SDM - May 2008 - (Page 62)

FIRE ALARM SYSTEMS: STATE OF THE MARKET Testing and Inspecting Adds to Revenue Fire alarm testing and inspection represent a source of recurring revenue for Secure US, Morgantown, W.Va., which operates its own testing and inspection (t&i) department. “Our state does require t&i, and it’s part of the legislation in most of the cities,” notes Mitch Brozik, president and CEO of Secure US. “We’re seeing more and more stringent requirements and much more enforcement than we have in the past.” Secure US also performs sprinkler system tests and semi-annual inspections of fraternity and sorority houses. Pioneer Communications, Cookeville, Tenn., uses t&i as an opportunity to touch base with customers. “We supplement our sales by doing fire alarm testing and inspections through the year,” reports Harold Sowell, owner. “That keeps us up-to-date.” “A lot of the time the state requires it, and a lot of times their insurance company requires it,” he explains. “We go out and certify that the system is functioning, do a communication test, battery test each device and clean the detectors.” Doyle Security Systems, Rochester, N.Y., is planning expansion of its inspection and maintenance services. “In 2008, we will go after fire inspection and maintenance agreements with our existing cus-tomer base and new customers,” declares Kevin Stone, Doyle’s COO. “We’re targeting an 18 percent growth in our RMR for the fire side of the business.” often you have hurricanes and the power goes out,” Potosnak points out. “Portable generators inside the house are susceptible to causing CO poisoning. It could be your water heater, furnace, portable generators — anywhere where there’s incomplete combustion.” Potosnak even heard of a homeowner who ran his barbecue in his garage with the door closed during bad weather and caused CO buildup. 5104 Digital Fire Communicator: 6 Channels of Fast, Reliable Communication NON-PROPRIETARY SYSTEMS Maccone praises fire alarm systems that are nonproprietary. “The life of a fire alarm system is the life of the building, even in an upgrade,” he maintains. “If you have a proprietary system, you’ll probably have to rip out everything and start from scratch.” Sturgess also thinks end users are moving away from proprietary systems. “They are looking to go with non-proprietary systems so they can select from a bunch of dealers for the install or a maintenance call,” he observes. “They’re not locked into one dealer in a particular area that has a proprietary system.” Haig thinks the consolidation of manufacturers is standardizing product lines and lowering costs. cation really plays out with the fire industry, I think “Manufacturers are embracing the technology that that is going to be a very strong focus for 2008,” is out there and relatively cheap, and building it into Laskoski predicts. “A lot of regulations are starting the product, which is getting better and cheaper,” he asserts. to form around that.” Brett Bean, president of F.E. Moran Inc. Alarm, Champaign, Ill., thinks enforcement of voice evac- Lenny Minervini (right), president of Rainbow Home Systems, purchases fire products at his local ADI uation systems is increasing. “We are seeing a lot more of the voice evacuation branch in Plainview, N.Y., from Frank Defilippis, systems installations,” Bean reports. “While codes inside sales representative. say they are required, it might be overlooked. We are seeing more of that enforced.” Another growth product is wireless. “We’re continuing to see more wireless fire systems,” Sturgess declares. “This was almost a taboo for the fire industry, but the reliability of the wireless system is very good right now, along with its ease of installation. One of the things we hear from our dealers all the time is it’s often hard to get qualified installers, and when you can put up a wireless system, you have a tremendous amount of savings in labor. Gas detection also is a growing area, although some uses Sturgess thinks are high-end. “We’re experiencing a nice increase in gas detection for parking garages and farms with methane gas,” he notes. “Ammonia detection is another one.” Carbon monoxide (CO) legislation is not just for northern states anymore, where more CO legislation has been passed, but southern ones as well. “You think about states such as Florida, where PHOTO COURTESY OF ADI 62 May 2008

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of SDM - May 2008

SDM - May 2008 Contents Editor’s Angle Exclusive ISC West Coverage Stanley Convergent’s Newest Acquisition Cisco Introduces New IP Cameras, Expands Physical Security Solution Portfolio Ionit Technologies Partners with Walgreens; Places DVR Systems in Stores Nationwide Pennsylvania-Based Security System Providers Merge Custom Home Electronics Distributor Inks Distribution Agreement Security and the Law Integration Intelligence 18th Annual SDM 100: Double Digits Fire Systems: State of the Market Addressable Fire Control Systems Storage: Where Can We Put All This? Central Station Managed Access Technology at Work 5-Minute Tech Quiz Technology Solutions & Skills Security NetWorkings SDM Marketplace Classifieds

SDM - May 2008

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