Euralarm: the new fire extinguishing Section
Euralarm expands its activities into fire extinguishing, offering new opportunities for its Members and the entire fire Industry to act as one at a European level.
It is now possible to apply for Membership of the Euralarm Extinguishing Section, for both new Members, such as national trade associations and companies who are not represented at European level, as well as for active Euralarm Members. Organised as an umbrella association, Euralarm already comprises an electronic fire alarm Section, as well as a Section for electronic security and another for services related to both fire and security.
The new Extinguishing Section aims to represent companies and national associations active in technologies such as: Water-Based Suppression Systems (Sprinklers, Watermist), Portable Fire Extinguishers, Fixed Extinguishing Installations, Fire Fighting Agents and new and emerging active technologies to extinguish or contain fires.
For the first time those actors will get a real chance to get their voices heard in Brussels, where an association covering the sector was not yet established. The timing for Euralarm’s extension into extinguishing was crucial, as discussions at European level are now starting on the renewal of the Construction Product Regulation, or CPR, as well as an Industry-wide dialogue on Fire requirements and possible legislation facilitated by the newly launched EU Commission’s Fire Industry Exchange Platform (FIEP), a yearly policy forum at which Euralarm presented a position paper.
The CPR is a piece of legislation which has been helping to standardise the test methods and ensure the European wide acceptance of test results for electronic fire products. Unfortunately it does, to no good effect, cover a very wide assortment of products with very different characteristics. Where the CPR logic can very easily apply for certain construction materials, Euralarm’s position is that it has a negative effect on the standardisation of fire detection and alarm products.
A unified representation for active Fire Protection in “Brussels” would strengthen the position of an Industry which has long been in need of a common voice on the CPR issue. It will allow it to be a stronger partner for EU Commission and Parliament, in current and future initiatives on Fire Safety in Europe. The Industry’s combined efforts and weight will most certainly now allow it to find market driven solutions in the standardisation issues related to CPR.
Regarding the Fire Industry Exchange Platform, the dialogue between the Industry and EU policymakers at the first meeting of the Platform in Brussels explored the key Fire Industry issues in Europe regarding multi-home buildings, following the Grenfell tragedy. Having a fuller representation in the Fire Industry allows Euralarm to better present its needs, and with a comprehensive view.
Additionally, the new Section will open a forum for Euralarm Members to discuss and prioritise their own specific topics until now left out of the association’s EU advocacy activities, such as REACH and the Pressure Equipment Directives, or the F-Gas Regulation.
by the Editorial Staff
