The past 12 months remain relatively unchanged with regard to buoyancy in the fire industry. This is the general opinion voiced by a number of industry players that Hi-Tech Security Solutions spoke to.
Colin Kahn, who heads up Bosch Security Systems Fire Detection division, says that he believes 2010 was unrealistic in terms of the level of sales. “The rush to become compliant with FIFA regulations was a driving force for more companies to purchase fire equipment, but the dust has now settled and we are seeing sales somewhere in the region of the 2009 period.”
Leo Slootmans of FireSPEC Systems says the economic slump has had a negative impact on new buildings and refurbishment projects, as well as on the facility/building managers’ budgets. “Personally though, we are involved with property owners who take their responsibilities for fire detection very seriously and who have experienced the positive returns of a well-executed preventative maintenance programme. We have been fortunate and this part of our business has grown.”
Lauren Sher, regional sales manager for Xtralis, is more optimistic. “Although the first six months of 2011 were slow, there seems to have been an increase in the number of projects being awarded in the second half of this year. However, I cannot say at this stage whether this equates to a better year than 2010.”
All respondents agree that the recession proved to be the biggest challenge during 2011. In addition, Trevor Harty MD of Technoswitch notes that the continuous battle with approvals and the standard of installations was a bone of contention. Effective management of debtors and investigations of tendering irregularities also topped the list of contenders for major aggravating factors.
Few new technologies
Kahn says that while there was little in the way of new technologies (as opposed to products) appearing on the scene during 2011, there is definitely a trend towards full service integration in terms of CCTV, fire, intrusion detection, public address systems and evacuation. Furthermore, the trend to improve the reliability (detection speed versus false alarm rate) of point fire detectors by using multisensor technology continues as shown by the new series of dual ray fire detectors launched by Bosch in 2010.
“There is a greater general awareness of what technologies are available because of the focus inspections have created. There are also many more manufacturers being represented in the country than ever before, with the associated exposure to alternate technologies that not everyone has been aware of. Together with better distribution models this has given everyone, from large to small installers/integrators, better access and therefore knowledge. This is obviously good for the industry as the level of competence is improving,” adds Slootmans.
Sher says the hot news right now from Xtralis is the first of its kind OSID (open-area smoke imaging detection) which was launched in July 2011 (and explained in the associated Hi-Tech Security Solutions’ Webinar). “OSID by Xtralis is a new innovation in projected beam smoke detection technology. By using advanced dual wavelength projected beams and optical imaging technology for early warning smoke detection, OSID provides a low-cost, reliable and easy-to-install solution that overcomes typical beam detection issues such as false alarm incidents and alignment difficulties.”
Kahn says that during economic downturns companies tend to invest in refurbishment rather than replacement of systems. Slootmans concurs: “Fire detection always forms the backbone of our active fire systems as it remains the main building block. I would also say that aspirating systems are cornering a larger share of the market.”
He adds the big news was the move away from mylar fr 20 cable to ph 30. “The other leading news item in Cape Town and surrounding areas has been the city’s fire services’ efforts to conduct inspections, particularly of public spaces such as shopping malls, and their preparedness to act and follow through where systems do not conform.”
Standards
On the issue of regulations and standards, Slootmans says the revised building code (SANS 10400) together with SANS 10139 (fire detection and alarm systems for buildings) has had a positive influence on the industry. “The awareness of passive fire protection and the relevant regulations in this regard is growing, but needs a lot more education and focus.
“I believe these standards and regulations are being enforced, particularly in terms of the active systems. There has been a concerted effort in this regard and a corresponding effectiveness in terms of policing,” he adds.
Kahn believes that enforcement of standards and regulations is still an issue. “However, with the media coverage around unnecessary deaths in, for example, old age homes, there is more awareness of the need for smoke detection and warning. The interpretation of legislation seems to be more focused and once the law requires that the regulations are financially and legally binding on the installer, we will see more instances of compliance coming to the fore.”
“If standards and regulations are not upheld systems cannot perform as intended. If they are not up to scratch at the time of an audit or an emergency this can ultimately lead to closure of businesses and the consequential loss of revenue, together with the legal implications. This means that service providers that can provide a professional service need to be appointed,” suggests Slootmans.
Looking forward to 2012, Slootmans believes that due diligence with regards to selecting and appointing service providers will become a major issue. “They will need to start balancing the need to meet their responsibilities and at the same time stay within budget.”
Kahn believes that the end user focus on fire and evacuation will maintain its momentum and probably shift more towards residential fire detection towards the latter half of 2012. “I believe that the suppliers will see a shift in the requirements of quality tendering due to the regulations of the new tendering process. This will safeguard all stakeholders and increase the credibility of the market.”
FDIA feedback
According to Keith Norgate of the FDIA: “The FDIA is still waiting for the Department of Labour to document the instruction for SAQCC Fire to start registration of technicians. The demand for third party inspections of systems is growing as end users are finding the inspection reports useful for upgrading their systems to obtain compliance with South African standards.”
The Fire System Inspection Bureau reports that over 250 inspections have been conducted to date.
“Training was in great demand in 2011. Cape Town was the most active as companies clambered to get their technicians trained. It was a record year with the amount of persons passing through the courses topping 1500,” notes Norgate.
“The squeeze is on consulting engineers as the fire departments in Cape Town now vet designers of fire systems for new buildings and building upgrades. If they cannot prove competency in the subject they are submitting designs for, the fire department refuse to accept building plans. The industry applauds the Cape Town fire department for applying the building regulations laid down in SANS 10400 as they have started checking competency of fire system designers. We hope other fire departments follow their lead.
“Finally, the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA) is considering the acceptance of a specialised category of registration – Fire System Inspector. This will be a positive move for the fire industry if this is accepted by the council board this month,” he concludes.
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