Fire and Rescue news

HydroPen™, the unique VIKING Life-saving Equipment container firefighting solution, has secured a first major order from an Asian shipowner, in a deal that also demonstrates that the technique is highly adaptable for all sizes of container vessels.   Singapore-based PIL, the largest container carrier in Southeast Asia, is committing its entire container ship fleet of around 100 vessels to carrying HydroPen™ systems. Firefighting equipment improvements The TT Club estimates th...

UKAS is pleased to announce that Technical Manager, Kevin Belson, has taken the position of Chair of the Technical Committee for the International Accreditation Forum. As well as congratulating Kevin on his appointment, they would like to extend good wishes to JAS-ANZ’s General Manager of Accreditation, Steve Keeling, who precedes Kevin in this role. Along with UKAS’ Accreditation Director, Lorraine Turner, who currently chairs the Inspection Committee of the International Labo...

More than £13,500 has been raised by Cambridgeshire firefighters in 2021 from car wash events as part of The Fire Fighters Charity National Car Wash campaign. Firefighters from stations around the county dug out their sponges and buckets and welcomed people with all manner of vehicles, from cars and vans to children’s bikes and mobility scooters to raise money for the charity. The community came out in force to show their support for the crews. Car wash campaign Since Ju...

 Verint®, The Customer Engagement Company™ announced its November online events featuring trends in AI and digital-first engagement, personalization, and social messaging. AI at Your Service: How Contact Centers Can Make the Most of AI in a Digital-First World Nov. 2, 1 p.m. ET Artificial intelligence (AI) is playing an increasingly important role in customer engagement enhancing the effectiveness of many customer service and contact center solutions, including intelligent virt...

MSA Safety, the global pioneer in the development, manufacture, and supply of sophisticated safety solutions that protect people and facility infrastructures, is exhibiting at this year’s ADIPEC event in Abu Dhabi from 15-18 November. Hosted by the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), ADIPEC is the world’s most influential meeting place where oil, gas, and energy companies and professionals convene to engage and identify opportunities that will unlock new value in an evolving ene...

A successful prosecution was brought by Royal Berkshire Fire Authority against a restaurant in Cookham, which resulted in an £85,000 fine following a number of serious fire safety breaches under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. Beta UK Limited was sentenced for fire safety breaches found by Fire Safety Inspecting Officers following an incident at Malik’s Restaurant, Cookham in Maidenhead. Fire safety deficiencies On 23 October 2020, Reading Magistrates’ Court...

MSA Safety Incorporated (MSA Safety), the globally renowned company in the development, manufacture and supply of sophisticated safety solutions that protect people and facility infrastructures, is exhibiting at the ADIPEC 2021 event, which is taking place from November 15 to November 18, 2021, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE). Hosted by the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), ADIPEC is the world’s most influential meeting place where oil, gas, and energy companies and profess...

UKAS is pleased to publish the Annual Report for the financial year of 2020/2021.  In line with the new logo, symbols of accreditation and website, that were unveiled at the start of 2021, the Annual Report has also been updated to reflect the refreshed branding. Importance of accreditation The content of the report has also been expanded, containing a range of articles that highlight the importance of accreditation in its role of delivering confidence in the products and services t...

Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service (CFRS) has launched a new partnership with Anglian Water. The partnership will help the Service reach out to those most vulnerable in the community and support them with fire safety advice, as well as other areas to help keep them safe and continue to enjoy independence. From November 2021, both organizations will share in a secure and responsible way, selected data to ensure both can support the safety and wellbeing of the most vulnerable reside...

Congratulations go to the Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue team who took part in the British Firefighter Challenge earlier this month at Moreton-in-Marsh. The British Firefighter Challenge is an annual sporting event which pushes firefighters to their limits, provides a day of entertainment for spectators, and raises funds for the Firefighters Charity. Very challenging event MAWWFRS came 3rd overall and Watch Manager Dom Norcross was presented with the silver medal for his age group categor...

SOCOTEC UK has invested in the QEST platform, a piece of software developed by Spectra QEST, a globally pioneering vendor in technical information management systems for construction materials and geotechnical testing. A technical information management systems: This software will help to manage SOCOTEC’s field and laboratory testing operations, schedule field technicians, interface with testing equipment and communicate technical information to clients. It also aligns directly with the o...

Happy First Responders Day! In 2021, Congress passed a bill designating Oct. 28 as a federal holiday to honor the sacrifice of firefighters, EMTs, and police officers around the country. The law declares that “during times of national crisis, first responders have consistently been a source of aid, hope, and comfort for all Americans.” GEFD thanks volunteers and all the tireless professionals in the community for the time and toil they dedicate to service.

While most U.S. emergency communications centers (ECCs) use a CAD system to dispatch 911 calls and facilitate records management, few CAD system components are uniform across vendors. This can create problems transferring emergency calls and associated data, such as caller location information. It can also create problems with the transfer of call information to first responders in the field via public safety broadband networks. These transfer functions are important capabilities for enhancing...

Halloween is just around the corner. Kids and adults alike are busy carving pumpkins, decorating their houses and preparing to wear their scariest outfits, on the spookiest night of the year. But, putting the trick or treating and fun aside, October 31 can also be one of the riskiest times of the year, particularly for burglary, criminal damage and violent crime. Spike in crimes during Halloween In recent years, major newspapers in London, Surrey, West Yorkshire, Greater Manchester, Devon, Ca...

Rosenbauer is working vigorously on expanding the electric vehicle fleet for fire departments. After the RT tank firefighting vehicle and a logistics vehicle, the first L32A-XS aerial ladder is now also being electrified.   The top priority of the development engineers is to make the electric aerial ladder just as functional, powerful, and reliable as the proven standard aerial ladder and to ensure the same ease of operation, serviceability, and spare parts availability.   That's w...

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has released findings from its latest “Fire Loss in the U.S.” report, which shows that the total number of U.S. fires overall rose eight percent from 2019 to 2020. While some year-to-year fluctuation is normal, this increase reflects a far from typical year due to the pandemic. “In 2020, more people were working and studying at home, commuting far less, and spending more time socializing outside,” said Lorraine Carli, Vice...

Located in the picturesque village of Borghetto di Valeggio sul Mincio, Italy, the Corte Regia Relais and Spa overlooks the river Mincio, with views across to the imposing Scaliger Castle and the Visconteo Bridge, and a short journey to Lake Garda. For its guests, this hotel is an escape from the outside world and is famed for providing a relaxing experience. Corte Regia Relais and Spa hotel In 2020, the Corte Regia Relais and Spa hotel underwent a massive transformation, with the renovation o...

With 20 exhibitors and 180 delegates, FIM Expo offered an excellent opportunity for networking and conversations with individuals from all sectors of the fire industry. This event's exhibitors were: Advanced - Emergency Lighting, Advanced, Aico, Apollo, C-Tech, Drax360, Eurotech Fire Sytems, FFE Group, Everlux, Fireco, Firepro, Global Fire Equipment, Hochiki, Honeywell Morely, Hyfire, Kentec, Nittan UK, Tio Fire Safety, Vimpex, Wagner. Meeting influential people In addition to this, it was fa...

West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service has issued three top safety tricks to help prevent unnecessary Halloween hazards. Top Halloween Safety Tips Working with West Yorkshire Police and other partners, the service is campaigning for people to be mindful about keeping themselves and others safe in the build-up to Sunday, October 31st. “We want everyone to have a happy Halloween this week, but we’re reminding people how easily fires can start at this fun time of year,” said We...

Kent Fire and Rescue Service (KFRS) is at the center of a new initiative to support homeless people and rough sleepers to live safely in temporary accommodations before moving into permanent homes.  With government direction, charities have been working to provide people living on the streets with shelter in hotels and bed and breakfasts during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the fire service recognized the need to offer support and safety advice to those living in new and unfamiliar accommodat...

A youth rugby team in South Wales, United Kingdom (UK), has been scoring tries in style this season, thanks to a brand new kit. This season, players from Croesyceiliog Rugby Football Club (Croesyceiliog RFC), based in Gwent, Wales have looked the part in their new team strips, bearing the club’s crest. New kit for Croesyceiliog RFC team The new kit was funded by Asset VRS and Hardstaff Barriers, the globally renowned manufacturers and suppliers of roadside safety barriers and perimeter s...

West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service announced that the fire service has issued three top safety tricks, in order to help prevent unnecessary Halloween hazards during the festive period. Working with West Yorkshire Police and other partners, the West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service is campaigning for people to be mindful about keeping themselves and others safe, in the build up to Halloween, Sunday, October 31, 2021. Safety tips to prevent Halloween hazards The West Yorkshire Fire and Res...

Verint®, The Customer Engagement Company™ announced that Verint has been named a leader in the IDC MarketScape: Worldwide General Purpose Conversational AI Platforms 2021 Vendor Assessment Report.  After a thorough evaluation of vendor strategies and capabilities, IDC positioned Verint in the Leaders category for delivering robust conversational artificial intelligence (AI) solutions. IDC MarketScape assessment The IDC MarketScape assesses the products, services, and compe...

ImageTrend, Inc. is excited to announce the company has formed an official Medical Advisory Board comprised of medical directors from across the nation, who will assist in providing insight into different service models and specialties in the healthcare industry including Emergency Medical Services (EMS). Sparking new initiatives ImageTrend’s six-member Medical Advisory Board was assembled to support the company’s commitment to providing solutions to the healthcare industry that ar...

Dr. Lori Moore-Merrell, former Assistant to the General President for Technical Assistance and Information Resources (TAIR) and President and CEO of the International Public Safety Data Institute (IPSDI), is the new United States Fire Administrator. Dr. Moore-Merrell was appointed by President Joe Biden at the urging of the IAFF. She also had widespread support from other fire service organizations. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Deanne Criswell swore Moore-Merrell in...

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has released a free, engaging online training program to help more than 29,000 fire departments in the United States improve existing public safety drone programs and establish new drone initiatives. Small-unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS), or drones, have made a rapid transition from hobbyist toys to serious life-saving tools in recent years. Recognizing that drones can support public safety preparedness efforts and supplement emergency response...

Bosch Building Technologies plans to acquire Protec Fire and Security Group Ltd., headquartered in Nelson, UK – one of the system integrators for security and fire detection technology with an innovative product portfolio. Corresponding agreements were signed by Bosch and Protec on October 22, 2021. Protec employs around 1,100 employees at its nine European locations in the UK and the Netherlands and generated sales of GBP 125 million (around 142 million Euro) in the fiscal year 2021 acco...

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...

Emergency call handlers are celebrating a decade since the country’s first combined fire control launched. On October 25, 2011, the 999 call functions for Cambridgeshire and Suffolk fire and rescue services joined together to form the first collaboration of its kind. Today marks the tenth anniversary of the combined control room taking calls for both counties. fire service By joining forces, this collaboration has saved each ...

The East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust (EEAST) has been awarded Freedom of Entry to the Borough by Basildon Council in recognition of the heroic efforts serving the community during the coronavirus pandemic.  Freedom of the Borough is the highest honor awarded in exceptional circumstances, where the recipient has provided outstanding services which have brought significant pride and satisfaction to the borough.  outstanding services Four NHS organizations were granted Freed...