Training Equipment news

NHS Property Services stated that there was a "number of reports of hand sanitizer being the cause of fires when left in vehicles in the hot weather the UK is currently experiencing". It informed NHS employees that the heatwave could cause alcohol-based gels to reach their "flashpoint", which would see them burst into flames when the vapor in them comes into contact with hot air. Sanitizer risks associated with A spark "With the hot summer approaching, there was a concern for our facilities m...

As the COVID-19 pandemic affects communities across the United States, it has also impacted in-person fundraising for the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA). For 66 years, the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) has collected critical funds in the community, one dollar at a time, as part of the ‘Fill the Boot’ program. This summer, the program will launch virtually to address social distancing guidelines for the firefighters and the vulnerable community MDA serves....

Hundreds of fire industry professionals from over 30 countries have benefitted from Apollo Fire Detectors’ free online training courses available throughout the COVID-19 lockdown period. The weekly virtual CPD seminars and product focused webinars have proved so popular that the company has extended the initial six- week program of events into July and August, and potentially beyond. the next phase of courses Warren Moyle, Senior Technical Support Engineer at Apollo Fire Detectors, who...

The Healthy Forest Restoration Act of 2003 was the initiating legislation for the development of Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP). This legislation encourages communities to develop these plans to help reduce their risk to wildfire loss, as well as create healthier natural ecosystems. The ambiguity in the legislation allows communities to develop effective plans that are relevant to their conditions and can change as community capacity, and other conditions change. Why it is important...

BAFE shared the announcement made by Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Most notably, the one meter plus rule (in England) will help in the continuation of the fire safety industry gaining access to buildings to perform essential fire safety work and maintenance as required by legislation. We await further guidance to be released by Government in the near future which will assist the industry to determinedly continue with extreme care and diligence. Fire safety provisions Stephen Adams, Chief Exec...

During the FDIC team’s extensive outreach and conversations with the fire service, there was an overwhelming desire expressed by firefighters to come together in the fall to celebrate the unity of the fire service, learn, and support ongoing efforts in serving their communities and continue training. These requests are being answered with the launch of a new event, United Fire Conference, that will take place September 22-24, 2020, at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, IN. The...

The NVFC welcomes new Advocate Member DripDrop ORS (oral rehydration solution), producer of electrolyte powder sticks that provide dehydration relief fast. Invented by a doctor to save lives while serving on a humanitarian aid trip, it is used by medical professionals, elite athletes, firefighters, and every day people who suffer from dehydration due to heat exhaustion, illness, travel, and more.

TRANSCAER and the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) are hosting a series of free Ethanol Emergency Response webinars as well as a train-the-trainer webinar. These courses are being offered online due to the pandemic and current social distancing guidelines. Take advantage of this special opportunity to get this important training online. RFA has conducted nearly 300 in person ethanol safety seminars across the country.  Ethanol Emergency Response Webinar Due to current circumstances and...

Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (TEEX) Emergency Services Training Institute, a Sustaining member of the National Volunteer Fire Council and provider in high-quality emergency response training and instruction, is offering free and low-cost online firefighting continuing education courses. With many firefighters looking for affordable online training opportunities during the pandemic, these courses are a great option to incorporate into department training. Emergency responders can...

In a typical year, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) encourages the public to only attend public fireworks displays put on by trained professionals, reflecting its’ long-standing position against consumer use of fireworks. However, with public fireworks events around the country being canceled in the year 2020, NFPA is vigorously discouraging individuals’ use of consumer fireworks, recognizing that the likelihood of such activities may increase in the absence of public...

The FIA assisted the National Fire Commercial Transformation Programme (NFCTP) that is led by Kent’s Chief Fire Officer Ann Millington by engaging the members and asking them to leverage their contacts in wider industry sectors to source PPE such as gloves, masks as well as hand sanitizer. The FIA ensured that all suggested suppliers had evidence to prove that they were compliant with the appropriate standards as defined by the technical due diligence process outlined by Kent Fire and Resc...

Every year, thousands of farmers and commercial grain handlers risk their lives by entering grain bins to remove clumped or rotted grain. As rural communities have come to know all too well, an accident in a grain bin can quickly turn deadly. In just seconds, adults can sink to their waist in flowing grain, rendering them completely trapped without the proper rescue devices. These accidents result in dozens of lost lives each year, and deaths have spiked in 2019 and early 2020 due to the wet har...

The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF), The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (NLEOMF) and Mag Instrument, U.S. Manufacturer of the iconic MAGLITE® flashlight, have partnered with the Pedestrian Safety Institute (PSI) to drive awareness of the deadliest days of the year for pedestrian and traffic fatalities in the Month of July. July has been designated National Roadside Traffic Safety Awareness Month because of the spike in accidents and fatalities during that tim...

Pallet Consultants Nationwide announced a donation of pallets from its facility in Atlanta, Georgia has been used in live fire training by the Forest Park Fire Department. The City of Forest Park is a suburb of Atlanta, and beginning its fire department will use the donation of more than 500 pallets to train and recertify over 60 firefighters and fire training officers to make them more effective in the field. Shortage of pallets Forest Park Fire Department Captain Jon Baker said training is a...

California and Nevada Air National Guards brought out their heavy assets June 15-19, 2020, in preparation for each state’s biggest annual enemies i.e. wildfires. wildland firefighting training A slew of C-130 Hercules aircraft from both western states filled the skies above Tahoe National Forest in Forest Hill, California, during U.S. Department of Agriculture Forestry Service-sponsored wildland firefighting training. With multiple state and federal organizations participating, the Cal...

The Congressional Fire Services Institute (CFSI) takes this opportunity during National EMS Week to honor the men and women serving in fire and emergency services departments across the nation who deliver pre-hospital 9-1-1 emergency medical care. The fire service has a rich history of protecting the health and safety of the communities through an ‘all hazards’ response model that includes the delivery of pre-hospital emergency medical care. Fire service-based EMS providers are loca...

June 14 marked the third anniversary of the Grenfell Tower tragedy. As an organization, and as individuals, all have spent the last few days reflecting deeply on the Grenfell Tower disaster where 72 people tragically lost their lives and countless other lives changed forever. ‘The Bishop of Kensington, Graham Tomlin, said commemorating the fire has been "quite a challenge" because of coronavirus. Remembering Grenfell Yet thousands of people illuminated their rooms and houses green for G...

Beyond keeping the industry updated on the latest updates on the most important topics, the FIA is actively involved in these topics through its work with Government, councils and committees. The section aims to serve as a collection of the FIA’s involvement with a variety of topics and will be continuously updated moving forward with links to the relevant news story where available. This will allow one to see what FIA have done and are doing to improve the industry for the members. COVID...

The tragic Grenfell Tower fire incident occurred three years ago, on the 14th of June 2017. BAFE, the British Approvals for Fire Equipment has offered thoughts to the families and friends, at this time, who have lost loved ones and who have been affected in other ways by the saddening Grenfell Tower fire event. safeguarding lives in fire incidents BAFE have been working diligently to assist in making positive change to safeguard from any future loss of life and to dramatically improve building...

On April 29, National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) Chair Steve Hirsch asked President Donald Trump to exercise various legal authorities to assist emergency services organizations in dealing with challenges associated with COVID-19 and social distancing. Specifically, the NVFC is asking the President to: Exercise his authority under the Defense Protection Act (DPA) to encourage manufacturers to produce more personal protective equipment, like respirators, gloves, gowns, and face shields, to...

ISSEE’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Gordon Storey announced that the organization was forced to close their training facilities with the staff working from home as advised by the UK Government. This also meant that the students attending the International Ammunition Technician’s course were also confined, in isolation, to their accommodation. With a determined combination of innovative thought, willingness, and attention to every safety concern of both staff and students, ISSEE h...

The Rosenbauer subsidiary in France Service 18 relocated from Chambéry to Meyzieu near Lyon is operating under the name Rosenbauer France SARL since the beginning of June. At the new location with an area of around 1,700 m2 for workshops and warehouses as well as 250 m2 for offices and an outside area of 4,900 m2, the entire range of customer services will continue to be offered. The 20 employees in Meyzieu carry out repairs and maintenance of the numerous aerial devices stationed in Fra...

The FIA is offering an exclusive new member benefit service with the offer to have one’s CPD certified by the FIA. All included in the cost of one’s membership, so there is no additional cost. As part of the service, the FIA can host, market and manage all bookings for any of one’s sessions which have been certified by the FIA CPD Certification Center. The FIA will then issue CPD certificates on one’s behalf to the delegates (only if the CPD session is hosted by the...

The NVFC recently hosted a Facebook Live discussion on creative fundraising ideas fire and EMS departments can consider to help bridge funding shortfalls caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent social distancing measures. If one has missed the live event, the recording can be watched on NVFC’s social media page.

The NVFC is running an ongoing survey to better understand the needs of volunteer and combination fire, EMS, and rescue departments dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing measures. Data collected helps inform the discussions with policymakers in Congress and federal agencies. NVFC asks volunteers to take the survey, and retake it each week so NVFC can track changes over time.    

NVFC chair Steve Hirsch sat down with Side Alpha podcast host Marc Bashoor in February to discuss volunteerism in the fire service, how to stem declining numbers, strategies for recruitment and retention efforts, and the future of the fire service. The podcast is now available for download. 

Anheuser-Busch and the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) have been named a 2020 Silver Halo Award winner in the Disaster Prevention/Relief category for the Emergency Drinking Water for Wildland Firefighters program. Keeping firefighters hydrated during long incidents or disasters such as wildfires is a critical need for fire departments, yet many volunteer departments struggle with limited budget and resources. To help departments meet this need, Anheuser-Busch teamed up with the NVFC in 2...

The National Fire Protection Association has announced the theme of Fire Prevention Week 2020 is “Serve Up Fire Safety in the Kitchen.” Cooking is the major cause of home fires and home fire injuries in the U.S. NFPA urges to use the week of October 4-10 to educate one’s community on cooking hazards, the dangers of unattended cooking, and precautions one can take to prevent cooking-related fires.

Safety Stand Down is June 14-20, and departments are encouraged to suspend all non-emergency activities to focus on training relating to year 2020’s theme - protecting emergency responders at roadway incidents. Resources are available at the Safety Stand Down website, and webinar details would be posted soon. One can take the Safety Stand Down Quiz by June 17 for a chance to win one of 200 limited-edition challenge coins.

The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC), in partnership with the Firefighter Behavioral Health Alliance (FBHA) and the American Psychological Association (APA), has released a new directory of behavioral health professionals that are equipped and ready to help firefighters, EMS providers, dispatchers, and rescue workers. Emergency responders are at risk of many behavioral health concerns, including anxiety, depression, burnout, post-traumatic and acute stress, addiction, relationship challen...