Fire Detection - News

More than half a million COVID-19 vaccinations have been given by fire and rescue services staff, according to a report by the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC). As reported, the figure as of now is at 510,540 – a testament to the hard work from all involved, and will only increase as fire services continue their efforts to support the national program. Additional vaccination sites It is estimated up to 2,500 members of staff are supporting this vital work to get everyone eligible pro...

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...

False fire alarms can cause a lot of disruption in homes and businesses alike. False fire alarms cost taxpayers over £1bn every year in the UK. And, with the risk of a fire department attending a false alarm and possibly missing a real emergency, common causes of false fire alarms need to be considered. In reality, it isn’t so much due to fire alarm and detection systems causing false fire alarms, it is most likely because of lack of training, limited responsibility and everyday mis...

Personal Protective Equipment, vernacularly known as PPE, is a term they have all come across several times amidst the global pandemic. From the shortage of PPE kits to countries ramping up the manufacturing process, are some of the only topics that made headlines most of 2020 and through the latter 2021. In between all this, the cardinal question of “What is PPE?” comes to mind. From being used by beekeepers as reported in ancient literature, to 16th-century plague doctors in Europ...

Wildland firefighting is a physically and mentally demanding job, with many stressors that can take their toll on a wildland firefighter's mental health. To address this issue, a new module, Wildfire Mental Health, has been added to the National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) RT-130: Wildland Fire Safety Training Annual Refresher (WFSTAR). The new module The new module emphasizes the importance of asking for help, offers information about accessing mental health care resources, and provid...

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...

Ten people from across the fire sector have been named in the New Year Honors 2022 lists, in recognition of their services. The honors system recognizes extraordinary people, who in accordance with the list's criteria, ‘made achievements in public life and committed themselves to serving and helping the UK.’ Ongoing impactful work The FPA would like to extend their heartfelt thanks and congratulations to everyone named in the New Year Honours list for 2022, for their ongoing impa...

A Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service (CFRS) Project Manager has been recognized for his outstanding contribution to supporting the vaccination rollout in Cambridgeshire. John Barlow, who’s been with the Service for over 35 years, has been supporting the COVID-19 vaccination program since January 2021. In celebration of his efforts, John Barlow was invited by the Duchess of Cambridge on behalf of the Royal Foundation to attend a Christmas Carol Concert at Westminster Abbey. The event t...

EEAST Paramedic, Paul Chittock, has been awarded a Station Commander’s Commendation, marking 15 years of voluntary support for RAF colleagues based at Marham air force base in Norfolk. Paul’s volunteering has seen him working on everything from events and first aid training to critical incident scenarios, this is all alongside his day job with EEAST as a Paramedic, based at Kings Lynn. Over the years of service, Paul Chittock has provided medical cover and education for Family and F...

There are six main varieties of fire suppression systems that are installed based on the nature of the industry. 1. The Wet Fire Sprinkler System Wet fire sprinkler fire suppression systems are an effective way of preventing and controlling fire hazards and providing safety to residential, commercial, and industrial dwellings. It utilizes a network of pipes that are filled with water and are connected to a reliable water source. These pipes are equipped with special sprinkler heads which are...

“I came to be a part of the industry almost by chance,” said Rebecca Gallagher, Area Sales Manager – Scotland & North East, adding “I’d not long left university and wasn’t sure which career path I wanted to take. Then, a recruitment company set me up with an interview at ROCKWOOL and almost four years later it was the best decision I have made.” Rebecca continues, “Although there’s an obvious perception that construction is predominantly...

Chate Singh pleaded guilty to six offenses under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. He was sentenced to eight months in prison, suspended for 18 months, at Nottingham Crown Court. According to the fire service, a judge said Singh's actions could have had 'catastrophic consequences'. Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service noted that the breaches included failing to provide adequate fire safety training for staff, failing to implement procedures such as safety drills, and failing to...

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has authorized the use of federal funds, in order to help with firefighting costs for the Marshall Fire burning, in Boulder County, Colorado, USA. Fighting Marshall Fire FEMA Acting Regional Administrator, Tammy Littrell approved the state’s request for a federal Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG), after receiving the request and determining that the fire threatened such a level of destruction that it would constitute a major disaster. At...

BAFSA’s advice service has recently seen a number of enquiries regarding installation certificates for residential sprinkler systems. BS 9251: 2021 and its previous 2014 iteration talks about ‘compliance certificates’ as a requirement for new sprinkler systems and includes a note saying these should not be confused with ‘certificates of conformity’. Relevant approving body This is because only contractors who are third-party certificated can issue these as the Co...

Featherstone Fire Station has gained a new on-call fire fighter all the way from Australia following the latest pass out ceremony at West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service’s HQ in Birkenshaw.  Toby Farmer, 25, has followed a family tradition as he joins Featherstone Station as an on-call firefighter after relocating from New South Wales Australia, where both his father and grandfather have spent their working lives in the fire service.  Firefighting equipment Toby and his 11 f...

A landlord has been found guilty of a series of fire safety failings that left residents with only one option to escape a fire: via a restaurant with a metal shutter that was closed at night. Inspection London Fire Brigade inspectors visited the takeaway restaurant on New North Road in Islington after concerns were raised by one of the tenants and the local council.  There was residential accommodation on the first and second floors of the building with the takeaway on the ground floor....

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...

The Extinguishing Section of Euralarm has published a guidance document on maintenance of extinguishing systems/equipment, controlled by electronic detection systems. Unlike a production tool, a fire protection system is on operational standby and is only activated in the event of a fire. Some faults may appear without being detectable, by a non-specialist operator. This is why it is necessary to carry out regular maintenance visits by specialists, to confirm the level of performance of the ins...

Continuing to invest in the training and development of colleagues, Checkmate Fire Solutions (Checkmate Fire) is delighted to finish 2021 in style – with a veritable bouquet of new qualifications and accreditations! As an ongoing process, the company ensures that their people have the opportunity to further both their careers and their expertise within the business. Through additional training and qualifications, Checkmate Fire aim to have the most motivated and knowledgeable team possibl...

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...

AW Hainsworth is proud to announce that they have been accredited with ISO 45001:2018, which focuses on occupational health and safety in the workplace. ISO is recognized worldwide as a respected standards body, and this standard focuses on improving employee safety, reducing workplace risks and creating better, safer working conditions. This reinforces the company’s commitment to their workforce by ensuring they provide their employees a healthy and safe place of work. ISO 45001:2018 ac...

Following the launch of an Implementation Tool for both the Prevention and Protection Fire Standard, the Fire Standards Board are delighted to publish six further tools covering each of the previously published Fire Standards.   The NFCC Implementation Team has been pivotal in developing these tools in response to feedback from services following the launch of the first eight Fire Standards this year.   Providing useful evidence P...

Vimpex Ltd, Europe’s foremost independent manufacturer of fire alarm ancillaries is pleased to announce the all-new, slick, and modern looking StroBell®, the combined Fire Alarm Bell and Visual Indicating Device. The all-new StroBell® has been upgraded to fall in line with the innovative ClamBell® which was released at the beginning of 2021. Installation Manufactured by Vimpex in the UK, the StroBell® is ideal for installations that require both a traditional bell tone...

In December 2021, following an agreement at its November General Assembly, the European co-operation for Accreditation (EA) published its revised Articles of Association and associated Rules of Procedure (EA-1/17). This is the culmination of months of discussions regarding the EA membership criteria, with revision allowing UKAS to retain its membership status. This status was previously at risk following the UK’s exit from the EU and hence UKAS no longer met the EA membership criteria tha...

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...

As the festivities commence, a lot of us will be spending more time at home rather than outdoors, which hugely increases the risk of causing fires, which some may not be aware of. There are numerous fire hazards to be aware of, and Coopers Fire has listed some of the most common to ensure you practice Christmas fire safety as well as possible. Dry Christmas trees Real authentic Christmas trees are a beautiful addition to your home and really encourage everyone to get into the spirit of the ho...

"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...

MSA Safety, Inc., the pioneer in the development, manufacture, and supply of safety products, announces it has been named one of America’s Most Responsible Companies 2022 by Newsweek. It is the first time MSA has been recognized on this list. The company list, compiled by Newsweek and its partner Statista, highlights organizations spanning 14 industries that strive to be excellent corporate citizens. The recognized companies were selected from a list of candidates that include the top 2,0...

As an organization invested in industry-led qualifications developing the knowledge, skills, and behaviors of individuals working within the fire safety sector, FireQual sees the development of a fire and security apprenticeship in Wales as a key step forward in demonstrating the importance of education and training within fire safety. FireQual Chair, Lewis Ramsay, commented on this latest development, "Since its inception, FireQual has been keen to not only provide a new generation of qualific...

As an organization invested in industry-led qualifications developing the knowledge, skills, and behaviors of individuals working within the fire safety sector, FireQual sees the development of a fire and security apprenticeship in Wales as a key step forward in demonstrating the importance of education and training within fire safety. Authority comment FireQual Chair, Lewis Ramsay, commented on this latest development, “Since its inception, FireQual has been keen to not only provide a n...