When he joined the Hyfire team as Regional Sales Manager for Scotland, Northern England and Northern Ireland in early 2020, Bob Bruce could never have predicted the rollercoaster ride this year would bring. Six months into his role with the global wireless fire detection and alarm devices leader, the industry veteran is optimistic for the future.
Proud Scotsman Bob, 47, joined Hyfire after 12 years running his own fire and security sector recruitment agency, during which he has worked with most serious fire safety businesses across the UK. His field experience started on the tools in fire installation at 16 and grew through many of the major brands and systems. Hyfire fought off competition from a number of major manufacturers for his signature, with Bob choosing the easy to use,
future-focused wireless technology of Hyfire as his most exciting option.
He said: “When I joined the Hyfire team at the beginning of the year, I was relishing the challenge, but nobody could have expected what came next. In fact, it’s been one of the most interesting periods in my career and, with new requirements placed on the industry to reduce install times and contact with building users, wireless fire systems are really coming into their own.
“One trend we noticed, which actually makes a lot of sense, is that many hospitality businesses saw lockdown as an opportunity to renew or update their fire systems while there were no guests to work around. We recently supplied devices for a major install at a hotel in the Highlands, owned by one of the world’s leading chains.”
Hyfire, part of the fire business of Halma Plc, offers the widest range of commercial standard wireless fire devices on the market, ranging from optical, multi-criteria and heat detectors to notification, alarm, interface and control units, all fully certified to EN54. All products offer the highest performance and quality in the industry and are also fully compliant with BS5839 Part 1.
Bob added: “Even before COVID-19, our industry was under pressure to work faster and more efficiently, especially in residential blocks and high-rise buildings, where there is an urgent need to upgrade or expand fire systems to meet revised regulations. With wireless, we are able to remove all of the factors that historically created challenges in this type of project, from running cable loops to ‘making good’ after the installation, and now we have the added advantage of minimising contact with residents and other contractors.”
In a wireless fire system, standard panels are wired via a loop to translators, from which wireless devices can be used on their own to build fully wireless systems of virtually any size, or mixed with Hyfire wired products to provide seamless hybrid solutions, offering total flexibility to specifiers and installers. The very limited time-on-site, and the fixed equipment and install costs are making the Hyfire solution a go-to solution for installers and end-users.
In his spare time, Bob is normally found out on the local golf course, where his son and daughter also play. The lifelong Rugby Union fan also oversees the junior section of the local club, where his son is a player.
He added: “Having started out almost two decades ago as a niche technology aimed at historical buildings and big-box manufacturing sites, new developments and enhancements were already driving wireless into the fire industry mainstream. The events of 2020 are only going to accelerate this process and I can see wireless becoming the default choice for most installers in the medium term.”
Hyfire was launched as Sterling Safety Systems in 2002, bringing to market some of the first commercial wireless detection and alarm devices fully certified to EN54. Since then, the Hyfire brand has become synonymous with quality, reliability and innovation in the commercial fire sector. Hyfire devices are available for Advanced or Kentec panels and come with a five-year warranty, backed up by a dedicated partner programme, to ensure the
best survey, installation, commissioning, after-sales service and exceptional technical support.
For more information, go to www.sterlingsafety.co.uk
