Sweeping Magazine—May 2024

16

How To Say “Chimney Sweep” in Italian

Verity and Byron Schramm with Midtown Chimney Sweeps recently concluded a seven-month sabbatical delving into chimney construction and chimney sweep technology throughout Europe and England. Read about part of their journey on page 16.

9

Board of Directors Updates

The NCSG announces its 2024-2025 Board of Directors.

10

Photos: 2024 NCSG Convention and Trade Show

Relive the week of convention in photos.

12

State of the Union: Just Say YES!

YES to our shared history. YES to education. YES to professional certifications.

16

Verity Schramm shares her new global perspective of chimney sweeping in Italy.

21

Stay updated with the latest certification holders and upcoming events.

24

Take Action

Strategies for identifying and taking action against fraudulent chimney companies.

28

Need for Speed

Which technologies can you implement to speed up the growth of your chimney business?

32

Innovative and Forward-Thinking

How will VR change training and marketing?

Have you ever seen some interesting things on the job?

Submit a photo with your name and location to marketing@ncsg.org. Page 29

CHIMNEY EQUIPMENT FOR SALE!

Small, part time chimney sweep business closing up after almost 30 years. Selling all equipment and chimney trailer. Great opportunity to expand or for a start up business. Please contact Matt at strattonhvac@gmail.com.

Let us know what’s going on! Submit industry concerns to NCSG’s Policy Action Center. We post live on the website and look into how we can take action. While you’re there, you can also check out the blog for past issues we’ve addressed. Check your email and Facebook to stay up to date!

Kailah Schmitz, CAE, Executive Director director@ncsg.org

Jessica Thornton, Associate Director and Certifications Coordinator jessica@ncsg.org

Bob Ferrari, Director of Education education@ncsg.org

Sydney Upah, Director of Marketing and Communications; Sweeping Editor marketing@ncsg.org

Brittney Burton, Membership and Events Coordinator bburton@ncsg.org

Jill Kolars, Administrative Assistant ap@ncsg.org

LETTER FROM THE President

Hello, everyone! I’m Bill — a chimney sweep and now your new President of the National Chimney Sweep Guild (NCSG) Board of Directors. I’m very honored to serve in this board position. I wasn’t always a sweep, but my past in the trades helps me in this industry. We are the Swiss army knife of the trades!

Many of us chimney sweeps came from the fireplace world, and that was my path into this family as well. I was sent to sweep a chimney by the owner of the shop without any formal training. This home had glazed creosote in its flue. I called back to the shop to ask how to remove it since the tools he provided wouldn’t work. The boss man told me to sweep it and collect the payment. That was the day it all changed!

In Pennsylvania where I reside, we have a very active state guild. I attended my first Pennsylvania Guild of Professional Chimney Sweeps workshop in 1996 where I connected with a group of tradesmen willing to share everything they know. These gents welcomed me into their homes and shared their knowledge, meals, and a drink or two during these events. That was it — I was hooked!

The state guild led me to the NCSG conventions. During these conventions, I volunteered to scan people into classes. You get to meet quite a few folks during this task! At one of these events, a NCSG board member, Thomas Rhines from Michigan, asked if I would serve on the board. I was elected to serve as the Region 2 Director at the Portland convention. That was the start of my board service.

One of the questions I’m often asked is “what benefits do I get from my membership?” I think our Director of Education Bob Ferrari answered that question at the Annual Membership Meeting in Orlando this year. The NCSG pursues training, certification, and advocacy for all sweeps in America — not just its members. We are a sweep family nationwide.

It’s been a busy few years in the Guild — the OSHA lawsuit is behind us, the accredited certification program is on a roll, the registered apprenticeship program has been recognized by the Department of Labor, the HAM house is traveling all around the country teaching the principles of air movement through a home, and the CSR 360° program is gaining momentum. I want to personally thank NCSG Past Presidents Tom Hunkele and Matt Mair for their leadership through these important milestones.

Last September, the NCSG Board of Directors voted to move forward with the virtual reality (VR) training program. This platform can safely teach a new apprentice what to expect before they enter a customer’s home. Its boundaries are limitless. Just say YES! ■

Bill Thornton, President National Chimney Sweep Guild

PAST PRESIDENT Farewell

Hello, members! It has been my extraordinary pleasure to serve our organization for the past seven years. In that time, I have served as the Region 1 director (and still do!), member and chair for various committees, secretary, treasurer, vice president, and eventually president of the National Chimney Sweep Guild (NCSG), which is the role I’ve held for the past year.

A few of you know, since last fall I have been dealing with family health issues and eventually the passing of my dad. While it wasn’t unexpected, it did take a lot of time and energy to coordinate and help with the situation.

With that time commitment in mind, I have decided to step back from the presidential responsibilities for the remainder of my final term on the board. It was an easy decision to make given the quality of the people stepping up to take over — I trust each and every one of them. Thank you for all of the texts, cards, calls, and signatures!

The NCSG has seen many changes over the last seven years, but I am very glad to say we now have great purpose, direction, and drive. We can say exactly who we are, what our purpose is, and why membership is important. We can also assert that we have a positive impact on our overall industry, with three great accredited certifications, established apprenticeship program, and great results from our long and drawn-out discussion with OSHA.

I personally feel that in addition to growing my own business, it’s important to be actively involved in some aspect of improving my local community and industry. Working hard and building a business is a very difficult and important thing, but each one of us should also be serving something beyond just ourselves. Every board or committee member of any organization has chosen to take time away from their business and family and spend that time to serve others.

The NCSG has crawled through some rocky times during my time here and is in a great place now, but only because many members have stepped up to help. I am grateful for the opportunity to work alongside them and serve you all.

In less than one year, I will term out of my Region 1 director position. Who is going to serve next? Can you volunteer for a committee? Can you serve one term on the board? ■

Matt Mair, Past President National Chimney Sweep Guild

The National Chimney Sweep Guild Announces 2024-2025 Board of Directors Election Results

By Kailah Schmitz, Executive Director, National Chimney Sweep Guild

The National Chimney Sweep Guild (NCSG) recently concluded its election process, announcing the results for the open positions on the board. The Governance Committee, appointed by NCSG President Matt Mair, consisted of NCSG Secretary Debbie Wiedwald along with Shelley Urban, David Steward, Ken Hoelscher, and Bob Fish. This committee sought a slate of nominees for open positions on the board.

The open positions and their corresponding terms were as follows:

• Region 2: 2-year Term

• Region 4: 2-year Term

• Region 6: 2-year Term

• At-Large (2): 2-year Terms

The election results for these positions are as follows:

• Region 2 (PA, NJ, DE, MD): Bill Thornton

• Region 4 (MI, IN, IL, MO, OH, KY): Debbie Wiedwald

• Region 6 (AK, WA, OR, CA, ID, NV, MT, WY, UT, AZ, HI): Michaele Dempsey

• At-Large (2) (All members): Steve Scally Elected, Gary Smalling – Nominated Additionally, the Executive Committee, voted on by the board of directors in a meeting preceding the 2024 NCSG Convention and Trade Show, saw the following results for one-year terms:

• President: Bill Thornton

• Vice President: Debbie Wiedwald

• Secretary: Robby Murphy

• Treasurer: Steve Scally

These election results reflect the commitment of NCSG members to ensuring effective governance and leadership within the chimney sweep industry. The elected individuals bring a wealth of experience and dedication to their roles, promising a bright future for the NCSG and its members. ■

Thank You!

The National Chimney Sweep Guild (NCSG) Board of Directors and staff cannot say “thank you” enough to everyone — all 720 of you — who joined us in Orlando for the 2024 NCSG Convention and Trade Show in March!

It was an out-of-this-world, jam-packed week of learning and networking that took us right into “The Next Frontier” of chimney sweeping. If you got the chance to try on a virtual reality (VR) headset, you’re probably now as excited as we are about the potential of VR for the future of our industry!

Mark your calendar for next year — March 4-8, 2025 at the Northern Kentucky Convention Center in Covington, KY (Cincinnati)! ■

Just Say Yes!

The State of the Union of Education in the National Chimney Sweep Guild

By Bob Ferrari, Director of Education, National Chimney Sweep Guild

My name is Bob Ferrari, and I am a chimney sweep.

The National Chimney Sweep Guild (NCSG) has a long history of innovation and sharing of information. The NCSG itself was an innovation when it was founded in 1977 by sweeps who each put up some money to better the lives of sweeps everywhere.

The NCSG founded the CSIA in 1981, and it took over the education and certification programs in 1991. Our education became more structured, and a better path to professionalism was established.

Education and information have always been an “open source” style. Sweeps would gather to share ideas, techniques, and problem solving in an open and welcoming manner — and not just for professional matters! NCSG Marketing Committee Chair Jake Cromwell shared on Mark Stoner’s podcast a few weeks ago that if one of his kids needed help anywhere in the country, he has no doubt there would be a sweep nearby who he could call for help. This is the culture of our industry. The NCSG has and always will be the place where sweeps pool their money to share their knowledge, solve problems, and mingle their lives. It’s a family. And, like most families, we don’t always get along — but we are bound together as brothers and sisters in black.

In the 1990s, the huge dream project was to build the first chimney sweep training center in Plainfield, Indiana. NCSG members and vendors raised the money to build the first chimney sweep training center in the country. Many of them have their names engraved on bricks commemorating their commitment to this trade. People like Vic Imgarten and John Pilger traveled to Europe and brought back models of the technical training developed over there to share with us.

We are very proud of this accomplishment because even though chimney sweeps are the multi-tool of the trades, we have often been looked down upon by other tradesmen and agencies where we pull our permits. To paraphrase Steve Jobs’ brilliant “Think Different” ad, we were the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels; to the realtors, we were troublemakers; and to the established trades, we had no respect for the status quo of chimney work. And while some of them still vilify us, they have not been able to ignore us.

I’m asking you to be the finest of troublemakers for the Guild — that is, the ones who dream dreams so big that nobody knew they were even dreamable. This culture of openness and sharing has been threatened in recent years. We went through what I’m going to refer to as “the divorce,” when the NCSG and CSIA separated. And she got the house and the car. And some of you still hurt from that.

Every week, we field questions. “Which one do I go with — NCSG or CSIA?”

Let me put it this way. In any divorce, there is duplication. You now need two houses, two refrigerators, and two fully furnished rooms so that the kids can bounce back and forth. Along the same vein, we have two certifications, two paths for education, and two rooms to stay in.

What I want to say to you about that is — “It’s still in the family!”

Our tech center is not lost to outsiders, to plumbers, or carpenters. It’s still our home. And to it, and to the education provided, and to the instructors teaching, the NCSG asks for those who honor our history, who love our great trade, and who are building our future to just say “YES!”

Yes to our shared history, yes to education from all quarters, yes to professional certifications. Yes to our family. Just say “yes!”

I want to make something very clear right now. Right now. Listen!

The NCSG is not bringing you better information. We are not bringing better instructors than who are already out there today.

How could we? How could we have better information than what the Ryan and Segerstrom Show offers? Who — by the way — was preceded by the Tom and Jerry Show (Tom Urban and Jerry Isenhour) who 15 years ago were traveling the country teaching the last generation of sweeps how to inspect and document chimneys.

And woe to me if I leave out our inspection Grandfather Dale Feb, who laid a foundation in inspection through the F.I.R.E. course, and who made us fierce in our knowledge. Some of you sitting here will bring this same knowledge to the next generation, built on these foundations.

How could the NCSG provide better information or instructors than CSIA, Copperfield, Lindemann, NFI, and Saver Systems, who

all have top notch instructors and curriculums, and CVC and SureFire, who have exceptional content.

To all of these instructors, education providers, and their content — the NCSG says “YES!”

The NCSG also provides excellence in class content, accredited certifications, and professional instructors. We say so because it is true, not to diminish any of these other organizations.

What the NCSG is uniquely bringing is a new delivery system. We are building a training center in your home with our new virtual reality (VR) learning platform. It’s expensive to travel. It’s expensive to miss work. It’s expensive to forget even a little of what was taught. We can largely solve all of these problems in VR, and we’ve built a house where everyone is welcome.

Now we are about to give you a little taste of the next frontier of chimney sweeping: VR training. You’ll be able to put on a headset and see just how immersive this experience is. We believe that with just one look, you will see the possibilities.

It’s big.

We haven’t perfected it. We need your insights, wisdom, knowledge, and experience to flesh it out. And I’m asking for your openness to help us. Don’t let us be the status quo. Embrace our crazy. Be our troublemakers — in the best sense.

Much of the VR infrastructure is built, and we’ll be rolling out additional modules over the next few months. We believe that with just one look, you will see the possibilities.

The NCSG is accomplishing more than just VR. In 2014, Jim Bostaph and Renée Brigman wrote a national standard of training for chimney sweeps that was signed by the Federal Department of Labor. We’ve had a Registered Apprenticeship Program for 10 years. Jim presented it to the NCSG and CSIA

Scan to watch this speech in video format

Boards of Directors at the time and nobody had a vision for what they had accomplished. It lay dormant.

Recently, the NCSG modernized the apprenticeship program, and you can now adopt it. It offers a learning path that moves from entry level apprentice to journeyman. It opens the possibility of training dollars for your company in your state. It is for everyone. This is another huge project, and we need your help. The program will vary from state to state, and it needs tailored to each company’s needs.

The program is FREE! Do you want to know which classes and courses are the ONLY ones that can be used in the program? The answer is YES!

As you’ve heard, the NCSG settled with OSHA. The first draft of a training and safety manual has been written in alignment with this settlement. We look forward to providing training basics in VR as well. We’ve also written a Chimney Sweep Handbook, full of standard operating procedures. It’s undergoing the final edits.

The NCSG co-sponsored with NIOSH a paper on respirator use for chimney sweeps. It is locked in their government bowels for the final, final, final review, but we will put it out there as soon as they release it.

The Under Pressure class using the Heat and Moisture (HAM) model provides the final element of a proper inspection. How air moves through a home affects its comfort, health, appliance efficiency, carbon monoxide spillage, and atmospheric pollution. It is complicated enough that the building performance cheerleaders want to seal off every atmospherically vented appliance and make us have romantic evenings gathered around the air duct. Professional chimney sweeps solve these problems. It is your dues — chimney sweeps pooling their money to share ideas and solve problems — that allow all of us to develop cutting-edge programs to build professionalism and further your business.

Let me take this moment to welcome all of you — my sooty family — to take a peek at the future. Just one look and you’ll fall in love. Just say YES! ■

Editor’s Note: This speech was originally presented at the National Chimney Sweep Guild (NCSG) Annual Membership Meeting on Wednesday, March 20, 2024 by NCSG Director of Education Bob Ferrari. This written version has been edited for clarity.

The original speech is available to watch on YouTube by scanning the QR code on the previous page.

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How To Say “Chimney Sweep” in Italian

By Verity Schramm, Midtown Chimney Sweeps

To stand in front of hundreds of adoring fans under a soft Italian sky is nothing short of surreal. And yet, while none of these people actually know my name, they definitely know who I am.

sweeps and spectators for years, and there’s nothing calm about it. Imagine the Mardi Gras meets the liberation of France — and throw in some soot.

I’m a chimney sweep. Better yet, a chimney sweep’s wife. Usually in the States, when I tell people what we do, I’m met with surprise and almost disbelief. Today, in this small village in northern Italy, I’m met with Beatles-Mania obsession. Women scream. Children squeal. Men shout and dance. Spazza-camino!! Actually, its more like…

SPAZZA-CAMINO!!!!

Nothing quite prepared me for the very official, even calmsounding International Chimney Sweep Festival in Santa Maria Maggiore. This annual event has been attracting thousands of

My husband and I, along with our three boys (ages 16, 12, and 3), decided to make the trek from Colorado to Italy last fall. Our itinerary sounded like something from a Rick Steves PBS special: Rome to Milan to the Alps to Germany. And yet, the course of true travel never runs smooth. There was jet lag with a toddler, COVID-ain’t-got-nothing-onthis-grime (don’t step in that), canceled trains (we’re stuck how long?), and potty training on a moving bus (Mommy, I need to go number 4). Yes, I know… first world problems.

The thing I admit to almost not being able to handle was finding

Photo by Beau Schramm

Alpine scorpions (who knew?) in the kitchen of our Airbnb. There was also the nightly visit of something gnawing in the thatched roof. In all fairness though, the location was incredibly picturesque: a 16th century Jane Austen farmhouse with white roses, a small vineyard, and bubbling brook. The scorpions? No problem. I had an Epi-Pen.

The day before the main festival, my husband and two older boys donned their uniforms to make sure they were in bristol fashion. The sweeps attending the festival were bidden to dress in black pants, specially tailored black coats with gold buttons, white kerchiefs (ours had large, bold American flags thickly embroidered on the white cotton), and heavyweight wrestler-esque American eagle belt buckles.

We attended a church mass with a few hundred chimney sweeps, where a blessing was given, St. Florian was remembered, children sang, a beautiful prayer was

offered, and we were sent out, singing our way down the cobbled streets as children played football in the vacant fields.

The next morning, we took our place — literally and figuratively — in a long line of sweeping tradition. We lined up behind the American banner, which my children were asked to hold (a hearty thank you to this person who made their year), and watched the other participants line up. Romania to Italy, Bulgaria to France, England to Germany… on and on. Some of these sweeps were 6th generation!

There were bands, sweeps, more bands, and women and children in costume. Belgian sweeps, sooted from head to toe, swept through the crowd silently kissing cheeks, marking faces, then disappearing like puffs of smoke. Others would playfully sneak up behind unsuspecting and thankfully good-natured souls in khaki pants and white sundresses, planting a sooty hand you-know-where. As we marched through the

shouting crowds throwing candy and necklaces, the enthusiasm was palpable. 1,200 sweeps. 30,000 spectators. One small village. Organized Italian bedlam.

We even brought home chimney sweep earrings, keychains, cookie cutters, and Playmobil chimney sweep figurines complete with top hats, brushes, and lucky pigs. Each country represented was supposed to bring country specific swag to throw around during the parade. So for us, this was gobs of American candy, American pins, American flags, and red, white, and blue necklaces.

Bringing the All-American goodies was a philosophical exercise in itself. To deliberately purchase American flags to hand out in a foreign country felt odd to me. But despite my worry about being overly patriotic on someone else’s turf, we were the living end. It seems that America is the lovable, rowdy teenager brimming with new ideas, not a lot of experience (on the historical timeline), and a whole bunch of success to show

for our brazen ambition. And they love us for it. A lot. The feeling is mutual.

Traveling around Italy and Europe, we felt we were sitting at our elders’ feet with old and wise lessons to learn. Everything in Europe is just so much older than what we typically see in the States. Europe was already old 1,000 years ago. The Pantheon in Rome is 2,000 years old and still standing brilliantly, but then there’s Stonehenge at 5,000 years old just over in England. The inhabitants thought in terms of generations and built in terms of generations. Everytime my husband passed a stone house in Europe, he would touch it wistfully, wondering how we might start thinking generationally. The chimney sweep industry in America might arguably be young, tracing its roots back to a 1970s Mother Earth News advertisement, but our collective roots go back much, much further.

If my husband and I learned anything at our time at the festival, it was to feel free to pass on our chimney sweep heritage to our boys. In short, we all left Santa Maria Maggiore

with our heads held high. I mean if Playmobil makes a chimney sweep action figure… well, then.

So when people in the States respond to your professional occupation with, “Is that even a thing?” just think of cypress trees waving in the Italian countryside and streets filled with sooty confetti, and know — yes! Chimney sweeping is most definitely a thing ■

ABOUT THE Author

Verity Schramm (and husband Byron Schramm) are proprietors of Midtown Chimney Sweeps Franchise, having presence in 15 states. They recently concluded a seven-month sabbatical delving into chimney construction and chimney sweep technology throughout Europe and England. Stepping away from the daily operations of their business, they embarked on this journey alongside their three sons. They are deeply committed to generationally-held, familyowned businesses which hold tremendous under-appreciated value for employees, customers, and the business owners themselves.

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UPCOMING Events

CSR 360° Training Class

May

29-30, 2024

Join us for the next National Chimney Sweep Guild CSR 360° training class, led by Lauren Turnock! CSR 360° is a two-day, comprehensive track for customer service representatives. This class provides the tools your frontline staff needs to perform the tasks to the same high standard that is expected across your company.

Location: C&C Chimney, 4629 W Rogers Boulevard, Skiatook, Oklahoma 74070

Register: ncsg.org/csr-360-

Introduction to CSR 360° (Virtual) Training Class

July

12, 2024

Join us for a two-hour, virtual Introduction to CSR 360° class, complimentary for National Chimney Sweep Guild members! Learn more about the CSR 360° course before sending your staff to an inperson event.

Register: ncsg.org/csr-360-

32nd Annual NYSCSG Summer Workshop

July 25-28, 2024

Join us for the 32nd Annual New York State Chimney Sweep Guild (NYSCSG) Summer Workshop! This annual event is held at home of Chris and Ingrid Prior and includes educational seminars, family activities, ample parking for RVs and camping, and all meals provided.

Location: The Prior Home, 2315 Route 29, Middle Grove, NY 12850

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Take Action

How You Can Take Action Against Fraudulent Chimney Companies

As the National Chimney Sweep Guild (NCSG) remains steadfast in its commitment to combat the rise of fraudulent chimney companies, we continue to bring awareness to this concerning trend.

Several months ago, we issued a press release acknowledging the unauthorized entities abusing our credentials and logos to mislead consumers. In this article, we are sharing strategies for identifying and taking action against these deceptive companies.

Identifying and Addressing Fake Business Listings on Google

One of the latest challenges in combating fraudulent chimney companies is the prevalence of fake business listings on platforms like Google. These listings often mimic legitimate businesses, using similar names, addresses, and even stolen logos. Here are some key indicators to help you identify a fake business listing:

• Non-Existent Address: Be wary of businesses that

provide vague or non-existent addresses. Fake listings may use invalid addresses or claim to be located in areas where no physical presence exists.

• Lack of Genuine Contact Information: Legitimate businesses typically provide accurate contact information, including phone numbers and email addresses. If a business lacks valid contact details or only offers a generic email address, it could be a red flag.

• Inconsistencies in Business Details: Pay attention to

inconsistencies in business details such as names, addresses, and services offered. Fake listings may use variations of legitimate business names or provide misleading information about their services.

How To Report a Fraudulent Business Listing on Google

To report a fraudulent listing on Google, you can take the following steps:

Via Google Maps:

1. Open Google Maps.

2. Find the listing you want to report for review.

3. Select the listing, then Suggest an edit, then Close or remove.

4. Choose the reason the place should be removed.

5. Click Submit.

Via Google Business Profile Manager:

This formal complaint form that Google set up to report business listings is much more detailed than the “Suggest an edit” option. You must provide precise and accurate information in the Business Redressal Complaint form.

We recommend that you take the time to compile the requested information and provide as much evidence as possible to support your claim that a business location is fake. Attach photos, screenshots, and other documentation to show this fake business listing is affecting your business and others in the local marketing area.

1. Log in to your Google Business Profile Manager on a desktop browser.

2. Navigate to the Support section.

3. Utilize the help community or contact secondary support directly to report the fraudulent listing.

Google will investigate your report, and if they find the listings you reported are breaking their Google Business Profile listing guidelines, they will remove them from map results. This review process can take up to 60 days.

Filing an Ethics Complaint with the National Chimney Sweep Guild

The NCSG takes ethics violations seriously, and every claim is reviewed by the Ethics Chair and Ethics Committee.

While the NCSG can only take action against active members violating the ethics pledge or nonmember businesses misusing our logos or credentials, we encourage our members to utilize our ethics complaint process if they encounter either of these situations.

The NCSG website has a homeowner portal for members and consumers to identify trusted businesses and certified chimney professionals. Visit ncsg.org/ homeowner-hub if you suspect a company is misusing NCSG logos or certifications.

To submit an ethics violation, please visit ncsg.org/ethicspledge and click on the Ethics Violation Form link at the bottom of the page. Ethics violations can be submitted anonymously to prevent retaliation.

Empowering Consumers Through Education

You can empower your customers by providing educational resources on chimney maintenance, safety practices, and the benefits of hiring certified professionals. Transparency in pricing and service information, open communication to address concerns, and promotion of NCSG certification and membership as marks of credibility are key.

Encouraging referrals, staying updated on industry trends, and attending NCSG events further solidify professionalism and trust within the community, ensuring informed decisions by consumers when selecting chimney sweep services.

In our collective effort to maintain integrity within the chimney service industry, the NCSG encourages its members to remain vigilant and proactive in identifying fraudulent practices. By taking decisive actions such as reporting fake business listings on Google and filing ethics complaints against violators, we uphold the standards of professionalism and protect consumers from falling victim to deceptive practices. ■

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COACH’S Corner

The Need for Speed — the Next Chimney Sweep Revolution

By Chad Murray, Masters Services & Business Coach

The 2024 NCSG Convention and Trade Show in March was like a loud knock on the door to the future of the chimney industry. Our industry is starting to recognize the need for advanced technologies and how this tech can speed up our education.

My philosophical mindset is, “Go get yourself in trouble.” Our industry needs to speed up our employee training without diminishing our standards. I believe artificial intelligence (AI) is the future in both our personal and professional lives. We need to get out of our comfort zone and accept that technology can make our business model better. I see us moving in that direction as an industry.

Innovation can be smooth... or it can come crashing down like laying firebrick in a back wall on your last top soldier brick, requiring you to start over again.

Think about previous innovations. Writing an inspection without an app or a premade online form? No way! Going paperless was a revolution in the business world! Do you remember having to hand a client a 3-ply carbon copy of an inspection with a price at the bottom? I used to be pretty good at cleaning my hands after a sweep to keep the forms clean. However, I can’t tell you how many times I would roll my eyes when my employees would hand me

a sweaty, soot-covered copy of those forms. It is now standard to have an app or online inspection form in the industry. The speed and accuracy of these digital forms to help a homeowner better understand our inspections and estimates has changed our industry forever.

There is a chimney sweep revolution upon us now, and we all witnessed it at the convention this year. We saw how AI can be applied in training, marketing, and tools. What are the other possibilites for AI in our industry? Will there soon be a day when we can do chimney inspections from the office? Welcome to Chad’s imagination. Here’s what I think it could look like…

A client goes online and schedules an appointment with no human interaction. The client is directed to a link to scan their fireplace with their camera, providing fireplace photos, infrared imagery, moisture readings, and X-rays.

The client will supply real-time aerial photos of the exterior of their house, including all of the chimney dimensions. Then the appointment is scheduled because we need the client to be present as our drone drops a camera down the flue while hovering above the chimney. All relevant data is collected, and an instant diagnosis is given by way of a hologram in their living room, just like R2D2 did in Star Wars. That is a glimpse into the future

possibilites of AI. In the past, we never would have imagined this would be possible... but now?

You may be shaking your head right now thinking that I’m crazy. I may be crazy, but crazy gets us to the moon. Yes, it seems futuristic. Who knows — the more AI keeps training itself, the more useful it will be for our businesses.

AI is helping to advance all aspects of technology, allowing us to automate tasks that we never could have imagined a human not doing.

Marketing has embraced ChatGPT and other large language models with generating content for websites and social media. I’m willing to bet your marketing department or agency has generated content for your website using ChatGPT in the past year.

Chatbots are being installed on more and more chimney business websites every month. Chatbots are going to continue

to get smarter — to the point of scheduling appointments in real time with better accuracy than your human call center employees.

The training and educational aspect of the industry is beginning to be revolutionized by AI with the National Chimney Sweep Guild’s (NCSG) new virtual reality (VR) learning platform.

The VR platform is still in the early stages of development, but the more real-life scenarios it will provide from the safety of an office, the more it will be adopted by our industry.

Speed is our industry’s bottleneck. How do you currently train a new person on chimney language and scripting?

Chimney Closer is an application that trains memorization of chimney and fireplace parts. It forces technicians to memorize chimney language through gaming-type situations. Each time they complete a level, the script takes away words, requiring them to memorize the verbiage. They cannot pass a level until they have voice-recorded the proper script with at least 70 percent accuracy. The app also has role play mode. When they present the estimate to the AI client, the AI reacts with rebuttals to the estimate.

The bot’s responses will change depending on the technician’s information. It also transcribes each conversation for managers to review to see if the employee is applying information correctly. No more riding in the work vehicles while role-playing — this app does it for you!

Have you ever wondered what the heck your sweeps or estimators are really saying to clients? Now, with Siro or Rilla, you can hear them and score them on how well they did their inspection in an AI verbiage scenario.

There is also field recording software that scores technicians on many benchmarks. An AI bot does the scoring and suggests other ways they could improve. Training from the field is developed to assist in better delivery and solutions to the lower-scored benchmarks in the anatomy of the sale.

These tools are the building blocks for increasing your inspection presentation and the sales side of getting the repairs approved and ready to be completed.

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems are using AI more and more every day. Analytics will start assisting you with where your company can improve with reporting and task

automation for your clients. CRMs are starting to incorporate AIgenerated texts, emails, and even presentations from the data you input into your CRM files.

In conclusion, I write this Coach’s Corner column about the speed of innovation in the chimney industry. If you are not embracing the wave of AI coming, you will see a decline in your ability to compete.

Our industry has come a long way in the past five years, and we still have some work to do. I’m confident that our industry will keep moving forward. We are one of the hardest businesses in the world to operate because of the complexity of the difficulties of the day-to-day job. But it’s our duty to make our industry a sought-after career choice by utilizing current technologies.

I’m proud to say that the chimney and fireplace industry has given me a successful career that I could not have achieved in any other niche. I achieved this by introducing my company to each new trend of technology that has evolved since we started in 1997.

I suggest that you join the next chimney revolution and decide which technologies you can implement to help speed up the growth of your chimney business. ■

“Looks

SUBMITTED BY: Jermey H. from Hancock Chimney Service of Grandville, MI

Have

ever seen

By Christopher White, Operations Manager Owens Chimney Systems

One word comes to mind after attending this year’s National Chimney Sweep Guild (NCSG) Convention and trade show — brotherhood

Each year that the Owens Chimney Covers team attends the NCSG convention, it feels like we are always gathering with family, despite each of us coming from different regions and walks of life. Even international sweeps seemed to fall right into place! There are never squabbles creating division among us. Instead, the days are filled with enjoyable conversations, laughs, and stories reminiscing about old friends and lost colleagues.

Some of the stories you shared with us this year had us rolling on the floor laughing — and others made us feel even more grateful for the lives we live.

The value in sharing these stories with each other is something we should all cherish. This is what brings us so close together as an industry. Sit down together, grab a beverage, and listen.

Listen. We did a lot of listening, especially in the booth during the trade show. This was Owens

Chimney Covers’ first year attending the convention as an exhibitor, and let me tell you what a wonderful and positive experience we had! We listened to all of you and welcomed all of your suggestions, ideas, and praise. We deeply value all your opinions, as we’ve discovered that this is the best way to make our products better — simply listening to all of your feedback.

The love we received from all of you was flattering and overwhelming. We sincerely appreciate all the kind words about our products as well as all the well-received advice. We hope you were all able to get a T-shirt!

It was great meeting new sweeps and running into so many (much loved) familiar faces. Owens Chimney Systems and Covers truly appreciates each and every one of you! We look forward to seeing everyone again next year — if not sooner. ■

Spark YOUR MARKETING

WOW! Innovative and Forward Thinking at the 2024 NCSG Convention and Trade Show

Carter Harkins and Taylor Hill, Spark Marketer

For those of you who missed the 2024 NCSG Convention and Trade Show, you missed a great one! Innovative and forward-thinking were the two words that kept coming up as we talked about all the advancements in training and marketing on our trip home.

Opening Keynote Speaker Tom Edwards did a spectacular job discussing the good, great, and potential downfall of artificial intelligence (AI). He put it in layman’s terms so everyone could understand. He was also very gracious with his time with everyone who asked him questions. He set the tone for the entire week with his opening keynote and his following workshop.

We had to scramble a bit afterward to pretty much change our entire workshop because he covered so much about AI and how to use it. However, we were pleased that so many came to our class to get some additional ideas on prompts and guidance to better understand how to utilize AI for their businesses, specifically around marketing.

The Real Star of the Show!

Shout out to National Chimney Sweep Guild (NCSG) Director of Education Bob Ferrari for having the vision to forge the path of virtual reality (VR) training. Shout out to the NCSG board for being forward-thinking enough to say yes to this new and growing technology!

If you don’t know, VR is a computer-generated simulation of a three-dimensional environment that can be interacted with in a seemingly real or

physical way by a person using special electronic equipment, such as a helmet with a screen inside or gloves fitted with sensors. In simpler terms, VR creates an immersive, interactive experience that makes users feel as if they are inside a digital world, allowing them to explore and interact with the environment as if it were real.

Key Points About VR

It is created using computer technology and software, which most people have access to these days.

Users wear specialized equipment like headsets and gloves to engage with the virtual environment. This can include the “feel” of tools in your hands and spatial feeling based on sight.

VR simulates a realistic, immersive experience that engages multiple senses, such as sight, hearing, and touch.

Interactions within the virtual environment are designed to mimic real-world actions and behaviors. This is perfect for the training environment for just about everything you can train on.

VR has applications in various fields, including entertainment, education, training, and therapy. It can be expanded on as things in the industry change and grow.

Every time we passed the From the Future booth to try on the headset, it was packed! There was a lot of interest and discussion around the technology, and

in the long run, they sold every headset they had and accepted preorders for more.

What Does This Mean For Me?

While the work that went into this project (and is still going into the project) was immense, the ones who will be rewarded are those who now have a way to train in the VR world on real-world scenarios that every chimney technician should know. It should cut travel and training time as well as expenses to get new technicians trained in the basics and on a variety of issues that come up as they continue to build the virtual chimney training infrastructure.

To some, it may seem a little too “out there.” However, the future seems to be arriving in the present at a faster pace than ever before, and we don’t think that will change. The future is now, and we don’t think it’s ever going to go backward. Grab a hold of it now, hang on, and experience what it’s like to stay ahead of the pack! ■

2024-2025 Board of Directors

President | Region 2

Bill Thornton wissahickonvalleysweep@yahoo.com

Vice President | Region 4

Debbie Wiedwald

debbie@blackburnschimney.com

Treasurer | At-Large

Steve Scally firesidesweeps@comcast.net

Secretary | At-Large

Robby Murphy rmurphy@hudsonvalleychimney.com

Region 1

Matt Mair matt@blackmoosechimney.com

Region 3

James Owens james@owenschimneysystems.com

Region 5

David Steward copperridgechimney@gmail.com

Region 6

Michaele Dempsey prochimneymichaele@gmail.com

At-Large

Jake Cromwell jake@tophatchimneyandroofing.com

At-Large

Gary Smalling gary.smalling@smallingmasonry.com

At-Large Supplier Rep

Doug Rivas drivas@nesbestflex.com

2024-2025 Committee Chairs

Advocacy

Debbie Wiedwald

debbie@blackburnschimney.com

Bylaws

Matt Mair matt@blackmoosechimney.com

Certification

Steve Sobczak steve@totalchimneycare.com

Events

Doug Rivas drivas@nesbestflex.com

Education

David Steward copperridgechimney@gmail.com

Ethics

James Owens

james@owenschimneysystems.com

Governance

David Steward copperridgechimney@gmail.com

International Relations

Victor Imgarten stlswp@accessus.net

Marketing

Jake Cromwell jake@tophatchimneyandroofing.com

Membership

Michaele Dempsey prochimneymichaele@gmail.com

JOIN A COMMITTEE: NCSG.ORG/COMMITTEEFORM

The strength of the National Chimney Sweep Guild comes from you— members of the guild. Get more involved by joining one of our committees!

NFPA 211

Jim Brewer jim@rooftopsafetyusa.com

NFPA 31

Steve Scally firesidesweeps@comcast.net

NFPA 54

Jim Brewer jim@rooftopsafetyusa.com

Technical Advisory Council

Steve Scally firesidesweeps@comcast.net