By: Duván Chaverra
In recent years, fire safety systems did not show higher rates of development and even demand did not register significant variations. However, this niche has gradually grown in the industry, as the end user has become more concerned with feeling safe and doing the same with their customers by installing such a system in the workplace or in their residence.
Therefore, this line is gaining prominence, since now the client sees with better eyes the importance of installing a system of this type during the construction of a house or building. The movement that this technology can have depends a lot on it, since the behavior of the construction directly affects the fire protection segment.
The statements with which I begin this article are derived from the testimonies of several experts consulted by VENTAS DE SEGURIDAD, who will let us know the movement in terms of imports that these systems are showing in some of the most important countries in Latin America.
On this occasion we spoke with Jaime Trujillo, sales manager of the Andean region of ISTC (International Security & Triding Corp.); Cristian Barraza, deputy manager of the electronic security division of Viedo Corp. in Chile; Carlos Guzmán, general manager of AGM Business in Colombia, and Marcos Khan, Brazilian expert of the firm KB Engenharia Ltda.
With them we will confront, from their respective markets, the current moment of this industry, in addition to some inconveniences that are worth dealing with and that unfortunately for the sector have been harmful, as is the case of the absence of regulations that force the use of these systems in the region. We also rely on the portal specialized in statistics The Datamyne, to better understand the reports of imports.
Growth rates and hope
Jaime Trujillo assures that this market continues to gain ground, due to events such as the one explained above: the movement of the construction sector. "The market for fire protection systems has gained relevance, thanks to serious consultants and builders becoming increasingly aware of the importance of these systems. The percentage of market growth is closely linked to the progress of construction in our countries. If this industry grows, so will the market and vice versa. Although, due to the fact that it has entered a stage of decline in construction, the market has been affected this year."
In the same way thinks Cristian Barraza, of Viedo Corp., who estimates that when this year ends, the industry would report upward numbers on the subject of imports, although in the way that many expected, on account of the worn issue of the economic crisis.
"Clearly the trend is upward. Nowadays there are more and more projects that consider fire detection and audio evacuation systems in their basic specialties. Therefore, in terms of imports, these were always increasing, until the outbreak of the world crisis in which we are immersed. However, and without fear of being mistaken, we believe that this market increases by 20% to 25% per year and that despite the current situation, this year there will be a slight increase compared to the previous year, but not in the aforementioned percentages. "
For his part, Carlos Guzmán, from AGM Business, spoke to us from his company's experience on the subject of imports. He has also noticed an increase: "This year the consumption of the fire line in general has increased considerably, it is the second fastest growing of the company after CCTV, and this has been represented in the fire panels, analogues, bidirectional and wireless, and accompanying that all accessories such as manual stations, notification devices, detection devices, etc., which have had a significant increase over last year."
Guzmán, who assures that in Colombia wireless products are increasing demand, handles growth figures very similar to those exposed by Barraza: "In general the security line has had a growth of 20% per year, although this year the projections are a little more conservative, although for the fire line it is expected around 30%".
According to the portal The Datamyne, in Brazil the market for imports of products such as fire alarms, during 2008 registered a notable increase in the month of August with 31.5%, while in the rest of the months the figures were balanced between 4 and 7%. In 2009, February and March are the months that have delivered the best numbers, with 23.9 and 23%, respectively, but the figures are a little lower than those of the previous year.
In that country, Marcos Kahn also states that he has noticed significant increases in this market niche and that there have been technological improvements in the detection of smoke in open environments: "During 2009 we perceived an improvement of some detection systems punctually for small and medium-sized companies, as well as a greater availability of aspiration detection systems, presenting more viable costs."
Facts affecting the market
For the representative of the Andean region of ISTC, the political decisions taken in the region also mean that imports do not register better numbers: "The political trends of countries such as Venezuela and Ecuador have significantly affected the market, since they are policies of protectionism and restriction of imports, mainly of products from the United States. These policies restrict the dollar market and/or increase import taxes, which makes products very expensive."
Kahn, for his part, said that the latest technologies of fire alarm systems have been very little used and that they are not executed in the right way, due to ignorance and lack of interest, which indicates that "most detection systems are applied only to obey the law and not to offer security to life and heritage."
Lack of legislation slows down the market
This remains a problem that does not stop afflicting the security industry, because until there are legislations in Latin America that require the use of fire solutions, the market may not be able to register high growth figures. Venezuela continues to be the only country with fire legislation, although that has not prevented the consumption of cheap solutions due to the weakness of the rules. So far little or nothing is known about projects of this type in other countries of the region.
"There is still a lot of political will in most countries to standardize these systems and make them mandatory in all construction. The only exception is Venezuela, which already has legislation that requires the installation of these systems; however, this legislation is weak and allows cheap systems to be installed that stop working soon after and nothing happens," explained Jaime Trujillo.
Meanwhile, the general manager of AGM said that the competition of the Colombian market is at a midpoint compared to the other countries in the area, and that this is due to the lack of laws. "Colombia is somewhere in between and this is due to the lack of regulations and standards on the issue of fire. That prevents the market from developing the way it should, because if there were legislation everyone would need a fire system."
Finally, our Brazilian guest believes that if in his country they do not act quickly to force the use of these fire systems, the progress of this niche can continue to stop. "The development of national fire detection and alarm systems has evolved over time. But the lack of adequate standardization in what has to do with central panels of fire alarms (FACPs), the lack of mandatory certification of products, the lack of technical requirements of most insurance companies and the ignorance of the authorities (firefighters) and consumers in general, make this progress delinquent and almost irrelevant. "
