United Kingdom (UK) Fire Industry News

One of the world’s most famous hotel-chains, DoubleTree by Hilton, part of Hilton Worldwide, has selected a high-performance fire system from industry renowned fire systems provider, Advanced at their eight-story, 366-rooms hotel in Boston, Massachusetts. The challenge was to replace an existing system, integrate speakers to all guest rooms and ensure that all audio messages and strobes were fully synchronized across the hotel, in the event of a fire situation, without the need for costly...

The 2018 Fire Industry Association Annual General Meeting (AGM) and lunch was again, one of the standout industry events of the year bringing together more than 300 industry leaders. The FIA AGM provides the ideal opportunity to highlight the achievements of the association over the last year and signal our priorities for the future. Our members mingle with industry colleagues, entertain prospective customers and catch up with the FIA Secretariat team. This year Ellie Taylor provided the after-...

Fire Safety & Protection, LLC (“FSP”) acquired Noti-SECUR, Inc. (Secur Fire Protection or “SECUR”) on November 16, 2018. Secur Fire Protection is known as a local pioneer in the fire & life safety industry throughout the greater Ottawa market and for its high level of customer service and technical expertise. The acquisition of Secur Fire Protection is an exciting start for the Fire Safety & Protection platform. Fire Safety & Protection, based in Atlanta,...

Great success of Tema Sistemi at Sicurtech Village 2018, the itinerant event dedicated to the topics concerning the "culture of fire safety and the solutions and technical-regulatory aspects". The event held on November 14 in Venice, saw the participation of several speakers who dealt with the issues of passive protection and fire prevention measures for a correct management of fire safety between prevention, good practice in operation and maintenance. For Tema Sistemi, Eng. Nicola Denunzio, ex...

An England Women Rugby Team player Shaunagh Brown has teamed up with Kent Fire and Rescue Service (KFRS) to encourage sports fans to think about testing their smoke alarms this season. 28-year-old, Shaunagh, who has played 4 caps for the England Women team, is also a firefighter based in Chatham and stars in a new 24-second video for the KFRS. She is shown in the film in both her England kit and fire gear as she is lifted, line-out style, by two of her fellow firefighters, Jody Morgan and Aaro...

The organizers of Fire Door Safety Week say that this year’s campaign was the most successful yet, winning the support of more than 350 individuals, organizations, and businesses while reaching millions via press coverage and social media. Designed to draw attention to the widespread neglect and misuse of fire doors, the campaign is an annual event run by the British Woodworking Federation (BWF), Fire Door Alliance, and Fire Door Inspection Scheme in partnership with the Home Office&rsquo...

Following the launch of the eagerly awaited R6C rescue helmet (the replacement for the A7A) Yorkshire Ambulance Service were among the first trust to place their order for this new Pacific helmet which will set a new benchmark for ambulance workers, paramedics, nurses and doctors who respond to emergency medical incidents. Vimpex already supply Pacific Helmets to 15 of the 17 Trusts across the UK, but this was the largest single order ever received from one Trust. Since 2008, it has been realiz...

The Police ICT Company has announced that Sepura has been selected for inclusion on ‘Lot 1’ of the National Airwave Terminal Framework. This award followed a rigorous and open procurement process. It will enable UK police forces, and other public safety users on the Airwave network, to procure market-leading communications equipment through a standard framework. The process, requested by the Home Office Emergency Services Mobile Communications Programme (ESMCP) and delivered by The...

For facilities management, anticipating any large-scale evacuation is at the very forefront of the fire safety measures they must consider to underpin emergency planning. As one recent example where hundreds of people had to be evacuated from a building shows, planning for public address announcements is a safety-critical concern that demands attention to the best practice offered by the latest audible warning systems. Why Voice Alarm Systems? In modern buildings, there may be literally dozens...

Halma has acquired Navtech Radar Ltd in a move that will add new capabilities to the Infrastructure Safety sector. Navtech Radar is a provider of innovative radar surveillance and safety solutions for use in highway monitoring, perimeter security and industrial applications. Based in Wantage, UK, Navtech combines radar, cameras and software to improve road safety and provide real-time incident detection, including for tunnels and smart motorways. Sensing Applications For Industrial Automation...

Historically, in the UK bus and coaches were not required to have fire suppression systems fitted. It was at the discretion of the coach operators whether such systems were installed on their vehicles. This changed in July when an amendment of the European UNECE Regulation 107 became mandatory. The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), of which the UK is a member, sets the standards and conventions relating to the safety of public transport. It is now mandatory on certain class...

On 14th November, Notifier by Honeywell were invited to showcase Notifier products at the Marlowe Fire & Security Innovation day. This gave Business Managers, Mike Hobbs and Mick Bull the opportunity to demonstrate to customers and end users Notifier products. The Pearl Panel was the main product on display and received great feedback. They were also joined by James Mitchel from CST, who showcased the Honeywell Paging system while being connected to the Pearl Panel. The whole system connect...

Forest Service is supporting fire suppression efforts in California, where two massive wildfires burn at opposite ends of the state. Both fires started on November 8. “The people of California are in need of our support,” said James Hubbard, Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment. “USDA’s Forest Service firefighters and law enforcement are standing shoulder to shoulder with our citizens, state and local partners to help communities recover and stop the dev...

Comelit UK is offering a free five-year guarantee from the date of manufacture as standard, across its complete new range of fire detection solutions. The Italian security systems manufacturer, known for its high specification solutions, presents an innovative range of automatic fire detection systems, including conventional and addressable panels, that have proven successful across Europe. Already pledging its commitment to the sector by becoming a member of the FIA, and ensuring its complete...

Leading lights in fire safety have been appointed by the International Fire Safety Standards Coalition [IFSS] to help improve building safety worldwide. A core group of twenty-two leading fire safety experts was appointed to the coalition’s standards setting committee that will work to develop landmark industry standards for fire safety in buildings. Overcoming Risk To Public Safety Past-president of the Association for Project Safety (APS) Bobby Chakravarthy – who is a founder mem...

There are more than three times as many home cooking fires on Thanksgiving as a typical day of the year, making it by far the leading day for US home cooking fires, according to the National Fire Protection Association® (NFPA®). This sharp spike (a nearly 250 percent increase over the daily average) is a powerful reminder to use caution when cooking on Thanksgiving feast. “Thanksgiving is a festive but hectic holiday, where people are often preparing several dishes at once. They&r...

A Dover resident was lucky to escape with her life after being overcome by smoke from a bedroom fire at a flat in Christchurch Way in the early hours of Saturday morning (10th November 2018). Fire crews praised the efforts of police officers, who were initially called to the scene after a neighbor reported hearing cries for help from a ground floor flat. Kent Police officers discovered the fire and realized someone was trapped inside. Unfortunately, there were no working smoke alarms in the fl...

Checkmate Fire Solutions, one of the UK’s biggest passive fire protection specialist, is continuing its expansion with the opening of a new office in Swindon. The Yorkshire-headquartered business already has regional offices in Birmingham and Essex, but rising demand for its compliance and third-party accredited installation services means it now needs an additional location. The new office at Swindon’s Windmill Hill Business Park will be managed by Mark Cawthra, who will oversee th...

Ardent Fire Systems Limited is delighted to announce that the company has recently undergone the Achilles UVDB Verify audit and they are fully qualified as a supplier on Achilles UVDB. As part of the audit process, Achilles’ qualified assessors validated all aspects of our Health and Safety, Quality, Environmental, and Corporate Social Responsibility management systems. At Ardent, they work hard to ensure a consistent level of quality in their systems and the service that the company prov...

The 27th WC Firefighter Combat Challenge was held from October 22nd to 27th, 2018 in Sacramento, California, USA. During this event, fire brigades from all over the world competed in a 5-challenges race. Firefighter Combat Challenge Throughout the year, fire soldiers have always faced many risky situations where their good physical condition is essential. The Firefighter Combat Challenge competition, founded in May 1991, was created to recall this. Registration for the 27th WC Firefighter Com...

Checkmate Fire Solutions, the UK’s biggest passive fire protection specialist, is continuing its expansion with the opening of a new office in Swindon. The Yorkshire-headquartered business already has regional offices in Birmingham and Essex, but rising demand for its compliance and third-party accredited installation services means it now needs an additional location. The new office at Swindon’s Windmill Hill Business Park will be managed by Mark Cawthra, who will oversee the deliv...

The Middle East’s US$1.9 billion fire safety systems and equipment market will see solid growth over the next six years, with new government regulations around life safety and fire protection along with large-scale infrastructure investment among the key market drivers. A November 2018 report by analysts 6Wresearch estimates the Middle East market for firefighting systems, fire detection & alarm systems, and emergency exit & lighting, will be worth US$3 billion by 2024, growing at...

Standards are being set with fire and rescue services in the UK adopting escape hoods to protect trapped and injured people from toxic smoke during evacuation at fires. Latest figures show in the year 2017/2018 firefighters attended 717,890 incidents in the UK, with 213,464 being fires. Fire related fatalities totalled 401 and there were 5113 non-fatal fire related casualties requiring hospital treatment. The London Fire Brigade is the first in the UK to carry the PARAT 5550 to protect members...

From a dozen or more perspectives, the tragic fire at London’s Grenfell Tower was a wakeup call. The shear scope of the tragedy – 72 deaths, 70 injuries in the worst United Kingdom residential fire since World War II – is a stark reminder of the importance of fire prevention, and the catastrophic consequences of its failure. There are additional lessons to be learned from the fire service response to the blaze, which burned for 60 hours and involved 250 London Fire Brigade fir...

For a volunteer fire department in Ried, leaving gloves, shoes, and boots to air dry is now a thing of the past, thanks to the drying panels from Wintersteiger AG, which have been in use since the beginning of November 2020. Regional Fire Inspector and Fire Chief, Josef Leherbauer is delighted with the successful solution. He said, “To save energy, we chose one small and one large dryer that can be used as required. Both are equipped with different nozzles for gloves and boots. As the dry...

Emergency services have teamed together to mark 100 years since the end of World War One. Fire engines, police vehicles, and ambulances across the county will all be displaying poppy stickers marking the centenary leading up to Remembrance Day. Displaying poppy stickers Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service Area Commander Jon Anderson said: “Our staff are always keen to mark Remembrance Day and will attend their annual local parades. We’ve also raised money for the Royal British...

Emergency Reporting (ER), the cloud-based reporting and records management software (RMS) for Fire and EMS agencies, announces that in collaboration with E-9 Corporation (E-9), the company has been awarded an enterprise contract with the United States Army. Under the contract, ER will expand its current support of the U.S. Army fire departments to include all Army fire departments, both CONUS and OCONUS, identified within the award. ER will provide its comprehensive records management solution...

On the 22nd December 2010, a routine operation took a dramatic turn for firefighters in Chicago, Illinois. Two of them died and 14 others were seriously injured after the collapse of a burning building. For many years this peril has always faced Fire & Rescue teams and even since this accident many others have occurred around the world. To help prevent such accidents, there is a simple and effective solution that monitors the movements of a structure and alerts rescue teams of an imminent...

There were lots of new and innovative products on show, including the new Pacific R6 Helmet range, helmets for ambulance, fire & rescue, and police. An interactive area where visitors could trial the multi-featured First Look 360 camera, the first live streaming 360° technical rescue search camera, and the most comprehensive heavy lifting solutions from Paratech. Pacific R6 Helmet For Head Protection The Pacific R6 rescue helmet range represents the most versatile and configurable helm...

For the first time in Germany, emergency services, researchers and industry will work together on the realization of autonomous rescue robots and the establishment of a national and international robotics task force. For this purpose, a modern competence center for the research and development of mobile robot systems for civil emergency response, the German Rescue Robotics Center (A-DRZ), is being built on the site of the former Phoenix steelworks in Dortmund.  Together with other par...