Americas' Fire and Security show caters to Latin market

MIAMI--Amid stifling humidity broken by occasional rain, the Americas' Fire and Security Expo 2007 kicked off Tuesday with a heavy focus on fire solutions and solid support from the NFPA. Twelve aisles wide and roughly 13 booths deep here at the Miami Beach Convention Center, the show attracted a largely Latin audience, with a number of Spanish speakers in attendance and all signage and communication delivered in both English and Spanish. Pelco, Honeywell, Samsung 360, Lenel, Infinova, Door King and Altronix were among the manufacturers with big presences at the show, with an emphasis in general on fire products. Siemens, for instance, dedicated its booth to its Fire Safety line. At least one manufacturer took the opportunity to introduce itself to the North American marketplace: Everspring Industry, a Taiwanese company featuring wireless residential panels and sensors. "We've been in Europe and Asia for 15 years," said product engineer Steve Chang, "but this is our first time in the U.S. market. Previously, we didn't have the contacts we needed here or a complete product line." The Everspring products employ Z-Wave wireless technology and feature playful and colorful design schemes. Also, though not currently monitorable by a central station, the company features a solar-powered pool alarm that detects unexpected splashes or wakes in the pool and sets off an audible alarm. In development is a portable device parents could carry on a belt that would alert them to activity in the pool and a tie-in to monitoring stations. The AFSE show continues through Thursday with a slate of more than 50 educational sessions offered in both English and Spanish for NFPA continuing education credits.