United Kingdom (UK) Fire Industry News

While conducting research for my 2021 Wisconsin Public Safety Commission (WIPSCOM) conference presentation, it became immediately clear that securing the nation’s public safety answering points (PSAPs) is no longer just an IT challenge. Shifting from an analog to digital operating environment — the next generation of 911 — will require strategic investments into three key areas: people, processes and technology. As call center technology evolves nationwide, the need for greate...

As more and more countries in Europe and North America commit to net zero, a key strategy is replacing old fossil fuel-driven forms of power generation and replacing them with renewable energy, such as wind turbines and solar panels. The wind industry has seen a particular boom, with tens of thousands of new turbines installed every year across the globe. However, like any other heavy machinery, wind turbines can catch fire due to mechanical or electrical failures. These fires can have impacts...

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has released a new fact sheet highlighting important elements of the NFPA 1584 Standard on the Rehabilitation Process for Members During Emergency Operations and Training Exercises. The new, at-a-glance resource debuts just in time for the 2021 Safety Stand Down campaign, “Rebuild Rehab,” later this month. Each year, NFPA works with the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) Safety, Health and Survival Section, the National...

BAFE is sad to hear of the passing of Paul Fuller CBE, former Fire Sector Federation Chairman. Paul Fuller died on Monday 7th June 2021. Paul’s contribution Dennis Davis, Executive Officer of the Fire Sector Federation, states “Paul, who was serving as Chief Fire Officer Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service and Chief Executive Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Authority, died early this morning in hospital whilst receiving treatment for a recently diagnosed illness.” BAF...

Glob­al research com­pa­ny, JCMR con­firmed that the VPS Site Security Ltd. (VPS) was one of a select group of companies that leads the mar­ket world­wide in pro­vid­ing con­struc­tion site secu­ri­ty systems.  VPS is the only UK site secu­ri­ty com­pa­ny to have been short­list­ed every year since 2014 for the peer reviewed IFSEC Secu­ri­ty and Fire Excel­lence Awards, win­ning a ra...

As part of a month-long Fire Kills campaign, Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service is reminding residents to stay safe during summer as they make the most of the weather and enjoy the outdoors. James Hunt, Watch Based Station Manager, said: “Many of us are well aware of the need for fire safety in the home, but it is important to be just as careful to avoid the risk of fire when you are outside. If you’re intending to take out your tent, get your caravan back on the road or simply...

The University of Bristol’s emergency lighting upgrade continues with the installation of a further ten LuxIntelligent emergency light testing panels from fire and life safety system manufacturer, Advanced. The new equipment will be installed alongside 21 existing LuxIntelligent panels linked to around 4,500 light fittings, to ensure ongoing compliance with the BS 5266-1 code of practice for the emergency lighting of premises. The LuxIntelligent panels will continue to be retrofitted acro...

The fire service has always struggled with maintaining accurate accountability of personnel who are responding or operating in emergencies. Lack of firefighter accountability is often cited as a contributing factor in Line of Duty Deaths (LODD). Compounding the accountability challenge are volunteer responders who can be coming from anywhere, with some going to the station and others going direct. The existing accountability tools and processes were unreliable and failed when needed the most....

The Skills Network, the UK’s largest online learning provider, partners with the London Fire Brigade to launch Project Kestrel - offering frontline security staff the opportunity to gain a nationally recognized fire awareness certificate. Having previously partnered with the likes of the NHS, The Landmark London and BrewDog to provide online courses for staff, The Skills Network has developed a fire awareness course to enable security staff to; upskill, be able to confidently identify fir...

Four C-130 aircraft from the California and Nevada Air National Guard, worked alongside the U.S. Forest Service, during annual refresher and certification training with the Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System (MAFFS), from May 4 – May 7, 2021. During the training, these aircraft, equipped with MAFFS units, practiced dispersing water in rugged, mountainous terrain, as they are guided by lead planes flown by members of the U.S. Forest Service. Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System MAFFS...

The new edition of the biannual BAFSA member publication, Focus provides a round-up of work taking place in the sprinkler industry. John McCann, BAFSA Chairman welcomed members to the June 2021 edition of Focus magazine, the voice of the automatic water-based fire suppression industry. He reflected on the pressures faced by the construction industry resulting from pent-up demand from COVID-19, as well as the ensuing scarcity and rising costs of building materials.  He is delighted that mo...

During the Governmental Affairs Committee meeting, June 2, General President Ed Kelly and General Secretary-Treasurer Frank Líma received a call from Vice President Kamala Harris expressing her gratitude for the IAFF’s dedication to the labor movement and to reaffirm the Biden administration’s pledge to support issues important to all unions, including the IAFF. “History will show we probably are one of the most pro-union administrations in a very long time,” sa...

Envirograf has been routinely testing a Fireproof Prefab EcoHouse, built using Envirowall – a unique new eco-panel system suited for building bungalows, houses, and blocks of flats. This unique unit has taken 2 years to develop, design and test. The panels are completely fire-resistant tested for over 3 hours which will not burn inside or outside Tested at BTC for impact and airborne sound: BTC 21570A and BTC 21609A Air pressure tested and air permeability achieved: 1.15 m3 .h-1 .m2 @...

Magirus Lohr has manufactured firefighting vehicles in Styria for almost 100 years. Now, the Styrian manufacturer, part of the Magirus Group, has opened its new site in Zettling, a municipality belonging to Premstätten near Graz in Austria. At the opening, the company also presented a number of trendsetting product innovations. "The new plant will allow us to serve our customers even better in coming years. The newly opened site offers the best conditions for innovation, production, and cu...

“One step in the green, one step in the burned,” says Operating Commander Marco Marques. Such a statement is not just lip service. His wildfire fighters are elite troops who belong to the Portuguese National Republican Guard (GNR) and fight daily on the borderline. The GNR can only successfully fight forest fires from the very front line. They complete over 4,000 deployments a year, setting out in helicopters or emergency vehicles to tackle smoldering fires before they have a chance...

The global drive towards sustainability is causing businesses to continually search for alternative fuel sources, seeing an increase in rubber and plastic recycling across the UK. However, recycling these materials tends to relies on high volume storage for lengthy periods of time, as well as intense processing. This creates unique fire risks, as evidenced in the troubling fire record for recycling plants in the UK. James Mountain, sales and marketing director, Fire Shield Systems, explains the...

Waste fires – in other words, fires that occur in waste or recycling plants - is a very serious global issue. Countries all over the world are suffering from more than one fire per day in the waste and recycling industry. This causes a risk of injury to employees, damage to sites and machinery, and damage to reputation. And that’s even before one considers the potential environmental impact. There’s more irony here too – one of the biggest risks for fire in a waste facil...

On Saturday, June 5, North Carolina-based Kidde – a foremost manufacturer of residential smoke alarms, carbon monoxide alarms, fire extinguishers, and safety accessories – and The Home Depot will join North Carolina Insurance Commissioner and State Fire Marshal Mike Causey in celebrating “Smoke Alarm Saturday.” The annual event, held each year on the first Saturday in June, unites fire departments and fire safety partners across North Carolina in raising awareness of t...

The NFPA Fire & Life Safety Policy Institute has released the 2020 Fire & Life Safety Ecosystem™: Year in Review report. This latest edition examines the U.S. and international events in the last year including massive wildfires, the Beirut port explosion, and another exterior cladding high-rise fire that highlights how gaps, cracks, and weaknesses in our global fire and life safety system become tragedies. The Fire & Life Safety Ecosystem™ is a framework NFPA dev...

A court has quashed an appeal brought by a restaurant owner against a hefty fine after a fire revealed major fire safety breaches in the premises. Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service originally brought a prosecution against Beta UK Ltd who owns Malik’s Restaurant in Cookham, Berkshire. The case was heard by Reading Magistrate’s Court in October 2020. Fire at Malik’s Restaurant in Cookham, Berkshire Police have said they think the attack was an attempt to endanger lives"...

The Big Bear Fire Department has a new way to report illegal fireworks. The new Illegal Firework Reporting System offers an easy and anonymous way to report the use and sale of personal fireworks. Anyone can now go on to the Department’s website or simply scan a QR Code and anonymously report the use or sales of illegal fireworks by completing a simple online reporting form. Fire Department Investigators will respond promptly to the reported location where fireworks are currently in use,...

Detroit has added new features to the Detroit Assurance suite of safety systems including enhanced and industry-first capabilities designed to improve the overall driver experience and keep drivers and the general public safer.   “We are focused on manufacturing the best trucks in the industry, and our customers tell us that there is nothing more critical than the safety features included in our Freightliner and Western Star trucks,” said David Carson, senior vice president of...

As California continues to recover from the historic 2020 fire season, and faces continued severe fire threat and extreme drought conditions in 2021, the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) is deploying new resources to protect California communities and augment the state’s fire and rescue mutual aid system. Currently, Cal OES transferred nine new Type VI engines and one Type III engine to local fire jurisdictions as part of the California Fire and Rescue Mutual Aid Sy...

A firefighter has teamed up with MSA Safety and Rosenbauer to create and release a series of handcrafted miniature helmet gifts exclusively for The Fire Fighters Charity, to raise funds to support its vital services. Adam Tubby, a whole time and retained firefighter with Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service, wanted to create a lasting memento for firefighters like himself once they retire from the service – by recreating their most vital piece of equipment. The miniature replica helmets &ndas...

  Rosenbauer launches the HEROS H30, a new protective helmet for fire departments. The 3/4 helmet offers maximum safety with minimum weight. It meets the highest protection levels of EN 443 for inside fire attacks and, at approx. 1,235 grams (without attachments), weighs significantly less than comparable type A helmets. Especially during longer periods of use, every gram that does not put additional weight on the wearer's head matters.The new helmet has the same technical features as...

Johnson Controls, a global pioneer for smart, healthy, and sustainable buildings and architect of OpenBlue connected solutions, announces the immediate release of the new SprinkCAD for Revit® Fabrication Tool. In addition to providing 3D layout and calculation capabilities, the newly expanded suite of tools enables users to deliver a fabrication-ready design and stock list. Easy mapping of Revit® With this new fabrication tool, fire protection professionals can take a valid, comp...

VdS (VdS Schadenverhütung GmbH) has announced the release of Compact Guidelines VdS 2100 for dependable pipe connection elements and fittings renewed, comprehensively supplemented with findings for reliable production, with regard to leak tightness and stress crack resistance, as well as other aspects. Automatic sprinkler systems The decisive instant protection in case of fire (more often than every 5 minutes in a company in Germany) is automatic sprinkler systems. An important part of th...

Award-winning Taktis fire panels, manufactured by Kentec Electronics, a foremost manufacturer of life-critical control systems, are protecting students and property at the University of Nicosia (UNIC)’s new state-of-the-art student residences in Cyprus. The integrated fire system was installed by Kentec Installation Partner (KIP) Glosec Dragon, a Cyprus-based business specializing in the design, installation, and maintenance of security, surveillance, hazard prevention, and hospital...

MSA Bristol is a foremost supplier of personal protective equipment (PPE) to firefighters across the globe. Its specialist, in-house managed services team are now responsible for the inspection, washing, and repair of all structural, urban search and rescue, and wildland PPE for Scottish Fire and Rescue Service’s 6,660 firefighters, including fire coats, trousers, hoods, and gloves. As part of the contract, MSA Bristol regularly collects PPE from key fire service hubs which are spread thr...

Since the launch of the webinars in 2020 Detector Testers welcomed over 1500 attendees to the sessions, they provide a great opportunity to learn about the use of the products and how they can support with simple, compliant functional testing. All webinars are CPD certified by the Fire Industry Association and are led by the technical support and training specialist, Paul Gatens. Testing and Maintenance of Fire Detection Systems Available dates: Tuesday 8th June 10 am – 12pm Tue...