"As security systems become more sophisticated and complex, proper maintenance has become increasingly critical. Gone are the days when electrical contractors could just install a system and then walk away. Customers need maintenance and service agreements to avoid costly expenditures if the security system experiences operational issues, and contractors should pursue what is potentially a huge market.
Unfortunately, the current business model of most electrical contractors of hiring electricians per project does not support offering security system maintenance and service," said Kurt Brinkman, CEO of Intrepid Electronic Systems Inc., San Jose, Calif.
Maintenance and service agreements require contractors to have technicians on staff to perform the work, which requires an upfront investment for hiring and training.
The standard protocol for maintenance and service agreements is to ensure that the security system is operating correctly, that all systems have the latest software patches installed, to clean and focus any cameras that may need it, and to exercise and test all components of the system.
'Some customers also hold minor service calls to be handled that same day,' said Jason Howell, vice president of Mona Electric Group Inc., Clinton, Md.
Some of the more high-tech responsibilities that can fall on the contractor include maintenance of the security firewalls, the batteries and uninterruptible power supplies that backup the control systems and security devices, and the systems' access and interface devices and their central station connections to ensure proper transmission of alarm information.
However, some customers may require more, while others require less than the standard protocols. Therefore. the maintenance agreement is the vehicle that lays out all of the contractor's duties and all of the end-user's needs, according to Brinkman.
'A well documented and measurable agreement will ensure that the client understands what work is going to be performed and that the electrical contractor understands the client's expectations of the scope of work and the desired outcomes,' Brinkman said.
Agreements benefit contractors
Maintenance and service contracts benefit the contractor by building and preserving a long-term relationship with the customer.
'The customer knows that the contractor is the source that will help them with their security needs and with troubleshooting the system,' Howell said.
In addition, if the customer knows the system has all the latest software patches and has undergone monthly checks, many of the steps in the troubleshooting process can be eliminated.
Perhaps the biggest benefit is the recurring revenue that maintenance and service agreements offer.
'Clients paying a monthly or annual fee for services rendered is not included in traditional contacting work and provides known revenue amounts for the contractor,' Brinkman said.
Maintenance and service agreements also stabilize the contractor's workflow.
'The contractor now has a known backlog of work and known labor requirements,' he said.
...and customers
Service contractors benefit the customer because it take the burden of ensuring the security system is functioning properly off of them and places it on the contractor. According to Howell, it also ensures the customer's security system is always up-to-date, which is a requirement in obtaining customer support from the manufacturer.
'The goal is also to solve issues with the security system during a routine check, rather that have a security breach,' he said.
Overall, maintenance and service agreements simply provide the building owner and the tenants with high levels of confidence that the system will provide the required, and desired, security and life safety functions.
Making the shift
'To begin incorporating security system maintenance and service contracts into their offerings, contractors must understand the security and other low-voltage technologies involved,' Brinkman said.
For example, contractors need to learn what products are available that fit into their market niche. In addition, they need to invest in hiring the required staff and in providing for factory or other training in those products, systems and controls.
Of course, there are challenges in making the shift, in addition to having staff on call 24 hours a day. According to Brinkman, the contractor involved in maintenance and service needs a vehicle stocked with parts that might be needed.
'Clients expect that the system will be repaired immediately and do not want to wait for the technician to get parts,' he said.
The contractor would also be well-served to learn about maintenance and service agreement billing.
'Billing in this market is done by the individual customer and not by the project,' Brinkman said. 'The contractor might also have to accept credit cards and the remote apps that enable acceptance of credit card payments.'
Finally, tracking technology, and/or a service dispatch software package for notifying clients that a technician is on the way, might also be an excellent investment."
Source: http://www.ecmag.com/section/systems/keep-it-order-maintenance-and-service-contracts
Intrepid Electronic Systems. Integrator of Fire Alarm and Security Systems in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Wednesday, January 27, 2016
SAVE THE DATE: March 7th - March 14th
Arbor Week is on its way! From March 7th through March 14th, celebrate California trees by participating in the numerous tree planting and appreciation activities going on statewide.
Thursday, January 21, 2016
The Skills Gap
The skills gap—a term used to describe the difference between the level of training that is required within a job and the training, or lack thereof, that workers actually possess—has greatly affected the quality and economy within the manufacturing industry. A report crafted by the Manufacturing Institute and Deloitte stated, "Over the next decade, nearly three and a half million manufacturing jobs likely need to be filled and the skills gap is expected to result in 2 million of those jobs going unfilled." The reasons behind these drastic changes are numerous, but mostly coincide with employers leaving out training hours because of financial repercussions and manufacturing jobs receiving lowered wages over the years.
An article titled "Why America Has a Shortage of Skilled Workers" outlines the improvements that need to be made withing the manufacturing industry for positive change to occur:
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| Source |
An article titled "Why America Has a Shortage of Skilled Workers" outlines the improvements that need to be made withing the manufacturing industry for positive change to occur:
- Invest in training
- Recalculate the ROI of training
- Stop the pursuit of low-cost labor
- Demonstrate that manufacturing jobs are secure
Although the number of skilled manufacturing jobs are meant to decline, one can only hope that the industry bounces back in time to revive what has been lost.
Wednesday, January 20, 2016
Tuesday, January 19, 2016
How to Be Safe Around Downed or Damaged Power Lines During the Winter
The winter weather is still affecting many during their workweek, and we at Intrepid Electronic Systems believe in the importance of being informed on how to stay safe in all conditions. The Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) has tips for everyone during the wintertime.
"Repairing Downed or Damaged Power Lines:
Repairing and/or replacing damaged power lines in severe winter weather conditions are especially hazardous. A major hazard is snow, because the moisture can reduce the insulation value of protective equipment, and could cause electrocution. In these conditions a de-energized work is safer, but if energized work must be done, qualified workers and supervisors must first do a hazard analysis that includes evaluating the weather conditions and identifying how to safely do the job.
Other potential hazards include:
"Repairing Downed or Damaged Power Lines:
Repairing and/or replacing damaged power lines in severe winter weather conditions are especially hazardous. A major hazard is snow, because the moisture can reduce the insulation value of protective equipment, and could cause electrocution. In these conditions a de-energized work is safer, but if energized work must be done, qualified workers and supervisors must first do a hazard analysis that includes evaluating the weather conditions and identifying how to safely do the job.
Other potential hazards include:
- Electrocution by contacting downed energized power lines, or contacting objects, such as broken tree limbs, in contact with downed energized power lines.
- Fires caused by an energized line or equipment failure.
- Being struck or crushed by falling tree limbs, collapsing poles, etc.
When working on downed or damaged power lines, electrical utility workers whould use safe work practices, appropriate tools and equipment (including personal protective equipment (PPE)). Extra caution should be exercised when working in adverse weather conditions. Learn more at: Contact with Power Lines (OSHA Construction eTool).
Working Near Downed or Damaged Power Lines
Assume all power lines are energized and stay clear of any downed or damaged power lines. Establish a safe distance from power lines and report any incidents to the responsible authority. Only properly-trained electrical utility workers can handle damaged power lines. Learn more at: Contact with Power Lines (OSHA Construction eTool) and Working Safely Around Downed Electrical Wires* (OSHA Fact Sheet).
*Accesibility Assistance: Contact OSHA's Directorate of Technical Support and Emergency Management at (202) 693-2300 for assistance accessing PDF materials."
Wednesday, January 6, 2016
The History of Fire Boats in Oakland
A fire boat can be defined as a "specialized watercraft with pumps and nozzles designed for fighting shoreline and shipboard fires." In Oakland, the fire department has so far possessed two: the Hoga and the Sea Wolf.
Thanks to the efforts of Congressman George Miller (D-CA), the Hoga, a US Navy Woban-class district harbor tug, was loaned to the City of Oakland by the Navy in 1948 after being utilized at Pearl Harbor. Upon its arrival, the Hoga was renamed the Port of Oakland, which was later changed to the City of Oakland.
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| Caption in the photo: Fireboat City of Oakland Ex-Hoga Oakland, California Owner: United States Navy President Jimmy Carter touring the Port of Oakland aboard the fireboat. Photo #2 by Norm Fisher, 1980 Courtesy of: Port of Oakland Source: http://focus.nps.gov/pdfhost/docs/NHLS/Photos/89001429.pdf |
Under the agreement between the Port of Oakland and the City, the Hoga had "Port-financed alterations to increase the pumping capacity from 4,000 to 10,000 US gal/min, a berth, a new firehouse, and partial defrayment of the salaries of the crew. The City would operate and pay part of the fire boat crew's salaries." The benefits of a fire boat, outlined here by former Mayor Joseph E. Smith, say that "Oakland will receive excellent fire protection along its valuable waterfront properties." Along with "safe navigation and emergency response to the maritime community," fire boats are significant resources for "search and rescue operations, [being a] platform for launching SCUBA operations, conducting harbor safety patrols. assisting disabled boaters, hazardous material mitigation," and other special needs of individual circumstances. Although the frequency of fire boat use is generally low, the hazardous materials that confront ports during everyday operations pose a need for the versatile vessels.
The Hoga was returned to the Navy in 1994 and was harbored for numerous years at the Maritime Administration's Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet. Then, in 2012, the Hoga was transferred to North Little Rock, Arkansas to be displayed at the Arkansas Inland Maritime Museum.
The Sea Wolf, the City of Oakland's other fire boat, was unfortunately decommissioned due to budget cuts in 2004. Despite this, the Sea Wolf remains a resource to the City of Oakland for water reserves in the case of an earthquake. Purchased in 1994 with "$1.3 million from a voter-approved emergency preparedness bond to be the city's primary water source in the event that water mains are ruptured in a major earthquake," the SeaWolf replaced the much-loved Hoga. "The Sea-Wolf was out on the water about five times a week," Lieutenant Scott Hellige, a former Fire boat Operator/Marine Pilot for the Sea-Wolf said in an Oakland North article, "responding to calls—mostly waterfront fires, persons in the water, or sinking vessels." Since Oakland had a $48.3 million funding gap, the Sea-Wolf's annual cost of $2.2 million was deemed unnecessary. "We don't need the fireboat a lot," Hellige commented, "But when it's called for, it's an awesome tool."
The Sea Wolf was instrumental in fighting many waterfront fires, and its power can be seen in the Oakland North article that recounts a fire at Tiki Tom's:
"Visible on shore, three fire engines were still shooting large streams of water at Tiki Tom’s. A boat that had been tied up behind the restaurant had caught fire and was slowly drifting toward the boardwalk connecting the restaurants to a block of condominiums.
The condominiums had people in them. The flaming boat presented a serious threat.
But the Sea-Wolf was designed to be able to extinguish fires consuming large warehouses or entire piers, Hellige says, so it had more than enough power to snuff out the fire consuming both the boat and restaurant. The fire boat's main turret can shoot 3,600 gallons of water per minute. With two additional turrets each pushing 1,500 gallons a minute at Tiki Tom's, the flames quickly began to die. 'They went out in two to five minutes,' Hellige says. 'It was radical. It was dramatic.'
The Sea-Wolf's water-pumping capacity, when all four turrets are going at once, exceeds the capacity of everything in the fire department,' Hellige says. 'And that is just the minimum of flow' when it comes to the new Fast Response Fireboats, he says. New York City's newest fire boat can pump 50,000 gallons of water per minute while firefighting."
While Oakland does not currently have any fire boats on active duty, we will forever honor the memory of having the Hoga and the Sea Wolf serve our city.
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| The Sea Wolf displaying its turrets' abilities. Source: http://www.boatingsf.com/boat-gallery/sea-wolf |
The Sea Wolf was instrumental in fighting many waterfront fires, and its power can be seen in the Oakland North article that recounts a fire at Tiki Tom's:
"Visible on shore, three fire engines were still shooting large streams of water at Tiki Tom’s. A boat that had been tied up behind the restaurant had caught fire and was slowly drifting toward the boardwalk connecting the restaurants to a block of condominiums.
The condominiums had people in them. The flaming boat presented a serious threat.
But the Sea-Wolf was designed to be able to extinguish fires consuming large warehouses or entire piers, Hellige says, so it had more than enough power to snuff out the fire consuming both the boat and restaurant. The fire boat's main turret can shoot 3,600 gallons of water per minute. With two additional turrets each pushing 1,500 gallons a minute at Tiki Tom's, the flames quickly began to die. 'They went out in two to five minutes,' Hellige says. 'It was radical. It was dramatic.'
The Sea-Wolf's water-pumping capacity, when all four turrets are going at once, exceeds the capacity of everything in the fire department,' Hellige says. 'And that is just the minimum of flow' when it comes to the new Fast Response Fireboats, he says. New York City's newest fire boat can pump 50,000 gallons of water per minute while firefighting."
While Oakland does not currently have any fire boats on active duty, we will forever honor the memory of having the Hoga and the Sea Wolf serve our city.
Sources:
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