Building Fire Safety - News

In the coastal city of Hervey Bay, Queensland, fire safety isn't just a legal obligation - it's a vital component of community well-being. For over 15 years, FCF Hervey Bay has been at the forefront of ensuring the safety and compliance of businesses and residences across the region. Founded with a mission to provide superior service and exceed industry standards, FCF has grown from a local operation to a trusted name in fire protection services, serving not only Hervey Bay but also surroun...

When it comes to fire safety on the business premises, ensuring compliance with Australian standards is the most important. Hervey Bay Evacuation diagrams, a major component of any fire safety plan, need to be strategically installed and maintained to meet regulatory requirements. Here's what users need to know, specifically tailored to Australian standards.  Evacuation diagram The inside of an evacuation diagram usually includes a pictorial representation of the floor or area of a b...

IK Partners (“IK”) is pleased to announce that the IK Small Cap III (“IK SC III”) Fund has signed an agreement to acquire Checkmate Fire (“Checkmate” or “the Company”), the UK’s largest passive fire protection specialist, from YFM Equity Partners (“YFM”). IK is making its first UK investment from the Fund’s dedicated pool of Development Capital. The existing management team will be reinvesting alongside IK. Financial terms...

Suppliers from the fields of fire protection and safety can register for exhibition space at the 2024 VdS-FireSafety Cologne trade fair on December 4 and 5, 2024.  VdS-FireSafety Cologne is one of the largest industry get-togethers for fire protection systems and preventive structural and organizational fire protection in Europe – with constantly growing visitor numbers. Early registrations In 2023, a new record was set: over 4,400 trade visitors from a total of 20 countries came t...

An operation, led by Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW), has shored up a large building, which partially collapsed in Sydney's south last week, with the site stabilized and handed back to its managers. The two-storey office block in West Botany Street, Rockdale, began to sag after the ground below it subsided around 6:30 am on Friday (1 March). Approximately 20 people were evacuated as an exclusion zone was set up; however, no injuries were reported. Strengthen the building's foundations A multi-age...

BS 5839 is a British Standard that provides guidelines and recommendations for the design, installation, commissioning, and maintenance of fire detection and alarm systems. It’s essential for ensuring the safety of people and property in various environments. This article aims to delve into the specifics of BS 5839, focusing on its two crucial parts: Part 1 and Part 6. BS-5839 Part 1 1. Classification of Systems Part 1 categorizes fire detection and fire alarm systems into different ca...

Specialist Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) crews are at the scene of a partial building collapse at Rockdale, in Sydney's south. Twenty firefighters, including Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) specialists, and six fire trucks responded to the incident in an industrial park on West Botany Street around 6:30 am. Set up laser monitoring Firefighters have set up laser monitoring equipment to detect possible further movement A section of ground has subsided, causing a large two-level office block to sa...

CABE is proud to announce that the Fire Safety Practitioner Certificate Course – one of the association’s fire safety training opportunities – is an IFE Recognized Training Course. Institution of Fire Engineers (IFE) As the professional membership body for the fire sector, The Institution of Fire Engineers (IFE) is acutely focused on improving competency, sharing knowledge, and boosting expertise across fire safety.  Its discerning recognition service only accredits s...

Kidde Commercial, a trusted pioneer in fire safety for more than 100 years, has launched the new Kidde Commercial 2X-A, 2X-AT, and Excellence Series Solution, which offers technologies and features to help better protect workplaces and people. New features These new features substantially reduce false alarms, powered by AI. Kidde is a part of Carrier Global Corporation, a global pioneer in intelligent climate and energy solutions. The new panels offer reduced installation costs - cut by 17% -...

At a meeting of their Council on 29 February 2024, Members of the Construction Industry Council (CIC) appointed Ian Brant as their new Deputy Chair commencing with immediate effect. Ian is anticipated to assume the role of Chair, subject to Council approval after Dr. Wei Yang, the current Chair, steps down from her two-year term during CIC's June 2025 Council meeting. Construction dispute avoidance Wei will then take up the position of Immediate Past Chair for a final year, adhering to CIC's...

The 'im-peck-able' efforts of Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) firefighters and NSW Police have seen an exotic bird reunited with its owner, four days after it vanished from a home in Sydney's west. The two-year-old turquoise-fronted amazon, named 'Skittles,' was being kept in the backyard of an Auburn home, when it got a fright and flew away late last week. Its devastated owner contacted NSW Police to report it missing. Number of tricks for rescuers Skittles walked onto her owner's arm and was pl...

The cultural change required by built environment ‘professional services’ firms is akin to that now required to drive and adopt a more agile, data-driven and somewhat disruptive business model. The convergence between traditional and new business models in a post-pandemic new normal, is calling for bolder leadership and much less risk aversion to any ‘known unknowns’. Industry change-agents As Chair of the Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Committee at the Construction...

A new range of quality-driven and innovative smoke, heat, CO, and environmental alarms is being launched in the United Kingdom (UK) and Ireland by WisuAlarm, a subsidiary of an international video surveillance company, Dahua Technology.  BSI-certificated range The BSI-certificated range is designed to provide advanced fire and environmental protection. Devices are manufactured under quality-controlled precision manufacturing conditions and take full advantage of Dahua’s expertise in...

Skyfire Consulting, the most trusted and experienced public safety UAS consulting group, announced its collaboration with the Fremont, California Fire and Police Departments, to launch the first-of-its-kind joint Drone First Responder (DFR) program in the United States of America (USA). The program, approved by the Fremont City Council on February 13, 2024, has leveraged Skyfire’s expertise in consulting, community engagement, regulatory support (Beyond Visual Line of Site ‘BVLOS&rs...

Warringtonfire has increased its fire resistance testing capacity to cater to the heightened demand for UKAS-accredited testing space from product manufacturers within the built environment and transport sectors. additional testing capacity The additional testing capacity has been created through improved operational planning at peak times, better communication around available test slots, and the cumulative impact of a 15-month process optimization plan. It is immediately available and inclu...

ARA Fire’s expertise extends to a wide range of fire safety equipment, including fire hose reels, fire extinguishers, and pump rooms, ensuring that they are fully operational, compliant with regulations, and ready to respond in the event of a fire emergency. The maintenance and servicing of these critical assets are crucial for providing immediate firefighting capabilities and safeguarding lives and property.  Fire Hose Reels Fire hose reels are essential for the initial fighting o...

Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) crews have contained a chemical spill at a school in Sydney's south, which caused 28 people to feel unwell this afternoon. A 600 milliliter bottle of benzyl chloride, a chemical sometimes used to make dyes and pharmaceuticals, leaked in a science laboratory on Vine Street, near Kenwyn Street, Hurstville, around midday. It's understood that the chemical was in the process of being moved for disposal. NSW Ambulance paramedics NSW Ambulance paramedics are setting and...

Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) crews have used ladders to rescue six people from their balconies, as fire erupted in a unit block in Sydney's west overnight. More than 40 firefighters and 12 fire trucks were deployed to Grose Street, North Parramatta, when the blaze ignited on the ground floor of the three-level complex just after 2 am. FRNSW firefighters Six people sought refuge on their balconies until FRNSW firefighters, using ladders, assisted them to safety Flames threatened to spread to n...

Johnson Controls, the global pioneer for smart, healthy, and sustainable buildings, announces the new Tyco QRS-2 Quick Release Switch, an electronic accelerator that improves the response time of Tyco dry pipe and preaction valves within fire sprinkler systems.  The QRS-2 switch uses proven electric release technology to initiate the operation of valves within four seconds after sprinkler activation. An increased valve response time means water is released more quickly through the pipes an...

The Euralarm Fire Section has started a new Task Force that will focus on video fire detection. The start of the new task force follows after identifying video as an expanding technology for the fire business. The scope is to investigate mainly both products/systems and installations of video fire detection in general including thermal video fire detection. Task Force Video Fire Detection (TF VFD) The new Task Force Video Fire Detection (TF VFD) will work on identifying and mapping the...

Hochiki Europe, a global pioneer in life safety systems, is thrilled to announce the launch of the Hochiki Training Academy, a cutting-edge facility designed to provide comprehensive training for industry professionals operating in the field of fire safety.  This initiative reflects Hochiki's commitment to advancing knowledge and expertise in the industry, ensuring that professionals are well-equipped to handle the latest advancements in life safety technology. Hochiki Training Academy T...

BAFSA kicked of its 50th anniversary celebrations at the House of Lords last week with a special lunch in the Attlee Room to mark the occasion. The association which was founded in 1974, invited 50 key stakeholders from across the fire safety sector and honored guests including, Lord David Goddard, Sir Ken Knight, Bob Blackman MP and Ann Jones OBE. BAFSA’s 50th anniversary celebrations The lunch saw the ‘premiere’ of a short 50th anniversary video, narrated by broadcaster, N...

On December 21, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced that it will issue a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to modernize the agency’s ‘Fire Brigades’ standard. This standard was first published and last updated in 1980. This proposed updated standard would issue several new requirements that would be very burdensome, and in many cases impossible, for volunteer fire departments to comply with. Specifically, there would be prohibitively rest...

BERKLEY - Chief Scott Fournier is pleased to report that Berkley Fire Rescue received a US$ 15,500 grant from the Department of Fire Services Fiscal Year 2024 Firefighter Safety Equipment Grant Program. Fire departments across Massachusetts were invited to apply to the Firefighter Safety Equipment Grant program, which provides reimbursement on purchases of 135 different types of eligible equipment. Berkley Fire Secures grant for Firefighter Safety Equipment Eligible items include hoses and no...

A working smoke alarm has saved a resident from harm during a fire, sparked by a cordless vacuum cleaner battery at Lake Macquarie. The vacuum cleaner was charging inside a unit on the Old Pacific Highway, Swansea, around 1 pm, when its Lithium-Ion battery burst into flames. The flames then spread to a second vacuum cleaner, stored nearby. The unit’s smoke alarm sounded, alerting the resident, who was cooking in the next room, and neighbors. They quickly removed both vacuum cleaners and...

Review any significant urban skyline now. Glass high-rise towers dominate sightlines, housing pivotal centers of business, finance, technology, and innovation. Yet, containing blazes in modern commercial structures packed with combustible contents poses unprecedented challenges for firefighting forces compared to decades past. Fire suppression systems Luckily, immense strides in engineered fire suppression systems help safeguard occupant lives and economic assets worth billions insi...

The 21st edition of the Fire Protection of Rolling Stock Conference will bring together experts and industry pioneers across fire safety, rail operators, and manufacturers to share their exclusive expertise and insight on fire safety, maintenance, innovation, and regulation in the rolling stock sector for Europe and beyond.  fire safety challenges Arena International Events Group is delighted to announce the 21st edition of the Fire Protection of Rolling Stock Conference will take place i...

Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) firefighters in Sydney's south have forced their way into a burning unit and dragged a critically injured man to safety. The ferocious blaze broke out just after 11 am in a bedroom on the first floor of a four-level complex in Hayburn Street, Rockdale. More than 20 firefighters and six fire trucks were deployed to the scene. FRNSW firefighters   FRNSW firefighters forced their way inside the engulfed unit and rescued an unconscious man FRNSW firefighters forc...

A pioneer in testing, inspection, and certification services, Warringtonfire is celebrating 30 years of its FIRAS installer certification scheme. During this time, over 1,300 companies have been awarded FIRAS certification, resulting in over a quarter of a million projects completed under certification, to date. FIRAS FIRAS is a voluntary, third-party certification scheme for installation contractors of both passive and active fire protection systems, operated by Warringtonfire and accredited...

Warringtonfire is celebrating 30 years of its FIRAS installer certification scheme. During this time, over 1,300 companies have been awarded FIRAS certification, resulting in over a quarter of a million projects completed under certification, to date. FIRAS is a voluntary, third-party certification scheme for installation contractors of both passive and active fire protection systems, operated by Warringtonfire and accredited by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) to BS EN ISO/IEC 1...