‘True fire safety and security now goes beyond protection alone’: Amthal on its brand relaunch

Fire safety and security specialist, Amthal, unveils its new brand launch designed to reflect its vision of future growth in the industry. IFSEC Insider speaks to Amthal CEO, Jamie Allam about the change. 

IFSEC Insider (II): Could you tell us about Amthal’s new direction – why now and what does this mean for the company?

Jamie Allam (JA): Our new direction reflects the dynamic landscape of the fire safety and security sector.

We have observed rapid advancements in technology, changing customer expectations and emerging challenges, especially those faced by commercial facility teams.

With more teams stretched in budget, resources and time, we were being increasingly asked to be involved early in any works programme, from the design and specification of fire safety and security systems to ongoing maintenance and monitoring.

Through this process, we become a trusted partner to our customers, not only to ensure safety within a site but also compliance with increasing numbers of standards and incoming legislation.

With this becoming a core element of our activity, it was the right time to redefine our key messages and evolve our branding to reflect these demands. We are a specialist team that can create safer business environments and offer compliant peace of mind in an ever-changing world. This is both in fire safety and security.

II: Will there be any change in the business with the new direction?

JA: Yes! That is the short answer! This is definitely the start of a new chapter in our company’s evolution.

The transformation you see on the website and in our new branding and key messages is all designed to communicate our redefined core values, our commercial expertise and our commitment to customer excellence.

Our new tagline, “Total Protection, Guaranteed Compliance”, sums it all up in one short phrase.

Total protection: We are committed to offering the ongoing monitoring, maintenance, testing and upgrades required by estates, site and facilities managers. We have developed into becoming an all-encompassing provider.

Guaranteed compliance: At Amthal, we understand that true fire safety and security now goes beyond protection alone — it also means adhering to legal requirements and best practices.

Ultimately, in an age when security managers and responsible persons are over-stretched and under-resourced, we believe we have a duty of care to offer the necessary support in line with existing and new legislation to provide peace of mind.

And it’s not just in our rebranding that we are embracing change. In our team too. As a company, we have always believed in the importance of apprentices and nurturing growth within our team. So as we look forward, we embrace the future and welcome new multigenerational changes to our senior management team.

Most recently, we are thrilled to introduce Reece Paprotny, who has been promoted to Commercial Director. Reece joined the company as a finance apprentice in 2015 and quickly established himself as a valuable asset, joining the senior management team in 2017 and winning local awards as an ambitious Young Employee.

We encourage this throughout our team in a bid to identify members who can contribute to Amthal’s growth and continued success.

II: What’s one growth area you’ve seen in the fire sector and one in the security sector over the past few years?

JA: In the security sector, there has been notable growth in the integration of various systems and technologies.

Instead of standalone solutions, businesses and organisations are now looking for comprehensive security platforms that can combine access control, video surveillance, intrusion detection, and other security elements into a unified system.

This integrated approach allows for centralised monitoring, streamlined management, and data-driven insights, leading to more effective security measures and better situational awareness.

From a fire safety perspective, as in security, the evolution of cloud-based technology has transformed the way operations are managed. It has introduced a new era of efficiency and effectiveness, allowing for real-time monitoring.

This new remote accessibility enables faster detection and response to fire incidents, mitigating risks before they escalate. Cloud-based platforms offer scalability and flexibility, allowing organisations to easily expand their fire safety infrastructure as needed. And again, by centralising data and analytics, cloud technology enhances predictive capabilities, empowering us to proactively identify areas of concern and implement preventive measures.

As technology continues to advance and new threats emerge in fire safety and security, we are conscious of harnessing the power of artificial intelligence and video analytics, embracing the Internet of Things (IoT) to adopt a holistic approach to risk management.

II: Do you believe there will be more integration of security and fire systems in future? 

JA: Going back to basics, fire detection is primarily about protecting people; ensuring in the event of a fire, the right (compliant) solutions are in place to ensure their safety. Fire doors should be easy to open and their use impended.

Security is about protecting buildings and contents, and as a consequence the people who live or work in the premises. In this scenario, security requires doors to be shut, locked and impregnable.

When considered in this way, it’s clear why two disciplines were traditionally considered with individual mindsets. They must be approached right from the design and manufacture of products, through specification and installation differently to reach their desired goal.

Throughout our team, our new website and our ethos, we have kept fire safety and security as separate divisions, so that we can ensure a dedicated understanding of the standards and expectations of our customers.

But we also understand the increasing customer demands for one integrated fire safety and security system to create a simplified user experience. It allows for a single interface for stretched Site and Facility Managers to control both aspects and with the support of a trusted partner, lead to enhanced efficiency and centralised management and monitoring. A holistic approach to safety where integrated solutions can provide a complete picture of potential threats and enable a fast response time and incident management.

With the advancements in the instant availability of data-driven insights, there is arguably, also the opportunity for more informed decision-making, better resource allocation and improved predictive analysis.

Our aim is to adapt to the bespoke needs of our customers and have knowledge-based teams available to offer individual fire safety and security services. Or alternatively deliver an integrated approach, designed to be scalable and adaptable to changing needs in line with business growth and regulatory requirements.

II: We know that you have expanded accredited fire and security CPD training to customers recently. Could you tell us why it’s important for the end user/customer to be trained?

JA: It is a shared responsibility to adapt to rapidly changing environments by acquiring new knowledge and improved skills. But in an industry where time is of the essence, we had to ensure our CPD courses provided a high level of expertise.

This is where working with our own trusted partners, including Honeywell Gent, Motorola (Avigilon) and ASSA ABLOY made the difference to commit to this educational role.

With the launch of our CPD programme, we can now cover all aspects of the fire detection and security industry, including legislation, building regulations and standards.

It’s an opportunity for us to address common challenges faced by professionals across our sectors. And we can discuss and offer the necessary support and commitment to industry growth and advancement, identifying new opportunities to embrace technology for the benefit of any individual organisation.

For attendees, these seminars offer a valuable way to accumulate essential CPD points and maintain their professional certifications. But more so, we hope they provide a better understanding and deeper insight into the key considerations surrounding a particular industry topic. It’s something we are continuing to evolve in line with requirements to share knowledge, promote innovation and build strong relationships.

Amthal’s new website is now available to view, with the latest news, insights, career opportunities and updates on CPD Seminars available.