Sentry Doors expands with Knowles acquisition

by Featured NewsFire DoorsProducts

Sentry Doors Limited has announced the acquisition of E. & S. W. Knowles & Company Limited in a bid to accelerate its growth and become the UK’s leader in timber fire safety and security doorsets.

This acquisition will add new products complementing Sentry Doors’ product range, focused on the specialist fire doorset requirements of the social housing, public sector, commercial and residential markets.

Established in 1923, E. & S. W. Knowles manufactures specialist timber internal doorsets with fire rated, acoustic and PAS 24 security certification. Knowles employs approximately 100 people and in 2021, achieved revenue of £10m.

Both companies are set to benefit from the possibilities offered by their new market sectors and an expanded range of products and finishes. The enlarged business continues to be headquartered in Doncaster.

Ty Aziz, Sentry’s Chief Executive, said: “I am delighted to welcome Knowles to Sentry Doors – they have a fantastic manufacturing heritage, an exceptional team and a superb product range so we can learn a lot from one another.

“This partnership will help us to respond to the surge in demand for our products, as well as providing our customers with a fully comprehensive range of fire safety and security solutions, and a greater choice of features and finishes. It marks a key milestone in the growth strategy for our businesses and advances our collective ambition to be UK leaders in this sector.”

Martin Wright, majority owner of Knowles, added: “Next year Knowles celebrates its centenary and while I am extremely proud of all that we have achieved in the last 99 years, I know that the company has the capability to achieve much more in the future.

“I believe that this is the natural point for me to pass the company to new, trusted custodians who can deliver on its future potential. Knowles has a perfect partner in Sentry and together, the companies should achieve great things.”

Fire and Rescue Services give suppliers advice on inflationary pressures

by Featured News

The Fire Industry Association (FIA) has written via its FRES Council to the National Fire Chiefs Council, asking that Fire and Rescue Services engage with suppliers to reach a mutual agreement on pricing and recommended longer term fixed-price contracts.

The FIA noted that inflation in the UK has been rising and in April 2022 was recorded at 7.8%, up from 6.2% the previous month. It said that these figures are the Consumer Price Index [CPI] which is generally predicted to peak at around 11% over the coming months and is based on a typical basket of goods and services purchased by consumers, but that this is only part of the story, of course, as some prices have risen by far greater than the CPI.

The statement signed by Bernie Higgins, Chair of the Fire and Rescue Equipment and Services Council, on behalf of the FIA said: “The Services themselves have seen central government grants cut by an average of 13.8% over the last five years with some experiencing cuts of 10-44% over that period. Latest figures show an annual increase this year of 4.4-9.4% depending on the Service in question which is some improvement but fails to alleviate pressures on FRS procurement across the country relative to past expenditure capability.”

Higgins continued: “We ask that Fire and Rescue Services engage with suppliers to reach a mutual agreement, this time on pricing. We would recommend that longer term fixed-price contracts and call-offs from Frameworks over an extended period should now be subject to formal recognition of inflation and any extraordinary cost increases of components and raw materials as they relate to the products in question.”

He added: “Finally, we wish to refer please to the matter of the vital importance of our Fire and Rescue Services offering forecasts of their equipment requirements, preferably collectively or at least individually, to the supply base with as much notice as possible and ideally with a five year horizon. Suppliers accept that such forecasts are subject to change but they will offer significant assistance to suppliers who are looking to manage their resources effectively.

“With supply chain issues affecting our members’ ability to receive components and raw materials for their manufacturing processes now and into the future, this has never been more essential to us as providers to the sector and to you as the Fire and Rescue Services in maintaining and improving your service to the public.”

Hochiki wireless fire detectors installed in London apartment blocks

by Featured NewsPassiveProductsProjects

Ekho, the newest hybrid wireless fire detection solution from global life safety manufacturer Hochiki, has been installed in six blocks of apartment buildings for North London borough to help improve fire detection.

EN54-25 approved and RED compliant, Ekho uses radio networking technology and provides a robust ‘always on’ network of devices which automatically adapt to changing environmental conditions.

Commenting on the project Fire Alarms Fabrication Services, Kevin Dodge, sales Account Manager at FAFS said: “The technology used in the Ekho devices helps residents feel safer compared to relying on a team of people prone to human error. The building owners are reassured due to the self-configuring mesh network which keeps the devices connected and communicating with the fire panel 24/7”

“This was an incredibly complex and highly involved project, we worked closely with the team at Hochiki who consulted on best devices for this project. The Ekho range offered a wireless solution which allowed us to work around issues such as cabling inside private spaces. Ekho allowed for early detection and most importantly detection outside of the building on cladding by installing heat sensor devices adjacent to every single window, including the windows for individual dwellings. The Ekho range is ultra-dependable, and much more cost effective than the Waking Watch scheme that was in place in these buildings.”

Following the successful completion of the project, Hochiki Regional Sales Manager, Tony Obadipe said: “We are pleased that our Ekho product range is making such an enormous difference in keeping people safe. The fact that our technology is also helping to drive huge cost efficiencies for our partners and their end users is a bonus. In the current economic climate this cost saving is essential, especially for local authorities. We are incredibly proud of our teams that have been involved in this project, it really is protecting people’s lives”.

Fire safety startups to present at INTERSCHUTZ

by EventsFeatured NewsProducts

At INTERSCHUTZ 2022 in Hannover, Germany, startups will be presenting their new, interesting services and products in the area of emergency response at a large joint booth (hall 16/F48) from 20-25 June.

Among the 20 companies presenting is Brand Punkt, a startup founded by Hermann Zengeler, which offers a professional e-learning program to prepare them for emotionally stressful missions.

Zengeler, among other things, was the chief of a fire department for 25 years before giving up his job in the civil service. Together with his partner Carina Ott, he founded Brand Eins to prepare people mentally-emotionally for emergency service. 

Brand Punkt will present Fireproof360°, an e-learning program designed to prepare firefighters for stressful situations, stabilize their motivation and make them strong for mentally demanding service. 

Firedrill is also represented at the joint stand, hoping to bring the topic of fire prevention into the digital age. Jens Thiemann, one of the two managing directors. launched the startup two years ago and so far numerous companies have already used his app, which enables employees to independently complete the safety exercise regularly prescribed in companies on their smartphones.

“At the same time, this enables them to develop a routine and be better prepared for emergencies – without having to rely on random participation in the group exercises that rarely take place,” explained Thiemann.

Exercises are conducted exclusively in the real environment at the workplace using augmented reality. The exercise shows the main escape route from the starting room to the assembly point and must be completed in full. The application also displays helpful additional information along the route, such as the location of fire extinguishers and fire alarms.

“Firedrill is the new and flexible solution for hands-on evacuation drills in a changing workplace – even or especially because of the Corona pandemic,” Thiemann added. “Thanks to mixed reality technology, the exercise is not simply consumed like a video, but actively experienced on site.”

Passive Fire market valued at $4.5 billion in 2022

by Americas - Featured NewsBreaking NewsPassive

The global passive fire protection market is expected to grow from $3.99 billion in 2021 to $4.42 billion in 2022 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.9%. The market is expected to reach $5.73 billion in 2026 at a CAGR of 6.7%.

The main types of products in passive fire protection are cementitious materials, intumescent coating, fireproofing cladding, and others. Cementitious materials have properties of cement, and are used to protect steel elements within a building’s construction. The different applications include structural, compartmentation, opening protection, firestopping material and is used by various sectors such as oil and gas, construction, industrial, warehousing, and others.

North America was the largest region in the passive fire protection market in 2021. The regions covered in this report are Asia-Pacific, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East and Africa.

Technological advancement is a key trend gaining popularity in the passive fire protection market. Major companies operating in the passive fire protection sector are focused on developing technological solutions for passive fire protection to strengthen their position. For instance, in November 2020, Honeywell, a US-based company that mainly operates in building technologies launched new suite of Connected Life Safety Services (CLSS), a cloud platform for fire safety systems. The platform is intended to help fire professionals avoid downtime, demonstrate compliance, and shorten the time it takes to design, install, commission, inspect, maintain, and report life safety equipment.

The growing construction sector is driving the growth of the passive fire protection market. Construction is a sector that deals with the building, maintenance, and repair of structures and buildings, as well as the construction of roadways and service facilities. Fireproof materials are used in the construction sector for fire safety in the building as they are non-combustible with low thermal conductivity and take a long time for the fire to affect the structures, and also protects the spread of fire.

The report covers market characteristics, size and growth, segmentation, regional and country breakdowns, competitive landscape, market shares, trends and strategies for this market. It traces the market’s historic and forecast market growth by geography. It places the market within the context of the wider passive fire protection market, and compares it with other markets.