Electrician or security and fire?

[Gxorge]

Hi I'm currently doing an apprenticeship in electrical installation, and have been doing it for about a year and a half now. After having a reasonable amount of experience and meeting different people and seeing other kind of work I've taken an interest in the fire and security area. Recently I have been very interested in the techy side of it, I've always been into small gadgets and so and any bit of data I get I'll do at work and I'm happy to do it. I've come to a bit of a problem though a lot of people have told me that it's not worth getting into as it don't pay as much and it's not hard blah blah. But to me it looks like something I would really enjoy and if it pays £2 an hours less I'm not really bothered. But I don't know wether carry on with my apprenticeship as I'm half way there or just start a new in the fire and security side. I'd also like to know the sorta day you have and work you do (fire alarm guys/data boys)Thanks George

 

[GMES]

Hi George and welcome along, I don't know who told you there is no money in the above but I would say Fire, cctv, door entry systems etc is quite profitable especially compared to regular electrical installation work.

 

[ruston]

And - if you are lucky enough to have an apprenticeship stick with it.
Many people would give their back teeth to be where you are.

 

[Lagentium]

He first and most important thing I have to say is make sure you get your apprenticeship completed, the time will fly by mate, then you will be able to make a more educated decision. I've always fancied the PLC side, I just need to make an inroads while I'm young enough!!

 

[Gxorge]

Just other electricians and one of my college friends used to do fire alarm installs and said he wasn't on much and that's why he's doing an electrical course. But looking on the uk salary website they both look about the same ?

 

[Lagentium]

The company we use for commissioning our addressable installs and Vesdas charge a fortune for a day, but I guess a fraction of that will be paid the the engineer on site.

 

[Brightspark2]

Complete your apprenticeship then move over to that side of things.

If you don't like it or it turns out not paying as well come back to electrical, you have your apprenticeship to fall back on.

 

[Hellmooth]

As others have said, completing your apprenticeship is a must, you can then choose what you want to do!

 

[stevey1983]

Like anything it depends how good you are, if your really good at your job you will be in demand and will earn more. I have worked with a guy who does alot of fault finding for a number of big fire alarm companies all over the uk (subby) and his hourly rate is in the 3 figure region but his really good at his job

 

[KWCFC]

I qualified as an electrician and then moved to the security side and I love it and wouldn't go back to normal sparkying now. Fitting an alarm and camera system that transmits to a receiving centre and gets a police response can be quite technical but I get more of a buzz from that than adding a couple of sockets in someone's house, but that's just me.

I would agree with everyone else and say complete your apprenticeship first though. Everything we fit on the security side needs a mains supply and its all a lot easier when your already a spark.

 

[Hellmooth]

I qualified as an electrician and then moved to the security side and I love it and wouldn't go back to normal sparkying now. Fitting an alarm and camera system that transmits to a receiving centre and gets a police response can be quite technical but I get more of a buzz from that than adding a couple of sockets in someone's house, but that's just me.

I would agree with everyone else and say complete your apprenticeship first though. Everything we fit on the security side needs a mains supply and its all a lot easier when your already a spark.

I'n the same, a big part of my work is gate and barrier automation and access control, I prefer this without a doubt to normal sparking!

 

[rolyberkin]

I think you may regret not completing what you have started. As the two areas are so closely linked, complete the installation side and then add another string to your bow by studying and qualifying in the other area. Having a good base qualifications and work area will give you a fallback position.

 

[Deleted member 26818]

I've done data, BMS, door access, fire alarms, CCTV, PV, power and lighting, street lighting, railway signalling, etc.
Can't say any of them pay more than the others.
Commisioning on the other hand, pays a lot more.

 

[shanky887614]

is there any online bms courses worth doing? ive mainly done bms and doot access but id like to learn more about the systems

bms, fire alarms and door access seem to get less chancers than regular electrics

 

[shanky887614]

complete your apprentaship first it will be worth it

 

[Deleted member 26818]

I don't know about there being less chancers, have you seen some of the installation methods?

 

[shanky887614]

I don't know about there being less chancers, have you seen some of the installation methods?

a lot of the installs are rough as a badgers arse but a lot conform to the regs even though there unsitely and by chancers i mean Electrical Trainee with no site experience

lets face it someone fresh out of college wouldnt be able to read a panel drawing and select the right control cable for say bms etc.


its a different layout to any ahu's ive ever done before but not too bad and i can imagine getting a set of panel drawings with 1000 terminals on it would be intimidating to someone fresh out of college especially when drawings are poor or non existant

 

[KennyKen]

I agree with the other responces. Complete your electrical apprenticeship and use that as a base to then move into other sub fields. I've done fire installs sub contracting from ADT for about 3 years. The work was straightforward. FP200 smoke loops, MICC interface control and so on... I prefer the industrial construction side myself automation, instrumentation etc. stick with the electrical and don't blow it out because like someone else said apprenticeships are like gold dust. Are you a JTL apprentice may I ask?

 

[Adam W]

As everyone else has said, never give up on an apprenticeship - at the risk of sounding like an old fart you've been given a good opportunity and you'd be foolish to throw it all away. You've come here asking for opinions which indicates you're unsure of what to do - should you decide to go into alarms then change your mind again you probably won't be able to go back and pick up where you left off; even if someone does give you another apprenticeship after walking out on one the courses may have changed so you'd have to start again. Many companies only take on apprentices aged 16 to 19, so time is ticking.

The good news is that the title 'electrician' covers a lot more than driving to old ladies' houses in a van with your name on it doing remedials and alterations, you could move on to specialise in just about anything that uses electricity or wires. There's nothing to say an electrician can't branch out into installing alarms. If you don't like that or the work dries up you can always go back to installation work or whatever else you can find; during the last recession there weren't many buildings going up so I used my experience to go and wire up yachts because that's where the work was. That didn't really interest me so I'm doing buildings again now, but it's something I could do if I chose to.

 

[shanky887614]

As everyone else has said, never give up on an apprenticeship - at the risk of sounding like an old fart you've been given a good opportunity and you'd be foolish to throw it all away. You've come here asking for opinions which indicates you're unsure of what to do - should you decide to go into alarms then change your mind again you probably won't be able to go back and pick up where you left off; even if someone does give you another apprenticeship after walking out on one the courses may have changed so you'd have to start again. Many companies only take on apprentices aged 16 to 19, so time is ticking.

The good news is that the title 'electrician' covers a lot more than driving to old ladies' houses in a van with your name on it doing remedials and alterations, you could move on to specialise in just about anything that uses electricity or wires. There's nothing to say an electrician can't branch out into installing alarms. If you don't like that or the work dries up you can always go back to installation work or whatever else you can find; during the last recession there weren't many buildings going up so I used my experience to go and wire up yachts because that's where the work was. That didn't really interest me so I'm doing buildings again now, but it's something I could do if I chose to.

like adam says, im back doing bms again now and really enjoying it.

i could be pulling cables in then connecting up or doing some containment then the rest.

if someone got offered fire, bms or normal electrical i would recommend bms or electrical as there first choice.

anyone can wire a house but not do it neat.

if i had the choice id like to work with bigger cables like swa etc more often

 

[Harni]

Im in the fire industry and wouldn't change it.
If you're in an apprenticeship now, you would be silly not to stick to it. You will be worth more if you can carry out electrical works.
You can earn a lot of money if you can get into commissioning. Who ever told you it was easy is lying. You need a LOT of knowledge to make sure you're doing the job right but you will be paid handsomely in return.
Try not to work for one of the big guys though like Chubb etc. They are all commission based pay which i don't agree with at all.

 

[Mike Blair]

more you learn more money you make! im 20 got my level 2/3 inspection and testing 2394/5 and currently been installing fire alarm systems /cctv / door access / intruder now...intruder i would personal say theres no money in it lol everything else YES!

 

[KennyKen]

The good Ol days on the sites in London I just used to turn up to site with gold JIB card and tools

Now Count yourself lucky in Australia they want everything especially in the mining fields
1. State Electrical License (JIB or ECS)
2. White card (CSCS)
3. Yellow card EWP
4. High risk license - Boom above 11 meters
5. Working at heights certification
6. Confined spaces certification.
7. ACMA Data cabler licence (for all ELV work)
8. EEHA hazardous areas