Fire Industry News for September 2023

A prestigious award for the Fraunhofer Institute for Communication, Information Processing and Ergonomics FKIE: The NATO Civil-Military Cooperation Centre of Excellence (CCOE) has presented the Wachtberg-based institute with the 'CIMIC Award of Excellence 2021' in recognition of its extensive efforts to strengthen civil-military cooperation. cIMIC Award of Excellence On the occasion of its tenth anniversary in 2017, the CCOE in The Hague launched the 'CIMIC Award of Excellence'. Since then, th...

The Big Bear Fire Authority Board approved a balanced budget for the 2020-2021 fiscal year at their June 2, 2020 Board meeting. The approved budget entails significant changes compared to last year’s budget. Since the Community Facilities District (CFD) tax measure was unsuccessful on the March 2020 ballot, some very difficult but necessary budget decisions have been made. Author's quote Fire Chief Jeff Willis stated, “Honestly, I am disappointed that this critical tax measure tha...

Possibly the most common question asked. The simple answer is quite probably, yes. Every property (excluding a single occupancy domestic home) from an HMO to a block of flats, care home, nursery, school, community center, warehouse, hotel the list goes on MUST by law, have a “regular” fire risk assessment completed.  Fire risk assessment Under the “Regulatory Reform (fire safety) Order 2005” it is law that "The responsible person must make a suitable and sufficient...

Gear Wash is now the firefighting industry’s largest turnout gear cleaning and repair operation, having acquired Minerva Bunker Gear Cleaners and its six locations. The agreement, which closed on May 13, also marks the largest Gear Wash acquisition to date and greatly expands our company’s growing roster of service providers committed to first-class care for the equipment worn by firefighters. “Minerva has been a leader in NFPA 1851 services—the indus...

The Association for Specialist Fire Protection (ASFP) will once again be hosting the ASFP Pavilion on stand FI1224 at FIREX International 2022, at London Excel from 17 May - 19 May, 2022. It will feature a Learning Zone, the ASFP Pavilion aims to help visitors to gain a greater understanding of the essential role of passive fire protection within the current built environment.  ASFP will be showcasing its range of training courses, guidance documents, and membership services and offering a...

Kent Fire and Rescue Service (KFRS) has received a Gold award for its commitment to inclusivity, diversity, and equality in the workplace. The award is given to companies and public services that are able to show their outstanding support and efforts toward making workplaces more inclusive for everyone. This is the first time KFRS has received the Gold award, and it's been ranked at position 122 in the top employers list. UK Workplace Equality Index The awards and UK Workplace Equality Index...

Nic Preston, Director of Qualifications – FireQual, discusses the work of Fire Industry Training Academy Ltd. and their new association with FireQual with Director, Gareth Selway. Nic Preston: Can you describe the work of Fire Industry Training Academy Ltd. and how you support the fire safety industry? Gareth: The “Fire Industry Training Academy” was founded to create a positive long-lasting legacy for the fire industry, raising the standard of workmanship, competenc...

Global Fire Equipment (GFE) has launched OWL, an advanced ‘plug-and-play' fire alarm management and monitoring software for its CHAMELEON Network range of intelligent control panels. Thanks to its high-quality graphical user interface, OWL users can monitor the status of their fire alarm panels and receive real-time information and complete visibility of their entire fire detection alarm system (FDAS). OWL monitoring software Intuitive, user-friendly and very easy to set up and operate,...

Hempel announces a new Executive Group Management to lead its growth journey to double Hempel by 2025. In a new company structure, the organization will be able to get even closer to its customers. “I’m thrilled to announce today’s changes,” said Lars Petersson, Group President & CEO. “My new leadership team will lead a new way of working at Hempel - we have organized our business in an even more customer-focused structure, which will unleash potential and ener...

Nic Preston, Director of Qualifications of FireQual, discusses the work of Fire Doors Complete Ltd. and their new association with FireQual with MD, Neil Ashdown. Nic Preston: Can you describe the work of Fire Doors Complete Ltd. and how you support the fire safety industry? Neil: At Fire Doors Complete we specialize in fire doors and helping building operators comply with the legal requirements of the 2005 Fire Safety Order. Not just building operators but we help all that manufactu...

The IFSS Coalition has unveiled its new guidance document to address differing or non-existent fire safety requirements in countries across the world. A global coalition of over 80 fire safety leadership organizations on Monday, 11 October, 2023, launched a new Global Plan for a Decade of Action for Fire Safety 2022-2032, to ensure an internationally consistent approach to the safety and management of buildings, infrastructure and more with the aim of saving lives by reducing risk and preventin...

As the industry welcomed back The Security Event, founding partner - Comelit UK successfully inspired customers, presenting the latest smart solutions in stylish door entry, intruder, home automation, fire, and CCTV. On stand 3a/B10, Comelit introduced its new Logifire addressable panel, which has been designed to offer a simple to install, richly featured fire safety solution that is compliant to the latest standards. Comelit’s alarm management software, Horus Well received was Comelit...

Airbus Defense and Space, the German prime for the tri-national Future Combat Air System Program (FCAS), has contracted Fraunhofer FKIE and DMI Solutions to develop an Explainable AI (XAI) demonstrator. The project is realized jointly with the FCAS Expert Commission on the responsible use of new technologies. Airbus Defense and Space, the German prime for the tri-national Future Combat Air System Program (FCAS), has contracted Fraunhofer FKIE and DMI Solutions to develop an Explainable AI (XAI)...

Drones equipped with microphone arrays will help rescue workers in disaster areas to find and rescue survivors more quickly. They will detect cries for help and signals from buried victims from the air and simultaneously pinpoint their location. Macarena Varela, a scientist at the Fraunhofer Institute for Communication, Information Processing and Ergonomics FKIE, is developing this technology to help victims in situations where every second counts. Equipped with Latest technology Varela descr...

The second phase of the Modifiable Underwater Mothership (MUM) project has now been initiated, following the handing down of a funding decision by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy. In the presence of all six partner organizations, Norbert Brackmann, the German government's coordinator for the maritime industry, presented the funding notification at the thyssenkrupp Marine Systems shipyard in Kiel. Alexander Nies of the Fraunhofer FKIE Cyber Analysis & Defense Depa...

Dr. Alexander Charlish is the first Fraunhofer scientist to be awarded the prestigious IEEE Radar Research Prize. He is the first Fraunhofer researcher and the second German ever to receive the prestigious IEEE Fred Nathanson Memorial Radar Award. Dr. Alexander Charlish, a scientist and team pioneer at Fraunhofer FKIE, received the international award for his outstanding work in the field of radar resource management and cognitive radar. Since 1985, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics E...

A hybrid event tackling future challenges facing the fire sector and beyond. Building on the success of last year, which saw more than 400 delegates attend virtually, this year’s FIRE Conference returns on the 9 November at the Queen Elizabeth II Center, London and will allow delegates to attend face to face or online.  The joint initiative between the IFE, NFCC, and FPA is heralded as the center point for sector leaders and stakeholders to come together in a collaborative...

Fire detection equipment manufacturer, Global Fire Equipment (GFE), has been awarded EN 54-13:2017+A1:2019 system compatibility approval, demonstrating the company’s ongoing commitment to offering its customers best-in-class fire detection and alarm solutions. An international third-party accredited laboratory awarded GFE the EN 54-13:2017+A1:2019 approval for its entry level and high-end addressable fire detection and alarm systems. Various individual components EN 54-13:2017+A1:2019 i...

Nic Preston, Qualifications Manager – FireQual, discusses the work of Skills for Security and their new association with FireQual with Managing Director, David Scott. Nic Preston: Can you describe the work of Skills for Security and how you support the fire safety industry? David Scott: Skills for Security are the largest fire and security apprenticeship provider in the UK. Well known as a nationwide provider we offer training across the length and breadth of England. With a main b...

European-based fire detection manufacturer, Global Fire Equipment (GFE), has appointed Sudeep Dalvi as Technical Support Engineer to cater to the company’s growing customer base in the Indian subcontinent, Sri Lanka, South East Asia, and the Middle East. Sudeep will be responsible for providing advanced technical support for GFE’s partners’ installation and service teams, developing and delivering technical training, as well as writing technical specifications for GFE’s...

GFE is delighted to introduce a new module, the ZONE-MIMIC. Assembled in a Dual Gang (DG) Box, the ZONE-MIMIC is designed to be used with GFE's Chameleon addressable control panels. Features  The GFE team has developed a module for ‘Mimic Boards LEDs’, to signal fire conditions or system status for each individual zone. It also features a ‘lamp test’ input, a buzzer driver output, and a ‘local’ buzzer silence input. These are just some of the many feat...

Artificial intelligence and journalistic expertise are the basis of a disinformation detection system developed and implemented in a collaboration between press relations, NewsGuard, and the Fraunhofer Institute for Communication, Information Processing, and Ergonomics FKIE. First use case A qualitative analysis of media coverage of the 2020 US election. The analysis reveals that Donald Trump’s media dominance over his challenger Joe Biden was due primarily to the spread of fake news and...

Innovative manufacturer of fire detection equipment, Global Fire Equipment (GFE), has added to its product portfolio with the launch of G-One, a versatile addressable single loop fire control panel with advanced connectivity. The G-One has been designed with affordability and flexibility in mind. Thanks to its sophisticated design, easy installation, and intuitive commissioning, it is an ideal solution for a wide range of single loop applications, from offices and restaurants, to shops, schools...

The Bundeswehr plans to equip its infantry with unmanned ground vehicles for the transport of material and weapons. It has tested various off-the-shelf systems in a variety of operational scenarios as part of two troop exercises. The Fraunhofer FKIE provided technical and scientific support for the tests. The results demonstrate the high potential of unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) and the level of maturity they have already attained. The conclusion among soldiers and experts was unanimous: the...

Global Fire Equipment (GFE) is delighted to announce an updated version of their prestigious graphical supervision software - Odyssey XLP, now compatible with their new range of Chameleon addressable fire alarm control panels. The Odyssey Graphics Display and Alarm Management System allows the connection of up to 64 panels to a PC, the compatible panels are namely OCTO+, GEKKO, NODE+, G-One, JUNO NET, and JUNIOR. License structure scheme The main difference between the Odyssey XLP and Odyssey...

With a career spanning 50 years in firefighting and fire engineering, Paul Grimwood is highly regarded within the fire industry as an expert and pioneer for new operational tactics.  Paul Grimwood, a Principal Fire Engineer at Kent Fire and Rescue Service, has developed a range of revolutionary defenses which have been adopted by fire services across the world while providing support for complex fire engineering consultations, occupancy figures, smoke control calculations, and fire strateg...

From the structural situation to the hazards to possible reactions for care management and staff: the Joint Committee on Fire Prevention Education and Fire Safety Education of the German Fire Brigades Association (DFV) and the Association for the Promotion of German Fire Protection (vfdb) has worked up the topic of 'Behavior in case of fire in care facilities' with a technical recommendation. "Offered is an easy-to-read guide that provides the necessary background information to be able to make...

New COVID-19 restrictions have been introduced by the Government, announced by Prime Minister Boris Johnson.  While this does not directly affect fire safety work, BAFE would fully support the advice that the stronger requirements for face coverings should be implemented consistently within the fire safety industry. This is especially important with technicians working on-site at care facilities and other buildings where vulnerable people may be exposed to the virus. Controlling COVID-19...

Global Fire Equipment (GFE) appoints Vikrant Patil as Regional Director for India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, in order to help drive further growth in this key market. Fire detection equipment manufacturer, Global Fire Equipment (GFE), has set its sights on further growth in India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka with the appointment of Vikrant Patil as Regional Director to help deliver the company’s ambitious growth plans for this key market. Long-term commercial partnerships In this newly cre...

Global Fire Group, which includes Global Fire Equipment (GFE), a global manufacturer of fire detection equipment, and Createch, specialists in emergency lighting equipment, have announced the appointment of Paul Pope as Group Business Development Director Worldwide. Paul will be responsible for overseeing the group’s international growth strategy, marketing and product management. International growth strategy Founded in Denmark in 1994 by João Paulo Ajami, Global Fire already ha...