5 minute read
Meet the installer
Meet the installer Security life with Gavin Bell of A.Alexander & Son (Electrical) in Glasgow
Name: Gavin Bell
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Job title: Fire & Security Manager Time in security/fire: 35 years Company: A.Alexander & Son (Electrical) Location: Glasgow Areas of expertise: Intruder, fire, CCTV, access control, nurse call Accreditation: NSI Silver, BAFE Silver “I have always been a great believer in listening to the customer and providing a system that they actually want and need. I pride myself in going that extra mile to ensure that happens”
What would be a typical project for you? Anything including domestic, retail, commercial, industrial and Care Homes. I joined A.Alexander & Son (Electrical) in 2019, to head up a new fire and security division to complement their established electrical and mechanical divisions. We trade under the name Alexander & Bell (Fire & Security). The goal of the division was to provide a one stop shop for the large number of main contractors the company has worked with for several years. We have somewhat specialised in the care home sector having completed six new homes and several refurbs within the two and a half years I have been with the company. All the while building up our domestic and commercial customer bases.
Do you have any ‘go to’ technology and manufacturers? For intruder systems we stick to Honeywell Galaxy and Pyronix. The broad range of products provided allows us to install the most appropriate solution for any customer requirements. The Enforcer system has proven to be extremely popular with domestic customers with the easy to set up and use mobile app being very appealing.
For fire alarms our preference is for Advanced control panels and Hochiki devices. Both products provide engineer friendly interfaces and installation advantages.
Dahua is our go to for CCTV installs, with a large range of high-definition full colour cameras and easy to navigate NVRs it is a big hit with clients and engineers alike.
We stick to Paxton for access control – it is a proven performer in this category and provides solutions for all our requirements.
Working in the care sector we have installed a number of nurse call systems with the C-Tec Quantec system being our preference for hard wired systems and Aidcall for wireless systems.
What is the best thing about working in this industry? For me the best thing is delivering quality systems and solutions to our clients that fulfil their needs. I have always been a great believer in listening to the customer and providing a system that they actually want and need. I pride myself in going that extra mile to ensure that happens and in providing the best after care service and maintenance for the systems.
Is third party accreditation beneficial to you? It is extremely important. The first thing I insisted on when joining the company was to work towards gaining NSI Silver accreditation, which we achieved
The company was founded in 1962 and Chairman James Alexander is the “Son” in the company name. His son Stewart is the current MD
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in our first year. We then followed that up by gaining NSI BAFE Silver in the second year. For me it is vital to demonstrate to our clients our competence and that our installations are to a high standard and conform to relevant standards and being NSI accredited achieves this. The goal over the next twelve months is to achieve NSI Gold accreditation.
Do you think there is an engineer skills shortage? Any trouble recruiting? I do believe that there is an engineer skills shortage across the industry as a whole. However, I am extremely fortunate to have built up a great squad of engineers, with no leaver turnover. We have also recently started a fire and security apprentice. As a company we believe that investing in the future and growing your own skilled workforce is the way forward.
Are there any common requests from customers that give you problems? Not really, with 35 years’ experience I tend to foresee any issues before they arise and nip them in the bud. Equipment is also so much more reliable and user friendly now than it was when I started so this removes a lot of problems that you would perhaps see in previous years.
What is the security/fire industry’s biggest myth? That fire and security systems are always far too expensive – nothing could be further from the truth. There are so many products on the market that there are systems available for every budget that would greatly enhance the fire safety and security of homes and businesses.
What impact has smart/home automation had on your business? Across the business there are a number of devices that are becoming more popular, including appcontrolled devices such as Nest/Hive Heating, lighting controls etc. On the security side of things Enforcer intruder alarms with mobile app and CCTV with remote viewing are proving to be popular with our customer base.
What would make your job easier? Engineers completing and returning paperwork in a timely manner is sometimes a challenge. However, we have recently implemented a new tablet-based system for engineers to view and update their jobs, which has streamlined the process greatly.
What is your ultimate/fantasy electronic security/fire product? Nothing springs to mind, there are so many products on the market developed by people a lot smarter than me I am sure everything is covered.
What advice would you give to a younger version of yourself? Not to take on too much yourself. Delegate and trust the people around you to perform as you would expect. Praise and reward those deserving, encourage and advise those falling short and above all do not take yourself too seriously – life really is too short.
Will England ever win the World Cup again? You can never say never, but I don’t think they will. Would be ironic if they won in 2066 though, would save the commentators changing their tune!
If you won £25,000 what would you do with the money? I would invest in renewable energy solutions for the business, home, and car. I believe climate change is is a serious issue and individuals and businesses should be proactive in doing all they can to change the way they live and work to reduce the impact they make on the environment around us.