On the 1st of October 2021, ARA Fire Protection Services (ARA Fire) purchased the Fire Suppression Services (FSS) business from Steve Howard. FSS designs, installs and services vehicle suppression systems. Located in Perth, FSS principally services vehicles used in the mines in Western Australia. Founded 25 years ago by Steve Howard, FSS today has a strong reputation in the vehicle suppression market in Western Australia. With the expertise of Steve Howard and FSS, ARA Fire is in a good position to expand our vehicle fire suppression capabilities on the East Coast of Australia.
Vehicle suppression systems are used to automatically extinguish fires in various types of vehicles. The end use vehicles range from mass transit vehicles and buses, waste management vehicles, construction vehicles, vehicles used in the forestry industry and a wide range of vehicles and mobile plants in the mining industry, for both surface and underground mining. The vehicle suppression systems may be fitted in a newly constructed vehicle or it can be easily retrofitted to any appropriate vehicle.
Fires in vehicles can be a result of a variety of reasons. These are just a few examples.
- Abrasions may cause a leak in a hydraulic line and ignite
- Heat in the engine compartment of a vehicle may combust
- An electrical short in the wiring in a vehicle ignites and starts a fire
- Dust from the rigorous mining environment in which the vehicle operates may ignite
It is imperative to quickly suppress a fire in a vehicle to protect the operator and/or the passengers from harm as well as save the very expensive asset in use. Many mine vehicles are worth more than $1 million each.
ARA Fire currently services the fixed fire systems at the Roy Hill mine in Western Australia whilst FSS services the vehicle suppression systems. There is great synergy on this service contract and other mines that the combined business is now bidding for.
The acquisition of FSS continues the expansion of ARA Fire capabilities into related life safety systems that complement the traditional commercial and industrial fire protection of ARA Fire. In May 2021, ARA Fire purchased the Wiltrading STACE life safety system service business in Australia. The traditional ARA fire protection business aligned with both Wiltrading STACE and FSS results in ARA Fire being in a unique position to provide fixed system service, along with suppression system service and installation and off-shore and ship fire protection service as well as provide service for other life safety systems such as breathing apparatus, lifeboats and davits and life preservers.
There are very few fire protection companies that have the comprehensive fire protection and life safety service capabilities that ARA has at ARA Fire.