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Security & Fire Excellence Awards 2022

Event News /

Now in their twenty third year, Security & Fire Excellence Awards has consistently broken new ground in highlighting the very best people, projects and processes that the security and fire sectors have to offer. For 2022, they have again reviewed the categories and made a number of changes to enhance the offering and to make the event even more relevant to you. There is something for everyone across the different disciplines, so ensure you check out the full 2022 category list and enter all that are applicable to you, your teams and your company at the Security & Fire Excellence Awards website. NEW categories for 2022 include: Security or Fire Diversity & Inclusion Champion of the Year, Security or Fire Start Up Company of the Year, Security or Fire Sustainability Champion of the Year and Security or Fire ESG (Environment, Social & Governance) Initiative of the Year A few companies miss out on entering last year, as they were not on the database, so did not receive details regarding entering. So, please ensure you register to receive regular updates.   To read more exclusive features and latest news please see our February issue here. Media contact Rebecca Morpeth Spayne, Editor, International Fire Buyer Tel: +44 (0) 1622 823 922 Email: editor@firebuyer.com

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Honeywell life safety technologies at ISC West 2022

Event News /

Honeywell will showcase the latest upgrades to its security, fire and life safety products at the 2022 International Security Conference and Exposition (ISC West), March 22-25 in Las Vegas. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn more about Honeywell’s broad portfolio of solutions, which provide streamlined operational efficiency, real-time response and flexible integration that ultimately help reduce costs and increase revenue for customers. “With increasing regulations across key industries and staffing at a premium, customers are seeking reliable, efficient solutions – from installation to operation – that make it easier to keep people and places safe,” said Rick Koscinski, Commercial Security General Manager, Americas, Honeywell Building Technologies. “We’re collaborating across our teams to develop products that not only make facilities safer but help make installers and occupants more productive and businesses more resilient.” Honeywell will preview product upgrades and new offerings: Pro-Watch 6.0 – Honeywell Pro-Watch 6.0 will provide automated incident workflows to further reduce operational costs and enable stronger compliance needed for highly regulated industries, without adding work to security teams. It will also feature native integration to Honeywell Vindicator panels, offering military-grade intrusion detection capabilities. Further, the product will provide information-driven focused responses to help improve uptime. 35 Series IP Cameras and Network Video Recorders – Designed for use in video systems which comply with NDAA Section 889 Part B, the 35 Series cameras and NVRs will provide an end-to-end encrypted video security solution. The higher-resolution IR cameras will cover larger areas, both day and night, with smart human and vehicle motion detection to reduce false alarms. The fully featured NVRs will feature a built-in encryption chipset to help reduce potential data breaches. Ceiling Tile AV – Featuring selectable-output strobes and dual-voltage evacuation speakers, the System Sensor Ceiling Tile AV enables faster, trouble-free installation of audio-visual emergency notification appliances that are typically difficult to fit and wire. It can upgrade an existing horn strobe to a voice system that enables incident-specific instruction messages to help reduce panic and confusion during emergencies. CLSS Pathway – As Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS) is displaced and 3G networks shut down, buildings must make a change so that critical alarms continue to reach central monitoring stations. The Honeywell CLSS Pathway offers reliable alarm transmission to central monitoring stations and provides access to Honeywell’s powerful and secure cloud-based solutions to help businesses run more efficiently and improve building safety. “We have the opportunity to help the fire and life safety industry take a massive step forward,” said Sameer Agrawal, Fire & Life Safety General Manager, Americas, Honeywell Building Technologies. “Honeywell is focused on developing solutions that improve life and building safety outcomes, while at the same time helping service providers respond faster, run more efficiently, and reduce their cost to serve. To read more exclusive features and latest news please see our February issue here. Media contact Rebecca Morpeth Spayne, Editor, International Fire Buyer Tel: +44 (0) 1622 823 922 Email: editor@firebuyer.com

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BSA pumped-up for FIREX 2022

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As a proud supporter of FIREX International 2022, Business Sprinkler Alliance (BSA) welcomes the return of the safety event which this year takes place at the ExCel Centre in London on 17-19 May 2022. Themed ‘Making life safety a right, not a privilege’, FIREX 2022 is the first opportunity in over three years for the global fire and security markets to get together and reconnect face-to-face. Following last year’s virtual event, this year’s exhibition will give fire and security professionals access to the very latest advances in safety products and guidance for the first time since the pandemic. The BSA is proud to be hosting at its stand FI2235, where representatives will be raising awareness of the benefits of sprinklers to provide property protection, as well as life safety. “After the upheaval of the pandemic we are looking forward to participating in this year’s event in person,” said Iain Cox is Chair of the Business Sprinkler Alliance. “FIREX continues to be one of the most important events on the fire safety calendar, a not-to-be-missed event which provides excellent networking opportunities and enables us to drive greater awareness of fire sprinklers to effect a culture change for their acceptance and adoption.” The conference programme offers participants access to the latest fire safety technology, product demos, thought-leadership content and offers delegates the opportunity to have one-to-one meetings with leading international suppliers in fire safety. The Business Sprinkler Alliance advocates greater business resilience by enhancing protection against fire through the increased acceptance and use of fire sprinklers in commercial and industrial premises. To read more exclusive features and latest news please see our February issue here. Media contact Rebecca Morpeth Spayne, Editor, International Fire Buyer Tel: +44 (0) 1622 823 922 Email: editor@firebuyer.com

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Live installer training comes to IFSEC & FIREX

Event News /

For the first time at IFSEC & FIREX International – taking place 17-19 May at London’s ExCeL – installers, integrators and engineers will be able to attend focused, in-person training sessions to ensure they remain on top of the latest best practices in security and fire, and secure CPD points to keep up with the growing push for competency requirements. The ‘skills gap’ is one of the most pressing challenges in the UK’s fire and security technical installation sector at present. While not a new issue, it is one that has continued over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic – in a survey undertaken by IFSEC in 2021, 93% of installers answered CPD or professional qualifications would aid them in their work. Furthermore, following Dame Judith Hackitt’s report into the failings at Grenfell Tower in 2017, installer competency in fire, emergency and security systems has been put under the spotlight, with a renewed push from government and the wider industry to ensure appropriate standards of quality are met. The ECS (Electrotechnical Certification Scheme) requirements for cards in the fire and security sector in England are changing as a result, with updated requirements to achieve both the Systems Technician (also known as the Gold Card) Level 3 cards and the Level 2 Operative Card, where work can be carried out and signed off unsupervised. In line with the push for improved competency standards and updated CPD requirements that come with the ECS changes, and to support those looking to develop their expertise, IFSEC and FIREX International will be hosting a programme of CPD-accredited in-person training sessions dedicated to the installer and integrator fire and security community. Book your place on the available courses today! For the first time ever at IFSEC and FIREX, which take place alongside each other at London’s ExCeL between 17-19 May, installers will be able to attend accredited and in-depth training sessions from a mix of training providers and expert vendors on topics such as video surveillance, access control, fire alarm systems and plenty more. The initiative will provide delegates with an unmatched opportunity to get the most out of their visit to the shows, where it will be possible to source new solutions, network with peers and suppliers and develop existing knowledge, all in one place. Gerry Dunphy, Event Director of IFSEC & FIREX International, explained: “Skills and competency are now at the forefront of the security and fire safety professions, so we’re delighted to be able to introduce focused and relevant training sessions into the shows. IFSEC & FIREX Training is an important addition as visiting customers can not only view and experience the latest technology and speak to market leading vendors, they can now partake in high calibre CPD training sessions to ensure they’re keeping up with current trends, standards and innovations. It means the shows truly become fully rounded experiences for installers and engineers”. Trevor Jenks, Training Manager at the SSAIB, is working with IFSEC & FIREX to ensure the training sessions are relevant and provide genuine value to attendees. Trevor added: “I’m thrilled to be working with the IFSEC & FIREX team on this initiative. The skillset required in the industry is constantly evolving, and attending high quality training from knowledgeable trainers is more important than ever.”   To read more exclusive features and latest news please see our February issue here. Media contact Rebecca Morpeth Spayne, Editor, International Fire Buyer Tel: +44 (0) 1622 823 922 Email: editor@firebuyer.com

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MSA Bristol opens Scottish service centre

News Desk /

MSA Bristol, a supplier of PPE to fire services around the globe, has opened a new Service Centre in Livingston, Scotland. The Centre provides professional cleaning, decontamination, inspection and repair of kit for Fire and Rescue Services (FRS). Currently, MSA Bristol is the only firefighting PPE manufacturer offering in-house managed services in the UK, via its two existing Service Centres in Bristol and London. The company has seen demand for its managed services grow, as fire and rescue services across the UK are increasingly prioritising regular professional cleaning in order to protect firefighters from health risks associated with smoke contamination. The new Scottish Service Centre has been created in response to a major new managed services contract signed with Scottish FRS last year. Scottish FRS is the UK’s largest Fire and Rescue Service with 6,660 firefighters operating out of 365 stations, and is the first to make use of the new Scottish Service Centre. After being worn at an operational incident, PPE including fire tunics, trousers, hoods and gloves, are collected by MSA Bristol from key fire service hubs throughout Scotland. These garments are then thoroughly cleaned and de-contaminated, inspected for signs of damage or wear, and repaired if necessary, before being returned to Scottish FRS– all within seven days. The Service Centre features top-of-the-range commercial 33kg Electrolux washers and driers, which are digitally-controlled and draw from a pre-heated water supply system to reduce cycle times and electricity usage. Thanks to this swift and efficient new technology, the Centre has the capacity to handle up to 900 garments per week, with the service history of each and every item tracked via a unique bar code. The Scottish Service Centre is being run by Manager, Anton De Klerk and his team of 10 new employees. He commented “Since opening, we have gradually implemented new systems and are at the point that we’ve really found our rhythm. We now have full responsibility for the Scottish FRS contract and the processes are running smoothly. We have regular reviews to iron out any issues, and we’re delighted to be hitting our targets and meeting client expectations.” Roddy Mackinnon, Equipment Manager at Scottish Fire and Rescue commented “Regular cleaning, decontamination and repair of PPE is essential for providing firefighters with suitable protection. We have been using MSA Bristol’s managed services since March 2021 and are delighted that these services are now being delivered within Scotland. The team have worked closely with us throughout the transition to ensure that the high levels of service and quick turnaround times are maintained.” Edward Shepherd, MSA Bristol’s Service Operations Director, said “In recent years, MSA Bristol has seen a significant increase in take up of Managed Services packages in the UK, partly due to convenience and competitive pricing, but also partly due to health concerns. Our new service centre in Livingston will enable us to handle more items of PPE to meet this demand, and by providing this service locally and reducing mileage, it is also a more environmentally responsible way to operate.” To read more exclusive features and latest news please see our February issue here. Media contact Rebecca Morpeth Spayne, Editor, International Fire Buyer Tel: +44 (0) 1622 823 922 Email: editor@firebuyer.com

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Johnson Controls – Suppression technicalities

Exclusives /

Alan Elder, Fellow for Industry Relations at Johnson Controls discusses suppression technicalities While very effective, lithium-ion batteries also present a host of complex challenges, which can shift according to the industry and application in which they are being used. To ensure batteries operate within controlled parameters, battery management systems are usually installed to continually monitor factors including voltage, temperature and charge states. Poor battery management or abuse (thermal, electrical or mechanical) can result in battery failure. This process first causes the battery cells to vent flammable off-gases and can then progress to a dangerous chemical reaction known as thermal runaway. Thermal runaway causes temperatures to rapidly increase by several hundred degrees, producing smoke and quickly spreading between battery cells before causing them to eventually catch fire.    Once alight, lithium-ion battery fires are extremely dangerous and difficult to suppress. Traditional gaseous or water-based suppression systems are in most cases ineffective, with the only option often being to discharge considerable amounts of water over several hours or potentially days. This method is effective, but in remote locations with minimal water sources, it’s not always achievable.    When looking to address these challenges, Johnson Controls examined the stages of battery failure, and concluded that action must be taken before the start of thermal runaway to prevent a potentially catastrophic fire. With this in mind, we began development on the Lithium-Ion Risk Prevention System – a fast acting, integrated solution capable of detecting the off-gases produced in the initial stages of failure, shutting down batteries and activating intervention processes before thermal runaway can develop into an uncontrollable event.   To read more exclusive features and latest news please see our February issue here. Media contact Rebecca Morpeth Spayne, Editor, International Fire Buyer Tel: +44 (0) 1622 823 922 Email: editor@firebuyer.com

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Fire safety and ironmongery: Hand in hand

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Daniel May, Director at Consort Architectural Hardware explores the close relationship between fire safety and ironmongery and how compliance becomes compromised without essential hardware components. Unpredictable and untameable, fire is a beast that we can’t afford to ignore. It doesn’t prejudice against any building type, and as we’ve seen most recently in Whitechapel, London, it can cause immeasurable damage and loss when fire safety isn’t prioritised. Fire safety itself is a complex topic, covering a wide range of subjects and themes, from prevention to containment and evacuation – all of which carry great significance when designing and maintaining a fire-safe building. For a building’s architects, specifiers, inspectors and owners, it’s imperative to provide an acceptable level of fire safety for occupants and visitors alike. And for this, fire doors play an integral role. Recognised as part of a building’s passive fire protection system, fire doors are a means of escape and are tasked with compartmentalising smoke and fire during a fire incident. In doing so, they protect the property and its people for a specified time, most commonly resisting for 30 (FD30) or 60 (FD60) minutes. Yet, fire doors aren’t the only piece of the puzzle. Combined protection As is outlined by the Guild of Architectural Ironmongers (GAI), ironmongery and fire safety share a distinguished relationship. To assure performance and compliance, all dedicated fire doors, other than those to locked cupboards and service ducts, must be fitted with the necessary ironmongery components. This includes hinges, door closers, locks and latches. Each of these hardware components are designed to operate in tandem with a fire door – without them, the door is made redundant. In fact, the integrity of a fire door could immediately be compromised should one area become damaged or fail to meet strict performance standards. To eliminate vulnerabilities, hardware, in accordance with the UK Construction Products Regulations (CPR) must be CE marked (or UKCA after the 1st January 2023) to prove fire performance, and it is a criminal offence to supply products that do not comply. Fire door closers for example, whether concealed or surface mounted, are required to perform what is considered an essential function in closing a door to completion from any angle into its frame or until the latch engages. In facilitating the closing motion, door closers play an active role in ensuring a fire door accomplishes compartmentation. Because of their significance, controlled closing devices must be tested to BS EN 1154 and fire rated to BS EN 1634. Upon application, a closer must also be compatible with a door’s existing mechanisms and in addition to CE marking, it is highly advised it should be approved by a third-party scheme such as CERTIFIRE, providing the detail needed for its application.   To read more exclusive features and latest news please see our February issue here. Media contact Rebecca Morpeth Spayne, Editor, International Fire Buyer Tel: +44 (0) 1622 823 922 Email: editor@firebuyer.com

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Big Interview – Jon Könz

Big Interview, Exclusives /

Fire Buyer catches up exclusively with the new President for Euralarm, Jon Könz to find out what experience he brings to the role  As the new President of Euralarm, do you have any goals for the association?  Certainly, we have goals that we set a few years ago and these are still valid. These are:  Developing a strong Single Market and expanding global markets for products  Raising training and qualification standards for industry professionals  Turning emerging technologies into sustainable solutions  Advancing knowledge and innovation.  So, the goals are not necessarily new, but the focus elements have changed.  We have had to adapt to two major external factors touching us and the industry. The pandemic as well as the European Commission’s Green Deal goals for sustainability. These have certainly brought us to change some of our priorities.    What experience do you bring to the role?  I bring 19 years of experience in the security industry and 8 years in fire and building automation. Most of these years were in international management, driving solutions and services businesses strategically and operationally, which I think is particularly important to drive Euralarm forward. I have also been in quite a few Boards in the past, so I think I understand the role and what I bring to the table.  Recently, Kidde Fire Protection joined Euralarm’s Extinguishing Section. What are the different sections and how do they impact your members?  We have 4 sections: Fire, Extinguishing, Security and Services. Each of the four sections is responsible for establishing and maintaining liaisons and participating actively in standardisation groups as well as closely monitoring technological developments, regulations, and standards. By staying abreast of standards, Euralarm sections inform their members of both national and EU level changes and advocacy activities. By monitoring the technical and political trends, the sections can provide guidance and influence their development. We work with numerous stakeholders throughout Europe to address today’s and tomorrow’s challenges for fire safety and security. Some members belong to more than one section, others are in a specific field and are members of that section.   What opportunities and challenges do the growing number of standards for the fire and safety industry bring?  The challenge is finding the specialists in all the fields especially newer fields such as Cybersecurity or artificial intelligence. While we have a lot of specialists in the field of Fire and Security, it took us a while to find experts in this field, but we have been able to do so.  We also see digitalisation as a vector for new offerings and new business models. An example where we see intervention from the EC is with Artificial Intelligence. We are focussing on ensuring that we have the legal framework to use these.   How does sustainability impact the fire industry and what can we do to help?  Now sustainability is the second area where the EC is pushing heavily. It brings challenges in places such as extinguishing in terms of the issues around F Gas and PFAS, affecting gaseous systems, portables and foam.  In order to achieve the sustainability goals that the EC has defined, millions of buildings must be renovated. Euralarm believes that governments and authorities as well as building owners need to pay attention to the fire safety of buildings, because renovations could introduce significant improvements in fire safety.     To read more exclusive features and latest news please see our February issue here. Media contact Rebecca Morpeth Spayne, Editor, International Fire Buyer Tel: +44 (0) 1622 823 922 Email: editor@firebuyer.com

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Government official made ‘unsound’ assumptions

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Louise Upton, who was the head of the fire safety policy team at the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) in 2009, was grilled about her role in the decision not to impose higher standards on risk assessors in the aftermath of the deadly July 2009 fire at Lakanal House. Fire safety rules introduced in 2005 created a new duty for building owners to carry out risk assessments of buildings containing multiple homes but set no requirements for the competency of those carrying out the assessments. Local authorities had raised concerns about the competency of fire risk assessors at this stage, but Ms Upton was accused of “frustrating” and “inventing” reasons not to support such an initiative. It was said that this lasted for a 20-month period despite her being aware of concerns as early as March 2009. After running through a number of reports during this period, counsel for the inquiry Andrew Kinnier QC asked Ms Upton if she agreed “that the theme emerging through all of those reports is clear and consistent that there were reservations, to put it mildly, about the competence of fire risk assessors in England”? He also asked: “And equally consistently, there were calls for an officially mandated system supported by independent accreditation UKAS or something else. That line of concern was loud, clear and consistent. Would you agree with that? Then why did you hold to the view that an officially mandated scheme wasn’t necessary?” But Ms Upton said: “I suppose the environment was we just knew it would be unwelcome by business and ministers, but we didn’t test it. You’re right. I made assumptions.” “That weren’t sound,” suggested Mr Kinnier. Ms Upton agreed. The United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) is the national accreditation body recognised by the British government to assess the competence of organisations that provide certification, testing, inspection and calibration services. The inquiry looked at the notes of a meeting that took place on 14 December 2009 between representatives of the fire sector that lead to the establishment of the Fire Risk Assessment Competency Council (FRACC) after concerns were raised about the adequacy of fire safety guidance. During the meeting, it was suggested that a competency framework be created that required UKAS accreditation. But an email Ms Upton sent after the meeting, which was sent to a number of people including to another government official Brian Martin, appeared to suggest that the required competency could be achieved with a voluntary approach. This is despite the minutes of the meeting recording a view among attendees that “any voluntary approach was likely to perpetuate current confusions about who was competent”. Mr Kinnier asked: “What your answer tends to suggest if this reflects what you thought at the time, that you are anxious, almost keen to invent reasons not to go down the UKAS route. Is that a fair observation?”   To read more exclusive features and latest news please see our February issue here. Media contact Rebecca Morpeth Spayne, Editor, International Fire Buyer Tel: +44 (0) 1622 823 922 Email: editor@firebuyer.com

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Made Smarter Commission appoints Siemens’ Brian Holliday

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Made Smarter, the national digitalisation movement to drive productivity, growth and sustainability in manufacturing, has appointed Siemens’ Brian Holliday as its new co-chair. The Managing Director of Siemens Digital Industries will head up the Made Smarter Commission alongside Lee Rowley MP, Minister for Industry for the Department of Business Energy and Industrial Strategy, replacing UK industrialist and former Siemens CEO Professor Juergen Maier. Together they will shape the future of Made Smarter and oversee the successful delivery of its Adoption and Innovation programmes, which help UK manufacturers to capitalise on new digital technologies such as additive manufacturing, internet of things, and robotics and automation. The programmes have already received over £150 million in government funding. Brian Holliday said: “I’m delighted to be co-chairing the Made Smarter Commission with Minister Rowley through its next steps. “Since the original Made Smarter Review in 2017, I have been struck by the importance of this government and industry partnership in manufacturing to highlight how much the sector matters to address the productivity, innovation and skills challenges in the UK and increasingly, to find the right levers to help to invest in material, resource and energy efficiency too.” Mr Holliday and Mr Rowley will steer a board of leading industrialists from large and SME manufacturers as well as technology providers and manufacturing organisations, including: Make UK, GSK, BAE Systems PLC, GE Digital, the Royal Academy of Engineering, ICW, Renishaw PLC, ATEC Solutions, Lambert Engineering, the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), ABB Limited, Nestle UK & Ireland, TUC, Rolls Royce PLC, Jaguar Land Rover, Accenture and Airbus UK. Minister for Industry Lee Rowley said: “I am delighted that Brian Holliday has become the new industry co-chair of the Made Smarter Commission. “Brian has been involved since the start and brings deep manufacturing and tech expertise to our joint mission to improve productivity in manufacturing.” A particular focus of the commission will be the roll out of the Adoption programme which is helping thousands of SME manufacturers in the North West, West Midlands, North East, and Yorkshire and the Humber regions take their first steps into digitalisation. Donna Edwards, Director for Made Smarter’s North West adoption programme, said: “Brian is a fantastic replacement as co-chair of the Made Smarter Commission. I look forward to working with him and other board members in our continued efforts to drive-up productivity and slash carbon emissions through the adoption of new technologies.” To read more exclusive features and latest news please see our February issue here. Media contact Rebecca Morpeth Spayne, Editor, International Fire Buyer Tel: +44 (0) 1622 823 922 Email: editor@firebuyer.com

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