[ Focus on: FSA ]
and services, have ensured that – despite the economic climate – the FSA continues to receive a high level of membership enquiries and general interest from other key industry stakeholders.
Unique
A number of things make the FSA unique. FSA members joining in England, Northern Ireland and Wales also become registered members of the ECA, and members joining in Scotland become members of SELECT – so it is effectively offering two association memberships for the price of one. Members gain direct access to well-established regional support infrastructures and a comprehensive range of services and benefits delivered by qualified and industry-recognised ECA and SELECT specialists, but also benefit from the fact that the FSA, being a relatively new trade body, has no baggage. It was launched with a clear and inclusive strategy for the future and close, productive, working relationships have been established between FSA employees and members ensuring that the FSA is member-driven. In practical terms, this means that both FSA employees
and members can now be found, working in unison, on British, European, Chief Fire Officer Association (CFOA), Association of Chief Police Officer (ACPO), SummitSkills and other standards and policy-setting committees. FSA representatives have also engaged with UK government and the official opposition parties with regard to the skills agenda and related topics.
Partnerships
Partnership is at the heart of FSA ethos. Rather than trying to compete, it values the expertise and experience that other organisations have to offer and to that end the FSA continues to build its public profile and develop close working relationships with a number of key influencing bodies, such as the ACPO and CFOA, where the FSA was consulted on the revision of the CFOA Policy for the Reduction of False Alarms and Unwanted Fire Signals, and the Fire Brigades Union (FBU). The development of the latter relationship has seen a significant – and rare – association with the FBU to produce and distribute 55,000 short guides to BS 5839-1 to fire service personnel, in order to improve awareness of the appropriate standard for fire detection and alarm systems. This guide is a customised version of an existing guide in the FSA Short Guide Series which have proved to be so popular with members that the FSA Standing Committee has now approved the production of an extensive range of guides to cover Emergency Lighting, CCTV, Access Control and Intruder Alarms. These publications will be produced throughout 2010 and circulated to all FSA and ECA members. Another highly-productive relationship for the FSA has
been its partnership with the Fire Protection Association to develop a suite of fire detection, alarms and emergency lighting courses, which are now fully accredited as BTEC qualifications – the first suite of qualifications of its kind for the industry. Each of the courses is now underpinned by the
FSA: a history
1901 – ECA founded. Some founding members already experimenting with prototype intruder and fire alarms, based on systems invented in USA in 1850s.
1970s – Many electrical contractors were generating sufficient income from fire and security systems installation to make them aware of the value of dedicated standards and independent certification organisations such as the National Supervisory Council for Intruder Alarms (NSCIA). At this point, the ECA became involved on members’ behalf. (The NSCIA’s independent inspectorate role is now, of course, undertaken in the UK by its successor the National Security Inspectorate (NSI) and the Security Systems and Alarms Inspection Board (SSAIB), both of which are now represented by their respective chief executives, as observers on the Board of the FSA.)
1985 – The ECA started to research security systems installation in earnest and established that it had to respond to the growth of this specialist electronic discipline.
1987 – The ECA launched the ECA Security Group under the leadership of technical officer, Peter Greenwood, who was also a founding member of the Security Industry Lead Body (SILB) the predecessor of both the Security Industry Training Organisation (SITO) and Joint Security Industry Council (JSIC).
2006 – By now, 51 per cent of ECA members were reporting some involvement with the installation of security systems, with 77 per cent reporting an involvement with fire systems. Although their interests had always been represented via the ECA Security and Fire groups, it was determined that because many companies had specialised, and as many more companies were looking for an alternative to existing trade bodies, the Fire and Security Association (FSA) should be launched.
January 2007 – FSA launched.
n For more information on the FSA visit:
www.fireandsecurityassociation.co.uk
The FSA
continues to build its public profile and develop close relationships with a
number of key influencing bodies
recently revised National Occupational Standards in Electronic Systems and has been allocated a number of credits which equate to BTEC qualifications. The credits accumulated can now lead to a BTEC Award or Certificate at Levels 2, 3 or 4, with the certificate title indicating the specific area of achievement from the systems pathways.
Reaching out
The FSA has also announced, recently, a new membership category for monitoring centres covering both alarm receiving centres (ARCS) and remote video receiving centres (RVRCS). In addition to the existing membership criteria for the FSA, applicant companies are required to conform to BS 5979:2007 and RVRCS are required to comply with BS 8418 and be inspected and certificated by one of the security industry’s certification bodies NSI or SSAIB. As they undertake no electrical installation work, monitoring centres aren’t covered by the FSA/ECA Guarantee or Bond, but in all other respects, however, they will be full members of the FSA. The FSA has grown to be a significant player in
the electrical industry, independently from its parent organisation, the ECA. It has a great deal to offer, especially in difficult economic times such as these, where many installers are worried about their future in a post-recession environment. The FSA’s expertise, benefits and services can support its members’ growth and add genuine value to their businesses during these turbulent times and beyond.
Summer 2010 ECA Today 45
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