Mr. Berry, what excites you about working for our subsidiary Protec Fire and Security Group every day?
I’ve been employed at Protec for 20 years. Since my early days as a test room apprentice, I was fortunate enough to be involved with upcoming projects. I frequently visited sites to problem-solve, test and repair equipment. The apprenticeship scheme is promoted within the business and provides on-the-job training with qualifications all the way to degree level if desired. For me, it created an ideal route to join the Research and Development team, where the challenges and excitement continued. I recall the first time I saw a product installed in the field that I had managed from concept to production. It was a proud and satisfying moment. The fact that Protec products are designed and manufactured with safety as a top priority adds to the daily excitement due to the importance of the accurate operation of fire detection systems.
My current role at Protec is within the Product Conformity Department, where I oversee and manage product approvals at third-party test houses worldwide. I have been fortunate to visit countries such as China, America and Canada.
How do you make your customers happy?
Even though I don’t work with customers directly, the conformity department is diverse in the customer’s needs. Our job is to ensure the product fulfils the requirements and is compliant with the relevant country regulations, some more specific than others. We test for correct operations within the boundaries set by the manufacturer; for example, operating temperature range, sound & light output levels, immunity to electromagnetic interference, vibration or seismic events etc. Protec takes pride in manufacturing high-quality products in the UK.
What benefits do you see as a result of technologies such as IoT and increased networking?
The benefits of technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT) and increased networking are particularly relevant for the fire alarm industry. With IoT, fire alarms can be connected to a network, allowing real-time monitoring and control from a central location. This leads to more efficient and effective fire protection, as alerts can be quickly and easily disseminated to customers and relevant authorities. Increased networking also enables data collection and analysis from fire alarms, providing valuable information for preventative maintenance and troubleshooting. Furthermore, connected fire alarms can provide detailed information about a fire incident, such as the location and severity of the fire, which can aid in quick and effective firefighting. The integration of IoT and increased networking has also opened up new business opportunities for companies in the fire alarm industry, as they can offer more advanced and connected fire protection solutions to customers.
At Protec, we are actively developing an IoT device for our fire panel. We believe that this device will bring significant benefits to the fire alarm industry and will help to enhance fire protection, provide valuable data analysis, and open up new business opportunities. We are committed to making the most advanced and user-friendly fire protection solution available and are excited to bring this product to market.