Fire Safety Planning - News

Viking Electronics introduces ceiling speaker - the 30AE-70V for 70-Volt and 25-Volt paging systems that are economical and dynamic. The speaker distributes sound evenly, accurately, and affordably. “The 30AE-70V efficiently produces high quality audio and is a great addition to Viking’s paging collection,” said Paul Speltz, Senior Engineer, Viking Electronics, Inc. 30AE-70V ceiling speaker Viking’s new 30AE-70V ceiling speaker is designed to evenly distribute sound fr...

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...

Scientists from the Institute for Fire and Disaster Protection in Heyrothsberge near Magdeburg have proven in a recent study that dangerous carbon monoxide (CO) penetrates through walls without any problems.  As the researchers report in detail in an article in the magazine of the Association for the Promotion of German Fire Protection (vfdb) (issue 2/2020), various building materials were examined. A clear passage of CO gas was detected. The concentrations detected were relevant from a to...

With recent developments in the approach out of lockdown, Fire and Rescue Services nationwide have been publishing useful advice and guidance for commercial/non-domestic buildings. A recent news item published by West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service (WYFRS) for example, announced a new fire safety leaflet “Returning to Work after COVID-19 Lockdowns” noting important fire safety measures that should continue to be followed to adhere to legislation. new safety measures BAFE has...

Brendan McGarrity, Head of Risk and Design at Evolution, the integrated fire and security systems business, has been admitted to the Register of Chartered Security Professionals. Becoming a Chartered Security Professional is a means of being recognized and continuing to represent the high standards and ongoing proficiency within the Security Industry. It is the gold standard of competency in security. Brendan says he is proud and honored to have been recognized by the Register as a CSyP: &ldqu...

At a meeting of its Council on 9 June 2020, Members of the Construction Industry Council (CIC) appointed Justin Sullivan as its new Deputy Chair commencing with immediate effect. Justin is expected to succeed Stephen Hodder MBE, the incumbent Chair, following CIC’s June 2021 Council meeting when Stephen will stand down from his two year term of office as Chair and resume the role of Deputy Chair for one last year, in accordance with CIC’s rules and byelaws. High-end residential sec...

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...

The number of house fires in South Yorkshire is the lowest it has been for 10 years, the county’s fire service has revealed. Figures published by South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue on Wednesday 10 June, show that firefighters attended 472 accidental dwelling fires during the last financial year – 2019/20. 13% reduction That is a 13 percent reduction on the previous year – 2018/19 during which there were 542 such incidents, and is a 29 percent reduction on the 664 attended...

Reducing the spread of germs and bacteria has never been more essential. Holding open internal doors provides an easy and effective method of infection control within your workplace or business. The Agrippa door holder provides a hygienic and legally compliant solution to hold open internal fire doors, supporting infection control as well as building fire safety. Reducing door handle contact A study by the New England Medical Journal, which researched the survival of coronavirus on several su...

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

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...

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...

Armstrong Fluid Technology has created a series of three webinars designed to help building owners, managers, engineers and contractors discover more effective and efficient solutions for their fire safety needs. Ranging from a live panel discussion with Fire Safety Experts to webinars exploring the benefits of a packaged fire safety approach and the cost saving variable speed fire pumps, the webinars are focused on enhancing building performance. The individual webinars are listed below: Arm...

The term false alarm is used widely throughout the industry to describe an unwanted activation of a fire alarm system. False alarms can be caused by: The build-up of dust on the detector Steam and other fumes activating the detector Burnt food e.g. burning toast Incorrect system testing procedures Unwanted Manual Call Point activations This poll is a snapshot of what those in the business consider to be most common. Manual Call Point related false alarms: User error (in...

AQUASYS delivers 40 wall hydrant systems with high-pressure water mist including 6 pump stations to a well-known R&D partner for the automotive industry. In case of fire they protect more than 100 component, engine, transmission, and roller testing systems in 8 buildings. The decision for the AQUASYS system was based on comparative tests where the suitability and efficiency of the system in direct competition with another existing system was tested and proven on the basis of a 1.5 MW refere...

Apollo spoke to those in the field about emergency call-outs, and the most common causes of them. The research, supported by over 130 engineers, led to similar conclusions as BRE. What are False Alarms, and how do they occur? The term false alarm is used widely throughout the industry to describe an unwanted activation of a fire alarm system. False alarms can be caused by: The build-up of dust on the detector Steam and other fumes activating the detector Burnt food e.g. burning toast In...

Intelagard is giving away up to $75,000 in fire suppression and decontamination equipment to first responders. Twelve Macaw® backpacks with three-piece nozzle sets will be awarded to fire departments, hazmat teams, hospitals, police departments, and municipalities. Dennis Smagac, president of Intelagard, stated, “As the global economy has been severely impacted by the coronavirus, we at Intelagard want to give back to those organizations that have been and continue to be crucial to th...

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. 

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.

Safety Stand Down is June 14-20, and departments are encouraged to suspend all non-emergency activities to focus on training relating to year 2020’s theme - protecting emergency responders at roadway incidents. Resources are available at the Safety Stand Down website, and webinar details would be posted soon. One can take the Safety Stand Down Quiz by June 17 for a chance to win one of 200 limited-edition challenge coins.

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...

In relation to the fires in the last 6 months including the recent blaze in south east London that was attended by London Fire Brigade. Envirograf would like to remind people about the dangers of naked flames and embers left on balconies from using a BBQ. Especially, during the outbreak of COVID-19, as many people have been have been staying at home which has led to an increase of people spending more time on their balconies. Providing fire protection As the users can see a simple fire caused...