By Charles Stokley, CMC Field Safety Manager
If you’ve ever been greeted at the door by a wagging tail, you know pets aren’t just animals in a house – they’re family. I’ll admit it: it’s hard for any animal lover to walk past a friendly dog without saying hello. That’s exactly why we ask that our technicians don’t have to.
When a CMC technician arrives for a home energy assessment, the family dog or cat can often greet them first. Pets are part of the home, and a safe visit has to plan for them as carefully as it plans for wiring, combustion appliances and attic access.
But an unsecured pet can put everyone at risk. Animals may react defensively to someone new entering their home. A frightened pet could bite, escape through an open door, or get underfoot as a technician carries equipment. That’s why we have a pet safety policy to set clear expectations for customers and technicians and ensure every visit starts safely.
Planning starts before the visit
We ask customers to let us know in advance if there are pets in the home, along with helpful details such as the type of animal and its temperament. Customers agree to secure their pets before the technician arrives, whether that means a crate, a closed room, or another arrangement that keeps the animal away from the work.
Gibson loves greeting guests, but knows he has to go to his room when work is being done in his home.
Why securing pets matters during an assessment
A home energy assessment can be a lot for a pet to take in. During a blower door test, which measures how much air leaks from a home, technicians mount a large, loud fan in an exterior doorway, and the noise alone can startle an animal. The test also keeps that doorway open, creating an easy escape route. During the visit, technicians move from room to room, open attic hatches, and carry tools and testing equipment, giving a curious or nervous pet plenty of chances to get underfoot or wander into danger. A secured pet avoids all of it: it stays calm and out of harm’s way.
Clear rules for our technicians
CMC technicians do not pet, feed or handle a customer’s animals, no matter how friendly they seem. This simple rule protects technicians and pets alike, and it means no animal is ever put in an unfamiliar situation by someone it doesn’t know.
When conditions aren’t safe
If a pet is loose and poses a safety risk, our technicians have the right to decline to enter the home. They will not enter a home with an unsecured animal, especially a dog known to be aggressive. Instead, the technician contacts our office right away, and we work with the customer to develop a plan to secure the animal, delay the visit or reschedule.
A rescheduled appointment is a minor inconvenience. An injured technician, an injured pet, or a lost animal is not, and any of those can damage a customer’s trust in a program for good.
Protecting the programs we deliver, one home at a time
When a CMC technician walks through a customer’s door, they represent more than CMC. They represent the energy efficiency program the customer enrolled in and the organization behind it. A bitten technician, an injured pet or a cat that slips out during a test doesn’t just disrupt one appointment. It can become a customer complaint, a story told to neighbors, and a reason others hesitate to participate.
Clear pet policies help prevent those moments. Every CMC technician follows the same written standards on every visit, and they escalate any safety concern to our office in real time, so nothing is left to chance in the field. Together, these practices protect the people doing the work, show customers that their whole household is treated with respect, and keep visits running smoothly from start to finish. A customer who has a safe, positive assessment is more likely to move forward with recommended upgrades and speak well of the program.
At CMC, safety and customer experience aren’t separate goals. They’re the same goal, and both are central to how we serve every customer and every client.
About the Author
Charles Stokley joined CMC Energy in March 2026 as the Field Safety Manager, bringing more than 20 years of experience developing and enforcing safety protocols across military, healthcare and private-sector environments. Based in Hamilton, New Jersey, he leads the safety training, resources and guidance that help CMC field teams work responsibly and confidently in every home and facility they serve.
A U.S. Marine Corps veteran, he has completed FEMA training in the Fundamentals of Emergency Management, Active Shooter preparedness, and the Public Works Role in Emergency Management.