coursework, along with the Advanced IAQ hands-on training, will enable professionals to diagnose and provide solutions to IAQ concerns.

 “The CIAQM certification is a great opportunity to prepare facilities professionals to be more comfortable and proficient when dealing with IAQ concerns” says Alan Wozniak, president and CEO of Pure Air Control Services. “Every day we receive requests for simple building investigations and mold concerns that can easily be addressed by a trained certified individual.”

 Headquartered in Clearwater, FL, PACS has stood at the forefront of IAQ innovation for more than two decades-and is still one of the few IAQ consulting firms in the U.S. that provides both professional diagnosis and maintains a in-house American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) accredited environmental microbiology lab. With projects running the gamut from $50 to hundreds of thousands of dollars, the firm believes in empowering its customers to take control of their indoor air quality-and, said Wozniak, the CIAQM is the latest way of doing just that.

 “The effective practice of indoor air quality management requires detailed knowledge of a variety of subjects, including HVAC and building sciences,” he explains. “This course not only provides this, but also hands-on sampling and investigation strategies to thoroughly equip the attendee for addressing indoor environmental concerns.”

According to the IAQ Council, CIAQM candidates must prove two years of property or asset management. Certifications are board-awarded by a “unanimous vote of a nationwide panel of industry peers,” and the course must be retaken every two years to maintain certification.