COVID-19 - News

Culminating nearly three years of work by the IAFF and congressional advocates, Congress passed legislation significantly expanding and improving Public Safety Officer Benefits (PSOB) for firefighters who die or are disabled in the line of duty (PAFRA; S 1511). President Biden is expected to sign the bill into law in the coming days. “Supporting the families of our fallen brothers and sisters is the most important thing we can do and we will never shy away from this fight,” says Gen...

Notices were recently posted by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), and the National Personal Protective Technology Library (NPPTL) concerning the safety and quality of 2 types of personal protective equipment (PPE) used frequently by emergency medical services personnel: medical gloves and N95 particulate filtering facepiece respirators. Medical gloves notice Medical gloves notice is issued by the FDA on Oct. 29, 2021. Thi...

The growth and development of the Association for Specialist Fire Protection (ASFP) continue apace; having recently gone through a rebranding initiative one of the final steps was to install new signage at the Association’s registered office. In 2020, the ASFP moved its secretariat and management services to be under the provision of the British Coatings Federation (BCF) at their Coventry-based facility, Spectra House. This move has seen the ASFP’s professionalism and resources grow...

RBFRS is delighted to say that they will be holding the first in-person Armed Forces Veterans’ Hub on Wednesday, 17 November from 10:30am-12:30pm at Crowthorne Community Fire Station. The Armed Forces Veterans’ Hub is designed to offer a place for veterans to come together, listen to speakers and meet organizations that can provide them with advice or support them and meet each other. The Veterans’ Hub forms part of the Royal Berkshire Fire Authority’s commitment to supp...

In the plenary meeting, the participants discussed Russian-Finnish cooperation in economy, industry, power, technology, and transport. The Minister of Finland Ville Skinner pointed out that the Russian Federation was one of the most important markets for Finland and due to this fact a major goal for both countries was to further develop cooperation and enhance the linkages. COVID-19 pandemic became a great challenge for global cooperation, and today it was the time to increase the joint effor...

UKAS is pleased to publish the Annual Report for the financial year of 2020/2021.  In line with the new logo, symbols of accreditation and website, that were unveiled at the start of 2021, the Annual Report has also been updated to reflect the refreshed branding. Importance of accreditation The content of the report has also been expanded, containing a range of articles that highlight the importance of accreditation in its role of delivering confidence in the products and services t...

While most U.S. emergency communications centers (ECCs) use a CAD system to dispatch 911 calls and facilitate records management, few CAD system components are uniform across vendors. This can create problems transferring emergency calls and associated data, such as caller location information. It can also create problems with the transfer of call information to first responders in the field via public safety broadband networks. These transfer functions are important capabilities for enhancing...

Kent Fire and Rescue Service (KFRS) is at the center of a new initiative to support homeless people and rough sleepers to live safely in temporary accommodations before moving into permanent homes.  With government direction, charities have been working to provide people living on the streets with shelter in hotels and bed and breakfasts during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the fire service recognized the need to offer support and safety advice to those living in new and unfamiliar accommodat...

West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service announced that the fire service has issued three top safety tricks, in order to help prevent unnecessary Halloween hazards during the festive period. Working with West Yorkshire Police and other partners, the West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service is campaigning for people to be mindful about keeping themselves and others safe, in the build up to Halloween, Sunday, October 31, 2021. Safety tips to prevent Halloween hazards The West Yorkshire Fire and Res...

The East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust (EEAST) has been awarded Freedom of Entry to the Borough by Basildon Council in recognition of the heroic efforts serving the community during the coronavirus pandemic.  Freedom of the Borough is the highest honor awarded in exceptional circumstances, where the recipient has provided outstanding services which have brought significant pride and satisfaction to the borough.  outstanding services Four NHS organizations were granted Freed...

In the latest episode of Assembly Point, FPA Director of Operations - Howard Passey talks to Lewis Ramsey, Caretaker Manager at BAFE to examine the key issues and areas to consider when looking at fire risk management in buildings that are occupied by vulnerable persons. Howard and Lewis also explore the criticality of active and passive fire systems being suitable for the purpose, installed correctly, and that their subsequent maintenance and testing is undertaken by an accredited third party....

The event organizers for A+A Congress 2021 (A+A Dusseldorf 2021) have announced that this year’s trade fair, scheduled to take place in Dusseldorf, Germany (from October 26-29, 2021), will take place in-person. A+A Congress 2021 In typical circumstances, MSA Safety Incorporated is a regular attendee and exhibitor at the event, as A + A has proven to be one of the world’s foremost safety events. After careful consideration, however, MSA Safety Incorporated has decided not to exhibit...

The Business Model workstream of the Construction Leadership Council publishes a refreshed suite of guidance on managing COVID-19 within construction contracts. The updated documents now include revised information on future-proofing JCT / NEC amendments for new contracts to ensure that if circumstances change parties take a collaborative approach. The suite also provides templates to allow parties to formally record how they can avoid disputes. Provides additional templates The COVID-19 pand...

In front of hun­dreds of indus­try lead­ers, the win­ners of the Con­struc­tion News Spe­cial­ists Awards were revealed at The Brew­ery, in Lon­don, United Kingdom, in Octo­ber 2021. Site secu­ri­ty spe­cial­ist, VPS Site Security Ltd. (VPS) tri­umphed dur­ing a rig­or­ous judg­ing process in front of an expert pan­el of judges, to win ‘Equip­ment Spe­cial­ist of the Ye...

UKAS is the National Accreditation Body for the United Kingdom. UKAS is appointed by the government, to assess and accredit organizations that provide services, including certification, testing, inspection, and calibration. From the beginning of the pandemic, UKAS has been working with the government to provide advice on quality assurance and accreditation of laboratories performing COVID-19 testing including laboratories that have been supporting the national testing provision (NHS Test and Tr...

After restricted celebrations as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, MAWWFRS recognizes that many will want to return to more usual activities in 2021. As a result, members of the Fire and Rescue team wish to remind others of some helpful hints and tips to help keep themselves, their families, and communities safe. The Fire and Rescue Service has developed a full suite of information on their website, providing further information on staying safe during the Bonfire Night and Halloween period, al...

West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service are urging bonfire revelers to make the most of the celebrations while making safety a priority this bonfire night. With coronavirus restrictions lifted, the annual festivities offer a different picture from last year with dozens of organized events to be held around West Yorkshire – providing a safer alternative to fires and fireworks at home. The Fire Service is working with local partners including councils, West Yorkshire Police, and Yorkshire Am...

The Tulsa Fire Department will soon begin hiring 60 new firefighters to replenish ranks overburdened in recent years by a combination of large-scale natural disasters, the COVID-19 pandemic and steady attrition. Tulsa Local 176, working hand in hand with the IAFF, as well as key state and federal lawmakers, secured a $12 million Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant. SAFER grants, administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), are designed to help fire...

Commercial kitchens are full of hot cooking equipment, cooking oils and greases, cleaning chemicals, and people running frantically through the kitchen. This sort of chaos can easily result in commercial fires, which can be detrimental to the business. fire safety training If users don’t have the right equipment and commercial fire safety protocols in place, it’s a recipe for disaster. Without commercial kitchen fire safety training, employees won’t know where fire safety eq...

The United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development sets out 17 Sustainable Development Goals. The SDGs aim to address social imbalances, develop sustainable economies, and slow the rate of climate change. Achieving these ambitious goals will require a collaborative effort from governments, industries, businesses, and consumers alike. Accredited conformity assessment Accredited conformity assessment against internationally recognized standards is a useful tool that can help organizatio...

Oshkosh Corporation’s Fire & Emergency segment is displaying the new Oshkosh Striker ARFF vehicle at China Fire 2021. The new vehicle will be displayed at Oshkosh’s China Fire booth, located at site E1-04. In addition to the new Striker ARFF, the booth will feature the latest fire and emergency vehicles and technology. “Even amid the global COVID-19 pandemic, China’s strong economic growth has resulted in a heightened need for advanced fire protection and resources,...

To mark World Mental Health Day, employees from Hardstaff Barriers are highlighting the importance of robust and proactive mental health policies in the workplace. The staff from Hardstaff Barriers, based in Kingston-on-Soar, Nottinghamshire, United Kingdom, has spoken out to coincide with the global mental health awareness campaign, which took place on October 10, 2021. Hardstaff Barriers believes it is essential for businesses – whatever their size – to create a positive mental he...

In August 2021, Task Force Tips (TFT) introduced CrewProtect, to protect first responders while riding in their apparatus. It eliminates particulates, VOCs, and aerosols containing bacteria and viruses from the cab and body air. However, upon returning to the station, the crew can still be at risk of exposure to these threats and more. Improves air quality That’s why TFT has partnered with Purafil, part of the largest air filtration company in the world to integrate proven and patented...

The IAEM-USA Awards and Recognition Committee of the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM) has named Andrew D. Friend, CEM, the IAEM-USA 2021 Emergency Manager of the Year. The award will be presented at the President’s Banquet and Awards Ceremony on October 20 at the IAEM 69th Annual Conference & EMEX, in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He is being honored for his leadership during the COVID-19 response in 2020. Experience Friend led the COVID-19 response in two states dur...

Envirograf announced that it was great to finally return to exhibition events. Now that COVID-19 lockdown restrictions have been lifted, Envirograf was able to return to exhibiting products at numerous exhibitions taking place across the United Kingdom. UK Construction Week 2021 Envirograf was present at the UK Construction Week 2021 (UKCW 2021) exhibition Envirograf was present at the UK Construction Week 2021 (UKCW 2021) exhibition, which was held from October 5 - 7, 2021, in Birmingham, UK...

With just days to go before World Mental Health Day, EMCOR UK has become the first organization globally to prove it prioritizes its people and be certified against BSI’s new scheme which is based on the international standard ISO 45003:2021 Occupational health and safety management — Psychological health and safety at work — Guidelines for managing psychosocial risks. The new international standard, which was published earlier this year, provides guidelines on how to improve...

In response to a petition by the IAFF and other stakeholders, the U.S. Department of Education is overhauling its Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program in an effort to provide relief for those who fell through the cracks. The changes will greatly benefit firefighters and EMTs who have student loans. The IAFF has been working with the Department of Education, the Biden administration and other stakeholders to make changes to the PSLF program in order to provide its members with student...

Staff members from the Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service were recognized for their outstanding contribution to safeguarding at the West Glamorgan Safeguarding Boards’ Safeguarding Recognition Awards Ceremony which took place virtually on 29th June 2021. The ceremony was an opportunity to recognize those whose contributions had provided a real and positive impact on people’s lives and to celebrate these outstanding contributions to safeguarding.  Delivering essential s...

The NFCC Academic Collaboration, Evaluation and Research Group (ACER) will get to work this autumn, led by Nottingham Trent University academic Dr. Rowena Hill. ACER will review research from both the UK and across the world, keeping a watching brief on lessons learned that could apply to UK fire and rescue services. The NFCC is keen for ACER to encourage approaches from academics who share areas for potential research. NFCC set up The NFCC set up NOL that analyzed incidents to then share lea...

Christmas markets and festive light switch-ons are among the most popular annual events in the United Kingdom (UK), bringing together communities and attracting tourists from far and wide. In 2020, many Christmas markets that had been a tradition for decades could not take place, due to the COVID-19 global pandemic and the subsequent restrictions, thereby causing disappointment to many visitors. Importance of security at public events However, in 2021, a number of UK Christmas markets are bac...