Fire and Rescue news

More than 400 current and former service personnel who work for Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) now have access to an enhanced support network as RSL NSW re-establishes a standalone sub-branch for the state’s firefighters. The NSW Fire Brigades sub-branch was first formed in the 1920s – off the back of the First World War, when its main purpose was to facilitate repatriation and medical support. It continued its important work until the 1980s when it was abolished due to a lack of memb...

Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) is investigating the cause of a fire which destroyed an e-bike factory at Croydon, in Sydney’s inner west. More than 60 firefighters and 15 fire trucks were deployed to Elizabeth Street, where the blaze broke out in the small building behind a row of shops, just before 5am. FRNSW crews battled for more than two hours to contain the fire, having to attack it from outside the building due to concerns parts of the structure may collapse. Aerial fire trucks Fire...

Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) advises that a funeral will be held for Firefighter, Michael Kidd, following his death in a house fire last week at Grose Vale, in Sydney’s north-west. The 51-year-old On-call FRNSW firefighter and veteran Rural Fire Service volunteer is survived by his wife and two adult children, who have accepted an offer of a FRNSW funeral with full honors. Provisions have been made for the funeral, and outlets are requested not to approach family members for comment...

Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) crews have teamed up with community elders for a successful series of home fire safety visits in the township of Walgett in the state’s north-west. Building on engagement experiences, gleaned from deployments to isolated areas hit by natural disasters, the firefighters linked up with the elders and went door to door last week, providing home fire safety advice, testing smoke alarms, and checking access to fire hydrants. Among the first responders were highly r...

The National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) has welcomed the Fire Minister’s address to the NFCC Spring Conference this week, in which he set out the Government’s priorities for fire and rescue services and committed to reform being driven forward in collaboration with the sector. National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) Chair, Phil Garrigan, said, “We are really pushing decision makers to recognize the huge value and contribution of our fire and rescue services, so we welcome the Mini...

Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) is urging residents to be extra vigilant about the risk of fires in their homes following a spate of fires in Sydney’s south-west. FRNSW crews have responded to at least 10 fires in houses, units, garages and garden sheds in the south-western suburbs in the past few weeks. Some were caused by electrical faults whilst others were started by cooking left unattended on kitchen stoves. Spike in residential fires The spike in residential fires has prompted FRNSW...

Darley, a globally renowned provider of defense, fire, and emergency services equipment, is pleased to announce the appointment of Jim Johnson to its Fire Advisory Board. Jim Johnson brings a wealth of industry experience and expertise in serving the fire industry. Jim Johnson served as President of Pierce Manufacturing from 2010 to 2023. He also served as an Executive Vice President of Oshkosh Corporation and President of Oshkosh's Fire & Emergency business segment with responsib...

When a fire or emergency situation sparks up, every second counts. Voice alarm systems are a key part of the evacuation plan for many businesses, helping get people to safety as quickly as possible. But what exactly are voice alarm systems and emergency voice communication systems, and are they one of the businesses that needs them? They’re here to answer those questions, as well as giving them all the information on how they at Midland Fire can help get the business s...

Oshkosh Airport Products, an Oshkosh Corporation business, announced the delivery of three new Striker® 8x8 Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting (ARFF) vehicles to serve Minneapolis–St. Paul International Airport (MSP). The addition of these state-of-the-art vehicles strengthens MSP’s emergency response capabilities as it supports more than 37 million passengers and over 340,000 aircraft operations each year.  This delivery continues a long-standing partnership between the Met...

Fire detection and life safety specialist, Hispec, has partnered with Vericon Systems, a pioneering manufacturer of remote technologies for essential building services, to enable social housing providers to proactively monitor and manage fire safety across their entire property portfolio. The strategic new partnership enables the integration of Hispec’s pioneering portfolio of fire and carbon monoxide (CO) detection solutions with Vericon’s intelligent monitoring platform, providing...

Pierce Manufacturing Inc., an Oshkosh Corporation business, is proud to announce Canadian Pierce dealer, Commercial Emergency Equipment Co., has secured an apparatus contract and initial order with the Calgary Fire Department (CFD). The 5-year contract with an additional 4-year option covers all engines and rescues in an unlimited, as-needed capacity and builds on previous contracts for aerials and water tenders, as Pierce remains the primary supplier of all heavy front-line apparatus for CFD o...

With building safety facing more scrutiny than ever before, renowned multi-disciplinary contractor - Miller Knight has secured a place on Fusion21’s £800 million Building Safety and Compliance Framework.   Appointed to Lot 8, Passive Fire Protection, Miller Knight joins a national roster of suppliers selected to deliver high-quality, safety-critical works – from fire stopping and compartmentation to full-scale passive protection projects – all underpinned by ac...

Ballyclare, a major designer and manufacturer of firefighter personal protective equipment (PPE), announces a raft of strategic appointments as it focuses on further expansion in the UK market. The family-owned company, based in Cheshire, has long been a reliable supplier of high-quality PPE to UK Fire and Rescue Services (FRS), securing major contracts with significant end users including the North West Region, All Wales and All Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Services.  New appointments The...

Fire safety and compliance may seem like a complicated beast. That’s why they’ve put together this guide of everything they need to know to keep the business safe, secure and compliant. As they know, a fire alarm system is a crucial piece of workplace safety equipment, designed to protect the staff and property, and helping prevent serious emergency situations in the first place. But is the fire alarm system doing its job properly and does it meet all the legal requirements? Re...

SOCOTEC Netherlands provides technical advisory, testing, and inspection services, and risk analysis to the Building and Infrastructure sectors. With more than 400 experts and engineers, the company covers the whole country, operating in all regions. As of July 1, 2025, the activities of Bureau voor Bouwpathologie have become part of SOCOTEC Risk Management & Claims, formerly Hanselman Group B.V. Resolutions and advisory services The company has nine employees, an annual turnover of mor...

Perimeter Solutions, a renowned global manufacturer of high-quality fire retardant and firefighting foam concentrates, marked the grand opening of its new PHOS-CHEK facility at McClellan Park in Sacramento, California, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The 110,000-square-foot site will serve as a major hub for production and distribution, supporting the company’s ability to deliver PHOS-CHEK to any airbase in North America within hours. Increasingly demanding wildfire seasons The company...

The Engineered Solutions division of Dräger, an international pioneer in the fields of medical and safety technology, has designed a breathing air panel for Staffordshire Fire and Rescue to protect firefighters working at height on aerial platforms and ladders from smoke and toxic fumes during an incident. The panel protects firefighters positioned on and operating a fire rescue vehicle’s aerial ladder platform (ALP) and turntable ladder. Risk of smoke and toxic fumes When firefigh...

INTERSCHUTZ 2026, taking place from 1 to 6 June in Hanover, will be shaped by what many are calling a “turning point”. With eleven months to go before the event starts, strong exhibitor interest is already evident for the world’s pioneering trade fair for firefighting, rescue, and civil protection. Climate change and disasters “Nearly three-quarters of the nine exhibition halls are already booked, and only a few spaces remain available on the open-air-site,”...

FeuerTrutz 2025 has once again proven itself as the central platform for preventive fire protection. With new formats, a strong congress program and intensive expert discussions, the trade fair provided important impetus for the industry. Two days full of exchange, innovation, and practical insights characterized the trade fair in Nuremberg. The 15th round of FeuerTrutz impressed exhibitors and trade visitors alike. Trade fair for preventive fire protection The trade fair for preventive...

Oshkosh Airport Products, an Oshkosh Corporation business, is proud to announce the delivery of three advanced Striker Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) vehicles to the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA), serving both Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA). These new vehicles will enhance the Authority’s emergency preparedness and firefighting capabilities across its network of high-traffic airfields. The de...

An upgrade to the Johnson Controls flagship building automation system (BAS), Metasys 14.1 offers a suite of new and enhanced features that answers the need for more comprehensive energy management. The BAS, which combines HVAC, fire, security and lighting systems into one, seamless platform, allows facility managers, IT teams and decision makers to optimize operations, fortify cybersecurity, advance energy and emissions goals, boost productivity and strategically modernize facilities. Buildin...

Pierce Manufacturing Inc., an Oshkosh Corporation business, is proud to announce the continued momentum of the 2025 Pierce Road Rally as it nears its midpoint, visiting locations across the United States. Since kicking off in April, the Road Rally has brought Pierce’s latest fire apparatus and technology directly to fire departments across the U.S. and now enters an exciting summer stretch of events in the Northeast, Midwest, and Southeast. Lineup of advanced fire apparatus Each stop pr...

Andy Spence, Joint Managing Director of Britannia Fire, the pioneering manufacturer of fire extinguishers in the UK, has addressed the Environmental Audit Committee in the House of Commons. He highlighted the significant challenges facing the fire safety industry in achieving a smooth transition away from PFAS firefighting foam. Environmental impact and risks Research has also indicated that they can lead to a range of health issues, including decreased fertility Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluor...

FeuerTrutz will be setting new standards on 25 and 26 June 2025 at the Exhibition Centre Nuremberg, not only with its exhibition floor space, but also with the diversity of the supporting program. Around 270 exhibitors from 21 countries will be presenting their latest preventive fire protection products and solutions over the two days of the trade fair. organizational fire protection solutions The spectrum of products and services ranges from structural and plant engineering to organizational...

Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) is reminding travellers heading to and from the snowfields this winter to exercise patience and safety on the icy roads. The FRNSW crews of permanent firefighters, seconded to the Perisher Valley Fire Station for the next few months, along with local On-call firefighters, are undergoing additional alpine training this winter, familiarising themselves with the Hagglund tracked fire appliance, skidoos and six-wheel All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs), used by the fire service...

Teledyne Gas & Flame Detection (Teledyne GFD) is unveiling its PS DUO, a portable dual-gas detector set to enhance personal safety in gas monitoring applications. This innovative handheld device features real-time monitoring with audible, visual (bright LED) and vibrating alarms, providing immediate alerts when gas levels exceed safety thresholds. New PS DUO uses The new PS DUO uses passive diffusion sensing for the continuous detection of harmful gases The new PS DUO uses pass...

Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) crews have door-knocked more than 60 homes at Macquarie Fields, in Sydney’s south-west, in the wake of a devastating house fire in the neighbourhood. On 28 May, 10 people made a narrow and very lucky escape when their two-storey house in Groundsel Avenue went up in flames. FRNSW had installed working smoke alarms in the home just a few days earlier, allowing the mother and her nine children to safely evacuate upon hearing the alert. Alarm testing and provisio...

A lithium-ion battery from an e-bike has caused a fire in a unit at Lethbridge Park in Sydney's west earlier today. Crews were called to the second-floor unit in Hawaii Avenue just before 3.00 am after reports of a blaze in the three-storey complex. Upon arrival, 16 firefighters quickly got to work to contain the fire, which is believed to have started in the kitchen area of the premises where the lithium-ion battery was located. Initial reports It took crews approximately 20 minutes to exti...

D-Tools, a major provider of business management software for electronics systems contractors, and FireCAD, powered by Inspect Point, a cloud-based fire alarm CAD solution, are pleased to announce a strategic integration to be unveiled at the 2025 NFPA Conference & Expo. This partnership represents a significant opportunity for fire and security industry professionals, combining D-Tools' end-to-end business management capabilities with FireCAD’s purpose-built tools for fire alarm syst...

Johnson Controls, the global pioneer for smart, healthy, and sustainable buildings, launches Simplex Incident Manager, a complete web-based fire alarm management workstation for campuses and large facilities. This next-generation workstation from Johnson Controls includes an advanced interface and feature set that enhances the fire alarm management experience, helping facility teams keep their buildings protected around the clock. Simplex Incident Manager Simplex Incident Manager gives facili...