IThe gauge of our effort is what is just and what is right. As simple as that may sound, sadly the – less than ideal – conditions we face lead us to try to secure the basics, namely satisfactory regulation of the market by the State, specifications that effectively protect the professional and the consumer, as well as good and proper work by all of us as professionals, members of the Association and non-members.

I deeply believe that if a commercial activity offers something to the public at large, then it stands on solid foundations and is sustainable in the long term. Conversely, anything that plays a parasitic role in Association inevitably comes with an expiration date, as we have come to realise in the years of the economic crisis we are going through. Speaking commercially, competition is fair, as long as it does not adversely affect the consumer. The products and services we offer protect from fire, one of the most catastrophic phenomena in lives and assets. This is a reason for us to feel proud as professionals.

Fires are not rare phenomena, on the contrary they happen every day, affecting the lives of thousands of our fellow citizens. As citizens, it is good to frequently ask ourselves the question “what would I do if in the space I find myself now a fire broke out?”. The answer is “I have 1-2 minutes to use the fire extinguishing means that is next to me before the fire becomes a blaze and I will have to escape to save my life”. In that spirit, we begin to examine: Where is the nearest fire extinguisher and is it functional? Where is the fire alarm button and will it work if something goes wrong? Where will I find the manual activation for the fire extinguishing system at my workplace and is it sufficiently visible? Fire safety must become a frequent consideration in the mind of every Greek person, so that we ourselves ensure that we are protecting our family and property from the possibility of disaster.

I hope that as professionals we realise the responsibility we bear and that we try as much as we can to improve ourselves. The subject of fire safety is huge and there is room for all professionals of the sector to flourish, as long as we try to enrich our knowledge, whether we are dealers, installers, maintainers, surveyors, engineers and so on.

Legislation and specifications are changing toward the stricter, a fact we must take into consideration when we design our future as businesses. Our role as a Association is to fulfil the needs of those professionals that work conscientiously and correctly. That is what our statutes demand, which are available for your perusal on our website.

I am convinced that phenomena of unfair competition that have been observed can be curtailed in the following ways. By soberly informing the State with highly proficient technical analyses, by raising consumer awareness with easily accessible actions, by informing professionals about the right way to work according to the current legal framework and by citing misconduct without fear or prejudice.

Already there have been multiple actions from the previous Board in this direction with important results, some of which we expect to come to fruition during our two year mandate.

The new Board aims to become even more extrovert in all directions, whether in contacts with the Ministry, the Fire Service, Certification Bodies, fire safety institutions from other countries, mass media and the public.

For us, the members of the Association, my hope is that we find the strength to follow the difficult road of self-improvement, thus lifting the fire safety sector form the inside. The next Board will have to consist of capable and proper professionals. Please attend the meetings of the Board, dedicate some of your time and you will be rewarded with more knowledge and perhaps more confidence about the future. The work begun by the previous Board continues, with more technical analyses, publications and updates. Naturally we are always at your disposal for questions and proposals you may have.

To any colleagues that are not yet members, I would like to invite you to join the Association, so that you may enjoy the benefits of our members all over Greece. Visit our website for more information on why and how you can become members of our extensive family.

Those of you who are consumers, individuals or businesses and have questions concerning fire safety, it will be a pleasure for us to advise you. The current Board is in the pleasant position to have highly trained people, each one specialised in a separate part of the broad field called fire safety. Also, if there are products and services whose quality you may have doubts about, the Association’ Expert Committee is at your disposal to objectively examine each case separately.

If you are an institution that is interested in cooperation with us with the purpose of informing about topics of fire safety (municipalities, organisations, schools, companies, media), please contact us, it is our duty to inform you about the correct methods to fight fire.

If you are a State Institution and you are reading this note, I would like to warmly thank you for the trust you show our Association, utilizing our technical training, our market experience and our strong intention to see things moving forward.

Professionals, consumers and the State, we have no other path but to drive each other to become better.

On behalf of the Board, I thank the members of the Association for the trust you are showing us. We feel great responsibility towards you and we know we are being judged by you very strictly, and so we should. Personally, I pledge to coordinate the work of the Association justly, meritocratically and transparently.

Sincerely,

Timotheos Vossos

Chairman of Panhellenic Association “Pyroprostasia”