Fire and Rescue news

Savannah, GA Local 574 will host the 57th annual U.S. and Canadian Professional Fire Fighters Golf Tournament in October after a one-year delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The three-day event on October 18-20, 2021, is expected to draw hundreds of IAFF members and family members and raise $1 million in revenue for the City of Savannah. Proceeds will benefit the Local 574 Fallen Fire Fighters Foundation. The event registration will include a hotel, three rounds of golf on different courses, br...

Gorman-Rupp is introducing the EchoStorm™, a new venturi aeration device designed to add dissolved oxygen to liquids in a variety of industrial and municipal wastewater applications. The EchoStorm™ is available in four different sizes, ranging from 2” to 6” (50 to 150 mm). Depending on the paired pump and piping size, the aerator is capable of operating from 50 to 1300 GPM (3.2 to 82.0 LPS), adding up to 857 pounds (389 kgs) of dissolved oxygen per day. Engineered pumpi...

The Columbia-Richland Fire Department is working with the Columbia Police Department to investigate the causes of three fires that occurred in the Booker-Washington Heights neighborhood. No one was injured during the incidents. While investigators acknowledge that the fires all happened in close proximity to each other, they cannot say with certainty if the fires are connected. The investigations are in the infancy stages and investigators continue to gather information to determine if the fir...

The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) will host its inaugural Recruitment and Retention Experience on September 17-18, 2021, in Cleveland, OH. This interactive educational and networking conference is open to all volunteer firefighters and EMS providers nationwide, with sessions targeted toward department leadership and recruitment officers. Registration for the same has begun as space is limited. Safety and Health focused conferences The NVFC Recruitment and Retention Experience builds...

Just as compact as a conventional fire extinguisher or stirrup pump, but with a much higher extinguishing power: The RFC POLY Portex portable CAFS fire extinguisher is also highly versatile thanks to its practical accessories.In the event of a fire alarm in a public building, at the fire watch of a large event, or for smaller firefighting operations: with the RFC POLY Portex one is not only on scene quickly, but one also has plenty of extinguishing power available when it matters. The CAFS fir...

For many years, the Nittan Technical Support line has been an essential first point of contact for many customers, and even more so with recent social distancing rules meaning engineers were often alone on site and in need of manufacturer support and guidance.To cope with this recent higher call rate, they have now increased the support available, with two dedicated members of the team picking up direct Tech Support calls, and always happy to support customers in their hour of need. To help p...

Oshkosh Airport Products' mission is to deliver the safest and most innovative custom-built vehicles on the runway, including aircraft rescue and firefighting (ARFF) vehicles. Backed by 100 years of heavy-duty truck manufacturing experience at Oshkosh Corporation, Oshkosh Airport Products listens to the customer and provides quality aircraft rescue products built to serve customers' needs. Below are key legacy features that make the Striker ARFF perform and meet this mission. ARFF Cab User Exp...

Ambulance crews have started responding to 999 calls from a fire station in Doncaster where a new local ambulance response point has been located. Following a year of planning and preparation between South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue and Yorkshire Ambulance Service, the construction of a multi-use Portakabin has been completed on-site at Rossington Fire Station. The Portakabin The Portakabin, which is fully operational, will act as a base for ambulance crews working in and around the Rossingt...

Road safety barrier experts from Hardstaff Barriers delivered a Vehicle Restraint System (VRS) seminar yesterday to their largest-ever audience. More than 130 employees from construction and infrastructure services company, Kier, were invited to Hardstaff’s popular online Highway VRS CPD Seminar. Nigel Bullock and Sarah Compton outlined the importance of adhering to the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges (DMRB) ‘CD 377 Requirements for road restraint systems’ document. Preca...

The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) and Columbia Southern University (CSU) are partnering for the 13th year to support volunteer responders by offering two scholarships to NVFC members to help them further their education in the fire and emergency services. Each scholarship will cover up to 60 credit hours towards one online degree program. CSU offers a wide range of accredited degree programs, including fire science, fire administration, occupational safety and health, and more. The uni...

KIMTEK has added a large capacity model to its brush truck series skid unit lineup. The new Series FIRELITE® FDHP-303-300 skid unit is desired by departments needing larger water capacity, affordable brush truck units with Darley Davey Pumps. To additionally meet departments' specific needs, KIMTEK offers the new 300 gallon model in options that include a patient transport area that can hold a longboard or stokes basket or accommodate other optional items that can be added such as storage b...

Portable fire extinguishers play a vital role in preventing a fire from becoming a major conflagration. Indeed, the guidance notes of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order (FSO) references this very point, stating how the safe use of an appropriate fire extinguisher to control a fire in its early stages significantly reduces the risk to people and property. In fact, according to the Fire Industry Association (FIA), almost 90% of workplace fires are successfully fought with a fire extinguishe...

Seek Thermal, a renowned manufacturer of affordable, high-performance thermal imaging sensors and products across the globe, announced the expansion of its Mosaic Core™ family, which now includes 53 total product offerings. This wide range of highly versatile OEM Thermal Cameras is configurable by resolution, field of view, and frame rate – for virtually any application – to give developers the ability to integrate high-resolution thermal imaging into even more products that c...

Housing Committee Chair, Clive Betts MP sets out his concerns about the gap between the guidance for external wall surveys and the reaction of mortgage lenders to their implementation, which is leaving leaseholders to face the consequences. Issues with the EWS1 process The Chair of the Housing, Communities, and Local Government Committee, Clive Betts MP, wrote to the government on 21 May to highlight continuing issues with the EWS1 process. This follows the publication of guidance in March by...

Grass, crop, and woodland fires can have a devastating impact, injuring or killing wildlife, destroying property and livelihoods, and even putting people’s lives at risk. As users enter peak season for these types of incidents, residents, workers, and visitors are being urged to do their bit to reduce the number of accidental grass fires across the county. Most grass fires happen between May and September when grassland can get very dry, and many are caused by out-of-control bonfires...

With the start of a new year comes expected change. 2021 is no different for the Automotive Service Technician with some finalized rules behind Motor Vehicle Air Conditioning (MVAC) service. The EPA, under the direction of Administrator Wheeler, signed a final rule entitled, “Protection of Stratospheric Ozone: Motor Vehicle Air Conditioning Systems Servicing”, on Monday, January 11, 2021. SAE safety standards Under this new ruling, any person repairing or servicing an R-1234yf MVA...

The new Fire Safety Bill (FSB) for England and Wales has been lauded by some in the fire industry, as the answer to many of the challenges faced post the Grenfell tragedy era, but it may not be as far-reaching as many had expected. Stacey Adams, the Market Development Manager at Apollo Fire Detectors Ltd, takes a look at the Fire Safety Bill, what it contains, what it aims to achieve, and its implications for the fire industry. New Fire Safety Bill for England and Wales The new Fire Safety Bi...

Northern Minnesota’s International Falls Fire Department (IFFD), together with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, quickly extinguished a dangerous wildfire on the shore of Rainy Lake. On May 18th, amid elevated fire danger conditions and high winds, the fire jumped across open water from Frank Island to Voyageurs National Park on the U.S. mainland, but those responding swiftly extinguished it with help from a new Lake Assault Boats fireboat. Fireboat stationed on rainy lake...

In a brand-new episode of Assembly Point, RIBA past president, Jane Duncan OBE, explores why fire safety must be taken seriously, and what action still needs to be taken to ensure tragic events such as Grenfell are never repeated. Jane is the Chair of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Expert Advisory Group on Fire Safety formed shortly after the Grenfell Tower fire in June 2017. Its work is based on two key principles: To be visible and transparent in their discussion and outp...

Greater Manchester Fire and rescue service rounds off National Sprinkler Week with new videos promoting the benefits of sprinklers for local businesses. Love 2 Sleep is a major supplier of bedding to hotels, NHS and others based in Salford. There was a fire in their factory at 0215 which activated the sprinkler system; this alerted both the fire and rescue service as well as the business owner. Results of sprinklers Speaking about the fire in this video, the company representative said: &ldqu...

Firefighters from across the country participated in the National Fallen Fire Fighter Softball Tournaments in October 2020 and May 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Organizers of the annual event typically donate $10,000 from the proceeds to the IAFF Fallen Fire Fighter Memorial every two years, but this year was able to give $12,500. The check was presented on May 3 at Hennessey’s Tavern in downtown Las Vegas. “It was an honor to accept this check on behalf of the IAFF Foundation,”...

If they’re a busy office manager, checking the fire safety requirements for the commercial building is normally one of the last things on their mind.  With so much to think about, like constant emails and endless calls, it can be easy for regular fire safety checks to slip off the to-do list. fire safety best practices Fire safety drills have slipped to one side while they finish their quarterly reporting The hectic day-to-day, hustle and bustle of the office can mean corners are...

Notting Hill Genesis is looking for fire experts to help with fire safety and compliance across its 66,000 portfolios of homes across London and the southeast. fire safety services Launched on the government’s procurement portal Tenders Direct on 18 May, the Fire Consultants Framework 2021 is made up of five lots that cover a range of fire safety services related to the design, construction, refurbishment, maintenance, and management of housing stock. The housing association has allocat...

A court in Preston fined the former owner of the Plaza Beach Hotel in Blackpool £15,000 for multiple breaches of the Fire Safety Order that saw it treated as an unofficial HMO. Findings Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service first visited the hotel in September 2017 and prohibited its use after finding: Several members of staff sleeping in the basement with inadequate fire detection, Fire separation throughout the hotel was inadequate, Fire doors would not close, Combustible materials...

With the COVID outbreak making business travel and exhibitions almost impossible over the last 15 months, it was great to see the productts on show at Fire Australia. Whilst scaled down from previous editions of the show, Fire Australia 2021 still featured a comprehensive conference programme which ran alongside the exhibition. The Australian partners, FlameStop, were among the 80 companies exhibiting and took the opportunity to promote products from the Solo and Testifire ranges. Rob Glover,...

    A harmonized standard is  a European standard elaborated on the basis of a request from the European Commission to a recognized European Standards Organisation (CEN, CENELEC or ETSI) to develop a European standard that provides solutions for compliance with a legal provision. Manufacturers and other economic operators or conformity assessment bodies can use harmonised standards to demonstrate that products, services or processes comply with relevant EU legislation. The...

    A harmonized standard is  a European standard elaborated on the basis of a request from the European Commission to a recognized European Standards Organisation (CEN, CENELEC or ETSI) to develop a European standard that provides solutions for compliance with a legal provision. Manufacturers and other economic operators or conformity assessment bodies can use harmonised standards to demonstrate that products, services or processes comply with relevant EU legislation. The...

Dr. Alexander Charlish is the first Fraunhofer scientist to be awarded the prestigious IEEE Radar Research Prize. He is the first Fraunhofer researcher and the second German ever to receive the prestigious IEEE Fred Nathanson Memorial Radar Award. Dr. Alexander Charlish, a scientist and team pioneer at Fraunhofer FKIE, received the international award for his outstanding work in the field of radar resource management and cognitive radar. Since 1985, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics E...

West Midlands Fire Service starts a 12-month trial of aerial drones to provide valuable footage to help with responding to fires and for fire investigations. The drones will be used to take video footage and high-resolution still images above incidents. Drones Drones can provide improve situational awareness for those in charge of incidents, helping decision-making and operational response. The six drones that WMFS will be using over the next year are M2ED drones that have a 30-minute flight...

Essex Fire Chief pledges £70,000 to the local council to ensure most vulnerable benefit from sprinklers as part of match funding approach to dealing with fire risk across the county. sprinklers Seven housing estates in the Felmores area of Basildon will be retrofitted with sprinklers. Previously, Essex County Fire and Rescue Service provided £50,000 to Basildon Council to fit sprinklers in a high-rise residential block. This announcement coincides with the NFCC’s National Sp...