There has been a slight unrest recently among engineers with the introduction of smart technologies in fire safety. Engineers have shared concerns of the emerging technologies replacing them – but the situation is quite the opposite.

Engineers are the architects in the fire safety and security sector, and burgeoning demand on them is rife.

With very few engineers coming up through the ranks, there aren’t enough to go around, and engineers have been feeling the pressure, expected to carry out tasks and jobs that they just do not have the time to complete.

Luckily, fire safety tech is evolving with the likes of the Honeywell Lion Tamer smart detectors as one example, and with it comes ways to assist and support the engineers to a level that they haven’t previously been able to achieve.

Dave Whiteside, Managing Director of Scutum North, spoke of new technologies that Scutum will be adopting that will assist Engineers on a day-to-day basis:

“We now rely on smart technologies. Mainly app-based data, taken out of a network system on a gateway. We can ‘suck’ the information out from the site and put on the database so that the customer and engineers can see it – and we can see from the office. If the site had a fault, and the customer didn’t know what it was, we can interrogate it from the office. It gives us a great chance to look at the issue before we even get to site.”

Engineers also use smart technologies on-site. Dave continues:

 “We used to have tangible worksheets, that needed to be written up and entered onto the system. Our engineers now have a tablet on site, and record everything into the app. In the past the customer may not have seen that report, but now that document can go on to several places – for invoicing, on the portal for the customer to view, an FM company, etc. That does really help their SLAs.”

Andrew Humphries, Managing Director at Scutum West, talks about this shift, stating,

“Engineers are very much in high demand; and as technology becomes more accessible and intricate, this only aids the engineers on the ground. With more emerging technologies to make our engineers’ jobs easier, they can take on more in their schedule and work more efficiently.  Competitive wages will reflect their invaluable contributions.”

The future of Engineer job roles will see the industry’s skills shortage finally begin to close as the use of Engineers time becomes more efficient. Training and development initiatives such as our Scutum Academy, partnered with Skills 4 Security, will begin to reflect the smart changes as it has in the past, providing support for existing engineers as well as new talent entering the industry. Kevin Roberts, Scutum Group UK’s COO, shares that

“Investing in education and training working with this new technology is the gateway to a robust and well-equipped workforce.”

The integration of advanced technologies like AI and IoT into safety and security systems is setting new challenges for engineers, further raising their significance and demand. Scutum East, recognises the evolving landscape:

“Our work involves constant innovation, pushing the boundaries with intelligent, adaptive systems. This only allows us to evolve ourselves, and to take on bigger and more intricate projects.”

Scutum’s dedication to innovation and workforce development ensures that we can look forward to a safer, smarter, and more efficient safety and security landscape. If you would like to learn more about either upgrading your knowledge as an Engineer, or learn more about the smart technologies we use to keep you safe, get in touch at info@scutum-group.co.uk