Daniel McKeon and Mark Vickers of Gallagher Security collect the Security Manufacturer of the Year Award from Jason Manford and PSi’s David Lewis
THE WINNERS of the third edition of the Fire & Security Matters Awards have been announced by organiser Western Business Media. The ceremony took place on the evening of 12 June at the Coventry Building Society Arena.
Organised in conjunction with Western Business Media’s B2B magazines Security Matters and Fire Safety Matters, this year’s Fire & Security Matters Awards received over 320 entries and achieved a record crowd of over 800 guests. The evening was hosted by celebrated comedian Jason Manford.
The Headline Sponsor for the event was the BAFE Fire Safety Register, which is celebrating 40 years of operation in 2024.
Fire & Security Matters Awards sponsors in 2024 also included Aico, Apollo Fire Detectors, C-TEC, EMS, FFE, Hikvision, Hyfire, Kentec, Millwood Servicing, Miller Knight, Klaxon, Safelincs, Texecom, Tio Fire Safety, The Fire Safety Event, The Security Event and Siderise.
Industry supports included ASIS UK, the Fire Industry Association, the Independent Fire Engineering and Distributors Association, the International Foundation for Protection Officers, the Institute of Fire Safety Managers, the Institute of Strategic Risk Management, the National Security Inspectorate, the Security Systems and Alarms Inspection Board and The Security Institute.
Here are the details of all of this year’s award winners:
Fire Safety Installation Company of the Year (Sponsored by Apollo Fire Detectors)
- Winner: M&G Fire Protection
- Highly Commended: PB Services (London)
- Commended: Miller Knight
From the Judging Panel: “M&G Fire Protection stood out in this category, especially so the £1 million Newham project, which was extremely impressive thanks to the use of cutting-edge technology and also due to the challenges faced.”
Fire Safety Project of the Year (Sponsored by the Institute of Fire Safety Managers)
- Winner: Fire Protection Association
- Highly Commended: Hyfire Wireless Fire Solutions
- Commended: Call Systems Technology
From the Judging Panel: “The Fire Protection Association has put a lot of time and effort into the R&D for RISC 501:2023 Fire Safety Assessment Test for External Cladding Systems. The document will be robust when it comes to the testing of cladding and, in turn, afford great protection for buildings, residents and firefighters.”
Fire Safety Campaign of the Year (Sponsored by Aico)
- Winner: Zzeus Training
- Highly Commended: Global HSE Group
- Commended: Apollo Fire Detectors
From the Judging Panel: “Zzeus Training has astutely focused on the competency piece, which has been front and centre in the post-Grenfell landscape, and is ably assisting in the delivery of more qualified fire engineers. This is a great example of tackling an industry problem head-on.”
Fire Industry Woman of the Year (Sponsored by FFE)
- Winner: Hayley Burgess (Institution of Fire Engineers)
From the Judging Panel: “Hayley Burgess is an excellent professional who gives so much to the fire sector in a pro bono capacity. A born leader and the first-ever female president of the Institution of Fire Engineers. In short, a role model.”
Fire Safety Team of the Year (Sponsored by EMS)
- Winner: Institute of Fire Safety Managers
- Highly Commended: Securitas
- Commended: Tesco
From the Judging Panel: “Led by Bob Docherty and Dave White, the Institute of Fire Safety Managers represents a unified voice within the fire safety sector. The organisation campaigns tirelessly to improve fire safety standards and educate its members. Indeed, the Institute’s growing membership and impact within the fire sector are to be applauded.”
Fire Safety Manager of the Year (Sponsored by Tio Fire Safety)
- Winner: Stephen Patten (Securitas)
- Highly Commended: Neville Tomblin (Southampton City Council)
- Commended: Richard Hennelly (Origin Housing)
From the Judging Panel: “Stephen is a dedicated and hard-working fire safety professional who’s supportive, exceeds delivery expectations and is respected by his peers and customers alike.”
Fire Safety Innovation of the Year (Sponsored by Safelincs)
- Winner: Detectortesters (Testifire XTR2)
- Highly Commended: Evac+Chair (The Evac+ Bundle)
- Commended: Bandweaver Technology and CRH (FireLaser LHD)
Judges comment: “Testifire XTR2 affords better functionality in the testing and maintenance of fire detection systems. It also brings the digital element of testing to the forefront and affords clients the confidence that the testing is carried out effectively.”
Fire Safety Manufacturer of the Year (Sponsored by Fire Safety Matters)
- Winner: Advanced
- Highly Commended: Aico
- Commended: Kentec
From the Judging Panel: “Advanced has delivered a groundbreaking platform and a clear commitment to safety and sustainability, all backed up by strong testimonials and market differentiation. The company’s approach not only emphasises innovation, but also reflects a deep understanding of customer and industry trends.”
Security Installation Company of the Year (Sponsored by Hikvision)
- Winner: Marlowe Fire & Security
- Highly Commended: North
- Commended: SecuriGroup Systems
From the Judging Panel: “While all of the finalists in this category demonstrated impressive ways in which to partner with suppliers and customers for successful installations, the impact of the work carried out by Marlowe Fire & Security at Royal Preston Hospital set its entry apart. Statistics such as a 60% reduction in staff assaults, a 70% improvement in the panic alarm response time and an almost complete eradication of car park incidents speak for themselves. As stated by the customer: ‘Lives have been saved thanks to this installation’.”
Security Project of the Year (Sponsored by the Security Systems and Alarms Inspection Board)
- Winner: Mitie Fire & Security Systems
- Highly Commended: Hanwha Vision Europe
- Commended: BT Group
From the Judging Panel: “In order to comply with National Police Chiefs’ Council requirements for confirmed PA alarms, the Lloyds Banking Group needed to undertake a programme of work to ensure all PA systems met the necessary standards. The team developed a new solution, planned a programme of works and installed that solution in 800 branches. This eliminated the risk posed to bank colleagues and introduced a sustainable product with rechargeable batteries.”
Security Guarding Company of the Year (Sponsored by the National Security Inspectorate)
- Winner: Mitie Security
- Highly Commended: Corps Security
- Commended: Unitrust Protection Services
From the Judging Panel: “Mitie Security is an exemplar business, as is amply evidenced by this entry. The company that shone above all others during the COVID-19 pandemic. A business that properly embraces technology to deliver intelligent security for its customers.”
Security Campaign of the Year (Sponsored by Security Matters)
- Winner: Galliford Try Asset Intelligence
- Highly Commended: HID
- Commended: Running on Empty
From the Judging Panel: “Galliford Try Asset Intelligence has devised an excellent campaign. Theft and vandalism on the railway network have been significant problems in recent years, notably so in relation to metal theft. First-class results in terms of incident reduction and cost savings.”
Security Industry Woman of the Year (Sponsored by The Security Event)
- Winner: Kim Brechin (SecuriGroup)
From the Judging Panel: “Kim is a worthy winner having built up a decade of experience across all aspects of the security industry. Kim shares her knowledge with her all-female team, working towards greater equality in the industry.”
Security Team of the Year (Sponsored by Texecom)
- Winner: UMBRA International
- Highly Commended: Servo Group
- Commended: BBC and Mitie
From the Judging Panel: “On behalf of its clients, the operations team at UMBRA International adopts a comprehensive approach towards security management, blending proactive risk assessment with strategic planning. The team’s efforts empower clients to maintain vigilance and preparedness without fear, in turn fostering a secure regime.”
Security/Risk Manager of the Year (Sponsored by Ignite CPD)
- Winner: Leigh Harper (Cundall)
- Highly Commended: Ross Harvey (Rockfort Security Consultants)
- Commended: Warren Taylor-Smith (Wincanton plc)
From the Judging Panel: “In an extremely hard-fought category with a record amount of entries, Leigh’s application demonstrated the detail and evidence of exceptional dedication and passion to the sector.”
Security Innovation of the Year (Sponsored by Security Matters Live)
- Winner: ASSA ABLOY (ABLOY Cumulus)
- Highly Commended: Pyronix (CarDefender)
- Commended: OPTEX (REDSCAN Mini-Pro)
From the Judging Panel: “The nomination for ASSA ABLOY’s Cumulus product described its ‘API first’ design methodology, which has resulted in a consistency of design and operation. The removal of the need for physical key management and use of Bluetooth Low Energy makes this product deserving of the award.”
Security Manufacturer of the Year (Sponsored by Professional Security Installer magazine)
- Winner: Gallagher Security
- Highly Commended: HID
- Commended: i-PRO
From the Judging Panel: “A forward thinking entry centred around supply chain failure, which is a key subject and yet seemingly ignored by many. Gallagher supports its clients through its solution, duly stating that: ‘Operations will continue if connection to the server is lost’.”
ESG Company of the Year (Turnover under £10 million) (Sponsored by Millwood Servicing)
- Winner: HAIX
- Highly Commended: Thermocable
- Commended: Global HSE Group
From the Judging Panel: “Sustainability is clearly at the heart of this business and its apprenticeship programme is impressive. Encouraging customers to repair rather than replace and working hard with its supply chain to match their sustainability standards, HAIX is a very worthy winner of this award.”
ESG Company of the Year (Turnover over £10 million) (Sponsored by Millwood Servicing)
- Winner: Advanced
- Highly Commended: Safelincs
- Commended: SecuriGroup
From the Judging Panel: “The scale of Advanced’s impact and the depth of integration of its sustainability initiatives within the organisation are both impressive and robustly tied to business strategy.”
Distributor of the Year (Sponsored by C-TEC)
- Winner: Illumino Ignis
- Highly Commended: ADI Global Distribution
- Commended: COP UK
From the Judging Panel: “Illumino Ignis has displayed great customer service with the development of the Engineers App, same day delivery and the out of hours contact system. The business invests in all of its team members with CPD sessions encouraging and enabling staff learning and development. Due diligence and compliance are very well evidenced.”
Lifetime Achievement Award (Sponsored by Siderise)
- Winner: Mike Bluestone MA CSyP FSyI (Executive Director, Corps Consult)
