SSAIB News

Geoff Tate, Chief Executive of SSAIB, the UK’s leading fire, security and telecare certification body for organisations, has announced that he will retire at the end of 2014.

Geoff has led SSAIB since 1999, when he took over the CEO’s role from founder David Hinge, and over the past 15 years has built SSAIB into a body with a record 1,500+ registered firms. Following the merger of AISC, Integrity 2000 and SSAIB in early-2001, which created an enlarged and unified SSAIB, the certification body has signficantly expanded its remit within the sectors of manned services and electronic security systems, fire protection, environmental management and occupational health and safety management systems, as well as telecare monitoring equipment for social alarms. It also gained important approval from the Security Industry Authority as an Approved Contractor Scheme assessment body.

In April 2007, the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland (ACPOS) published a Security System Policy to manage the engagement between Scottish police forces, alarm system users, and the alarm industry.  The Policy, which is still in effect, includes a section relating to charges and states that each individual application for a Unique Reference Number (URN) will be subject to a one off administration charge of £34.04 plus VAT payable to the relevant Scottish police force by the alarm system user.

Following a review of the current Security Systems Policy, work is currently ongoing to finalise and publish an updated Police Service of Scotland (PSoS) Security Systems Guidance document.  This new Guidance will include revised and updated URN administration charges.   

Yesterday (27 Feb), at a meeting of the SIA's Strategic Consultative Group, Home Office officials updated representatives of the private security industry on the timetable for introducing business licensing.

The group was told:

The Security Industry Authority (SIA) has publicised a list of potential SIA Conformity Assessment Bodies for Business Licensing. SSAIB has been shortlisted and our scheme has recently been assessed by UKAS to ensure it meets the SIA’s requirements for Business Licensing.

SSAIB is a UKAS accredited, Certification Body for the security industry.  If confirmed by the SIA as a Conformity Assessment Body for Business Licensing, companies seeking a business license(s) for the security service(s) they provide will be able to turn to SSAIB to help provide evidence of their competence.  Demonstrating competence is a key SIA requirement that companies seeking a Business License will need to pay close attention to.  One of the ways to achieve this is by obtaining Product Certification to our sector-specific scheme, which currently includes:

Geoff Tate SSAIB Chief Executive review of 2013 and look forward to 2014.

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