Fire Prevention - News

Prior to organizing its Extraordinary General Assembly and following a decision of its members, Euralarm opened the doors for Associate Members to work with them to keep Europe a safe place to live, work and relax. 50 years after their founding, Europe is in a time of change. New technologies, digitization, new standards and regulations will move them in a new era. Life safety and security for European citizens at home, at work or traveling throughout Europe, are key for the future. The fire sa...

On the heels of expanding its industry-renowned eDRAULIC watertight extrication tool (EWXT) line and attaining NFPA 1936 2020 certification for it, HURST Jaws of Life announced that it has earned NFPA 1936 2020 compliant status for all of its current low-pressure and high-pressure tools, as well as its StrongArm multi-tool, completing the company’s certification for all pressure rescue products available today. HURST Jaws of Life attains NFPA 1936 2020 compliance “HURST Jaws of Lif...

Viking’s Freedom® Residential Sprinkler System has been chosen to protect a new flexible, intelligent, and “right-sized” model home on display at year 2017’s PCBC Expo. The Flex House, presented by Green Builder Media and Shelter Dynamics, is a model home that features a flexible living space that is completely connected, intelligent, resilient, and sustainable. Visitors to PCBC in San Diego, June 28 and 29, can find the Flex House at Booth #705. “Viking is hon...

The revolutionary and progressive vehicle in existence in the fire service industry has left the concept stage and is taking big strides towards series production. Around five years ago, Rosenbauer started developing the first hybrid fire engine. This was due to be one of the highlights at the postponed world's fire service trade fair, Interschutz. Rosenbauer is now bringing the "Revolutionary Technology" out onto the stage and is entering the testing phase of the complete vehicle. CFT becomes...

A personal protection system installed by Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service (CFRS), in partnership with a local housing provider, prevented a significant house fire in the county in May 2020.  The misting unit is designed to suppress a fire to prevent it from spreading throughout a property, similar in principle to a sprinkler system. personal protective system The personal protective system (PPS) is a self-contained portable unit and works differently, as they also help keep proper...

Discussions with architects, developers and others, as well as main contractors when discussing areas of a sprinklered building frequency relate to areas where sprinkler protection can be omitted. One concern often raised with the British Automatic Fire Sprinkler Association (BAFSA) is the possibility of injury or damage when sprinkler protection is installed in electrical utility rooms.  BS 5306 Part 0 standards The forthcoming iteration of BS 5306 Part 0 standards contains advice on the...

June 14 marked the third anniversary of the Grenfell Tower tragedy. As an organization, and as individuals, all have spent the last few days reflecting deeply on the Grenfell Tower disaster where 72 people tragically lost their lives and countless other lives changed forever. ‘The Bishop of Kensington, Graham Tomlin, said commemorating the fire has been "quite a challenge" because of coronavirus. Remembering Grenfell Yet thousands of people illuminated their rooms and houses green for G...

Beyond keeping the industry updated on the latest updates on the most important topics, the FIA is actively involved in these topics through its work with Government, councils and committees. The section aims to serve as a collection of the FIA’s involvement with a variety of topics and will be continuously updated moving forward with links to the relevant news story where available. This will allow one to see what FIA have done and are doing to improve the industry for the members. COVID...

Due to the current lockdown in place, there have been restrictions on access to the site, both office and customer premises.  The Certification Body however will be required to assess competence on-site but may issue temporary certification during this period. Interested parties can contact the Certification Body for their current position. Concession granted It is the BAFE position that if scheme requirements cannot be fully met due to the current lockdown issues relating to access to c...

The tragic Grenfell Tower fire incident occurred three years ago, on the 14th of June 2017. BAFE, the British Approvals for Fire Equipment has offered thoughts to the families and friends, at this time, who have lost loved ones and who have been affected in other ways by the saddening Grenfell Tower fire event. safeguarding lives in fire incidents BAFE have been working diligently to assist in making positive change to safeguard from any future loss of life and to dramatically improve building...

On April 29, National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) Chair Steve Hirsch asked President Donald Trump to exercise various legal authorities to assist emergency services organizations in dealing with challenges associated with COVID-19 and social distancing. Specifically, the NVFC is asking the President to: Exercise his authority under the Defense Protection Act (DPA) to encourage manufacturers to produce more personal protective equipment, like respirators, gloves, gowns, and face shields, to...

West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service (WYFRS) has taken delivery of 32 new vehicles that will improve our emergency response and offer more flexibility in how the Service delivers fire prevention across the region. Toyota Hilux 4x4 vehicles The public will see the new Fire Service marked Toyota Hilux 4x4 vehicles out on the roads of West Yorkshire, as they are utilized to respond to emergencies alongside, not instead of, the usual fire engines we are all used to seeing. The new vehicles will...

West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service (WYFRS) has taken delivery of 32 new vehicles that will improve their emergency response and offer more flexibility in how the service delivers fire prevention across the region. The public will see the new Toyota Hilux 4×4 vehicles out on the roads of West Yorkshire, as they are utilized to respond to emergencies alongside, not instead of, the usual fire engines that the West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service uses. New vehicles for fire service Th...

ISSEE’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Gordon Storey announced that the organization was forced to close their training facilities with the staff working from home as advised by the UK Government. This also meant that the students attending the International Ammunition Technician’s course were also confined, in isolation, to their accommodation. With a determined combination of innovative thought, willingness, and attention to every safety concern of both staff and students, ISSEE h...

The FIA is offering an exclusive new member benefit service with the offer to have one’s CPD certified by the FIA. All included in the cost of one’s membership, so there is no additional cost. As part of the service, the FIA can host, market and manage all bookings for any of one’s sessions which have been certified by the FIA CPD Certification Center. The FIA will then issue CPD certificates on one’s behalf to the delegates (only if the CPD session is hosted by the...

Aico celebrates a significant milestone in 2020 with finishing 30 years of renowned market presence in Fire and Carbon Monoxide (CO) protection solutions. Incorporated in 1990 in Oswestry, Shropshire, United Kingdom, Aico has rapidly grown from strength to strength over its 30-year history, with the growth being marked by the move to a new, bespoke head office. New Oswestry head office The new 7-acre site came as a necessity as Aico’s growth and success has seen significant expansion to...

Whether the machine needs to endure frigid temperatures, or it must ward against operator fatigue after long shifts, no one knows a cab’s needs better than the operator. Because of that fact, every machine has specific needs for its cab in order to get the most from its operators. Be it whether that’s a simplified design, solely focused on safety, or a highly-complex set up with numerous amenities. The most efficient way for OEMs to get what they want from their machine is to work w...

The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) has announced hosting a webinar titled ‘Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Preservation and N95 Respirator Decontamination and Reuse’, with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, U. S. Fire Administration and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. PPE Preservation webinar The webinar will focus on the current research and best practices for preserving and decontaminating personal protective equipment and use of the Battelle Decon...

The NVFC recently hosted a Facebook Live discussion on creative fundraising ideas fire and EMS departments can consider to help bridge funding shortfalls caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent social distancing measures. If one has missed the live event, the recording can be watched on NVFC’s social media page.

The NVFC is running an ongoing survey to better understand the needs of volunteer and combination fire, EMS, and rescue departments dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing measures. Data collected helps inform the discussions with policymakers in Congress and federal agencies. NVFC asks volunteers to take the survey, and retake it each week so NVFC can track changes over time.    

NVFC chair Steve Hirsch sat down with Side Alpha podcast host Marc Bashoor in February to discuss volunteerism in the fire service, how to stem declining numbers, strategies for recruitment and retention efforts, and the future of the fire service. The podcast is now available for download. 

Anheuser-Busch and the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) have been named a 2020 Silver Halo Award winner in the Disaster Prevention/Relief category for the Emergency Drinking Water for Wildland Firefighters program. Keeping firefighters hydrated during long incidents or disasters such as wildfires is a critical need for fire departments, yet many volunteer departments struggle with limited budget and resources. To help departments meet this need, Anheuser-Busch teamed up with the NVFC in 2...

The National Fire Protection Association has announced the theme of Fire Prevention Week 2020 is “Serve Up Fire Safety in the Kitchen.” Cooking is the major cause of home fires and home fire injuries in the U.S. NFPA urges to use the week of October 4-10 to educate one’s community on cooking hazards, the dangers of unattended cooking, and precautions one can take to prevent cooking-related fires.

The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC), in partnership with the Firefighter Behavioral Health Alliance (FBHA) and the American Psychological Association (APA), has released a new directory of behavioral health professionals that are equipped and ready to help firefighters, EMS providers, dispatchers, and rescue workers. Emergency responders are at risk of many behavioral health concerns, including anxiety, depression, burnout, post-traumatic and acute stress, addiction, relationship challen...

First Priority Group, LLC, a globally renowned manufacturer, up fitter and service provider of emergency and specialty vehicles, is pleased to announce the introduction of two new product lines for law enforcement and fire vehicle conversions, the BlueTac and RedTac specialized vehicles. The new BlueTac product line will feature pre-configured mission specific vehicles for law enforcement specialty teams. Each BlueTac model is crafted around the core needs of the agencies expanding beyond routi...

Safety equipment manufacturer MSA Safety Incorporated announces plans to expand its Cranberry Township manufacturing footprint to support anticipated future growth and enable productivity improvements within the company’s gas detection product portfolio. The expansion, which includes a new 20,000-square-foot, single-story manufacturing facility adjacent to the company’s existing building in Cranberry Woods Office Park (north of Pittsburgh, Pa.), will be used exclusively for assembly...

This Guidance Note has been prepared by a Special Interest Group(SIG), comprising representatives of FIA member companies, other invited experts in the practice of fire risk assessment in housing premises, and an observer from the National Fire Chiefs Council. Members of the SIG represent companies that carry out, in total, over 40,000 fire risk assessments for multi-occupied residential premises (blocks of flats and maisonettes) per annum. It has been published with the approval of the FIA Boa...

For commercial fire installations, one can choose DMP’s new CellComF-LTE. Designed with the same platform as DMP’s popular DualCom Universal Communicator, the CellComF-LTE includes two sets of tip and ring terminals for easy installations. This new design meets the NFPA 72 standard for single communications technology. For instance, if the CellComF stops communicating, it’s designed to automatically disrupt voltage on the second tip and ring, that triggers the host panel to an...

Hotel fires are among the most poignant disasters. Maybe it’s the intimate link between hotels and travel, the connection with places around the world or maybe it’s the sheer scale of loss and the innocence of those affected. When hotel fire safety is poorly controlled and people lose their lives, the sense of tragedy is palpable and it is felt around the world. But tragedy is a teacher. Out of the worst fire events in history, some of the greatest truths have been learned. Hotels b...

The latest FLAIM Trainer June 2020 R1 release brings a range of exciting new scenarios and enhancements to the learning platform. Their growing Development team has meant the expertise has grown, meaning they can deliver more realistic training environments that facilitate training in a wide range of incidents for all levels of firefighter competence to the customers. Realistic training environments Trainee firefighters can now experience 35 diverse training environments in aviation, reside...