PF Services' Managing Director David Key, Direct Security Systems' Security Surveyor Jeff Cowley, FAS' Sales Director Pat Tubridy and Surefire's Managing Director Alan Neenan each received their prized Kitemark license on 17 October, awarded by the Chief Fire Officer of North Yorkshire, Nigel Hutchinson, at a special ceremony at Firex North 2006, which this year was held at Harrogate International Centre.
For two of the four companies, PF Services and Direct Security Systems, their route to accreditation was aided by the "Proof of Competence" Roadmap Scheme initiated at the beginning of 2006 by ADI-GARDINER, a key supplier of fire and security equipment to thousands of installers.
Since the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order came into force in April, fire protection has entered a new era, transferring accountability from fire authorities to installers and owners of buildings. BS 5839 calls for all fire work to be carried out by competent persons, those with the necessary training and experience and access to the requisite tools, equipment and information, and capable of carrying out a defined task. This applies to every company and employee in the industry - from designers and installers to commissioning and maintenance engineers.
The partnership forged between ADI-GARDINER and the BSi, BFPSA and BAFE enables companies to sign up for a series of supplier and BFPSA training programmes, leading to application to the ADI-GARDINER - BSi SP203 Third Party Certification and Kitemark Scheme. These first four companies have proven a new level of competence which now sets the fire industry standard, not unlike CORGI in the gas industry.