ORFA
PROFESSIONAL DESIGNATIONS
The Ontario Recreation Facilities Association (ORFA) introduced the Certified Ice Technician
(CIT) professional designation in 1997. This NHL-recognized credential was designed to
acknowledge the academic excellence and specialized expertise of individuals who work in
artificial ice operations. Overwhelmingly, the CIT designation has been the most sought-after
of all the ORFA professional designations. Today, close to 70% of arenas, ice and refrigeration job postings
specifically state the preference to recruiting those individuals who hold the CIT professional designation.
Since 1997, over 800 individuals have been awarded the CIT designation. More recently, there has been
discussion and reflection, based on industry needs and legal counsel, that to ensure these individuals remain
current in industry best practices and knowledge, that a recertification program be designed and implemented.
Recertification is a very common self-regulation approach taken by many professional associations seeking to
ensure its members represent the most qualified individuals within a particular industry-sector or profession.
Recertification will help CITs update their skills and knowledge on the latest ice and refrigeration technologies and
techniques, and on current industry information and legal requirements to ensure safe, effective and efficient ice
facilities operations. It also assists the employer to meet the Occupational Health and Safety Act’s requirement to
ensure the workplace has competent workers. Recertification will further enhance the integrity, value and validity of
the CIT professional within the recreation facility industry and among the sport and recreation sector, government
agencies and the broader public sector.
The guiding principles for CIT recertification are to ensure the process is appropriate, accessible, attainable and
affordable for all CITs.
Effective January 1, 2010, CITs will be required to recertify every five years. This new requirement is retroactive to
January 1, 1997 and includes all CIT recipients from January 1, 1997 to December 31, 2009. Individuals will
recertify according to the following schedule:
CIT Certification Year |
CIT Certification Year CIT Recertification Year |
1997-2001 |
2010 |
2002-2004 |
2011 |
2005-2007 |
2012 |
2008 |
2013 |
2009 |
2014 |
2010 |
2015 |
Etc. |
Etc. |
- The ORFA will contact the recertifying CIT members in the month of December in the year prior to their
recertification year. For example, CITs who obtained their professional designation in 2011 will be required to
recertify in 2016; the ORFA will contact them in December 2015 and provide them with recertification
information for the following year.
- The CIT member has three options to recertify:
This classroom-based, two hour exam will be scheduled throughout the year at selected regional locations around
the province.
To assist the challenge exam participants, the ORFA has prepared a syllabus of subject matter topics (available at
www.orfa.com/citsyllabus) that the participants should review prior to writing the exam. As well, the exam writers will
be encouraged to obtain the latest version of ORFA’s Refrigeration Manual: Ice Rink Applications (2007) as well as
ORFA’s training manuals in Ice Making and Painting Technologies and Ice Maintenance and Equipment Operations.
The exam will contain questions comparable to the exams in the original three courses (Basic Refrigeration; Ice Making
and Painting Technologies; Ice Maintenance and Equipment Operations).
If the member fails the CIT Challenge Exam, he/she will have the option to rewrite the CIT Challenge Exam, at the same
fee, or register to participate in the CIT Recertification Course (classroom or online) and complete that final exam. If
the member once again fails the exam in either scenario, then he/she will be required to re-take the three CIT
certification courses: Basic Refrigeration, Ice Making and Painting Technologies and Ice Maintenance and Equipment
Operations.
This course will provide a comprehensive review of information contained in the original three courses (Basic
Refrigeration; Ice Making and Painting Technologies; Ice Maintenance and Equipment Operations) as well as
highlight updated best practices. The course will be taught over a two-day period and includes a final exam. The
course will be scheduled throughout the year at regional locations around the province.
If the member fails the CIT Recertification Course (classroom-based), he/she will have the option to re-take the CIT
Recertification Course (classroom or online), at the same fee, and re-write the exam or choose to write the CIT
Challenge Exam. If the member once again fails the exam in either scenario, then he/she will be required to re-take
the three CIT certification courses: Basic Refrigeration, Ice Making and Painting Technologies and Ice Maintenance
and Equipment Operations.
This course, developed in partnership with the Office of Open Learning, University of Guelph, will mirror the information
presented in the classroom-based course and include a final exam. The course will be three weeks long and will be
facilitated online by an ORFA content expert.
If the member fails the CIT Recertification Course (online), he/she will have the option to re-take the CIT Recertification
Course (classroom or online), at the same fee, and re-write the exam or choose to write the CIT Challenge Exam.
If the
member once again fails the exam in either scenario, then he/she will be required to re-take the three CIT certification
courses: Basic Refrigeration, Ice Making and Painting Technologies and Ice Maintenance and Equipment Operations.
The information used to create the CIT Challenge Exam and presented in the CIT
Recertification Course (classroom-based and online) will address the subject matter at the
same level of intensity and scrutiny as the information presented in the original three courses.
As such, the recertification information will:
- Review current theory, advanced principles and best practices
- Present the latest in technologies, techniques, tools
- Review legal liabilities and responsibilities
- Test to measure the skills and knowledge to work competently as an ice technician professional.
5 Years – CIT Recertification All ORFA members who hold the CIT professional designation are required to recertify
every five years. They have until December 31st of the fifth year to accomplish recertification through successful
completion of the recertification course (online or classroom-based) or the challenge exam. Individual or grandfathered
group membership must be maintained in order to retain use of the CIT professional designation.
5 Years plus 6 months – CIT Suspended Individuals who do not recertify by December 31st in their recertifying year
will have their CIT credential temporarily suspended for up to six (6) months following the December 31st deadline.
Those who wish to recertify during this six month period may do so by successfully completing the recertification
course (online or classroom-based) or the challenge exam. A $50.00 administration fee will be applicable in addition
to the recertification course/exam fees. During the six month suspension period, individual or grandfathered group
membership must be maintained.
5 Years plus 6 months plus a day – CIT Revoked CIT holders who do not recertify by the end of the six month
suspension period will be notified that their CIT has been revoked. They will lose the right to use the professional
designation. Those who have had their designation revoked and wish to regain the professional designation must
reapply for the designation under the current ORFA application rules. Also, they will be required to successfully
complete the recertification course (online or classroom-based) or by writing the challenge exam. Individual
membership will be required of all those reapplying under a revoked status. This applies to those who were previously
covered under the grandfathered group membership. A $75.00 administration fee will be applicable in addition to the
recertification course/exam fees.
Please contact:
Sharon Dias, Administrative Assistant
Ontario Recreation Facilities Association Inc.
1 Concorde Gate, Suite 102, Toronto, Ontario M3C 3N6
tel: (416) 426-7299 fax: (416) 426-7385 email: admin@orfa.com.
