PSI MAGAZINE COLUMN: MAY 2015

This month Simon Banks talks to Dave Sanders, Managing Director of Justice Fire & Security, one of the UK’s leading NSI Gold Fire and Electronic Security System Installers.

Justice offer customers over three decades of experience. How does this give you the edge over your competition?

30 years of experience has given Justice the opportunity to engage with new technology and build up a loyal workforce. Our large customer base includes large corporate organisations, SMEs and residential customers who all benefit from the same point of contact year on year. Staff retention and stability is the key to providing an excellent customer relationship and service.

Your established customer base is accustomed to particular products, what prompted your decision to start using DualCom?

We started using DualCom in the nineties when the only other signalling product of its type at the time would not work with what was then the new ISDN line technology. Over the years DualCom have continued to innovate and provide a technical and field support service that is second to none. We prefer to use well-established suppliers that have weathered tough economic times and still come out on top.

What’s the strategy behind keeping the business regional despite your significant organic growth?

Clients prefer to use a local company with local knowledge and of course a quick response. We have stayed away from acquisitions as our organic growth has been fuelled by the provision of an excellent installation and service facility of our own systems. Our local offices have built up a personal customer relationship from initial survey through to installation and ongoing service.

You are one of only 8 companies to hold a BS8418 accreditation for CCTV installation. What are the main benefits of this?

Surprisingly 90% of monitored CCTV systems do not meet BS8418 standards. At the outset these systems appear suitable for the end user but are often installed to a poor standard without any back-up facilities for the monitoring. The Insurance Industry quickly recognised the problem of non-BS8418 systems and the National Security Inspectorate launched a separate scope for BS8418 accreditation at the Insurers’ request. A BS8418 system provides assurances for fail-safe duplicate signalling systems, quality and backup. It would be monitored by a suitably accredited remote video response centre with trained operators and can obtain a Police URN enabling a quick police response.

What do you predict will be the next ‘big thing’ in the industry?

The continued roll out of reliable “always on” high speed fibre broadband will enable IP alarm signalling, off-site CCTV recording and other cloudbased security systems to be established. Analytical CCTV software will also progress further with software that can recognise a fire, a number plate and a face. Over time I think we will see the use of networks of IP cameras, controlled and recorded via the cloud, doing the job of a fire and/or an intruder alarm, as well as an access control system.

You Said It! 

"When you have your security systems monitored, it is important to use the right product, Argus trust @CSLDualCom to monitor over 550 systems"

Tweeted by @argus_fire - Feb 5