Leader

And I have to say this year was a pretty interesting one for installers. Some new concepts were causing quite a stir and this year's IFSEC Awards winners were some of the most innovative products for a long time. Even if you didn't manage to get there and see the products first hand you'll be fully aware of all the new offerings within a short time ... thanks to this magazine. No doubt manufacturers will be contacting us saying "Why didn't you include our new blah blah ..." directly this issue is out . But with so much interesting new kit being launched in one fell swoop we'll need a few issues of Installer to do them justice. We've already nabbed some of the best equipment for future Bench Tests. For some of the most significant new products, and my considered opinion of this year's event, turn to page 12.

Installers are used to being the 'whipping boys' when it comes to false alarms. Blaming the installer is the easiest option. This may be understandable from the customer's point of view. He's paid for it and is not interested that because he has such a high staff turnover most of them are unfamiliar with, and even scared of, the alarm system. But this "installer bashing" is inexcusable when it comes from the police who, above all, should acknowledge that end users are the prime cause of false activations. So the suggestion from one of our correspondents (Mailbox page 19) that the police mount a high profile information campaign aimed at end users seems a good one. Despite the fact that many users will not take responsibility for their systems, they still believe they deserve a police response because they pay their rates and taxes. It's time for the police to point out that first response from them is not a right and does not even have a guaranteed future ... thanks largely to irresponsible users themselves.

With the widening of the EU in May there was a near hysterical reaction from parts of the national press against opening borders to other European workers. But within this industry there is a real fear that the proposed European Directive on Services which will give self-employed or temporary overseas workers the opportunity to work here will be a major threat to UK security standards. Chief executive of the BSIA, David Dickinson, fears it will create a "by-pass"allowing them to work outside of regulation ... or in accordance with the regs in their home nations – if there are any (see News page 7). The fear is that with 'licensing' starting next year for manned guarding, an influx of unlicensed individuals could operate in blatant disregard of it. So where does that leave installation companies – currently not licensed but working within ACPO guidelines and BS/Euro regulations? With the chronic shortage of engineers would you employ someone trained within the new, 'wider' Europe? Mike Lynskey thinks they may be the "shot in the arm, that our industry needs" (see page 17).