United Kingdom (UK) Fire Industry News

Fire protection solutions manufacturer Advanced has launched two new courses to understand BS 8629 Code of Practice recommendations and the EvacGo system designed to meet these recommendations. ‘A Guide to Meeting BS 8629’ is a continuing professional development course, approved by the FIA and the CPD Certification Service, suitable for fire safety in tall residential buildings. It is delivered online by the Advanced evacuation alert team, Ken Bullock, Advanced’s Business Dev...

Figures released by Hill and Smith Holdings PLC, a group that includes UK road and security barrier companies Hardstaff Barriers and Asset VRS, show that the firms remained ‘robust’ in 2020 despite the COVID-19 pandemic. The financial results for last year show a ‘Robust performance, strong cash generation, and positive long-term prospects’ across the group. Furthermore, the group has also paid back the £3.6m it received from the UK Coronavirus...

Anheuser-Busch and the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) are teaming up for the third year to provide critical hydration to volunteer fire departments responding to wildfires through the Emergency Drinking Water for Wildland Firefighters program. The program is an expansion of Anheuser-Busch’s longstanding tradition of providing emergency drinking water and supplies for disaster relief efforts. Anheuser-Busch is continuing its commitment in 2021 by pledging to donate 1.5 million cans...

The Thermite RS3, manufactured by Howe & Howe Technologies, is a wide-chassis, industrial firefighting robot that is remotely operated using a belly-pack controller to provide high-definition video feedback for easy maneuverability, even in difficult conditions. The Los Angeles City Fire Department was the first to buy the bright yellow firefighting vehicle, as announced last fall. Thermite RS3 robot Decon7 Systems has teamed with Howe & Howe Technologies to pioneer the delivery of D7...

Fire safety logbooks are critical for all non-domestic premises with fire alarm systems. A fire alarm logbook should remain on business and commercial premises at all times for a fast and efficient overview of existing fire systems, condition, testing history, and more. Although there is no statutory requirement to have a fire alarm logbook, having one is pivotal to remaining compliant and meeting requirements for relevant fire regulations. To help businesses understand the regulations concer...

Despite the challenges of 2020, business leaders' confidence in the resilience of their organizations has risen, according to BSI’s fourth annual Organizational Resilience Index report, which surveyed 500 senior leaders across the globe. Report Findings The index found that leaders remain cautiously optimistic, with more than half (57%) of businesses in the UK, US, and India expecting their financial performance to improve in 2021. The concept of Organizational Resilience refers to an o...

The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 is an essential document that sets out the regulations to be followed when in contact with electrical equipment. Where required, the document is updated to improve the safety of installation operations and living standards. In more recent news, the 18th Edition of the IET Wiring Regulations was updated on 1st January 2019, requiring electricians to be up to date with new guidelines. Within BS 7671:2018, which is also known a...

SPIE UK announces a contract with Calor Gas for the long-term maintenance of the company’s Port Clarence facility and the design and build of upgrades to the filling hall safety systems. The safe operation of the filling site at Port Clarence is of paramount importance to Calor Gas. The facility is one of the main filling plants for Calor and is key to the nationwide operation of the UK’s leading LPG provider. Managing the safety of the site relies on monitoring all aspects of the c...

The Metropolitan “Metro” Fire Chiefs Association, a section of the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) and National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) announced their award honorees, and for the first time in its 56-year history, fire chiefs from the largest jurisdictions throughout the world have selected a female officer as Fire Chief of the Year. Mary Cameli, chief of the Mesa Fire and Medical Department in Arizona has earned the Metropolitan Fire Chief of the Year ho...

Around 10 am on Sunday, March 14, 2021, Branchville Volunteer Fire Company’s E811B and Chief 811A pumper vehicles responded to a reported house fire incident in the 7500 Blk of 24th Ave in Co. 34’s area. Fire suppression operations First arriving units found fire showing from the rear of the house. E811B arrived as the 2nd due engine with 6 volunteers and stretched a backup line through the front door to support interior suppression operations. Crews operated on scene for approxim...

A major fire safety industry body has endorsed the message from specialist AEI Cables about the importance of using only approved cabling in signal and control equipment following the announcement of a revised version of the Code of Practice. AEI Cables has been highlighting the importance of the systems powered by these cables – including smoke and heat extraction systems – in assisting fire services in the case of firefighting and a safe evacuation in the case of life safety. Fir...

New community face coverings standard has benefitted from public comments, it has been updated to include new environmental considerations as well as enhanced guidance on labeling, cleaning, fitting, fastening, and breathing resistance. The second version of the standard, called Community Face Coverings – Specification, is freely available for use to help UK manufacturers, test houses, retailers, and consumers to ensure single-use and re-usable face coverings are safe and fit for purpose....

Granite Workwear stocks a wide range of products from many top brands that design the best, high-quality workwear. To celebrate the recent International Women’s Day and support the women in many different industries, Granite Workwear thought now would be a great time to highlight which workwear brands are the best for women. Carhartt Perhaps the most well-known and recognized brand on the list, Granite Workwear stocks a wide range of Carhartt products for both men and women, ranging in...

On Monday, 8th March 2021 at 05:50 pm, Joint Fire Control received a report of a fire in the open, near Marine Walk, Maritime Quarter, Swansea. A crew from Swansea Central was mobilized to the incident. The Police were also in attendance. The fire was found to have been lit deliberately. The Fire Service left the incident at 07:15 pm. At 10:42 am, Tuesday 9th March 2021, firefighters from Swansea Central attended a vehicle fire in the Maritime Quarter area of Swansea. Starting deliberate fires...

Staff at the Columbia-Richland Fire Department encourage citizens to not waste the opportunity to check their smoke alarms when it comes time to ‘Spring Forward’ on Sunday, March 14th. “When you set your clocks forward one hour this Sunday for Daylight Savings Time also be sure to change the batteries in ALL the smoke alarms in your home or business. It’s a perfect reminder to help ensure that you and your loved ones are safe in the event a fire breaks out,” said C...

VIKING Life-Saving Equipment A/S has now been operating for a full year in market conditions dictated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the challenging situation, VIKING maintained a high level of activity and achieved satisfactory earnings in 2020. Turnover of nearly 2.6 billion DKK represents a decline of 185 million DKK year over year, yet it is still the second-highest figure ever recorded by the company. Profit before tax of 168.9 million DKK is also lower than the record result in 2019. V...

Globally renowned life-safety systems manufacturer, C-TEC, is heading up a live London Build Online panel discussion. Managing Home fire risks Featuring a host of top industry experts, innovators, and influencers, ‘Raising the grade: the evolution of fire protection in residential dwellings - how new fire detection and alarm system technology can better protect people and property’ webinar will take place on Thursday, 18th March 2021, at 1.30 pm and focus on the following key topic...

Prisoners have played a role in firefighting since 1915 when the first “Conservation Camps” trained incarcerated firefighters with the backing of the Department of Forestry. Especially in the realm of fighting wildfires, incarcerated individuals have in recent years provided low-cost labor amid the dangerous environment of a spreading wildfire.  The numbers of incarcerated persons in the United States expanded threefold during the “War on Crime,” which increased the...

Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs (CAFC) is providing the opportunity to Canadian fire departments to apply for $500 stipend, in order to help educate their communities about the benefits of residential fire sprinklers. Fire departments are welcome to combine projects, for example, use the $500 to buy a TV monitor, produce an educational pull-up banner, or boost Facebook posts. Other examples include: Build or refurbish a fire and sprinkler side-by-side burn demonstration. This may includ...

The Metropolitan “Metro” Fire Chiefs Association Board of Directors has unanimously voted to rename their annual Lifetime Achievement Award the “Russell E. Sanders Lifetime Achievement Award” in recognition of Sanders’ leadership and continuous contributions to Metro Chiefs and the international fire service. Metro Chiefs is a section of the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) and National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). The Russell E. Sanders Lifet...

Geofire has launched a new website providing German-speaking distributors and customers with an online platform to access translated literature and speak directly to the expert team. German-language site Due to the increasing demand for high-quality fire safety products and the widespread need to safely hold open doors to support infection control, Geofire has developed a German-language site to support the growing European presence. In an industry as critical as fire safety and prevention, i...

Arup’s expert fire team, in partnership with Arup University, has carried out the first of a series of independent, large-scale cross-laminated timber (CLT) construction experiments at professional fire test facility, CERIB, in France. The need to construct with timber is engaging the construction industry globally. As part of Arup’s commitment to safety and sustainability, it is undertaking a series of full-scale fire experiments in a 380m combustible compartment, with input from I...

As the House of Representatives considers the American Rescue Plan as amended by the Senate, the nation’s state and local emergency managers applaud the inclusion of several items that will aid in the response and recovery to COVID-19 as well as other ongoing disasters. Grants allowance The $100 million included for Emergency Management Performance Grants (EMPG) will allow for increased capacity at both the state and local levels. With these funds, emergency managers conduct coordinatin...

The Fotokite Sigma provides firefighters with mission-critical situational awareness from elevated perspectives. Fotokite’s actively tethered UAS (Unmanned Aerial System) saves fleet resources by launching, flying, and landing with the single push of a button; no piloting necessary. Fotokite Sigma is authorized and recognized by aviation authorities as a safer alternative to traditional tethered drones and free-flying public safety drone systems. How does the Fotokite work? Deployed wit...

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and the Phoenix Society for Burn Survivors introduce an additional, final video interview of its Faces of Fire/Electrical series, which features personal stories of people impacted by electrical incidents and demonstrates the need for continued education and awareness about electrical hazards in the workplace and at home. Arc Flash Event In August 2004, Don Johnson, an electrician from Florida, was at work connecting a client’s backup gener...

Evolution, the globally renowned integrated fire & security systems business, has opened a new office in Cork, Ireland, so as to service the increasing new business opportunities in the area. New Cork service and support base The new Cork office will provide a new account management, service and support base in the county and beyond for new and existing customers, and coincides with the appointment of two new members to the team. Mark Field has been appointed as a Key Account Manager resp...

Verint®, The Customer Engagement Company™, announced that its Customer Engagement Cloud Platform™ has been recognized as a leader by multiple industry sources that honor excellence in a range of categories from customer engagement cloud, workforce optimization, and knowledge management to voice self-service and text analytics. The honors are: 1) 2021 Stevie Awards for Sales and Customer Service: Stevie Awards for Sales and Customer Service are considered top honors for customer...

Elbeco's new CX360™ uniform series offers ultimate performance. It is designed to stand up to the demanding conditions of the streets and maintain a professional public image. It has a superior 4-way stretch fabric combined with a performance-driven design that provides enhanced function, comfort, and versatility.

New tools and technologies are emerging that augment the efforts of the fire market to prevent and fight fires. Modern firefighting is benefiting from an ongoing sea change in technological capabilities, spanning equipment, electronic components, greater connectivity and firefighter monitoring, to name just a few. We asked our Expert Panel Roundtable: What technologies will have the greatest impact on the fire industry in 2021? 

These are just three of the myths around women in the fire service that South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue has set out to bust, as part of its latest International Women’s Day campaign. With a brand new video, Monday 8 March, the service is looking to celebrate its current group of female firefighters, control operators and support staff. It’s also trying to encourage and empower women who have previously considered a role within the fire service but been put off by traditional ster...