Fire and Rescue news

Based in the heart of Leicester, Beauchamp City Sixth Form has recently opened its doors for its first term to welcome 350 A-Level students, following a dramatic renovation of a city center office block, formerly home to BT. The new four-story college, opened by The Lionheart Academies Trust, presents classrooms, labs, and IT suites, as well as study spaces and a library which will give students “access to the latest academic research in their chosen areas of study”. To ensure fire...

In Kazakhstan, in the city of Shymkent, the municipal authorities launched a pilot project to install carbon monoxide detectors in private houses. The goal of the project is to help the socially disadvantaged as they are the ones most often affected by CO incidents. Ajax wireless fire detectors were chosen for the project. This month they saved the lives of three people, and, as a result, Ajax security system is planned to be mass-installed in thousands of homes. FireProtect Plus detector At...

Intelagard, National Foam, and the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) have teamed up to support the volunteer fire service. Through a special giveaway program, nine volunteer fire departments will be awarded a Macaw® compressed air foam system (CAFS) backpack, nozzle kit, five gallons of Knockdown® firefighting foam, and four gallons of EasyDECON® DF200 to assist them in protecting their responders and their community. Each package is valued at $6,500. Served fire community &l...

The EM 2000 is available in both two-stage and single-stage configurations. The EM has been an incredibly solid product for Metro customers.  New customers, including Edmonton, Charlotte, and Toronto, as well as longtime Darley Demanders Cleveland, Tacoma, Beijing, and many others, have demanded the EM pump, reporting the extremely low total cost of ownership and unparalleled reliability and longevity. Enhanced CFD programs While they are proud of the consistently positive feedback,...

On January 5, 2021, the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) awarded Darley Defense a contract on the 5th iteration of the Special Operational Equipment (SOE) Tailored Logistics Support (TLS) Program. This contract will allow Darley to continue its legacy of contributing to the Nation’s defense. In World War II, Darley was awarded the Army-Navy ‘E’ Award for excellence in production. Currently, Darley continues to produce, but the TLS contract is about distribution, requiring differ...

With the emergence of electric vehicles (EVs) on the roadways, the fire industry is facing new risks. The risks are largely attributed to high voltage batteries which power EVs. High-voltage EV batteries come in many variations but are most commonly of the lithium-ion type. The batteries, which are generally constructed of a series of cells, can enter a state called thermal runaway. When this happens, the battery’s cells burn continuously until de-energized. Voltage levels in EV batterie...

With the increased number of electric vehicles on the road today and projections for the majority of cars having lithium ion and other special batteries in the near future, first responders are faced with new challenges in handling disasters. Battery fires present unique fire hazards, and while there is no emergency response guide or an accepted way to handle these fires, they are offering a way to Contain – Control – Isolate (CCI), preventing fire spread and further damage from tox...

The EM 2000 is available in both two-stage and single-stage configurations. The EM has been an incredibly solid product for Metro customers.  New customers, including Edmonton, Charlotte, and Toronto, as well as longtime Darley Demanders Cleveland, Tacoma, Beijing, and many others, have demanded the EM pump, reporting extremely low total cost of ownership and unparalleled reliability and longevity. enhanced CFD programs While they are proud of the consistently positive fee...

E811B was alerted to respond to a plane crash at the College Park Airport. E811B was dispatched as second due engine, arrived first, and took tactical command. On scene, E811B found one damaged single-propeller plane on the runway. The plane failed to take off properly and subsequently crashed on the runway. The pilot self-extricated with no injuries and refused EMS. E811B scaled back the incident and shortly after returned to service after making contact with the FAA.

On Friday, April 2nd, E811B and A811 were alerted to respond to a multi vehicle accident on Cherry Hill Road. While en route, communications advised that there was a report of people trapped. E811B upgraded the assignment and took tactical command. Upon arriving on scene E811 found one vehicle off the road into a brick wall and another vehicle in the road. E811B scaled back the incident and extricated the driver through the rear driver-side door. Following removing the occupant, the patient was...

Police Chief Jeffrey T. Gillen and Fire Chief Robert Valentine would like to share guidelines and tips in regard to accessing help in the midst of an emergency during National 9-1-1 Education Month. According to the National Emergency Number Association, approximately 240 million calls are made to 911 each year in the United States. 9-1-1 Education Month is recognized across the country to conduct outreach and educate community members on 911 resources and practices. Share informatio...

Drax designed and installed a wireless fire alarm scheme, saving Silva Homes £490,000 in Waking Watch warden fees over 16 months; as well as vastly improving the safety of residents and enhancing the protection of our clients’ property Fire detection challenges  Silva Homes were undertaking a 2-year renovation of an aging multi-story residential block, following the discovery of inadequate fire barriers and compartments. Silva took the issue seriously and decided that the enti...

The University of Oxford has taken steps to ensure that across their city-wide site, life safety is prioritized. With clear visibility of the alarm status of all buildings, response times are faster and false alarms have been greatly reduced. Alarm monitoring solution The alarm systems at Oxford are built up of a multitude of legacy and new equipment spanning a 30 year period. The buildings are also situated across the whole city. With the old fiber ring being disconnected it was important fo...

With Independence Day coming up soon, residents are reminded of the City’s fireworks ordinance, which mimics state law. During and leading up to Independence Day in 2021, residents are permitted to use fireworks on the following days and times: Between 11 a.m. and 11:45 p.m. on June 29, June 30, July 1, July 2, July 3, and July 4. Fireworks outside designated dates        Anyone found discharging fireworks outside of the designated dates and times is subjec...

As summer approaches and residents become busy with activities and trips, the city encourages them to register any vacations with the Dearborn Police Department to provide an extra layer of safety to their homes. Periodic monitoring of homes Through the Dearborn Police Reserve Vacation House Check Program, residents can request that officers periodically monitor the perimeter of their home while they are on vacation, and contact them if something seems amiss. Tips to protect home Other tips...

When Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) calculates the water rates for Dearborn and every community they supply water to, they look at the peak hourly usage for that city. If Dearborn as a community can lower water use during peak hours, it can affect the future water rates from GLWA. Off-peak hours are from midnight through 5 a.m. These hours do not count when GLWA calculates Dearborn’s peak usage rate for water, which affects water cost significantly. By setting an automatic lawn sprin...

Failing to take the appropriate steps to both prevent and manage fire risk isn’t just a foolish oversight. As a business owner, it is a legal obligation to protect the premises, workers, customers, and neighbors from the risk of fire. Expert Fire Solutions’ director and fire protection specialist Alan Raine has come up with five fundamental fire safety tenets that every business should stick to. Follow Alan’s advice and be rest assured that as well as protecting the business f...

Eurotech introduces the latest in fire alarm technology, the world’s first fully touch screen, EN54 certified fire alarm panel. Launched to the industry immediately, the Toccare Touch Screen Intelligent Fire Alarm Panel is the first truly aesthetically designed fire alarm panel developed to slip seamlessly into high-end, exclusive surroundings. ‘Revolution’ in fire alarm technology The Toccare range of fire alarm panels sits unimposingly in design-le...

Like many Fire and Rescue Service’s across the country, BFRS have been utilizing their services to support the mass vaccine rollout. In the last few weeks, the Service has been responsible for setting up vaccination centers across Bedfordshire and Luton to help vaccinate our communities. Challenge In just 24 hours, BFRS set up a walk-up vaccination pilot, opening the doors to numbers of people who were eligible for the vaccine. Station Commander Robert Hulatt, who led the operation said...

With new fire safety legislations demanding a renewed focus on safety in all residential settings, Karen Trigg of Allegion UK explains why care home and sheltered housing associations must prioritise the maintenance of fire doors. The regulations and standards associated with fire safety and sheltered, assisted and social housing are, by necessity, robust. Yet, the responsibilities towards those standards, and subsequently, fire safety equipment such as fire doors, can often leave people vuln...

Heathfield is a dynamic and vibrant boarding school for girls aged 11-18, surrounded by stunning grounds in Ascot, Berkshire, with outstanding facilities. The school has an unrivaled emphasis on nurturing each girl so that she achieves the best possible results while living life to the full by participating in sport, drama, music, art, and an extended variety of extra-curricular activities. Work has just been completed on the new STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths) facility. This...

Esri UK announces a new partnership with drone specialists heliguy™ to complete its end-to-end drone solution for the emergency services industry. The final piece in Esri UK’s strategy to offer all parts of the drone workflow, the partnership will provide customers with drone hardware, payloads, and pilot training from heliguy, combined with Esri’s drone flight planning, data capture, data processing, and GIS software. Desktop data processing Esri UK and heliguy will work on...

A report by David Wales, funded and supported by IFEDA (Independent Fire Engineering & Distributors Association), has been published discussing fire extinguishers (released 30/03/2021). The report, an evaluation of the role of fire extinguishers, 'was produced to provide an evidence-based assessment of the role of portable fire extinguishers within dwellings'. This includes private dwellings and HMOs (Houses in Multiple Occupations). FRS response time Within this document, it is reported...

Security platform provider - LenelS2 is joining Zitko Talent, an alliance dedicated to attracting and developing new engineering talent for the fire and security industry.  The company will be contributing its highly respected CPD courses to the syllabus, along with training and accreditation in LenelS2’s OnGuard and NetBox solutions for the staff of its registered VAR network.  training and education It’s another major milestone for Zitko Talent, whose partners include...

The Fire Standards Board for England is seeking views by 9 April on a new overarching standard for Fire Protection. Having recently published the first fire standards focused on operations, the Board is now consulting on two draft standards for protection and prevention. The Fire Standards Board commissioned the development of the Fire Protection Fire Standard through the National Fire Chiefs Council’s Protection Policy and Reform Unit (PPRU). A working group, with representation from ser...

Even the most hazmat-phobic firefighter understands that chemical agents are added to odorless natural gas to make it obvious when there’s a leak. Beyond that baseline of basic knowledge, firefighter understanding of how odor agents work and how to detect the danger behind the smell can be all over the map.  Refresher courses for safety Whether it is teaching hazmat to new cadets, conducting annual refresher courses, or leading a team of firefighters into hazmat scenarios, having th...

 Verint®, The Customer Engagement Company™ announced that it has named its Latin American Partner of the Year award winners across several categories, which were presented at the company’s Sales Kickoff event. leverage AI and analytics The annual recognition honors Verint partners for outstanding achievement. Each winner partnered closely with Verint to help their customers build enduring customer relationships by connecting work, data, and experiences across the ente...

There is currently a semiconductor shortage that is affecting some industries, including the automotive sector. The semiconductor shortage has reduced PACCAR’s truck deliveries in the first quarter of 2021, by approximately 3,000 vehicles. Semiconductor shortage PACCAR’s first quarter 2021 truck deliveries are estimated to be approximately 42,000 vehicles, compared to 40,800 vehicles delivered in the fourth quarter of 2020. The company anticipates that the semiconductor shortage w...

When ISO announced on December 1st, 2017 that ISO/IEC 17025:2017, 'General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories', had been updated, the conformity assessment community was aware that this would be one of the largest scale transitions of an accreditation standard ever undertaken. ISO/IEC 17025 ISO/IEC 17025 is the most popular international reference standard ISO/IEC 17025 is the most popular international reference standard for ensuring the competence of tes...

Getting wet in the rain is one of the worst feelings. But what’s worse is having to work while it’s pouring. The cold & damp weather, the drenched feeling, the boots soaking wet throughout the day, poor visibility, and the slipping tools due to poor grip, all make the entire experience not only difficult but also hazardous. How does it impact a business? Rain can pose a serious risk to the overall health and well-being of workers, eventually impacting the business. For instanc...