In August of 2007, a fire in West Roxbury took the lives of two Boston City Fire Fighters.

The fire ignited in the kitchen and spread into the kitchen exhaust system, where it burned in the duct work for over an hour. The resulting investigation revealed serious deficiencies in the kitchen exhaust system, and a failure to properly clean and maintain the system.

In response to this, the Boston City Council passed an ordinance that will require certification for exhaust cleaners that do any work in commercial kitchens within the City of Boston. Boston contacted IKECA™ to develop and implement a certification protocol to meet the needs of the city. IKECA™ developed two unique certifications for the City:

• The Boston Certified Cleaning Specialist™ (BCCS™) and

• The Boston Certified System Inspector™ (BCSI™). 

Effective May, 2009, all exhaust cleaners and inspectors must be certified through this program, and apply for and receive a license from the City of Boston Fire Department.

A complete list of contractors licensed through the City of Boston can be found HERE

IKECA's Involvement

IKECA™ is an approved certification body for the Fire Department's program, and will design and administer the exams for the City. IKECA is a 20 year old trade association, representing kitchen exhaust cleaners and inspectors all over the world.