Euralarm, the European trade association for the fire and security industry, is going into fire extinguishing. It is now possible to apply for membership of the Euralarm Extinguishing Section, for new members, such as national trade associations and companies who are not represented at European level, besides active Euralarm members. Organised as an umbrella association, Euralarm already has an electronic fire alarm section, and 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.
Brussels-based Euralarm says 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 through 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 for standardising test methods and ensuring the European wide acceptance of test results for electronic fire products. 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. And as for the Fire Industry Exchange Platform, the dialogue between the industry and EU policymakers at the first meeting of the Platform in Brussels explored the issues in Europe around multi-home buildings, after the Grenfell fire in London in summer 2017.
Euralarm adds that the new Section will open a forum for members to discuss their own 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. Companies and associations wishing to join the Section will have a discount in their first year of membership. Visit www.Euralarm.org.
