SSAIB News

SSAIB, which is celebrating its 20^th anniversary as the UK and Ireland’s leading fire, security and telecare certification body, has appointed its new Chief Executive. Alex Carmichael will be taking over from Geoff Tate, who announced earlier this year that he will be stepping down as CEO after 16 years in the role.

Alex Carmichael is joining SSAIB from his current post as Director of Technical Services and Exports at security industry trade body the BSIA, where he is responsible for coordinating all technical and quality matters. Alex’s existing duties on various UK and European committees, along with his strong technical background and close working relationship with a variety of industry organisations, provides him with ideal credentials to steer SSAIB in its next phase of growth.

The Government has yet to confirm a date for the implementation of Business Licensing and has previously given a commitment of providing the private security industry with at least 3 months advance notice of the date from which applications would be accepted, with a further minimum period of 6 months for those application to be received.  This webpage will be updated when further information is made known.   

Very sadly we must report that David Hinge, who founded SSAIB and became its first Chief Executive, died on 17th November. David’s role preceded the merger of AISC, Integrity 2000 and SSAIB in early-2001, which created an enlarged and unified SSAIB, laying the foundations for its subsequent growth into the UK and Ireland’s leading fire, security and telecare certification body.

David had a 37-year career in the security industry, becoming firstly a surveyor after responding to an advert in his local Newcastle newspaper back in the early ’60s. As he recalled in his final article for SSAIB News before retiring in 1998, there were only around six installers operating in the north-east of England at that time. The company David joined had only started a year before and had 85 alarms on its books. But just over 11 years later, when David left to become chief surveyor with another north-east business, it had grown that figure to some 10,000.

Geoff Tate, CEO of the UK’s leading fire, security and telecare certification body, SSAIB, has won the Peter Greenwood Award at the 2014 ECA Annual Awards.

Sponsored by the Fire and Security Association (FSA), the Peter Greenwood Award recognises professionals in the security systems industry who have made an outstanding contribution to the sector. It was set up in memory of former Head of the Electrical Contractors’ Association Security Group, Peter Greenwood, after he passed away in 1995.

Revisions to the latest, 2014 ACPO Security Systems Policy have been detailed for SSAIB registered firms by Technical & Operations Manager Dave Profit, who described them to attendees at the inaugural Installer Forum held at the BT Tower in April.