With over 25 years in the fire alarm industry, we work hard for our clients, providing them with simple, reliable fire alarm systems that will offer them flexibility in choice of service provider in the future.
The purpose of our work is to act as the Owner’s adviser and agent, to present intelligent design options for the upgrade of the Fire Alarm and related Systems, to engage the necessary professionals, and oversee the project as a whole on the Owner’s behalf.
As the Owner of Sterling Fire & Associates Inc., Don Nicholas has been involved in the fire safety industry for over 25 years. The company was listed with the Underwriters’ Laboratories of Canada for over 10 years for the annual inspection, testing and maintenance, as well as verification, of fire alarm systems. He has spent a good number of years providing U.L.C. compliant 3rd party verifications to other contractors and installation companies, eventually becoming a general contractor for the installation of fire alarm systems in 2004 after experiencing frustration with the level of work being performed by others.
Now, after almost 15 years of fire alarm upgrade work, in over 100 buildings in Greater Victoria, for companies such as Devon Properties, Boorman’s Property Management, EY Properties, Firm Management, and numerous Strata Corporations; we are focusing on providing consulting and project administrative services for buildings in need of upgrade. Our many years of experience in installing systems has provided us with a concrete understanding of both the Code requirements and Owner’s needs.
All of the projects that we have worked on have seen Sterling Fire assigned as Owner’s Agent for the building permitting process. In the past, we usually entered the upgrade process after many of the important details of the project had been determined by others, such as the application and implementation of the various Codes and the technology to be used on site, often without consultation with the Owners. We believe that early conversations with the Owner helps to gather critical information, to ensure that the Owner’s intentions are taken into consideration, and that the scope of the project matches the Owner’s vision, both now and in the future.
We have embraced the belief that, while in the past much of the project has left in the hands of the installer, this has asked the electrical contractor to provide much that is outside of their area of expertise. As such, we have reduced their scope to strictly the installation of the system itself and have taken the creation of design criterion under the wing of the project administration. This allows us to ensure that the work is both specified and done accurately, and also to ensure that the Owner’s needs and the Code requirements are met. We engage professionals for their specific areas of expertise, allowing us to control costs, as well as institute and uphold high standards on every project with which we are connected.
Don Nicholas, Director of Operations, has been working in the fire alarm industry since the early 1990’s. He has provided annual service and maintenance of systems, as well as full verification of newly installed systems, and, since 2004, general contracting services for over 100 building for the installation of new fire alarm systems in existing buildings. Don’s reverse engineering and budgetary services ensure that the right system is installed correctly and to Code, while his on-site management ensures that the installation team pays close attention to detail.
Kathleen Nicholas, CBA and draftsperson, provides both management and administration services for fire alarm upgrade projects, providing clients with the convenience of producing everything from electrical drafting, to Requests for Proposal, to providing project oversight once the winning bid has been awarded. She has also produced over 100 comprehensive fire safety plans, from full residential care facilities and to smaller residential buildings, since 2004.
Both Don and Kathleen work closely with the local authorities and inspectors and have gained a reputation for their belief in doing the job right, from start to finish.
They also work with a number of local professionals, with combined experience in the industry reaching into many decades. From professional technicians, to Electrical Engineers and Electricians, all are well versed in the applicable Codes and methods, and take pride in the contributions they make to the life safety industry.
Sterling Fire & Associates Inc. 