Industry News

Councils will continue to do whatever it takes to ensure residents are all safe in their homes Responding to the results of the latest fire safety tests on systems of cladding and insulation and an independent review of building regulations, Lord Porter, Chairman of the Local Government Association, said: “Of the high-rise blocks affected by these latest fire safety tests, nine are owned by Salford Council which continues to work hard to remove and replace the cladding...

The Fire Authority’s proposed model of governance would deliver greater collaboration with a range of partners, including the police The Fire Authority Chair, Councilors Backhouse, has issued the following statement, setting out the Fire Authority’s position: The Fire Authority considers that the PCC has not set out an evidenced case for an irreversible transfer of governance from the Fire Authority to the PCC. Instead we believe it would be better if the PCC were...

History demonstrates a link between a public inquiry's impact and its terms of reference A University of Leicester expert in security and disaster management has welcomed the Government’s announcement of a public inquiry into the Grenfell Tower fire, arguing that history has shown that public-spirited officials can be successful in holding those responsible to account. Making case for ‘wide-ranging’ investigation Dr. Simon Bennett, Director of the Civil Saf...

Emergency and rescue vehicles of virtually every type will be on display throughout the indoor and outdoor exhibition areas Vehicles and vehicle equipment for the Emergency Services and allied organisations will be prominent among the displays of more than 400 organisations exhibiting at The Emergency Services Show, taking place at the NEC, Birmingham on 20 and 21 September. The UK’s biggest emergency services event, the show is the perfect place to research the latest p...

Councils are contacting residents living in tower blocks and working with fire services to establish what action needs to be taken "This is clearly an unsettling time for communities whose cladding samples have already come back as combustible or who are awaiting test results. We have been assured that tests on cladding samples are being processed so results should be back quickly.” Evacuation concern "Councils are contacting residents living in tower blocks whose...

Recent reports that detail the origin of the deadly Grenfell Tower fire in London suggest that an automatic fire sprinkler system could have prevented the tragedy. According to the London police, the fire that killed at least 79 individuals on June 14th started in a refrigerator within a 4th story apartment, then spread to the building’s combustible exterior cladding. If an automatic fire sprinkler system had been installed in the building, it would have been expected to intervene and pre...

Honeywell TITAN SCBA facilitates easier and faster rescue of downed firefighters Honeywell has announced that its flagship Honeywell TITAN firefighter breathing equipment has been improved with a louder alarm to make it easier to find downed firefighters. Self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) As part of their standard turnout gear, firefighters wear an air cylinder with a respirator and facepiece known as self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA). This equipment includes...

The fire alarm and detection system had not been tested, serviced, and maintained as it should have On the 4th September 2016, North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service were called to a report of a fire at flats on Fulford Road in York. During the incident, which had been caused by an electrical fault near to the fuse board, fire officers found that the fire alarm and detection system provided for the two flats and communal hallway was not working. Further investigation found th...

The collaborative project to enhance European public safety showcases innovative information technology At the Civil Protection Center in Palmanova, Italy, the research project EPISECC1, funded by the European Community’s Seventh Framework Programme FP7, demonstrated innovative information technology to enable interoperability between public safety agencies. The electronic information exchange between these stakeholders will aide them in response to large disasters, such...

The fire detection system upgrade saw over 680 SOTERIA devices installed across the four buildings Apollo Fire Detectors announced the installation of its innovative SOTERIA range of detectors at The University of Hertfordshire, a modern education establishment based in Hatfield which is home to over 25,000 staff and students. Advanced fire detection The university’s ‘2020 Estates Vision’ is a detailed plan which sets out an ongoing maintenance and improvem...

The aerial platform offers a 50-mph wind rating, a five-inch waterway, and a wide and roomy platform basket Pierce Manufacturing Inc., an Oshkosh Corporation company, has placed two Pierce Velocity pumpers and a Pierce 100-foot aerial platform into service with the Redmond Fire Department located in Redmond, Washington. Following the department’s ‘push in’ ceremony, Redmond Fire Department’s fleet is 100% Pierce apparatus. Fire suppression and emergenc...

The system comprises of two MxPro 5 panels, linked by fault-tolerant network cards Durham Cathedral, the 1,000-year-old World Heritage Site and one of Britain’s most visited buildings, is now protected by intelligent fire panels from Advanced. Founded in 1093 and the final resting place of St Cuthbert, Durham Cathedral remains the seat of the Bishop of Durham, the fourth most senior cleric in the Church of England. As well as being the North-East home of the Magna Carta...

All the money raised during the run will go to military veterans with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder On Tuesday 30th May, 2017, firefighter Terrance Gregg who is based at York fire station and Watch Manager Justin Rowe who is based at Malton fire station will set off from York fire station and run 296 miles, to North Devon, over a number of days. They are planning to arrive on Saturday 11th June at Royal Marine Base, Chivenor, North Devon, the home of Justin’s old regim...

Syncro can be configured to suit all types of system from the simplest to the highly complex A £60m expansion of Belfast’s boutique hotel is being protected by a new and upgraded fire safety system that has Kentec control panel technology at its heart. Phase one of Ten Square Hotel Belfast’s impressive 50-bedroom extension was completed in December 2016, with work on the whole project set to finish later this year. This first ph...

Each EFR has been trained in basic life support, CPR, and oxygen therapy Retained firefighters at Pickering, Helmsley, and Lythe have now responded to over 150 life-threatening emergencies as Emergency First Responders. A recent review of the scheme, shows that the Emergency First Responders have attended 28 instances of breathing difficulties, four cardiac arrests, and 35 instances of chest pain along with a number of other incident types (between 1st April 2016 and 31s...

Honeywell’s latest firefighter gear, Life Guard Hood ensures firefighters’ safety Honeywell, global supplier of protective gear for firefighters and other emergency responders, has developed a new hood to better protect firefighters from the long-term health threats of hazardous substances produced when today's building materials burn. Honeywell Life Guard Hood Honeywell's new Life Guard Hood features an innovative design and fabrics that provide better blocking...

The Opal photoelectric smoke detectors are linked to Pearl control panels for enhanced protection money.co.uk recently completed a £3m renovation project to transform a Grade II listed castle into the ultimate high-tech workplace. To keep employees and visitors safe, innovative fire detection technology from Notifier by Honeywell has been installed throughout. Reliable fire detection system A Star Wars themed cinema, a library that has a secret passage i...

Over 6,000 devices are linked to fire control panels which communicate via a central monitoring system The India Habitat Centre (IHC), a new national business centre located in India’s capital city of New Delhi, has chosen an Apollo fire detection system to safeguard the staff, visitors, buildings, and property at its innovative site. Designing a fire detection system The IHC is a multipurpose building combining work, commercial and social spaces. The idea for the cent...

Bristol Uniforms will supply 1,900 sets of PPE in three batches over the next two years Bristol Uniforms, together with its distributor Pac Fire Australia, has landed a five-year contract with Airservices Australia to supply and maintain its airport firefighter PPE.Airservices Australia is responsible for managing Australia’s aviation rescue firefighting (ARFF) services at 26 of the country’s busiest airports, including Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Darwin, and...

Earthquake helpers distinguished for extraordinary performance and teamwork All Fire Department teams that helped during the series of earthquakes in central Italy in summer 2016 have now received a special award for their performance. On Friday evening, 27 January 2017, in front of an audience of more than 700 fire fighters and guests from all over the world at the Congress Centrum Ulm, Germany, they won the coveted Conrad Dietrich Magirus Award together with the title "Inte...

ENDRESS Elektrogerätebau, Dönges, LUKAS Hydraulik and Vetter support Conrad Dietrich Magirus Award The Conrad Dietrich Magirus Award pursues the goal of placing the work of firefighters all around the world in the foreground and giving them the special recognition they deserve. For the second successive year, ENDRESS Elektrogerätebau GmbH (Gold Sponsor) and Dönges (Silver Sponsor) companies are co-sponsoring the competition. As the third sponsor LUKAS Hydra...

Most people don’t consider fire a significant risk, complacency is one of the greatest dangers when it comes to fire safety The fires that occurred this past week in Oakland, California, Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Gatlinburg, Tennessee, reinforce that fires can happen anywhere, anytime and with deadly consequences. As people enter public places this holiday season, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) is strongly encouraging everyone to be well aware of the...

Failure to pay the fine within 14 days will result in 18 months’ imprisonment On the 8th August, 2015, North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service carried out a fire safety inspection of The Kam Thai (Whitby) Ltd Restaurant, 63-65 Church Street, Whitby. During the inspection, Fire Safety Officers found a number of serious fire safety deficiencies regarding the accommodation provided for employees. This included a failure to carry out a written fire risk assessment, a failur...

The new TRVs will respond to small incidents on their own and with standard fire engines to larger incidents At its meeting in December 2015, the Fire Authority approved a number of changes as part of the Fire Cover Review which was undertaken in 2014 and 2015. This included the introduction of Tactical Response Vehicles (TRVs) at Harrogate, Malton, Northallerton, Ripon, Scarborough and Tadcaster fire stations. At Harrogate and Scarborough the TRV will replace one of the...

The participants will learn fire tactics from experienced specialists and have access to the latest product innovations from Williams Williams Fire & Hazard Control (“Williams”) will once again be hosting its world renowned XTREME Industrial Fire & Hazard Training School on 25 – 29 September 2016, at the Gesip Fire Training Facility in Northern France.  Attendees of the five-day course will benefit from the combined experience of Williams...

High Volume Pump from Harrogate was used at the Northern Power Melrosegate Electrical Sub Station (York) to keep it operational North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service continue to respond to flooding incidents around the county and in the City of York with the majority of these, recently, being in Tadcaster, Malton and York. NYFRS is being supported by other Services including the use of High Volume Pumps from Tyne and Wear, Durham and Darlington and Nottingham fire and rescu...

NYFRS organises series of information seminars for business owners to understand The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 Following the prosecution of a man operating a business in Selby, North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service is reminding all business owners to make sure that they are managing their fire safety obligations correctly. During a multi-agency visit to the Waterfront Hotel, 36 Ousegate, Selby on 30th July 2014 fire safety officers from North Yorkshire Fire...

The standard relates to the engineering of fire alarm systems, fire doors and secured fire exits BSI, the business standards company has revised BS 7273-4:2015 Code of Practice for the operation of fire protection measures - Part 4: Actuation of release mechanisms for doors. It was developed using collaborative input from the fire and safety industry with such organisations as The Fire Industry Association (FIA), Fire Protection Association and National Landlords Association o...

Operational firefighters who recently left the service have been re-employed for strike periods As part of the ongoing national dispute between the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) and the Government over the proposed reform of firefighter pension schemes nationally, a further strike date has been announced by the FBU from 7am on the 25th February for a period of 24 hours. A large percentage of our firefighters are retained (part-time or on-call), and many of them are not memb...

Prysmian’s FP website has guidance documents including suitable fixing advice for fire performance cables The 17th edition of Wiring Regulations sees amendments to BS 7671, the national standard in the United Kingdom for low voltage electrical installations. One of the changes includes ensuring all cable installations in escape routes are fixed with fire-resistant components to improve fire safety of the occupants and fire fighters. Previously it was not r...