Industry News

The latest updates to UL 268, Standard for Safety of Smoke Detectors for Fire Alarm Systems, call for significant improvements to smoke detection technology. Set to take effect in June 2021, the new UL 268 7th edition standard requires smoke sensors, detectors, and smoke alarms to pass more than 215 new or revised performance tests, including three new challenging tests: a cooking nuisance alarm test, a flaming polyurethane foam test, and a smoldering polyurethane test. To satisfy these requ...

The International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) is celebrating the adoption of a House of Commons motion that calls on the Canadian Government to strengthen the nation’s airport firefighting regulations as an important step toward improving air passenger and fire fighter safety at Canada’s major airports. Motion M-96 points out shortfalls in the Canadian Aviation Regulations (CARs) requirements for airport firefighting and asks the Canadian Government to bring them up to Inter...

Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) is crediting a smoke alarm for saving the lives of two people as fire engulfed a townhouse at Auburn, in Sydney's west. Around 20 firefighters and six fire trucks responded to the blaze, which broke out on Park Road, near York Street, just before 6 am. Flames consumed the upper level of the two-floor home, burning so intensely they caused the roof and walls to collapse. Containing the fire FRNSW crews battled for almost an hour to contain the fire, preventing...

Over the last few years, the fire protection industry has been defined by large-scale regulatory shifts. As pioneers in fire protection compliance, CLM welcomes any changes that raise the bar on safeguarding buildings and their occupants. That’s why this article, will be covering a series of regulatory changes that are on the horizon. Fire Safety Reform Program The Fire Safety Reform Program enters its third phase on 1st October 2023. This will introduce changes to The Regulatory Refor...

The fire protection industry is amid some exciting technological developments. While the core tenets of fire protection remain the same, new products allow for solutions that are more efficient and sustainable, not to mention safer. In this article, CLM will highlight some of the most recent advances in fire protection technology, and how they can transform the industry. SCot in fire protection The Internet of Things (IoT) has the potential to revolutionize everyday objects. In essence, the t...

On the 1st of October 2023, further amendments to the Regulatory Reform Order 2005 (otherwise known as the ‘FSO’ or ‘Fire Safety Order’) are due to come into force, affecting businesses and buildings across the UK under the Building Safety Act 2022. As major fire door and passive fire protection product experts, put together a core summary of the upcoming changes and who they affect. Add any further details and links to other sources that the readers might find relevant....

Ahead of the much anticipated review of BB100 for England, British Automatic Fire Sprinkler Association Ltd’s (BAFSA) sprinkler ambassador and the driving force behind the website, Sprinkler Saves UK, has compiled a report for the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) to form part of the industry’s case to Government to make sprinklers mandatory in all new schools in England as they are in Scotland and Wales. Report highlighting sprinkler saves The report covers 10 sprinkler saves re...

Fire-stopping solutions are typically selected by the main contractor as part of a ‘design and build’ contract. Because of this, they have the responsibility to ensure the chosen solutions are compliant and installed accordingly. To achieve the end goal of protecting people and property, many external trades need to be involved, making it a complex process. That is why, Quelfire strongly recommends that a standardized process is achieved and implemented for each project. What doe...

The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) joins with other national fire service organizations to strongly oppose proposed cuts to the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) and Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grants. The Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) and Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grants programs provide critical funding to help fire departments secure needed equipment, training, and staffing to adequately protect their communi...

As of their last update in September 2021, the Irish standard for servicing fire extinguishers is known as Irish Standard I.S. 291:2015 – ‘Code of Practice for the Selection, Commissioning, Installation, and Maintenance of Portable Fire Extinguishers’. Irish Standard I.S. 291:2015 This standard provides guidelines for the proper selection, commissioning, installation, and maintenance of fire extinguishers in Ireland.  It covers various aspects, including the types of fi...

On May 11, 2023, the House of Representatives Committee on Science, Space, and Technology’s Subcommittee on Research and Technology held a hearing regarding ‘Reauthorizing the U.S. Fire Administration and Fire Grant Programs: Evaluating Effectiveness and Preparedness for Modern Challenges’. The National Volunteer Fire Council’s (NVFC) Georgia Director, David Bullard, testified at the hearing on the behalf of the NVFC. The hearing provided a great opportunity for the NVFC...

The Fire Standards Board (FSB) is delighted to announce the launch of two new Fire Standards - Fire Control and Communications & Engagement. The development of the Fire Control Standard was driven by recent major incident events, such as Grenfell and the Manchester Arena bombing. It addresses the fundamental and strategic role that Fire Control plays from initially receiving the first contact through to the very close of an incident.  FSB launches new Fire Standards This Fi...

In the immediate aftermath of Grenfell, investigators found multiple examples of non-compliance in terms of best practice and workmanship. It was clear that a series of professional and institutional failings contributed to the fire. However, what also emerged was a worrying lack of clarity surrounding regulations and compliance processes. Hackitt Review findings The Hackitt Review, the main post-Grenfell fire safety inquiry, described roles and responsibilities for building safety as ‘...

A South Yorkshire recruitment campaign aims to change perceptions of women in the fire service. South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue’s ‘A Firefighter Is A Firefighter’ campaign includes a new hard-hitting video, which highlights the fact that all firefighters meet the same standards and do the same job regardless of their gender. Campaign to inspire women At the same time, the service will be publishing a fresh episode of its official podcast, Shout, featuring women from across...

The Biden-Harris administration’s Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission has released a report outlining a strategy to meet aerial firefighting equipment needs through 2030. As climate change fuels longer and more intense wildfire seasons, aerial assets bring unique response capabilities to wildland fire suppression. The report re-examines existing approaches to aviation fleet procurement, mobilization, composition and quantity to set aviation management on a new trajectory fo...

Responding to reports regarding culture in the fire and rescue service, the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) has reiterated that the behaviors outlined are wholly unacceptable, making it clear there is no place for harassment, bullying or discrimination in any workplace. NFCC is committed to working with all fire and rescue services to support open and inclusive workplace cultures. NFCC supports an open and inclusive workplace culture I am appalled by the recent reports into behaviors and...

Lincoln Educational Services Corporation and Johnson Controls, the pioneer for smart, healthy, and sustainable buildings, announced the launch of the Johnson Controls Academy, a six-week intensive training program focused on developing the next generation of building technicians. The program, based at Lincoln Tech's Columbia, Maryland campus, was created to provide a pathway to employment at Johnson Controls locations throughout the United States. Johnson Controls supports the st...

On January 23rd, the Fire Safety (England) Regulation 2022 came into effect, putting greater emphasis on the importance of fire doors and fire safety instructions for multi-occupied high-rise buildings. With these changes, and more set to come this year, Amthal is urging those responsible for high-rise residential buildings to pay heed to emerging legislation, as Phil Bryant, the Manager of Amthal Strategic Accounts explains. The Hackitt Review The Hackitt Review, responsible for changing the...

The new Fire Safety (England) Regulations will take effect from January 23, 2023. The National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) welcomed the introduction of the new Regulations, which make it a requirement for responsible persons of high-rise residential buildings to provide information on their building/s to their local fire and rescue service. A high-rise residential building is defined as a building containing two or more sets of domestic premises and is at least 18 meters tall or has at least sev...

Cierra Orlyk, communications coordinator, joined the NVFC in September. She assists with the NVFC’s messaging and public outreach, including managing the NVFC’s social media accounts, writing newsletter and eblast content, and facilitating live panel discussions. Cierra developed a deep respect and admiration for emergency responders growing up with a firefighter as her dad, and gained valuable association management experience before coming to the NVFC. She received her bachelor&rs...

New fire safety regulations will come into effect from 23rd January 2023 relating to buildings that contain more than one residence. The duties in these Regulations supplement those imposed by the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. These new regulations relate to buildings in England that comprise two or more domestic premises (including the residential parts of mixed-use buildings), including blocks of flats (whether purpose-built or converted from another type of building, such as a...

Fire Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has published an Interim Final Rule in the Federal Register implementing the Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon Fire Assistance Act on Nov. 14, 2022 and is now seeking public comment on this Interim Final Rule. The public comment period will run from Nov. 14, 2022, through Jan. 13, 2023, and comments can be submitted at Regulations.gov. The Federal Register Notice docket number is FEMA-2022-0037. Hermit’s Peak/Canyon Fire Assistance Act The Hermit&rs...

During the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, individual firefighters were praised for bravery; however, the London Fire Brigade, as an institution, was criticized for ‘serious shortcomings’ and ‘systemic’ failures in its handling of the Grenfell Tower fire. At Quelfire, they wholly believe in early engagement in firestopping and continuously promote that for fire safety to be a priority, all parties need to be involved and firestopping needs to be considered for buildings as early...

The government is being accused of “dragging its heels” over “crucial” new fire safety guidance for new school buildings. Last year, the Department for Education launched a major consultation on building design for fire safety in schools. Home Office figures show that in the 2021-22 financial year, there were more than 300 fires at schools in England – almost one a day. And since the consultation closed, more than 120 new schools have opened, including 23 new spec...

The Building Safety Act received Royal Assent on 28 April 2022, and with it comes important changes ‘that give residents and homeowners more rights, powers, and protections.’ Ultimately, this will make sure that buildings across the country are safe to occupy. The Act surpasses existing regulations to establish lasting change by outlining how residential and multi-occupancy buildings should be constructed and maintained. The Building Safety Regulator will be responsible for the...

Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 a fire risk assessment is required by law for all commercial premises. All commercial sectors need to carry out fire risk assessments which include, but are not limited to offices, retail spaces, care homes, schools, warehouses and factories and hotel and leisure spaces. Additional regulations are set to come into force next year under The Fire Safety Act 2022 (FSA). These regulations clarify what is needed in buildings that contain more than...

In August 2022, the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) conducted a survey to determine the impact that high gas prices and inflation are having on local volunteer emergency service organizations. In total, 608 respondents completed the survey. The following provides an overview of the survey results. Respondents The majority of respondents were fire chiefs (40.36%), followed by officers (16.47%), firefighters (14%) and firefighter/EMS (13.51%). They represented every U.S. state except for...

In April 2013, an explosion at a fertilizer plant in West, TX, just north of Waco, killed 12 firefighters and three residents of the West community. The firefighters who lost their lives were all volunteer first responders. According to federal officials and investigators from the Texas State Fire Marshal’s Office, the source of the blast was ammonium nitrate, which detonated with the force of 15,000 to 20,000 pounds of TNT. (It’s believed a small fire initially triggered the disast...

It’s a legal requirement for non-domestic properties to have regular risk assessments carried out. This ensures that any fire safety risks are flagged and dealt with accordingly before they have a chance to do any damage. Not only are they legally required, but fire risk assessments are vital in ensuring the long-term safety of both staff and premises from potential fire damage. Fire safety responsibility The UK government outlines that: Those responsible for fire safety in business...

The new Fire Safety Act 2021 came into force on 16th May 2022, and with it came a clearer direction about compliance. This article outlines the updates to the legislation and explain what this means for FMs. The Grenfell Tower tragedy in 2017 and the subsequent enquiry highlighted the need for changes to the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. Sadly, it is only when events like this happen that legislation changes. New Fire Safety Act 2021 The new Fire Safety Act 2021, which came into...