Carrie Blackshaw, ASFP council member and fire protection sales director at specialist distributor Minster, discusses the importance of uniting stakeholders to achieve better fire safety standards while addressing the future of the fire protection sector.
Last month, stakeholders from across the construction industry joined together at the 2024 Annual General Meeting of the Association for Specialist Fire Protection (ASFP). The event unites key players across the fire protection sector, offering members and guests the opportunity to engage with the latest updates from the Association, and the wider industry. This year’s guest speaker, Chandru Dissanayeke, from the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, is at the forefront of the government’s strategy for housing and construction. With fire protection at the heart of this agenda, his insight into the latest regulatory developments and policies is central to growing understanding and maintaining clarity amongst stakeholders.
Navigating change together
Gathering as an industry is always a fantastic opportunity. Not only is it a great occasion, and a celebration of the shared successes we have enjoyed, it’s also a chance to learn, and look at what the future holds.
At a time where sector stability has been difficult to obtain, it has never been more important to create proper forums for open discussion about the challenges facing our industry. The Building Safety Act, when it came in, was a seismic piece of legislation. Now, two years on, there are still uncertainties, challenges and questions that remain unanswered. But it is opportunities like this one, where we can gather in a room, bounce ideas around and ask the difficult questions, where we can really gain a truer understanding.
It’s clear we are in transition, at the beginning of a new era and things will take time to get bedded in, and for the kinks to be ironed out. The passion and appetite for change is there, and improvements ongoing, but there is still a long way to go. Central to this is teamwork – uniting behind the common goal. Only then with greater levels of fire safety be achieved.
One community, one goal
The overarching message throughout Chandru’s address was one of unity. In fire safety, we all have a part to play and a responsibility towards the collective goal. In distribution, we occupy a unique space in the market. Connecting suppliers and manufacturers with contractors, we are the eyes and ears on the ground and see fire safety at every stage of a project. Whether it’s working with manufacturers to launch new innovations, helping circulate testing data and disseminating key information, or supporting contractors and end-users to understand the products available. Our job is about more than moving products from A to B. It’s about adding value to the supply chain, ensuring the right products end up in the right applications.
Where we get the most success is in partnership. The importance of collaboration in our industry cannot be emphasised enough. When we work together, talk openly and share information, we can drive standards forward. To this end, our relationships with suppliers, contractors and other industry stakeholders are crucial. Whether it’s a manufacturer approaching us to deliver branch training sessions, or a contractor engaging us early in a project to ensure clarity around the scope of fire protection needed in a building. The dynamic nature of the industry, coupled with the changing regulations and safety standards, demands a collective effort. Only then, when we all work together, will safer, more sustainable buildings be achieved.
One eye on the future
This year, we celebrate 20 years in business. As we look at the next 20 years, and what the future holds for construction and materials distribution, it’s important to reiterate another of Chandru’s key messages; this is a journey and we are very much in the infancy of that journey. Change is a good thing, especially when it comes to building safety. We want to be at the forefront of the transition and of new knowledge and innovation as it emerges. It’s an exciting time to be in fire, and we should all be embracing that and working together to deliver a safer future. That’s why associations like the ASFP are so important and why, as a council member, I will continue to champion our industry as we navigate change.
