3 Questions You Need to Ask Your Essential Services Maintenance (ESM) Provider

When it comes to fire safety and Essential Services Maintenance (ESM), the stakes are always high.

As a commercial property manager, your role revolves around ensuring that the properties in your care are not only operational but also safe, compliant and up to code.

With the changing landscape of regulations, technological advancements and demands for efficiency, it’s important to make sure that you are working with an ESM provider who cares about safety and compliance as much as you do.

This year, it’s time for property managers like you to reimagine your approach to ESM, compliance and fire safety – especially since protecting your people, property and reputation depends on this.

So, how do you find the right ESM provider? How do you know if the one you’re currently working with is indeed the right one?

Let’s answer these tough questions – keep scrolling.

What does an ESM provider do for you?

Typically speaking, an Essential Services Maintenance (ESM) provider ensures that your property remains compliant with fire safety regulations and is protected against potential risks.

They handle everything from the:

• installation and maintenance of fire protection systems to
• conducting regular inspections and
• providing detailed compliance reports including, but not limited to,
• Annual Essential Safety Measures Reports (AESMR).

Beyond all the typical systems and compliance requirements, a GOOD provider should also be dependable when it comes to:

• tailored fire safety solutions,
• 24/7 emergency support and
• ongoing advice to help manage your property’s unique needs.

By partnering with an experienced and trusted ESM provider, you ensure the safety of your property and all tenants, while staying compliant with all necessary laws and regulations in Victoria.

This takes us back to the question:

How do you find the right ESM provider in Melbourne and Victoria?

3 questions you need to ask about your ESM provider:

There are more ways than one to assess (or reassess) an ESM provider. Ideally, these assessments need to be done regularly. After all, fire safety is a serious responsibility.

So, you are reading this now, take the time to ask yourself the following questions:

1. Are you getting proactive ESM support or just the basics?
   A great ESM provider will anticipate your needs, not just respond to them. Remember, no one has the luxury of waiting for emergencies to check if fire safety systems are working right or not.
2. Could a more personalised service improve your property’s safety and compliance
   Are you getting a cookie-cutter, one-size-fits-all fire safety solution? Your building is not like everyone else’s – and so are your fire safety needs. It’s crucial to find an ESM provider that understands AND approaches ESM like this.
3. Is your ESM provider meeting your evolving needs?
   Fire safety and compliance requirements are always changing, so your ESM partner needs to be a team of experts who can keep up.

As you can see, these are important factors to consider as you find and evaluate your ESM provider.

Next step: be sure to watch out for these ESM provider red flags.

Once you’ve asked the right questions, it’s equally important to be aware of what an ESM provider should NOT be.

Here are three critical red flags to watch out for:

1. Slow response times, especially during emergencies
   If your fire safety and ESM service provider is not quick to respond to urgent safety concerns or compliance issues, that’s an alarming sign. Delays in response can compromise the safety of tenants and lead to costly downtime or damage.
2. Lack of personalised service or dedicated point person
   Without a tailored approach or a point person who understands your building’s unique needs, you could end up receiving generic solutions that don’t fully address your property’s specific safety requirements.
3. Failure to address and educate your team on compliance needs
   The fire safety landscape is constantly changing. We always need to stay ahead of new regulations and standards but relying on an ESM provider who may not be proactive in monitoring these changes and training your team around them can put your property at risk of non-compliance and potential penalties.

Ignoring these warning signs could mean putting your tenants, premises and credibility at risk.

Now, what are the benefits of working with the right ESM provider?

As you reassess, let’s look at the benefits you can get from hiring a trusted team of fire safety experts whose values and approach are more aligned with your property’s specific needs.

• Tailored fire safety and ESM solutions
  The right ESM provider creates bespoke plans that suit your property’s unique requirements. From custom fire safety strategies to tailored maintenance schedules, you can be sure your property’s needs are being addressed in a more meaningful and relevant way.
• Proactive fire system maintenance
  With a more focused ESM provider, there’s a greater emphasis on proactive maintenance rather than simply reacting to issues as they arise. This helps prevent potential problems from escalating, saving you time and money in the long run.
• Streamlined and transparent communication
  Whether it’s fire safety, electrical systems or other essential services, having a go-to ESM provider (AND a specific point person) for all concerns ensures that problems are resolved more efficiently.

To experience all these benefits, you need an agile ESM provider that you can trust and truly depend on.

In the end, it all comes down to this:

The right ESM provider cares enough about your safety to go beyond the typical compliance requirements and work towards giving you complete peace of mind.

This is why, at Fire & Wire, we build long-standing relationships with clients through our unwavering commitment to delivering excellence in Essential Services Maintenance.

With over 20 years of experience, we pride ourselves on offering a consistent and reliable service that Victorians can depend on. From fire system installations to maintenance and AESMR reporting, we work 24/7 to keep your properties safe and compliant – so you can sleep soundly at night.

So, are you working with the right ESM provider?

With Fire & Wire, you can rest assured that you are.

As a nimble ESM provider that combines unmatched in-house expertise, tailored solutions and innovative technology, our passionate team of fire safety experts offers you fire safety compliance, proactive maintenance and peace of mind.

Our experienced team ensures that your properties are safeguarded against fire risks, all while maintaining compliance and protecting your reputation.

If you’re ready for a more personalised, proactive and agile approach to fire safety, Fire & Wire is your team.

Let’s talk fire safety!

Contact Fire & Wire and discover how we can help you ensure the safety of your properties this 2025 and beyond.