Growing demand in Romania’s fire safety market

The Romanian market for fire prevention and extinguishing services, valued at over 500 million euros annually, continues to grow due to evolving legislation and changing business practices, as reported by Business Review (Romania).

According to Gică Tomescu, CEO of Fire & Rescue Services SRL (FIRESE), market consolidation and modernisation of services are unavoidable as demand increases.

The market is highly segmented, offering services such as fire prevention equipment installation and maintenance, and legal compliance consulting.

Businesses are required by law to ensure fire safety in public spaces and new residential buildings, ranging from small businesses to large production units.

Service costs vary significantly depending on the size and complexity of the client’s needs, from hundreds to millions of euros annually.

Services provided include installing fire extinguishing equipment, hydrants, smoke extraction systems, and fire alarm systems.

Ongoing challenges in fire safety culture and outdated equipment

Romania’s fire safety sector has historically lagged behind Western countries due to cultural and economic factors.

Western nations have consistently invested in education and technology, while Romania’s approach has been more reactive, with less emphasis on prevention and long-term planning.

This has led to tragedies and inadequate fire safety awareness.

Fire protection providers have sometimes contributed to this problem by focusing on low-cost services and equipment, leading to lower standards in safety measures.

Gică Tomescu noted a shift in recent years: “However, the last few years have seen a positive change in customer attitudes, who are now interested not only in meeting minimum legislative criteria but also in having as advanced and complete protection against fires as possible, for which they are willing to invest additionally.”

FIRESE plans national expansion in the coming years

Fire & Rescue Services SRL (FIRESE), a key player in the Romanian market, aims to increase its market share to over 25% within three years.

As part of this plan, the company will establish 24 work points by the end of 2024, giving it full national coverage.

Tomescu stated: “Given the specifics of the market, to achieve our three-year goal, namely to reach a market share of over 25% of the fire prevention and extinguishing equipment and services market, we plan to consolidate our presence nationally.”

FIRESE employs 120 people, including 70 technicians, and operates 25 maintenance laboratories alongside 24 logistic warehouses.

Plans for investment and future growth

FIRESE will invest heavily over the next year to expand its capacity and improve its services.

This includes increasing the installation and maintenance capacity for modern fire protection equipment and ensuring logistics support across all business segments in Romania.

Upon completing these investments, FIRESE intends to serve 100,000 customers by 2025, a significant increase from its current customer base of 10,000.

This growth is expected to triple the company’s turnover.

Tomescu said: “The need to accelerate the modernization and implementation of current fire prevention and extinguishing technologies is huge nationally, with most of the current equipment being outdated, inefficient, and without adequate maintenance.”

Romanian fire safety sector expected to grow with modernisation efforts: Summary

Romania’s fire prevention and safety services market, estimated at over 500 million euros annually, is experiencing steady growth driven by legislative changes and evolving business practices.

Fire & Rescue Services SRL (FIRESE), led by CEO Gică Tomescu, is positioning itself for national expansion, aiming to reach 100,000 customers and a market share exceeding 25% by 2025.

FIRESE plans to invest heavily in modernising its equipment and service offerings to meet rising demand.

Tomescu also highlighted the positive shift in customer attitudes toward comprehensive fire safety, with increasing willingness to invest in advanced protection systems.

However, challenges remain, particularly with outdated equipment and a lack of fire safety culture across the country.

Despite this, the market is expected to continue growing at 20-30% annually.