Lance Rütimann from Euralarm explains: “This European standard lays out the minimum quality requirements for the service providers. It defines basic levels of competence of the employees entrusted with the planning, design, assembly, commissioning, system verification, handover or maintenance of fire safety or security systems. Further it defines minimum requirements on the service output and documentation”. This applies irrespective of whether these services are provided on-site or via remote access. It applies to services for fire safety systems and/or security systems, which are fire detection and fire alarm systems, fixed firefighting systems and alarm systems and to combinations of such systems including those parts of an alarm transmission system for which the service provider has contractually accepted responsibility. Social alarm systems and alarm receiving centres are not included.

The use of the internet for procurement coupled with the opening up of the European service market is bringing about fundamental changes.  For example, today’s customers use the Internet to gain information and build an opinion before contacting vendors. Service providers with a recognised European quality mark will most likely remain in the short list whilst others will drop through.

The internet also enables service providers to get access to new customers and to new geographical areas, without incurring significant increases in marketing and sales costs.  Changes in the environment surrounding markets can inadvertently lead to negative impacts for market participants. Measures are needed to counter act this.

And, according to Euralarm, this is where this European services standard can provide consistency of quality whilst still allowing for market developments to take their normal course.