Fire Emergency Response - Case Studies

On September 24th, 2004 BRS-Intron, a computer company based in Visby, Sweden, averted what could have been a major disaster. Because it is a full-service company, specializing in complete product solutions, servicing, and financing, BRS-Intron’s business is heavily dependent on the continuous operation of its business systems. For this reason, it chose Fike Corporation’s FM-200® (HFC-227ea) clean agent fire suppression system for the protection of its computer equipment. T...

In 2003, Jeffrey Energy Center (JEC), the largest coal-fired plant in Kansas, was recognized by the Powder River Basin (PRB) Coal User’s Group as its PRB Plant of the Year. Industry recognition was achieved through plant safety, plant performance, environmental achievements, and overall plant cleanliness. Over the years JEC has undertaken several projects and process changes to further improve the plant. Enhancements to the fire detection and suppression systems have been a vital part of...

Liberty University, located in Lynchburg, VA, is committed to providing quality education within a Christian environment. They are proud to represent more than 15,000 students from all fifty states and over seventy countries around the world. Their campus spans over 5,000 acres making it the largest evangelical higher educational facility in the United States. Because of the size of the property, the campus employs its emergency response team, responsible for monitoring over 80 buildings for fi...

The new Mystique Community Ice Center opened its doors in Dubuque, Iowa just in time to meet the chill that’s in the air. Home to the United States Hockey League’s expansion team, the Fighting Saints, the 3,200 seat arena is dedicated to all things ice. Since the Ice Center, like any sporting venue, may contain large amounts of people at any given time, the Local Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) required a voice evacuation system to be included in the overall life safety solution...

Wharton Esherick (1878-1970) was an artist who produced paintings, decorative frames, woodcuts, sculptures, and furniture. While Esherick’s work is displayed in major American museums and private collections, a large compilation of his work is found in his studio. His studio has been preserved and maintained since his death, enabling visitors to learn more about the artist’s life as well as view his work. With so many valuable artifacts and artwork in one studio, a superior fire pro...

Southern Supply Company is a wholesale distributor located in Springfield, Missouri. Southern Supply has a critical data center through which it handles all of its business activity, from shipping and receiving to accounting, for its 12 locations in Missouri and Kansas. Because it is key to the operation of its business, Southern Supply decided to protect its data center with a clean agent fire suppression system, rather than just a traditional sprinkler system. By choosing a clean-ag...

On the evening of April 3, 2009, a financial institution located in downtown Chicago was protected from the possibility of a large fire. Earlier that evening, an electrical component in the self-contained air conditioning unit had overheated and caught fire. The AC unit was located near highly sensitive equipment in a computer room. Fortunately, the computer room was protected with a Fike clean agent suppression system, using the gaseous chemical suppressant, DuPont™ FM-200® — d...

The Louisiana Immersive Technologies Enterprise (LITE)™ in Lafayette, LA is a state-of-the-art 3D immersive visualization resource center featuring one of the world’s first six-sided, digital virtual reality cubes, as well as the world’s largest digital 3-D theatre. This leading-edge visualization environment is powered by one of the largest shared memory resources in the world, a 4.1TB of RAM high-performance computing system. The LITE facility, a State entity governed by a B...

On December 2018, the Stuart Fire Department was called to a single-vehicle MVA just west of Menlo. The vehicle was a 2001 Chevy Silverado X 2. The vehicle had hit a guard rail and cleared a creek and landed on its top entrapping both patients. Stuart Fire had cribbed around the vehicle and were using rescue jacks to help with the lifting to provide an opening to extricate the patients. There still was no large enough opening to get the patients out the window. Amkus spreaders The rescuers th...

In April, 2009, a financial institution located in downtown Chicago was protected from the possibility of a large fire. Earlier that evening, an electrical component in the self-contained air conditioning unit had overheated and caught fire. The AC unit was located in close proximity to highly sensitive equipment in a computer room. Fortunately, the computer room was protected with a Fike clean agent suppression system, using the gaseous chemical suppressant, DuPont™ FM-200® — d...

The Hammersmith Hospital in London, UK, has a very busy radiology room for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and X-ray procedures. The different apparatuses within this room and its corresponding data control room are very expensive equipment which were protected from fire by a Halon fire suppression system. Regulation 2037/2000 We know that Halon is damaging the ozone layer and adding to the global warming problem. Therefore, the European Community has issued a regulation 2037/2000 which makes...

The new Mystique Community Ice Center opened its doors in Dubuque, Iowa just in time to meet the chill that’s in the air. Home to the United States Hockey League’s expansion team, the Fighting Saints, the 3,200 seat arena is dedicated to all things ice. Since the Ice Center, like any sporting venue, may contain large amounts of people at any given time, the Local Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) required a voice evacuation system be included in the overall life safety solution pr...

Motorola Solutions has signed a five-year maintenance, support and TETRA digital radio system upgrade agreement with the Information Technology and Communications Department under the Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Lithuania to modernize and maintain the country’s nationwide TETRA digital radio network. The network provides Lithuania’s public safety organizations such as the State Border Guard Service police, fire and rescue departments as well as ambulances and state la...

The vital role that infra-red transit heat sensors can play in protecting waste management sites from the threat of fire has been illustrated by an incident at a dry mixed recycling (DMR) plant. The nature of waste recycling means that the range of materials being processed is varied. In this case a 18v lithium ion battery was shredded, with the resulting damage causing the battery to arc. With no protection fitted to the shredder outfeed, the battery was carried into a dosing bunker where it c...

Pierce Manufacturing Inc., an Oshkosh Corporation company, has announced that it has delivered a custom Pierce Ascendant 107’ Heavy-Duty Aerial Ladder to the City of Cambridge Fire Department in Massachusetts. The new apparatus was sold by New England’s exclusive Pierce dealer, Minuteman Fire and Rescue (Minuteman Trucks, Inc.). Features include a custom Arrow XT chassis, 107' of vertical and 100' of horizontal reach, 16’ stabilizer spread, and 1,500 gpm waterway flow capacity....

Södertörn's fire defense association have upgraded their TETRA digital radios for use on the Swedish Rakel network to Sepura terminals, thanks to Sepura’s partner in Sweden, Swedish Radio Supply. Södertörn have responsibility for the Botkyrka, Ekerö, Haninge, Huddinge, Nacka, Nykvarn, Nynäshamn, Salem, Södertälje and Tyresö municipalities. In total, these areas cover over 600,000 residents, protected by 21 fire stations manned by over 500 emplo...

WAGNER Rail GmbH, based in Haar near Munich, has installed a fire protection solution in a people mover in Russia for the first time: at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport. Ensuring passenger safety Since May 2018, the so-called Cable Liner has been running fully automatically on a route of around two kilometers, connecting the northern and southern terminal complexes. It is the first Cable Liner to run underground in a tunnel. To make the journey as safe as possible for passengers, the producer,...

The Indonesian Ministry of Defence has placed an order for eight Airbus H225M SAR helicopters.  Completion of the mission equipment outfitting and other customization work will be handled by local plant PT Dirgantara Indonesia (PTDI) at its facility in Bandung, Indonesia. These additional helicopters will join the air force’s existing fleet of six H225Ms to perform similar combat search and rescue missions. Combat-Proven Helicopter “We welcome Indonesia’s selection of ou...

Pierce Manufacturing Inc., an Oshkosh Corporation company, has announced that it has secured an order of 11 custom apparatus for Greenwood County Fire Service in South Carolina. The order is made up of custom apparatus including five Saber FR pumpers, four Pierce dry-side tankers, an Ascendant 107’ aerial ladder, and a Pierce 100’ heavy-duty rear mount aerial tower. This monumental apparatus order for Greenwood County Fire Service has been placed in partnership with South Carolina&rs...

The Storm Lake Fire Department in Storm Lake, Iowa has expanded its fleet’s ability to respond to the variety of incoming calls it receives, after purchasing two custom-built Toyne apparatus. The department received delivery of a pumper tanker and a rapid attack in mid-November of 2018. These new trucks were a welcome sight to the ever-alert Storm Lake Fire Department, which responded to over 170 calls in 2017. Tanker Characteristics Storm Lake’s new pumper tanker is mounted on a S...

A powerful network of C-TEC’s ZFP addressable fire panels is safeguarding Sunbury Manor School in Middlesex. Programmed with sophisticated cause and effects to suit the school’s special requirements, the 4-loop touch-screen control panels connect to a series of detection devices including 250 of C-TEC’s EN54-23 certified visual alarm devices to provide top quality fire protection at the 1025-pupil capacity school. Emergency Lockdown Policy The system also has a lockdown facil...

The South Holland Fire Department, located south of Chicago, Illinois, employs 24 full-time and 19 paid-on-call firefighters. These employees staff two stations 24 hours a day and respond to nearly 4,500 calls annually. The department protects approximately 22,000 residents with a response area comprised of over 8,000 homes, industrial facilities and commercial businesses. Just a few miles to the west, the Midlothian Fire Department, located in the village of Midlothian, Illinois, maintains two...

Pierce Manufacturing Inc., an Oshkosh Corporation company, has delivered five Pierce Enforcer pumpers and an Ascendant 107’ Aerial Ladder to the City of Mobile, Alabama’s Mobile Fire-Rescue Department (MFRD). The delivery represents the first Pierce apparatus to be put into service for the department. Enforcer pumpers Mark Sealy, Fire Chief, the City of Mobile Fire-Rescue Department (MFRD), said “As our fleet began to age, we understood the critical need to put apparatus into...

The Bonnieville Fire Department in Bonnieville, Kentucky recently added a new Toyne Pumper to its fleet, expanding its firefighting power. The department welcomed its first Toyne fire truck, in late November. Pumper Features Toyne manufactured Bonnieville’s custom pumper on a Freightliner M2 106, four-door chassis. The apparatus uses a Cummins ISL9 350 horsepower engine and is driven by an Allison 3000 EVS transmission. Designed for firefighting versatility, this Toyne Pumper boasts a Ha...

One of the world’s most famous hotel-chains, DoubleTree by Hilton, part of Hilton Worldwide, has selected a high-performance fire system from industry renowned fire systems provider, Advanced at their eight-story, 366-rooms hotel in Boston, Massachusetts. The challenge was to replace an existing system, integrate speakers to all guest rooms and ensure that all audio messages and strobes were fully synchronized across the hotel, in the event of a fire situation, without the need for costly...

The City of Hamburg has signed a new framework contract with SELECTRIC for the procurement of Sepura TETRA devices and accessories, as well as a comprehensive package of software upgrades and releases for existing devices. These agreements, on behalf of both police and non-police users of Hamburg’s BOS network, will ensure that all Sepura TETRA radios used in the region will be based on the same software release, allowing more effective and secure communication. The decision to unify proc...

An Garda Síochána has deployed Sepura’s new SC21 TETRA radios, having selected the device after an extensive product trial. The SC21 is a lightweight hand-held TETRA terminal, designed to be lapel-worn or used under clothing for discreet communications. Significant factors in the successful bid were the device’s audio quality and ability to be used in torrential weather conditions. The force has deployed the radios to front line police officers, adding to Sepura&rsquo...

For a volunteer fire department in Ried, leaving gloves, shoes, and boots to air dry is now a thing of the past, thanks to the drying panels from Wintersteiger AG, which have been in use since the beginning of November 2020. Regional Fire Inspector and Fire Chief, Josef Leherbauer is delighted with the successful solution. He said, “To save energy, we chose one small and one large dryer that can be used as required. Both are equipped with different nozzles for gloves and boots. As the dry...

The Elsberry Fire Protection District in Elsberry, Missouri has added additional firefighting power to its fleet with the arrival of two new Toyne apparatus. The pumper and pumper tanker will allow the department to expand its firefighting capabilities. The Elsberry Fire Protection District covers 110 square miles in eastern Missouri. Pumper features Toyne built Elsberry’s pumper tanker and pumper on Spartan Metro Star chassis. Containing the power of Cummins ISL9 450 horsepower engines...

In mid-June of this year, Lake Assault Boats, globally renowned manufacturer of purpose-built and mission-specific patrol, rescue, and fire boats, placed a 34-foot patrol vessel on duty with Wisconsin’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR). Search and rescue missions The boat is moored at the law enforcement dock in Bayfield, Wisconsin State, on the shores of Lake Superior. Among the craft’s responsibilities are the enforcement of commercial and sport fisheries laws, and response...