SSAIB News

Registration has now opened for next year's SSAIB-supported Engineers of Tomorrow competition, which celebrates its 20th anniversary at IFSEC International 2018.

The three-day competition, held at the ExCel in London between June 19-21 2018, pits more than 60 security and fire apprentices - working in teams of two - against each other through a live installation challenge.

The winners of each heat - one team per day - are then invited to attend November's Security and Fire Excellence Awards, where the overall Engineers of Tomorrow 2018 winners will be announced and presented with their £1000 prize.

To register your apprentice(s) for the 2018 competition - for which SSAIB are one of the stakeholders - please visit http://ubm.ifsec.co.uk/eot-2018-enquire/

For more information on the competition and to hear just some of the reasons to register, please watch the video shown below.

SSAIB are delighted to announce that we have just passed the 200 certifications mark for our BAFE scheme registrations – after SSAIB-registered security firm Kelida Solutions Ltd gained approval for fire detection and alarms as well.

The West Yorkshire-based firm first achieved certification with SSAIB in 2012 for Intruder Alarms, Access Control and CCTV, but they took the decision to also add a fire component to their coverage with the BAFE SP 203 – Fire Detection and Alarms scheme (all modules) earlier this year.

Following a successful application process, the company have added SP 203 to their accreditation spectrum and Kelida Solutions Ltd office manager Christina Lamb was all too happy to hear that their success has helped SSAIB reach a pivotal milestone.

Christina revealed: “To be SSAIB’s 200th BAFE-registered company is brilliant. We are all so pleased to have gained this accreditation.

“We have been working to the BAFE standard for many years and we wanted to show our customers that we install to the highest industry standards and are aware of all current legislations, so getting the accreditation was the natural step for our business.

“SSAIB is a widely-recognised certification body and - throughout our five-year relationship - it has provided us with both assistance and assurance. It has also given us the confidence to grow as a business and know that we are working to the correct standards each and every time.

“In today’s environment, the safety and security of people and property is of paramount importance. To achieve this objective, you need to be certain that the systems you choose are right for your needs both now and in the future.

“This means choosing a fire and security company you can trust and having this accreditation will not only give our customers that assurance, but we hope that - by being SP 203 certified - it gives our customers confidence in our abilities as well.”

As the leading certification body for organisations providing fire detection and alarm systems – as well as security systems and manned services - SSAIB offer three schemes ran by British Approvals for Fire Equipment (BAFE). These are the aforementioned SP 203, SP 101 – Maintenance of Portable Fire Extinguishers and SP 205 – Fire Risk Assessment certification schemes.

SSAIB have been offering third-party certification for the BAFE schemes for over 10 years and are just the third certification body to reach the illustrious milestone of 200 registered certifications, much to the delight of chief executive Alex Carmichael.

He stated: “It’s great to hear that SSAIB have registered our 200th firm with BAFE – as we’re dedicated to ensuring high standards across this industry and our partnership with BAFE allows us to do that for the three fire schemes that we offer as well.

“With recent tragic events highlighting a real need for proper fire safety regulations, it’s encouraging to see more and more companies seeking certification to show that they know what they’re doing and they’re happy to be regulated – as it all helps to ensure that standards across the board are as high as they can be.

“Our commitment to BAFE and their schemes is of vital importance to us and we look forward to registering our 250th firm with them, our 300th and so on.”

BAFE chief executive Stephen Adams was also full of praise for the SSAIB and the partnership the two companies have maintained for over a decade – as they work together to ensure best practice from fire protection companies in the UK.

Stephen added: “BAFE and SSAIB have been working together for over 10 years and I am delighted to acknowledge that SSAIB have achieved 200 certifications of the BAFE schemes covering fire detection and alarm systems, fire extinguisher maintenance and fire risk assessment competency.

“All of our certification bodies are UKAS accredited and we are confident in the SSAIB audit processes to ensure the BAFE schemes continue to represent the highest quality standard for fire protection companies across the country.”

Following SSAIB’s involvement in certificating two police forces’ pioneering introduction of body-worn video technology to the Surveillance Camera Code of Practice, the British Standards Institution has launched a new standard for body-worn video (BWV).

The new British Standard - BS 8593:2017 Code of Practice for the Deployment and Use of Body-Worn Video - has been developed in conjunction with SSAIB, who were one of a group of organisations that contributed, alongside others including the Home Office, Metropolitan Police Service, Information Commissioner’s Office, National Police Chiefs’ Council and Transport for London.

The standard delivers a common framework to boost public trust in understanding where and when BWV can be used. The voluntary standard provides technical and operational recommendations for the appropriate and proportionate deployment and use of body-worn video.

The standard was drawn up to address a gap in guidance - due to the differences between the use of CCTV and BWV - and to avoid a repeat of the privacy concerns associated with the widespread roll out of CCTV.

BS 8593 covers planning and operational recommendations, outlining the need for BWV deployment to be based on legitimate reasons; particularly in terms of undertaking a Privacy Impact Assessment.

Anne Hayes, head of market development for governance and resilience at BSI, commented: “During the development of BS 8593, it was agreed that public confidence in the operation and management of BWV was critical, with balancing safety, security and privacy matters a central concern.

“The involvement of both security and privacy groups shows that standards can deliver industry consensus by aligning agendas to the public benefit. BWV has an advantage as a security device, in terms of providing the user with a sense of protection; a second pair of eyes and ears should something go wrong.”

Meanwhile, Surveillance Camera Commissioner (SCC) Tony Porter has welcomed the standard’s introduction.

He added: “I am delighted to support the new British Standard and acknowledge the excellent work which has been undertaken by those to deliver it in such short timescales. As the use of body-worn cameras proliferate, they become more and more engrained as an intrusive capability in the daily lives of citizens.

“The important and fundamental balance of preserving the rights of citizens - while keeping our communities safe and secure – is at the heart of the Home Secretary’s surveillance camera code of practice which I regulate and the principles within that code are at the heart of the new standard.”

SSAIB auditors completed certification of Greater Manchester Police and the Metropolitan Police Service to the SCC code of practice, for their use of BWV technology - in a variety of ways - to capture police operational activity first-hand, using helmet or vest-mounted cameras. These affordable cameras provide high-quality images and audio, which can be used for evidential purposes.

Read more: https://ssaib.org/news/police-forces111-body-worn-video-achieves-surveillance-camera-code-of-practice/

SSAIB have announced the venues for their final four regional meetings of 2017 and have also revealed the dates for more being held within the first five months of next year as well.

The Tavcom training centre in Southampton will host the South Coast regional meeting on September 12, while Solihull’s Cranmore Park will be the setting for the West Midlands get together on October 4.

Our South West firms are invited to join us at the Yeovil College on November 7, before the final regional meeting of the year takes place a day later – at the Village Hotel in Cardiff, on November 8.

As we enter 2018, SSAIB will also be reaching out to firms in the North East (January 30) , North West (January 31), South East (March 6), East Anglia (March 7), South Yorkshire / East Midlands (March 8), Scotland (April 24) and Belfast (May 22) to let them know the latest developments within SSAIB – as well giving them the opportunity to give feedback on the service they receive.

Venues for these meetings are still to be confirmed, but you can still register your interest in any of these events as well.

Chief executive Alex Carmichael will provide an update on SSAIB and will also discuss consumer legislation, while the new Trailblazers apprentice scheme will be explained by training manager Trevor Jenks.

The meetings will also feature an update on PD666 from one of our technical experts and Openreach will give us an insight into the IP Transformation upgrade service - which will see all of their customers migrated to an IP service by 2025 - and the effects it will have on the security industry.

To book your place for any of the four remaining 2017 meetings – or declare your interest for the 2018 meetings - choose your preferred regional meeting and sign up through your Registered Firms website log-in or phone the SSAIB on 0191 296 3242 and ask to speak to Victoria or Andrew.

These meetings are just some of the numerous venues around the UK and Ireland that we will be visiting throughout the next 12 months. For a full list of our current schedule, please visit https://ssaib.org/calendar/.

SSAIB are urging our registered firms to nominate outstanding individuals who have changed the fire, emergency and security industry sector for the better, ahead of this year’s FSA Awards.

With 2017 marking the tenth birthday of the Fire and Security Association (FSA), the two annual awards that are being presented - at the industry-leading IFSEC Security and Fire Excellence Awards on November 22 in London - are the Peter Greenwood Security Award and the Ian Marsh Fire Award.

The Peter Greenwood Security Award is handed out to individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to the security systems industry. Last year’s winner was Andy Gilmore of AAI Security and he was selected for upholding technical standards for 25 years.

Meanwhile, the Ian Marsh Fire Award recognises individuals who demonstrate enthusiasm and selfless concern for the fire and emergency systems industry. Chris Watts of Wavelength Associates won the award last year, being rewarded for his commitment to emergency lighting.

The FSA – the leading trade association dedicated to companies who design, install, commission, maintain and monitor electronic fire, emergency and security systems. - is an official partner at IFSEC’s Security and Fire Excellence Awards’, which is the most prestigious event on the industry calendar. The winners of both FSA awards - plus one guest each - will be given free places on the FSA’s table on the evening.

Head of the FSA Steve Martin commented: “The FSA is delighted to announce that nominations are open for our sector-leading awards and we urge anyone involved in fire, emergency and security to put forward outstanding individuals.

“There have been many deserving winners of both the Peter Greenwood Security Award and the Ian Marsh Fire Award and we look forward to recognising another duo of industry champions this year.”

The deadline for FSA Award nominations is 5pm on Friday September 15 and the nominations will be reviewed by an independent panel of judges in the autumn. For more details - or to nominate an individual for either award - please click here.