Industry News

The BBC estimates nearly half of England's new schools are without fire sprinklers BBC says almost half of England's new school buildings are without fire sprinklers Following up stories on Radio 4's Today programme and on Radio 5 Live, the BBC has criticised local authorities which are still building new schools without sprinklers. Almost half of new school buildings in England do not have fire safety sprinkler systems, the BBC has learned. The government...

The campaign will see fire fighters communicate fire safety messages to Key Stage 1 children Supported by The Department of Children, Schools and Families, this year's campaign will focus on 'planning a safe escape' and will be specifically targeted at Key Stage 1 children. The Fire Fighters Charity and the Communities and Local Government Fire Kills Campaign are working together to encourage Fire and Rescue Services to work with their local primary schools...

A firefighter at the mall where sprinklers extinguished the fire 19 sprinkler heads prevented disaster A fire in a shopping mall in Vilnius, Lithuania, was extinguished by a sprinkler system. The fire began in a deep fat fryer in the Chilli China restaurant in the Akropolis shopping mall on Tuesday, 6th October. The fryer was not fitted with a local suppression system so the fire got into the duct, which was coated with fat. It spread through the duct and into...

Agency officials walk past flooded mobile homes along Douglas County Sweetwater Creek, Georgia Emergency management agencies's focus turns to long-term recovery Two weeks after a federal major disaster declaration for parts of Georgia swamped by heavy rains and flooding, the emergency response is winding down and the focus of the Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has turned to long-term recovery. "The response of...

Students training at FEMA's Center for Domestic Preparedness (CDP) Speech applauded the significant contribution made by the Center The Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Deputy Administrator, National Preparedness Directorate, Tim Manning, spoke at FEMA's Center for Domestic Preparedness (CDP) graduation ceremony today in Anniston, Alabama where he recognized CDP's 500,000th graduate. "The training provided by the Center for...

Fred G. Allinson has been given the NVFC's Lifetime Achievement Award Award presented at NVFC Board Meeting The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) bestowed its 2009 Lifetime Achievement Award to Fred G. Allinson, a volunteer firefighter from Washington State. With a distinguished record of service, including six years as NVFC Chairman and 39 years as a volunteer firefighter, Allinson's accomplishments exemplify outstanding performance. The NVFC Lifetime Achievement Awar...

The NVFC urges you to vote to retain a provision requiring fire sprinklers in new residential construction Join ICC by October 14 to be eligible to vote Vote to retain a provision in the International Residential Code (IRC) requiring the installation of fire sprinklers in new residential construction at the International Code Council's (ICC) Code Development Hearings on October 28 in Baltimore, MD. You must join the ICC by October 14 in order to participate in the vote....

An image from CSB's new safety video on the Imperial Sugar explosion Video includes 3D animation of explosion The U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) today released a new nine-minute safety video on the combustible dust explosion at the Imperial Sugar refinery in Port Wentworth, Georgia, which claimed the lives of 14 workers, injured 36, and caused extensive property damage on February 7, 2008.Entitled "Inferno: Dust Explosion at Imperial Sugar," the video includes a new four-...

The ESC says fire protection in tower blocks must be prioritised Statement follows BBC report into fire risks Fire integrity of tower blocks must be made a priority, says safety charity, the Electrical Safety Council (ESC). Commenting on the BBC's report on the fire risks in London's tower blocks, Phil Buckle, director general of the ESC said: "It's crucial that electrical work undertaken on behalf of council landlords is rigorously checked to ensure that fire regulations...

London Fire Brigade says "Don't drown in toxic smoke" Major new government fire safety campaign launches in London Drowning in the toxic smoke of a house fire is the risk you take if you don't have a working smoke alarm. That is the stark message being delivered by London Fire Brigade in support of the government's national "Don't drown in toxic smoke" advertising campaign launching today (October 5). After just two to three breaths of this toxic smoke, your lungs fill up...

Workers clearing debris in American Samoa - FEMA continues to respond and give federal support to the region Donations welcomed by partner agencies such as Red Cross The Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is into its sixth day of response and federal support to American Samoa. FEMA and federal teams, through the Federal Coordinating Officer, continue to work closely with American Samoan Governor Togiola Tulafono and Delegate Eni F....

In the incident, a flat fire was virtually extinguished by a sprinkler system Fire sprinkler system protects lives and property in incident Recently East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service received a call from a resident in Warrior Square, Hastings, who was concerned about a smell of smoke. Two fire appliances were dispatched to the building and upon arrival, discovered a fire in the basement flat. The fire, which had started in the bedroom of the property, had bee...

A FEMA image showing the effects of the recent tsunami in Indonesia UK USAR team deployed to aid relief efforts Kent Fire and Rescue Service's Urban and Search and Rescue (USAR) Team is set to join the humanitarian relief effort in Indonesia. This specialist team of eight staff is among nine fire and rescue service units from the UK which have been deployed to fly from Gatwick today to help in the aftermath of Wednesday's earthquake which killed at least 1,000 people and i...

The scene following the explosion at the Slim Jim plant in June 2009 Advice follows fatal June, 2009 accident at processing plant In a new safety bulletin based on preliminary findings from the ConAgra Foods natural gas explosion in Garner, North Carolina, the U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) urged companies, gas installers, and contractors to follow safe practices during gas purging operations, including venting purged gases outdoors whenever practicable.The explosion, whi...

Firefighters who give emergency medical care should receive the H1N1 vaccination, say FEMA, USFA First responder agencies should receive treatment in first wave of vaccine With the first deliveries of the H1N1 vaccine already underway, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), as part of its mission to support first responders, joins the United States Fire Administration (USFA) in recommending that firefighters who provide emergency medical services (EMS...

USFA is urging the US fire service to support fire-safe cigarette initiatives Fire-safe cigarettes lessen risk of home fire deaths Smoking is the leading cause of home fire fatalities in the United States, despite the fact that the numbers of smokers continue to decline. The victims of the fires are not only the smokers but their children, spouses or partners, and even neighbors or friends. On top of the human tragedy, millions of dollars of property is damaged or d...

Governor Schwarzeneggar at the site of the Station fire in Los Angeles County California governor acknowledges need for review Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today issued a statement following an announcement by the U.S. Forest Service that they will be reviewing the way the Station fire in Los Angeles County was fought: "It is very clear that a thorough investigation and review of the Station fire response by the federal government is absolutely necessary." "I can assure...

DHS Secretary Napolitano delivered a speech focusing on the need for shared responsibility Individual and community preparedness will help build readiness Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano today marked the conclusion of National Preparedness Month by delivering a speech emphasizing America's shared responsibility for preparedness and stressing the important role that individuals play in building a national culture of readiness and resilience....

The London Fire Brigade has run a LIFE course for young people with autism Course part of "Local Intervention Fire Education" programme  A successful London Fire Brigade scheme designed to improve the self-esteem of young people and promote fire safety has run a course for young people with autism. The specially adapted Local Intervention Fire Education (LIFE) course ran between 21-25 September at Dagenham Fire Station. Originally set up to improve community relatio...

The NVFC, with the Dunkin' Donuts and Baskin-Robbins Community Foundation, has awarded grants to ten junior firefighter programs Ten outstanding applicant programs selected to win grants The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC), in partnership with the Dunkin' Donuts and Baskin-Robbins Community Foundation, has selected 10 outstanding junior firefighter programs and Explorer Posts from departments nationwide to receive a $5,000 grant through the NVFC National Junior...

A fire and rescue search team operating in severe flooding NVFC support fund designed to help first responders affected by severe weather incidents FEMA has announced that 17 counties in Georgia have received federal disaster designations due to the devastating floods and severe weather. When tragedies like this strike, we must remember that the firefighters and EMS personnel relied upon to respond are also victims. The National Volunteer Fire Council's (NVFC) Volunteer Fir...

An image taken after the explosion at the Imperial Sugar Refinery in Port Wentworth, Georgia in February 2008 Report concludes inadequate equipment design, maintenance and housekeeping led to explosions In a final draft report released today, CSB investigators said the February 7, 2008, explosion at the Imperial Sugar refinery in Port Wentworth, Georgia, resulted from ongoing releases of sugar from inadequately designed and maintained dust collection equipment, conveyors, a...

USFA has released a report into US firefighter fatalities in 2008 Heart attacks the most common cause of US firefighter death in 2008 The United States Fire Administration (USFA) today released the report Firefighter Fatalities in the United States in 2008. The report continues a series of annual studies by the USFA of on-duty firefighter fatalities. The USFA is the single public agency source of information for all on-duty firefighter fatalities in the United States each...

Kent Fire and Rescue Service personnel make their way down one of the tunnels Exercise designed to improve crews' tunnel emergency preparedness The Secret Wartime Tunnels deep within the cliffs of Dover was the set of a important drill that took place yesterday evening (22 September). The exercise, called Henry, saw staff from Kent Fire and Rescue Service (KFRS) and English Heritage responding to a serious fire deep underground in the tunnels which date back to the Middle A...

The DHS has announced new grants for increased preparedness initiatives including fire station construction Grant funds made available by Recovery Act Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano today announced more than $380 million in grants - funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) - to pay for fire station construction and port and transit security initiatives nationwide while creating jobs and stimulating local economies. "Inf...

NFPA Firewise Learning Center now offers a new tool to improve community wildfire safety Firewise Learning Center offers new online seminar free to all Fire and forestry professionals have a new tool to help make communities safer from wildfire. "Conducting a Community Assessment in the Wildland/Urban Interface: Beginning the Firewise Process" is the latest offering of the NFPA's Firewise Learning Center. The online course is aimed at fire and forestry professionals an...

London Fire Brigade's Fire Safety Week included work with children in schools across the capital Fire Safety Week highlights importance of safety awareness to Londoners London Fire Brigade has successfully staged its first ever Fire Safety Week which highlighted the work it is doing to get its fire safety messages across to Londoners. Fire Safety Week was part of the Brigade's new Keep Your Community Safe & Sound fire safety campaign which is encouraging all Londoners...

Greater Manchester Fire & Rescue Service firefighters in action during the event, which raised nearly £20,000 Event raised nearly £20,000 for the Fire Fighters Charity Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service would like to send a message of thanks to all those that supported the latest Fire Fighters Charity National Car Wash which took place on Saturday 19th September at local stations across Greater Manchester. The total amount raised was almost £2...

The NHBC has released a research report recommending the use of sprinkler systems in open plan flats NHBC report results from a study into Building Regulations and guidance Partly in response to international influences, there has been an increase recently in open plan flat layouts in the UK with bedrooms located as inner rooms. While these designs may appeal to the market, such layouts can pose problems for designers and developers particularly where they may not accord ea...

A defibrillator - one of several items included in the IEC kits Emergency care packs will aid treatment of casualties Fire crews in Ealing are better prepared than ever to treat casualties at incidents, after being kitted out with life saving emergency care packs. The new gear, called "Immediate Emergency Care" equipment, will be carried in a specially designed backpack on all fire engines at Acton, Ealing, Northolt and Southall fire stations. London Fire Brigade's Borough...