For more information:

Mark Hamm

Electric Medic

608-253-3371

gaffneyelectric@charterinternet.com

Electric Medic Unveils Personal Safety Guidelines for Homeowners when Selecting a Home Services Contractor

Technician Seal of Safety symbolizes a contractor's commitment to conducting background checks and drug testing of all technicians entering customers homes

(Wis. Dells 3/7/08) Electric Medic, a residential electrical company in Wis. Dells, recently introduced a program that is designed to assure homeowners of their safety and security when inviting a contractor into their homes. The Technician Seal of Safety is a symbol that conveys to a homeowner a contractor's commitment to conducting criminal background checks and regular drug testing on technicians who enter private homes.

It has long been the policy of Electric Medic to conduct background checks and perform regular drug testing as allowed by law. We know how important it is to make a homeowner feel safe when a technician enters their home, said Mark Hamm, president of Electric Medic. Hundreds of incidents are reported each year involving homeowners being victimized by home service technicians. It's scary to learn that only a handful of all contractors actually practice this policy of conducting background checks and drug testing that's why we feel it's so important to give homeowners a visual symbol that tells them their personal safety is not at risk when they hire a contractor who displays the Technician Seal of Safety, he added.

The Technician Seal of Safety was adopted by Electric Medic to display its commitment to conducting background checks and performing drug testing on personnel. Like many industries facing a shortage of qualified personnel, the home services industry tends to fill vacancies quickly and with little scrutiny of candidates during the hiring process. That is not the case at Electric Medic. We follow the most stringent hiring policies allowed by law, said Hamm. We know our customers deserve the peace of mind in knowing that our employees are safe and the best in the business, he added.

According to IMI Data Search, a company that conducts background checks on potential hires, some industries experience a ratio as high as one out of four when it comes to applicants who turn out to have a criminal record. That statistic, combined with numerous incidents of violence against homeowners by contract workers, indicates the growing importance of hiring contractors who embrace policies of background checks and drug testing.

In response to a recent incident in Florida where a woman was killed by a convicted sex offender who had performed duct cleaning in her home, the Georgia General Assembly drew up House Bill 620. If passed, the bill would require an employer to run a background check on an employee before the worker could enter someone's home.

When hiring a contractor to come into your home, most people don't consider their personal safety or the safety of their family, mentioned Hamm. But we want to make sure that homeowners, including women who may feel uncomfortable at home alone with a technician, the elderly, or disabled, realize the importance of calling a contractor who displays the Technician Seal of Safety. At Electric Medic, we stand behind the Seal to demonstrate how strongly we stand behind our customers and our community, he added.

For more information about the Technician Seal of Safety, visit www.mysafetyseal.com or www.gaffneyelectric.com.