NEWS AND BLOG
Justin Peterson was raised in South Florida, briefly leaving for technical college in Pennsylvania and immediately returning to the Sunshine State.
He started his career in the industry in 2000 as an installer with Simplex Time Recorder, and he later combined his technical education and fascination with electronics, starting IFSS in 2006 in a garage with his father John Peterson. Over the course of nearly 20 years, this family-owned business, grown by Justin, John, Jesus Carias, and John Sartori, has been a trusted partner providing fire alarm and integrated security systems in end-markets where security matters most.
On July 7, IFSS joined forces with Fortis, as the largest independent industry platform in Florida.
They mainly work with K-12 and higher education, municipality, sea and airport, law enforcement, and commercial construction, providing access control, video surveillance, fire alarms, intrusion detection, intercom and mass notification, vape sensing, and gunshot detection. They’re a complete Division 28 systems integrator for Florida-based businesses and facilities, adding a lot of expertise to the Fortis family of brands.
When asked what differentiates IFSS from other security providers, Peterson highlighted the availability and responsiveness of his team. “The ability to get to a decision maker and get something accomplished is what sets us apart,” he said.
Valued Teammates
As an employer, IFSS values its employees, and Peterson recognized that it’s those on the ground who are the face of the business. “They are the service providers, and we are a service organization,” he said.
He gained his leadership knowledge from his father and colleague John, managing the business together since the start, even sustaining year-over-year growth — regardless of the economy.
“Over the years, I have had the opportunity to work alongside some of the smartest people in the industry and the takeaway was that there is always room to learn, and it was never a bad idea to surround yourself with smart hardworking people,” he said. With the Fortis acquisition of IFSS, there’s an opportunity to learn from one another and introduce new customers. “The value we will build together will ensure that Fortis and IFSS remain a market leader, a valued partner for our customers, and a place our employees can feel proud to represent,” Peterson said.
Fortis Family of Brands
Trust is built locally. It lives in the technician who knows your building, knows your local codes, and shows up when something goes wrong at midnight. It lives in the relationship between a fire protection company and the community it has served for decades.
But capability is built at scale. The training standards, the technical resources, the purchasing power, the shared knowledge of a unified national organization — these are the things that make a local provider exceptional rather than merely adequate.
Fortis was built on this belief.
Our network of regionally rooted fire and life safety companies delivers genuine local expertise in every market we serve — technicians who know the regional AHJs, the local codes, and the specific demands of the facilities in their community. Behind each of them stands the full weight of a premier national organization.
You build. You create. You push the world forward.
We protect it all.
