In the last several months, staff members at the American Indoor Air Quality Council have reported a significant increase in calls from consumers looking for qualified IAQ professionals.

Most callers are searching for reliable professionals qualified by American Indoor Air Quality Council certifications. Many have been referred to the IAQ Council by local and state health departments.

"This trend is a clear demonstration of the value of our certification programs," said Charlie Wiles, IAQ Council executive director. "We think governmental agencies will increasingly rely on the credibility of independent certifications."

IAQ Council certifications are independent of product manufacturers, advertisers, membership associations and training organizations.

Callers are directed to the IAQ Council certificant locator, a web-based search engine containing contact information for all IAQ Council certificate holders. Friendly IAQ Council staff members help callers search the database by zip code to find certificants in their own neighborhoods.

The certificant locator can be found on the web at http://www.iaqcouncil.org/locator/locator.htm.