| NAFFCO is a leader in reliable fire protection solutions and safety engineering |
Mr. Jaradat informs of the company's involvement in prestigious projects, and plans for the development of eco-friendly products.
Fire fighting equipment manufacturer and fire safety specialist, NAFFCO, is a leader in the industry within the Middle East and, increasingly, in the global marketplace.
National Fire Fighting Manufacturing FZCO (NAFFCO) was established in 1991 and has grown to become the largest fire fighting equipment manufacturer in the Middle East and one of the top manufacturers worldwide. From its manufacturing facilities in Dubai, its supplies it products to clients in 100 different countries across the globe.
“The motivation behind setting up NAFFCO was sheer goodwill towards society by providing fire protection engineering products,” outlines Mr Jaradat. “This industry was not very well developed or established in the Middle East market at the time, so the in-depth knowledge and expertise gained by Eng. Khalid El Khatib in the field motivated him to start a small manufacturing unit in 1991. The company started with only 11 employees and has now grown to employ more than 4,500 employees. This was only possible due to his vision to become a global leader in providing comprehensive and reliable fire protection solutions and safety engineering and making the world a safer place to live.”
World-class products
The company’s core business focuses on the manufacture, design, supply, installation and after sales service of fire fighting products, ranging from basic fire extinguishers to highly sophisticated fire trucks. The company is staffed by highly-trained and experienced technicians and engineers and provides total fire protection solutions to the most prestigious developments around the world, including residential buildings, commercial complexes, telecommunication centres, industrial installations, oil refineries, petrochemical plants and airport installations.
“Our headquarters and manufacturing facilities are located in the United Arab Emirates, where a wide range of innovative fire fighting equipment is manufactured with the company’s state-of-the-art technology, and we have a sales presence in over 100 countries in Africa, Europe, the Middle East, Russia, America, GCC and Asia,” Mr Jaradat continues. “The company is renowned for providing superb quality products and assuring the timely performance of its products at all times. With simple yet effective fire extinguishers of all sizes, custom-made fire cabinets, heavy duty fire hoses, high capacity powerful pumps, mobile fire fighting systems, including CAFS (compressed air foam systems), and highly advanced fire trucks, NAFFCO is dedicated to the science of fire fighting.
“Moreover, NAFFCO has diversified from the passive fire protection arena and is now one of the specialists in the field of automation and control for all types of fire alarm and security systems. With our consistent focus on commitment to quality and a desire to develop world-class engineering products, we are one of the world’s top five manufacturers of total fire protection and safety engineering solutions,” he adds.
| NAFFCO is a member of the NFPA, the supreme body for international fire and safety standards |
Landmark projects
NAFFCO's excellent reputation has enabled the company to be involved in a large number of landmark projects in a wide range of industries. “The markets we deal in include residential buildings, commercial complexes, telecommunication centres, industrial installations, oil refineries and petrochemical plants, airport installations, power plants and substations, and the metal processing industry,” Mr Jaradat lists.
Two of the most important projects the company has been involved in are the Burj Khalifa in Dubai – the tallest tower in the world – and the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology in Masdar City, Abu Dhabi. For the Burj Khalifa, NAFFCO provided and installed the fire fighting system consisting of fire hose reels, wet risers and landing valves; the sprinkler system consisting of different types of sprinklers like upright and sidewall sprinklers, which are recessed sprinklers connected by zone control and alarm check valves; and the gas suppression system consisting of HFC-227ea gas with fire extinguishing panel, abort switch, manual release, manual actuator, fire alarm bell and flashers. This equipment was installed under NAFFCO supervision and is monitored by the main fire alarm panel. It also installed the pre-action system consisting of a control panel, pre-action valve, air compressors and sprinklers; the foam deluge system consisting of foam control panel, deluge valve, foam tank and nozzles; and the external hydrant consisting of a valve, which is installed outside the building premises and is connected to the fire pump. All the design, supply, supervision of installation, testing and commissioning and final hand-over was done by NAFFCO as per NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) standards and local authority approvals.
For the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, a project valued at between AED 13 million and AED 18 million (US$3.5 million and US$4.9 million), NAFFCO undertook the design, supply, installation, site supervision, testing and commissioning of all the fire fighting systems, fire alarm systems, and voice evacuation systems. The company has also provided its services to the Dubai Metro, the New Abu Dhabi International Airport 2K, Emirates Aluminium Company and Dubai Festival City.
Committed to quality
The reason NAFFCO has such a good reputation is explained by a number of attributes, according to Mr Jaradat, the first of which is its commitment to quality. “NAFFCO's ISO 9001 quality management system is certified by UL (Underwiters Laboratories), LPCB (Loss Prevention Certification Board) and BV (Bureau Veritas). We always endeavour to continually and effectively improve the quality of our products in accordance with the requirements of international standards like LPCB, BSI (British Standards Institution), SAI Global, UL, FM Global and NFPA.
“In recognition of the success of our business growth, we were awarded the prestigious Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Business Award in 2005 for excellence in exports. The Dubai Quality Appreciation Award in 2008 bears further witness to our constant focus towards the excellence of our business and the quality of services we provide. And, as one of the world’s top five manufacturers of fire fighting equipment, fire protection systems and safety engineering, we were awarded the prestigious Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Business Award in 2010 for manufacturing excellence, under the free zone category.
NAFFCO is launching a new technology in sustainable green and eco-friendly products in the field of fire protection |
“Other key strengths of NAFFCO are the highly-qualified engineers among our 500 employees who carry out and ensure the provision of the highest quality products. Also, due to our research and development department, we are able to maintain the continuous production of new technology systems to meet future demands, and to expand our product lines. Furthermore, NAFFCO is an associated member of the NFPA, the supreme body for international fire and safety standards, which keeps us updated with the latest information and standards needed in the fire and safety industry, as well as any new developments in technology taking place, and our professional R&D department enables us to take actions to implement these technologies in the market in a suitable manner. In addition, we are working on a very special project alongside the NFPA to control and offer effective solutions for forest fires.
“The use of approved and certified products is becoming mandatory due to advice from government regulatory bodies and authorities,” he explains. “NAFFCO is taking the prime responsibility in spreading the awareness of the importance of using certified products.”
Turning to the future, he concludes: “We have pledged to continue to be true to our slogan: ‘Think Safety, Think NAFFCO’ as we strive to provide comprehensive and reliable fire protection solutions to make the world a safer place to live in. We also plan to focus a lot on market education and awareness-raising, increasing NAFFCO’s profile as a disseminator and resource for critical information and expertise. Additionally, very soon you will hear that NAFFCO is launching a new technology in sustainable green and eco-friendly products in the field of fire protection.”