Rescue/RIT Accessories news

Hardstaff Barriers has maintained its prestigious FORS Gold status for another year, in recognition of the company’s commitment to fleet safety, efficiency, and environmental protection. The manufacturer and supplier of protective barriers and perimeter security systems first received Gold accreditation in the Fleet Operator Recognition Scheme (FORS) in 2019. The company learned that it had maintained its Gold status – the highest level that can be reached due to its consistently hi...

There are over 1200 NHS hospitals across the UK, spread across 223 NHS trusts, ranging in age and complexity. Very few of them are single stand-alone buildings, instead the sites usually represent complicated infrastructure networks, that have grown and developed over a few decades. This in turn increases the complexity of the fire detection system across the whole site. fire detection challenges The challenges in managing fire detection systems in such structures can be associated with: C...

BBC News has reported the Valley Nursing Home, located in Clogher, County Tyrone is to be deregistered by Northern Ireland care home regulator RQIA (Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority). Critical inspections Critical inspections identified multiple hygiene and safety risks, an RQIA report stated, "Of particular concern, adequate precautions and systems were not in place to manage fire risk.” These ;significant breaches' have resulted in the care home’s deregistration, mea...

There is a rule of thumb that a fire will double in size every minute, which means putting out a fire quickly can drastically reduce the amount of danger and damage it can cause. One of the biggest changes in firefighter speed and effectiveness in the past 50 years has come with the introduction of Compressed Air Foam Systems. ODIN CAF Systems ODIN is known for its industry-renowned CAF Systems; its systems can improve firefighter effectiveness by up to 400%. CAFS have been pioneered and prov...

This is a national effort, led by the Government, to make high-rise residential buildings safer, and give a better understanding of high-rise residential buildings across the country. It has come off the back of the tragic Grenfell Tower disaster and is in its second phase. ACM cladding The first phase of the program focused on Aluminium Composite Material (ACM) cladding. This saw SYFRS, and other fire services right across the country, work with building owners to identify buildings with ACM...

Rave Mobile Safety (Rave), a trusted partner for safety software protecting millions of individuals, announced the acquisition of SwiftReach Networks (SwiftReach), a foremost provider of emergency notification and incident management solutions. The combination of Rave and SwiftReach will provide wide-ranging capabilities and unmatched infrastructure to ensure optimal communications under the most demanding circumstances. Todd Piett, CEO of Rave, said, “The addition of SwiftReach and its F...

Global coatings manufacturer Hempel has enhanced its established and proven Olympic+ and Oceanic+ antifouling range and is, launching five new antifouling solutions: Oceanic Protect+, Oceanic Flex+, Olympic Protect+, Olympic Flex+ and Olympic Protect. Building on their proven effectiveness, reliability and impressive value-for-money, these five new products deliver additional benefits and choice within the existing product range. Hempel’s Olympic+ and Oceanic+ antifouling coatings have be...

Ensuring fire doors are up to standard is a valuable task that should not be underestimated. To comply with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, fire door installation and maintenance is a key requirement for every business to which the order applies. Regular inspection To ensure fire doors will perform as intended in the event of a fire, regular inspections should be undertaken. Six-monthly inspections are recommended by BS 9999, consisting of extensive checks of each component. I...

Container fires on board very large container ships have been sufficiently frequent for the International Union of Marine Insurance (IUMI) to call for a review of the firefighting equipment on board existing vessels. While the ultra-large container ship may bring welcome economies of scale, fire-fighting capabilities on board have not kept pace with the increasing vessel sizes. This creates a serious risk for crew, as well as for cargo owners, ship owners and insurers. Due to vessel size, only...

South Yorkshire’s Fire Service is highlighting the story of a firefighting hero killed during the Sheffield Blitz-exactly 80 years after the events that took his life. Frederick Parkes Spencer was the only permanent, full-time Police Fireman–as they were then known–to have been killed when thousands of tons of explosives were dropped on Sheffield on the night of 12 and 13 December 1940. South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue has already honored Frederick by naming one of the confer...

HazSim's Founder - Phil Ambrose originally developed the HazSim Pro to increase the situational awareness of his peers and improve safety training through realistic experiences.  The HazSim Pro is currently used to train thousands of personnel in Fire, Military, Oil and Gas, and Power facilities across North America. The system is used for basic hazwoper, HazMat Tech/Spec, Confined Space, and any training for those who encounter dangerous atmospheres. Hands-On Simulation Training "The Ha...

The USDA Forest Service seeks public input on two proposed directives that would address safety and reliability for powerline operations on national forests and grasslands. The proposed directives would implement provisions in the 2018 Farm Bill and amendments made in 2018 to the Federal Land Policy and Management Act. The proposed directives also align with U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue’s direction to make national forests and grasslands healthier and more productive. The pr...

Saab signed a contract with the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration and received an order for an integrated sensor and command and control system for use with ground-based air defense. The order value is approximately 2.1 billion SEK and the contract period is 2020-2025. The order includes several Saab’s multifunctional radar Giraffe 4A and upgrades of the Swedish Armed Forces’ existing Giraffe AMB surface radars. Saab will also update existing and deliver additional command and...

EFT announces the recent opening of its End Point Assessment Center. As a NET Approved Center, it will be specializing in assessment for the Fire and Security Pathway Apprenticeship. It is committed to quality and believes the test center to be the center of choice. The facilities have been purpose-built to a high standard to ensure the best experience is achieved for all apprentices as they complete their assessments. This includes breakout areas for apprentices and the use of kitchen facilit...

First responders looking at upgrading their extrication tools are seeing a new letter among The National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA®) standards for performance requirements. And they may be wondering, WTF: What’s the F-test? Tool’s performance ability The new test is a “High Strength Materials” test, otherwise known as the F bar cut test NFPA standards specify performance requirements for powered rescue tools and components that are used by emergency services per...

“At Hempel, we want to put sustainability at the heart of how we do business, and we want to do it with a high level of ambition and credibility. By working with the SBTi, we can enter this journey knowing that we are guided by a very well-credited program,” says Hempel CEO, Lars Petersson. Paul Simpson, CEO of CDP, and the founder of SBTi stresses the need for more companies to do as Hempel and commit to fighting climate change on a scientific basis: “The science is clea...

Glen Echo Fire Department and Santa are pleased to announce the 2020 “Santa Run” schedule. This year, Santa will be visiting from December 14th to December 23rd. As with years past, Santa will do everything he can to make sure he visits each neighborhood on the appointed dates, but this year he wants to make doubly sure everyone stays warm and safe. Some modifications have been made to help protect all of you, as well as Santa and his helpers: Santa asks that they wave from the ho...

There’s a lot of excitement about the COVID-19 vaccines finishing up their Phase III trials and giving everyone hope for putting an end to the current global pandemic. While this is great news, the next hurdle will be distributing Billions of doses of vaccine across the globe while maintaining strict temperature limits to ensure vaccine effectiveness. Each vaccine has different storage temperature requirements for both short and long-term storage and this need to be maintained from the la...

Zitko wholeheartedly supports the Women In Security awards and is delighted to see they’ll be taking place in February 2021, after a COVID-19 postponement. Run by Professional Security Magazine, the awards provide the opportunity to recognize outstanding achievement in several categories, including leadership, technical excellence, and industry contribution.   Contribution to Industry Over her Resourcing Consultant role, Priya has been instrumental in establishing Zitko Talent...

The dates for INTERSCHUTZ have been changed, with the event now taking place from June 20 to June 25, 2022. The decision to reschedule the world's renowned trade fair for the fire, rescue, civil protection and safety/security verticals was taken by Deutsche Messe, after a process of thorough deliberation and intensive discussion with key market players. INTERSCHUTZ In a context that has affected numerous other trade fairs and events taking place all over the world, the move was driven by the l...

When The National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA®) 1937 was ratified on October 25, 2020, it brought with it new recommendations for rescue tool care and maintenance, guiding service technicians and the first responders who use the tools in requirements and best practices that assure end users and the patients they treat are safe during extrications. The standards are already in effect and should be posted online soon; in the meantime, they sat down with HURST Jaws of Life® Engineering Ma...

A clear indication of both, the company’s improved relationship with Government, and the incredible effort of individuals, is the secondment of two specialists from FIA members to the Department of International Trade - UK Defence and Security Exports. Here is what the key people involved in this great partnership have to say. Ian Moore, CEO, FIA: "Working with Government for our members and the wider industry is, and has always been, a key priority. We are proud our relationship with Gov...

Major fire on the railway line in Siegburg, forest fires in Brandenburg, German fire brigades help with extinguishing work in Sweden and similar operations made headlines in the summer of 2018. The experts have learned lessons from their experiences: Many dangers were and are not taken sufficiently seriously!  At the upcoming annual conference of the Association for the Promotion of German Fire Protection (vfdb) from May 27th to 29th in Ulm, the topic “Underestimated Dangers” w...

Apsana Begum, Labour MP for Poplar and Limehouse, has asked the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government “Whether he plans to provide funding for remedial work to buildings that do not comply with fire safety regulations but do not have problems relating to cladding.” The Minister of State (Housing, Communities, and Local Government), Christopher Pincher, Conservative MP for Tamworth, reminded building owners and premises management that fire safety rema...

As part of the Fire Kills Candle Safety Week campaign, Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service (RBFRS) is raising awareness of the fire hazards that come with candles, particularly in the lead-up to Halloween and Diwali. With celebrations looking slightly different this year in light of the COVID-19 control measures in place and with many organized events being canceled, RBFRS is asking residents to take extra care while celebrating in their homes and gardens. Lighting candles with care Gail...

A successful prosecution was brought by Royal Berkshire Fire Authority against a business owner following several serious fire safety breaches. The then business owner - Mr. Sharhan Safie of Paya Restaurant, London Street in Reading, pleaded guilty to nine charges all relating to breaches of the Fire Safety Order at Reading Magistrates Court on 8 November 2019. Nature of breaches Mr. Safie failed to undertake a fire risk assessment and to take adequate fire safety arrangements Following a fi...

Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service (RBFRS) is urging residents to take care when using emollient creams. The warning comes after research from the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC), Anglia Ruskin University, and De Montfort University, which confirmed that both paraffin and non-paraffin emollients can act as accelerants when absorbed into clothing and exposed to naked flames or other heat sources. Risk due to emollient absorption Emollients are not flammable in themselves, but the risk...

The Armed Forces Veterans’ Hub was launched in Royal Berkshire on 7 November, following receipt of the Gold Award in the Ministry of Defence’s Employer Recognition Scheme in 2020. This affirms the Fire Authority and Service’s ongoing commitment to the Armed Forces community. The Armed Forces Veterans’ Hub launch event was hosted virtually by the Fire Authority, coordinated jointly between the Service and MP James Sunderland. It coincided with Remembrance Sunday and has b...

The work of Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service (RBFRS) has again been recognized in the Queen’s New Year Honours list. Chief Fire Officer Trevor Ferguson has been awarded the Queen’s Fire Service Medal for Distinguished Service (QFSM) for services to the fire and rescue sector. This award follows a recent successful inspection by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Service, where Her Majesty’s Inspector Matt Parr concluded, “Our firs...

Bristol Uniforms, a globally renowned designer and manufacturer of protective clothing for emergency services across the globe, has launched a brand new, state-of-the-art PPE design for structural firefighting, offering advanced protection to combat the new and emerging risks faced by modern day firefighters. EOS, PPE for structural fighting EOS, named after the Greek goddess of the dawn, builds on the success of Bristol’s XFlex and UK Collaborative Framework ranges, retaining the popula...