ETCP Welcomes New ETCP Council Members

| ETCP Certifiable News: Spring 2022 |

Brian Lawlor has retired from the ETCP Council. An original member of the ETCP Council, Lawlor was an invaluable asset to the program since its inception. Lawlor served as the IATSE International Vice-President and Co-Director, Stagecraft Division from 2004 to 2012. He continued to serve the IA as an International Representative and Trustee on the IATSE National Benefit Annuity and Pension Funds until his recent retirement. ETCP is thankful for Lawlor’s leadership, support, and dedication to help build ETCP.

Lawler’s position as a member of the ETCP Council has been filled by Michael J. Barnes and Hannah R. D’Amico.

Michael J. Barnes has served on the IATSE General Executive Board since 1998. He is an active member of IATSE Locals 8 and 52. Barnes served as President and Business Agent for Local 8 from 1991 to 2021 and served as Region 2 Representative for Local 52 for 24 years. In 2021, Barnes was named Co-Director of the Stagecraft Department.

The IATSE is a family tradition in the Barnes family. His grandfather became a member of Local 8 in 1917, his father joined in 1947. Barnes two daughters and son are also members of IATSE.

Hannah R. D’Amico is an International Representative for the IATSE Education and Training Department where she works with members of the IATSE Craft Advancement Program (ICAP) and the IATSE Training Trust Fund to develop skills and safety trainings for IATSE workers. She is honored to serve as a member of the ETCP Council and the Audiovisual Integrated Experience Association (AVIXA) Live Events Council.

D’Amico holds a bachelor’s degree from the Rutgers University School of Management and Labor Relations; a Certificate in Labor Studies from the CUNY School of Labor and Urban Studies, Union Semester Program; OSHA 10/OSHA 30 completion cards; and is certified in Mental Health First Aid.

Paul Jordan, VP Environment, Health & Safety for NBCUniversal, joined the ETCP Council in April 2009. He will be retiring soon, and his position on the ETCP Council is being filled by Greg Petruska, who has actively served on as Jordan’s alternate representative on the Council. ETCP thanks Jordan for his support and commitment to help build ETCP.

Greg Petruska is the Director of Environment, Health and Safety for Live Theatre at NBCUniversal. He joined NBCUniversal in 2004. He has worked on such iconic shows as Saturday Night Live (SNL), Late Night with Conan O'Brien, and Law and Order. In 2008, Greg joined the Live Theatre Safety team to support the opening of Billy Elliot the Musical on Broadway. He currently supports Wicked and Billy Elliot the Musical in the US and Canada, the UK, and Australia and is responsible for all EHS programs related to live theatre.

Adam Tackett is assuming the NBCUniversal alternate representative position on the ETCP Council. Tackett is currently an Environment, Health & Safety (EHS) Manager for Production (Live Theatre and Features) at NBCUniversal. He has more than 20 years in the industry, at large, and experience-based knowledge ranging from onstage to behind the scenes, casting, teaching, and production management.

Tackett is a passionate entertainment professional more than seven years’ experience in production EHS management, both domestic and international. He represents NBCUniversal in several organizations including: USITT, Educational Theatre Association (EdTA), Safety Advisors Forum for Live Entertainment (SAFLE), Theatre Advisory Group (TAG) within IOSH (UK), and the Mental Health Initiative with Behind the Scenes.

 

He prides himself on taking a “whole human” approach to safety management—recognizing that physical health and safety go hand in hand with mental/psychological health and safety to create a truly safe work environment. Through communication and collaboration, his focus is on building strong relationships to not only achieve compliance, but safely push new and innovative boundaries in the entertainment industry.

The ETCP Council looks forward to working with Michael Barnes, Hannah D’Amico, and Adam Tackett. 

Fall 2017: Free Educational Tracks at NAMM Offer ETCP Renewal Credits

| ETCP Certifiable News: Fall 2017 |

ESTA recently announced an alliance with the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) to work with them in expanding the hugely successful NAMM Show to include a special focus on the live event technology community. The Show annually welcomes more than 100,000 professional attendees from 139 countries. One of the things that most attracted ESTA to working with NAMM is their commitment to education. Show attendees pay a low $25 admission fee and can take advantage of almost all the educational offerings free of further charge. This offers ETCP Certified technicians a tremendous opportunity to earn renewal credits towards their re-certification.

ESTA will be curating four tracks of sessions designed to provide in-depth, progressive education to entertainment technology and design professionals, and to those responsible for their safety, centered on Lighting, Lighting Networking, Rigging, and Safety. 

With lighting technology in a constant state of change it is incumbent on lighting technicians, designers and producers to be aware of these changes. Advancing technology in LEDs, media servers, and automated lighting provide new opportunities for creative and technical professionals that will impact production in terms of artistry, power distribution, efficiency, and safety. The Lighting Track will provide an opportunity to further develop the skills and knowledge that is essential in the entertainment lighting world. 

Most of the time, your moving light connects seamlessly to your lighting console and the show goes on.  But there is a rather complex infrastructure working behind the scenes to support that delightful “plug and play” experience. By attending the seminars on our Lighting Networking Track, you will gain valuable knowledge on DMX512 and Ethernet networking, wireless network management, and how various lighting protocols (sACN, RDM, DMX512) navigate these networks.  

The Rigging Track will offer three days of information on design and fabrication criteria, safe installation and use practices, as well as inspection and maintenance regimens to help practitioners produce successful effects in today’s complex live entertainment environment.  These classes will be useful to all who have a vested interest in promoting safety awareness in the workplace.

The series of classes on Safety in the entertainment industries is designed to raise the awareness of the hazards surrounding this work and current measures that are being taken to address those hazards. It will address best practices, the laws surrounding work place safety as they apply to entertainment, and standards written specifically for our industry. There will be classes for every level of responsibility, from crew member to promoter to producer.

Spring 2017: General Announcements

| ETCP Certifiable News: Spring 2017 |

ETCP Needs Your Birthday

There are now over 2000 ETCP Certified Technicians and names are beginning to repeat. We need a better way to distinguish you within our system. Please email your date of birth to Meredith at etcp@esta.org ASAP!

ETCP Launches New Website

ETCP is pleased to announce the launch of a new, redesigned version of its website: etcp.esta.org. Key features of the site include a cleaner and more modern design and a more engaging user experience with enhanced search and navigation. The site’s refreshed and simplified look, combined with enriched content, improved search functionality, and optimization for mobile devices allows users to better interact with ETCP.

PPDT Practice Exam Now Available

Tell your friends! ETCP launched a practice exam for the Portable Power Distribution Technician certification examination on April 1, 2017. The web-based practice exam consists of fifty questions and is available for $40 at etcp.esta.org/practiceexams. Candidates should go to the “Candidates” link and then follow the menu to ETCP and choose this exam. There is also now a second version of the Entertainment Electrician Practice Exam available.