About Us
Introduction
In 1980, Rob Barrett started Bartec Fire Safety. His vision was for a company that did business differently in the fire safety industry, with honesty and integrity, putting customers and employees at the forefront. A company with well-trained, educated technicians who do an excellent job for its customers. Over 40 years later, Bartec remains a family run business – its greatest achievement is the fact that the company has remained true to its original core values while successfully growing to become a recognized leader in the fire safety industry, both here in B.C. and across Canada.
Rob Barrett comes from a lineage of individuals involved in life safety; his great-grandfather was The first fire chief for the Steel Company of Canada, Ltd., and his father was also the first fire chief in Roxboro, QC, tragically losing his life in the line of duty. Barrett himself served as a volunteer fire fighter in his hometown of Morin Heights, QC from ’71-’73.
Capt. Bill Barrett (1925-1961)
Fire Protection Services. Since 1980.
Employee training and diversity
Over the years Bartec has employed and trained technicians from more than a dozen different countries. Some of whom had their first Canadian job with us. Presently our company employs staff from over four different nations. We are proud of the diversity that we all bring to our company. Many of our staff are younger than the company and bring a valued perspective to our team.
A great source of pride is our employee training. New employees are put on a five-year training program, allowing them to develop their skill and knowledge and move up in the company. Bartec is also proud to be a certified Living Wage Employer, as a further commitment to our employees. Supporting the living wage concept is consistent with our values, and is an investment in our staff, their families, and the community at large.
Technicians
Bartec prides itself on the high quality and knowledge of our service technicians, all of whom are ASTTBC certified in a minimum of four disciplines fire alarms, sprinklers, emergency lighting and fire extinguishers. Education is a cornerstone of our commitment to our customers. Our technicians are involved in an ongoing educational process which includes in-house training, courses at BCIT and other institutions, and training provided by equipment manufacturers. With our computerized service systems, our technicians have ready access to all the latest codes and standards as well as the earlier versions which still apply to some of the older buildings we service. We also have licensed Red Seal electricians on staff, ensuring the highest quality installation of new and upgraded fire alarm and other life safety systems.
Community safety and customer service
2020 has been an interesting year. In March when Covid 19 hit our Province, our industry was deemed an essential service. In mid March, our management team was in meetings daily, aligning and adjusting our strategies as events rapidly unfolded. When other fire safety companies were refusing to service their customers, Bartec’s team developed a comprehensive plan, procedures and PPE for our technicians and office personnel, knowing that we had a responsibility to keep our customers and our staff safe. This is an ever-evolving process and remains a top priority for everyone on the team. We also realized that support for the community was needed. So the team decided raise funds through a variety of holiday initiatives, including Movember in support of men’s health, and a food drive campaign that provides support to the Greater Vancouver area with financial donations.
In these times of this pandemic Bartec remains true to its values and commitment to customer service. We have always taken pride in making the human connection by putting ourselves in our customer’s shoes, forming relationships with them based on integrity, trustworthiness, and transparency. That is why we have customers who have stayed with us for 40 years. Being able to help people with their fire safety needs through our business is quite gratifying. At the end of every day we know that we have made our community a little safer, and perhaps even saved lives. There are few jobs that can give you that kind of satisfaction.