Software news

Registration is now open for the National Volunteer Fire Council’s (NVFC) 2022 Health & Safety Training Summit. The Summit will take place from Friday, June 24 to Saturday, June 25, 2022, in Orlando, Florida, USA. The conference is open to all volunteer firefighters, EMS providers, department leadership, and other fire department personnel from across the United States. 2022 Health & Safety Training Summit This two-day classroom-based training is an opportunity to learn from lea...

The search for power solutions to decarbonize commercial vehicles and off-highway equipment took an exciting turn in the summer of 2021, with an announcement from Cummins, Inc. Cummins’s hydrogen-fueled engine development program is one of the company’s latest steps to advance zero-carbon technology. Customers are taking notice and so are governments. Indeed, judging by some reactions, it's almost as if Cummins has just reinvented the internal combustion engine (ICE). Of course, pro...

Regulations limiting greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) from motor vehicles are tightening around the world. With this, both hydrogen engines and hydrogen fuel cells are receiving an increasing interest. Net zero CO2 emissions goals Given medium and heavy-duty trucks are major sources of CO2 emissions, the transportation sector’s journey to destination net zero CO2 emission features both technologies. As more truck makers join the ranks of auto companies developing CO2-free or CO2-neutral...

The Housing Select Committee is encouraging written evidence to help its scrutiny of the government’s approach to getting developers to fund the costs of remediating building safety defects. Since the government changed its approach to funding the cost of fixing building safety defects by going after the developers and manufacturers of construction products such as cladding and insulation, the Housing Select Committee will look at the effectiveness and impact of its approach. funding arr...

Cases of arson are still commonplace in the construction industry and are widely believed to be the number one cause of on-site fires. An ongoing problem requires a proactive defense mechanism, as John Tyrer, Sales Director at wireless solutions firm Ramtech North America, explains. Causes of arson Irreplaceable heritage buildings lost, costs that go through the roof, and progress that cannot be recovered, the effects of arson are vast and uniquely upsetting. But these are concerns consi...

Eurotech partners with Veritas to offer fire risk assessment support and fire strategy planning for client sites. Veritas provides full third-party certified support under the BAFE SP205 certification scheme to ensure the very best advice and support is provided for all elements of the assessment and any subsequent works that may be required. In the period since the publication of the Hackitt report post the Grenfell fire, the expectations of the assessment as the prima-face document on which a...

Surrey Fire and Rescue to migrate to FireWatch solutions that target greater agility, increase visibility of resources and support flexible ways of working. Infographics is pleased to announce a joint project with Surrey Fire and Rescue Service to deliver a program of technology innovation. The project will focus on providing anytime, anywhere access for its FRS users, including their ‘on call’ firefighters and managers, increasing real-time visibility of availability and resources,...

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 requires that a fire risk assessment is kept up to date and redone if there are any kind of significant changes within the workplace. So while there is no law that specifies exactly how often a building must have a fire risk assessment, there is guidance outlined. The New Year is a great time to review the existing fire safety. The new year signals a new start, and if the business is usually a little slow throughout January, it’s the ideal ti...

The Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning (ML) technologies have taken machinery maintenance to new heights. These enhanced benefits have been especially important within the field service industry. FieldEquip is here to share the 3 key benefits these innovative technologies can have for equipment care.  IoT Independent Data Collection How do users collect data from machinery? Manual data collection requires extensive on-site presence, which makes t...

A new code of practice for the fire risk appraisal of external walls and cladding of multi-occupancy residential buildings has been published by BSI. The code has been developed to support the changes to the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 brought about by the Fire Safety Act 2021, which provides for the fire performance of exterior walls and cladding to be a material consideration. PAS 9980:2022 Fire risk appraisal The code, PAS 9980:2022 Fire risk appraisal of external wall...

Fotokite a Swiss startup making fully autonomous tethered UAVs for firefighting and public safety teams, announces that it has closed a CHF 13.7M ($14.8M) series B financing round and outlines its plans to expand operations in 2022. MSA Safety Inc., the pioneer in the development, manufacture, and supply of advanced safety solutions that protect people and facility infrastructures, led Fotokite’s financing round alongside Swisscanto Invest, a Zurich-based tech growth fund with existing in...

Five new towers at the University of Brighton’s Moulsecoomb campus are now protected by a fault-tolerant network of MxPro 5 fire panels from global fire systems leader, Advanced. The 13 networked MxPro 5 panels have been installed to protect the five student accommodation towers varying between eight and 18 storeys, which will provide more than 800 student bedrooms as well as ground-floor fitness facilities and amenities for the students’ union. fire system integrated with Third-pa...

Advanced’s industry-renowned MxPro 5 fire alarm control panel is now compatible with Hochiki’s most sophisticated addressable multi-sensor device, the ACD. The new development enables Advanced’s customers to install its EN54 parts 2, 4 and 13-approved MxPro 5 fire panels, alongside an even wider range of detection devices, delivering increased choice and flexibility. MxPro 5 fire panels As an open protocol fire panel manufacturer, we understand how important choice is to our...

The Upton Technology Committee is seeking ways to improve internet access for all residents of Upton. The experience of the past 2 years has illustrated how important fast, reliable and affordable internet service is for students and those working from home. It plans to use the results of this survey to make recommendations to the Board of Selectmen for considering new technologies that can provide fast, reliable, and affordable high-speed internet access to all households interested in this se...

MSA Safety, the global pioneer in the development, manufacture, and supply of safety products that protect people and facility infrastructures, announced its participation at Intersec 2022 in the Dubai World Trade Center. Over the three-day conference, MSA will showcase its extensive portfolio of connected safety solutions and personal protective equipment (PPE) for both the industrial and fire markets, representing an innovative range of top-to-toe protection. Fire and rescue services Nigel E...

Comelit-PAC has upgraded its entire fire system range with the launch of LogiFire, which represents a complete technical and aesthetic evolution of its innovative addressable platforms. LogiFire, from newly formed Comelit-PAC, is guaranteed by a new range of control panels.  The systems can be expanded from 1 to 8 loops and support up to 2000 devices on an 8-loop system and have a greater loop capacity of 700 mAh. The panels are feature rich and have many onboard fault-finding diagnostics....

Following the unprecedented year prior, 2021 continued to present significant challenges for everyone, but Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service continued to deliver its vital services, while also providing support for partner agencies. The year began with mopping up from significant flooding across the county over the Christmas period. The country was also in the midst of another national lockdown, with those that were able to still working from their homes. Staff across the Service pulled o...

Five new towers at the University of Brighton’s Moulsecoomb Campus are now protected by a fault-tolerant network of MxPro 5 fire panels from global fire systems pioneer, Advanced. The 13 networked MxPro 5 panels have been installed to protect the five student accommodation towers varying between eight and 18 storeys, which will provide more than 800 student bedrooms as well as ground-floor fitness facilities and amenities for the students’ union. Automatic opening vents Responsibl...

In the field service industry, proper inventory management is essential to a successful business. However, with spare parts stored across warehouses, stockrooms, and technician vehicles, it can be easy to let valuable inventory slip through the cracks. Let’s take a closer look at how you can effectively manage field spare parts inventory using the latest field service software. After all, inventory is an expense waiting to be converted into revenue. It is the mismanaging of spare parts i...

The past 18 months have been transformational in many ways. Events such as the COVID-19 pandemic, increasing safety legislation, and a squeeze on profit margins have been a catalyst for change, thereby leading to significant investments in new software. It’s also put the spotlight on productivity and efficiency. According to ONS figures, productivity levels in construction have remained consistently below the UK average, until more recently. New digital strategy However, civil engineeri...

A trusted provider of fire safety for over 100 years, Kidde announced the launch of its latest innovation – the Smoke + Carbon Monoxide Alarm with smart features and corresponding new mobile app. Designed for Wi-Fi connectivity, the alarm and app function not only as a standalone safety solution, but, notably, is the first smart system that can transform existing Kidde hardwired interconnected alarms into smart ones with an easy and fully integrated solution that offers whole-ho...

Life safety manufacturer, Hochiki Europe, has announced a new perfect fit partnership which will enable its most sophisticated addressable multi-sensor device, the ACD, to be compatible with the MxPro 5 range of addressable fire control panels from Advanced Electronics. This new partnership with Advanced Electronics allows Hochiki’s ACD addressable loop-powered multi-sensor, with smoke, heat and CO sensing elements to be installed in even more projects than was previously possible...

In an effort to move autonomous driving and vehicle safety forward, Texas Instruments (TI) has announced an expansion of its automotive offerings that can help automakers improve how advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) sense objects. TI’s new AWR2944 radar sensor TI’s new AWR2944 radar sensor adds to the company's extensive portfolio of analog and embedded processing products and technologies, giving automotive engineers more tools that can fuel vehicle innovation. The increa...

Following a year off, Intersec is back and Hochiki Middle East FZE, part of the Hochiki Group, is excited to announce that they will be at the event in January. The expert Middle East team will be sharing a range of greener products, as well as discussing what the future holds for fire system design and how customer insight is driving this innovation. The Hochiki Middle East team of experts will be on hand to demo the new L@titude system. With huge investments made in the research and developme...

With ‘big data’ capture now firmly on the agenda for many organizations, digital tools such as NFC tags offer a way to record detailed information accurately and efficiently – especially when the accuracy of location is important. Near field communication is nothing new. It is a subset of the RFID technology behind contactless bank cards, and is essentially a type of communication technology that allows the secure transfer of information between two chips. Logging employee at...

A new survey has been launched by employers and industry bodies to help support the creation of a new fire and emergency apprenticeship scheme for Wales. competence and qualification Pat Allen, Chair of the FESS Employer Group, said of the survey, "In recent years there have been several developments designed to raise competence and qualification levels in the Fire and Security Industries." He adds, "In England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland these have included the introduction of specialist...

But in a sector where technology is moving quickly, asset owners can sometimes feel ‘out of the loop’ when it comes to the digital tools being used by building contractors, many of which are delivering great improvements in terms of safety and compliance. For those who consider themselves in that camp, now is the time to get up to speed. As they have seen over the past year with the announcement of the Building Safety Regulator, the Building Safety Bill will usher in major changes a...

Within the field service industry, organizing the business’s schedule can be one of the hardest challenges to tackle. As they juggle several different jobs, employee metrics, and equipment usage, it can be easy to let something important fall through the cracks. With the technology at disposal, now is the time to start working smarter instead of harder. A field service management software with mobile compatibility can help. Here are some of the scheduling and dispatch benefits they can e...

"With the Frequentis product line ASGARD, which is specifically designed for use in fire brigade and industry control center in the German market, we offer a flexible, highly reliable software solution for safety-critical control center. ASGARD strengthens Frequentis' strong position in the German public safety market," says Frequentis CEO - Norbert Haslacher. Frequentis was awarded the contracts for the projects in the context of EU-wide tenders. Frequentis Germany will be responsible for the...

The plenary session of ITU-T Study Group 20 was held online recently, with representatives from 40 countries attending the meeting. In the meeting, the draft Recommendation "Requirements and Reference functional model of IoT-based smart forest firefighting system" (Y.IoT-SFFS) led by Dahua Technology was given consent for a final review process leading to approval. It’s revealed on International Telecommunication Union (ITU) work program page that the Recommendation will go through the tr...