COVID-19 - News

As hospitals battle through the second major wave of the COVID-19 virus, concerns have been raised around the NHS’ on-going maintenance backlog and the impact on safety and infrastructure. In January 2021, figures suggested that the total backlog was the equivalent of the annual running cost of the entire NHS estate, which was around £9.7 billion in 2019/20. fire safety standards compliance Emergency hospital evacuations are inherently more complicated when compared to other publi...

Following the City of Orlando’s order related to the prohibition of alcohol sales where it is consumed on-premise, the Governor issued an executive order that mirrored the city's prohibition related to a bar, nightclub, and tavern establishments. Additionally, the Governor’s Executive Order, which takes effect at 5 p.m., March 17, 2020, provides specific regulations for restaurants. The City of Orlando, for consistency and to lessen confusion for businesses, will align with the Gove...

Figures released by Hill and Smith Holdings PLC, a group that includes UK road and security barrier companies Hardstaff Barriers and Asset VRS, show that the firms remained ‘robust’ in 2020 despite the COVID-19 pandemic. The financial results for last year show a ‘Robust performance, strong cash generation, and positive long-term prospects’ across the group. Furthermore, the group has also paid back the £3.6m it received from the UK Coronavirus...

Despite the challenges of 2020, business leaders' confidence in the resilience of their organizations has risen, according to BSI’s fourth annual Organizational Resilience Index report, which surveyed 500 senior leaders across the globe. Report Findings The index found that leaders remain cautiously optimistic, with more than half (57%) of businesses in the UK, US, and India expecting their financial performance to improve in 2021. The concept of Organizational Resilience refers to an o...

New community face coverings standard has benefitted from public comments, it has been updated to include new environmental considerations as well as enhanced guidance on labeling, cleaning, fitting, fastening, and breathing resistance. The second version of the standard, called Community Face Coverings – Specification, is freely available for use to help UK manufacturers, test houses, retailers, and consumers to ensure single-use and re-usable face coverings are safe and fit for purpose....

VIKING Life-Saving Equipment A/S has now been operating for a full year in market conditions dictated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the challenging situation, VIKING maintained a high level of activity and achieved satisfactory earnings in 2020. Turnover of nearly 2.6 billion DKK represents a decline of 185 million DKK year over year, yet it is still the second-highest figure ever recorded by the company. Profit before tax of 168.9 million DKK is also lower than the record result in 2019. V...

As the House of Representatives considers the American Rescue Plan as amended by the Senate, the nation’s state and local emergency managers applaud the inclusion of several items that will aid in the response and recovery to COVID-19 as well as other ongoing disasters. Grants allowance The $100 million included for Emergency Management Performance Grants (EMPG) will allow for increased capacity at both the state and local levels. With these funds, emergency managers conduct coordinatin...

Ensuring workplaces are COVID-19 safe has been of the utmost importance for business owners, but the need to ensure that workplaces continue to be a fire-safe environment is still just as important. When people are allowed back into offices and workspaces, businesses must keep in mind that they need to prevent, protect, and respond to workplace fire incidents in line with regulations and guidelines.   Fire risk assessments and emergency plans It’s vital for employers to review...

Amesbury Fire Chief Ken Berkenbush and West Newbury Health Agent Paul Sevigny, on behalf of the nine-community Lower Merrimack Valley Regional Collaborative, report on another successful COVID-19 vaccine clinic held this weekend, and the organizers and their municipal government leaders are extremely proud to announce that the clinic will continue, with approximately 3,000 more doses allocated to this local, volunteer-driven effort. The most recent session, a “second dose clinic” he...

Oxfordshire County Council Fire and Rescue Service, Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service, Buckinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service and are running a joint campaign aimed at promoting motorcycle safety across the Thames Valley. The ‘Ride Safe’ campaign will engage with local riders to promote key safety messages, including the importance of bike maintenance and wearing the correct riding kit. Riders will also be encouraged to revisit their riding skills as many may be returning to...

Despite uncertainty and disruption across regions and markets due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Hempel demonstrated agility and clear priorities concerning the safety of employees, timely and high-quality support to customers, as well as financial robustness to protect future investments. With an EBITDA margin of 10.1%, including extraordinarily high investments in their supply chain in China, this was a satisfactory result. Hempel Delivers Strong Results “I am very satisfied with our achie...

Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service is supporting a campaign led by the National Fire Chiefs Council encouraging people to step forward and explore the opportunities the Fire and Rescue Service can offer people who have a passion for working in and helping their local community by becoming on-call firefighters. The ‘Need More’ on-call fire campaign is in its third year and runs during the first week of March. It aims to highlight opportunities that are open to people from all wal...

A milestone has been reached in the project to build a new community fire station in Theale, United Kingdom. At the beginning of February 2021, construction work on Theale Community Fire Station was completed, at the highest point of the building, when the last beam was placed on the roof. This milestone is usually marked with a ‘Topping Out’ ceremony, which is a long-standing tradition that signifies the successful completion of the structural phase of a project. Theale Community...

ImageTrend, Inc. announces the release of the first annual Collaborate Report: EMS Incidents During a Modern Day Pandemic. ImageTrend Collaborate™ is a research and analysis program developed by ImageTrend that is dedicated to the enhancement of healthcare and public safety industries. Collaborate provides insights and a higher-level awareness through industry-leading research. Emergency Medical Services incidents This report spans themes including COVID-19, traffic-related, behavioral...

A pioneering engineering firm has expanded its divisional offering to meet a growing fire and security requirement across a spate of industries. The news comes as many sites and facilities have been laid victim to theft following forced site closures during COVID-19. National firm ADI Group has introduced ADI Fire & Security into the fold, continuing its strong track record of launching a new engineering discipline every 12-18 months. Highlighting security risks The new division will aim...

Churches Fire & Security service and maintain Intruder Alarms for businesses across all industries throughout the United Kingdom. Whilst intruder alarms are often in place for security purposes, or as stipulated by insurance companies, there are several additional benefits to installing intruder alarms on business premises. Benefits Of Intruder Alarms Deter Criminals The clear presence of an intruder alarm system can help dissuade someone with potentially negative intentions fr...

CLC launches 'industry mega-poll to track the impact of PI insurance crisis'. Companies from across the industry are being asked to take part in the biggest-ever review of construction’s growing professional indemnity insurance crisis. In recent years, firms from across the industry have reported sharp increases in premiums for PI insurance, while also seeing stricter curbs on the levels of cover. Some firms have reported four-fold increases in policy costs, while others have said that th...

Kistler O’Brien Fire Protection is excited to welcome a new offering to its robust Fire Safety Training program, its first-ever Live Virtual Fire Training, a convenient and productive way for business owners to achieve peace of mind! As many know, in the last year, working remotely has become a necessity for businesses everywhere. Whether it is a portion of an organization or the entire staff, having the ability to continue operations remotely has made a significant change for many busine...

The East of England Ambulance Service (EEAST), in collaboration with NHS Mid Essex Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), has launched a specialist vehicle offering patients urgent care support in their own homes. The EEAST service has the additional benefit of helping people to avoid unnecessary trips to the hospital. early intervention vehicle The mid-Essex early intervention vehicle will be staffed exclusively by advanced paramedics specializing in urgent care.  They will respond...

Emergency One has designed and implemented a new system into the vehicles, to help facilitate a cleaner, safer, working environment. Through extensive research, discussion, and consultation with Services and ultimately end-users, it was clear that the ‘clean cab’ goal was high on many an agenda. Over the years, Emergency One has developed the in-cab finishes to be less porous and easier to clean, looked to remove contaminated BA sets from the cab, and other additional ways to enhanc...

Rapidrop (Rapidrop Global Ltd.) offers a variety of different training courses that serve to educate customers, technicians, and installers, on products and industry-specific topics. Accredited CPD seminars Rapidrop also provides a range of accredited CPD seminars for professionals, who are looking to further enhance their knowledge or learn something new. Continuing professional development (CPD) is the intentional maintenance and development of the knowledge, and skills needed to perform in...

During the outbreak of COVID-19 Hunter Apparel Solutions Limited (Hunter) had the privilege to work in partnership with Kent and Medway Towns Fire Authority, as National leads for PPE and Clothing within the fire sector and the UK Government to co-ordinate, source, manufacture, and supply vital PPE to the frontline emergency services and health sectors as part of what has now become the UK National Framework for Fire and public sector organizations and other parts of the UK’s critical infr...

Steve Kleber, owner of EXTAN Distributors, the local representative of Intelagard, Inc. has requested that the company bring its resources to the Hales Corners Fire Department, under the supervision of Fire Chief, Pete Jaskulski, to demonstrate how to cost-effectively decontaminate a fireman's ‘turn-out gear’, after being exposed to a fire induced carcinogenic contamination. “We have been doing this for years around the world with great success,” said Intelagard’s...

The founders of Statcomm Inc. are pleased to announce that they have hired a number of new employees and introduced a new software platform to help prepare for a busy 2021. Statcomm Inc. is a complete fire alarm and life safety company that's able to assist clients throughout the Greater Bay Area with tests and inspections required by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and State of California. A new software platform to help engineers, estimators, and technicians in the field stay...

At the beginning of the current lockdown period, BAFE published news that new national lockdown restrictions categorically did not restrict fire safety work. Fire safety personnel continue to remain “key workers” and continuing this work is outlined as acceptable in national lockdown guidance by Government. "You may only leave your home for work if you cannot reasonably work from home, to help reduce the spread of the virus and protect others. If you cannot work from home you should...

On Feb 1, 2021, a new mass vaccination center opened its doors in Bedford Heights, Bedford. This is one of six centers opening over the next month. Over 200 members of the public received their vaccination on the first day. Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service’s Station Commander, Robert Hulatt has been working with local partners, including the NHS Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Clinical Commission Groups to ensure the smooth set up and running of the centers. New vaccination cen...

Germany’s fire department training facility, The Institut der Feuerwehr NRW (IdF NRW), has ordered 109 Magirus LF20-KatS vehicles on behalf of the North Rhine-Westphalian Ministry of the Interior. The Euro 6 emission standard vehicles, on MAN TGM 18.340 BB 4x4 chassis with Allison 3000 Series™ fully automatic transmissions, form the largest ever order for firefighting vehicles in the state. A total of 38 vehicles have been delivered to local fire departments, with another 30 schedul...

The unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic is causing challenges for many when it comes to sourcing even the most basic response essentials. As a prime vendor to the Defense Logistics Agency, and with over 112 years of past performance serving the nation’s first responders, Darley is standing by to assist however possible. Darley is stocking essential items Darley is currently working closely with numerous supply partners to stock essential items Darley is currently working closely with numer...

E-ONE®, a subsidiary of REV Group, Inc. and a foremost manufacturer of fire apparatus, has received an order for 36 Active Air Purification Systems to be installed into existing fire apparatus for the Columbus Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services in Columbus, Georgia. The units are being placed in the department’s front line and reserve apparatus. This includes 16 engines, seven ladder trucks, three squad trucks, and 10 ambulances. Going forward, all new apparatus will ha...

There are many ways that portable gas detectors for personal use can deliver individual protection for key staff, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Kevin O'Donnell, EMEA Business Development Manager at Teledyne (Teledyne Gas and Flame Detection), has answered some pertinent queries regarding the same. COVID-19 and gas detection link The packaging, transportation and storage of COVID-19 vaccines at low temperatures necessitate the use of dry ice, which is a form of carbon dioxide (CO2). If CO2 esca...