Fire Safety Standards - News

As the World continues to move towards more and more battered powered consumer goods, from electric vehicles to scooters and hoverboards for fun, it is important to be aware of the dangers posed by batteries in the event of a fire. batteries catching fire Most people are aware that batteries catching fire can cause an explosion risk Most people are aware that batteries catching fire can cause an explosion risk, but not everyone is aware of the ferocity and...

The Department for Education has published a revised version of Building Bulletin 100 and is now consulting on updated and expanded guidance that sees school boarding accommodation included for the first time. BB 100 is non-statutory guidance that advises how to minimize the spread of fire within a school and how to ensure the building structure is adequately resistant to the effects of fire. It also sets out the requirements for fire and rescue services to access schools in the event of a fire...

According to AAA, more than 9 in 10 Memorial Day travelers will drive to their destinations this year. The advocate for safe mobility predicts a 52 percent increase in vehicle travel this Memorial Day weekend over last year and reports that 34 million Americans are planning to take road trips now that COVID-19 restrictions are loosening up. In the interest of public and responder safety, leading fire service organizations are reminding firefighters, EMS providers, and roadside service provide...

Big Bear Valley has experienced inclement weather. During these times, cellular service could be interrupted. The Big Bear Fire Department would like to remind everyone that they can text to 9-1-1, when placing a phone call to the department does not work. Use 911 as the phone number, type the message, and hit send. The message will be sent to the closest dispatch center, where it will appear on the dispatcher’s screen. That dispatcher can then have a text conversation with the person to...

Hammersmith and Fulham Council have appointed Kier Places to carry out remedial fire safety works across its 17,000 housing stock over the next five years. The list of capital works includes upgrades to firefighting equipment in housing blocks as well as work on sprinklers. With continuing concerns across the country about the state of external walls on high-rise residential buildings, the contract includes external façade remediation along with new window installations. deliver a quali...

Just as compact as a conventional fire extinguisher or a bucket syringe, but with a much higher extinguishing performance, the portable CAFS fire extinguisher, RFC POLY Portex from Rosenbauer is also versatile, thanks to its practical accessories. In the event of a fire alarm in a public building, a fire watch at a large event or a smaller fire-fighting operation, with the RFC POLY Portex, fire safety crews are not only quickly on site, but also have the appropriate extinguishing force availabl...

The Columbia-Richland Fire Department is working with the Columbia Police Department to investigate the causes of three fires that occurred in the Booker-Washington Heights neighborhood. No one was injured during the incidents. While investigators acknowledge that the fires all happened in close proximity to each other, they cannot say with certainty if the fires are connected. The investigations are in the infancy stages and investigators continue to gather information to determine if the fir...

The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) will host its inaugural Recruitment and Retention Experience on September 17-18, 2021, in Cleveland, OH. This interactive educational and networking conference is open to all volunteer firefighters and EMS providers nationwide, with sessions targeted toward department leadership and recruitment officers. Registration for the same has begun as space is limited. Safety and Health focused conferences The NVFC Recruitment and Retention Experience builds...

For years, the red Solo access poles have been used by engineers to access detectors in order to carry out functional testing. For most this is achieved using the original 4 sections telescopic pole – but could a shorter pole also be useful? As part of some recent research into how the access poles are used and rated, Detector Testers learned that for many engineers the typical height of most detectors they test is up to 5 meters. Pole with Custom-Designed Bag While still a significant...

Oshkosh Airport Products' mission is to deliver the safest and most innovative custom-built vehicles on the runway, including aircraft rescue and firefighting (ARFF) vehicles. Backed by 100 years of heavy-duty truck manufacturing experience at Oshkosh Corporation, Oshkosh Airport Products listens to the customer and provides quality aircraft rescue products built to serve customers' needs. Below are key legacy features that make the Striker ARFF perform and meet this mission. ARFF Cab User Exp...

Ambulance crews have started responding to 999 calls from a fire station in Doncaster where a new local ambulance response point has been located. Following a year of planning and preparation between South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue and Yorkshire Ambulance Service, the construction of a multi-use Portakabin has been completed on-site at Rossington Fire Station. The Portakabin The Portakabin, which is fully operational, will act as a base for ambulance crews working in and around the Rossingt...

Road safety barrier experts from Hardstaff Barriers delivered a Vehicle Restraint System (VRS) seminar yesterday to their largest-ever audience. More than 130 employees from construction and infrastructure services company, Kier, were invited to Hardstaff’s popular online Highway VRS CPD Seminar. Nigel Bullock and Sarah Compton outlined the importance of adhering to the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges (DMRB) ‘CD 377 Requirements for road restraint systems’ document. Preca...

To understand what is Special Hazard Fire Protection Systems, one must know what a ‘Special Hazard’ is. Special Hazards can be bracketed as: An area or process involving pieces of equipment that are of exceptionally high value. An area containing unique or irreplaceable assets. An area or process where the revenue produced or its function is of greater value than the equipment itself. Standard fire sprinkler systems might not prove to be adequate for putting out a fire in th...

‘Backflow’ is the flow of water in the opposite direction back into the water supply. Backflow preventers hold the pressurized fire sprinkler water line from flowing back into the municipal water line, a probable case if there is a loss of pressure from the municipal water line. Backflow preventers reduce the chances of polluting the municipal water system through cross-contamination. A Backflow Preventer A backflow preventer is a mechanism devised to keep water inside a fire prot...

The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) and Columbia Southern University (CSU) are partnering for the 13th year to support volunteer responders by offering two scholarships to NVFC members to help them further their education in the fire and emergency services. Each scholarship will cover up to 60 credit hours towards one online degree program. CSU offers a wide range of accredited degree programs, including fire science, fire administration, occupational safety and health, and more. The uni...

Euralarm has released its Annual Report 2020-2021. The report follows the structure of Euralarm, every section and committee of the association summarising their activities over the previous year and, where appropriate, providing forecasts and plans for the future. This year the Annual Report is available as E-book enabling the reader to view the Annual Report online. A copy of the Annual Report can be downloaded from the companies website.  

Portable fire extinguishers play a vital role in preventing a fire from becoming a major conflagration. Indeed, the guidance notes of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order (FSO) references this very point, stating how the safe use of an appropriate fire extinguisher to control a fire in its early stages significantly reduces the risk to people and property. In fact, according to the Fire Industry Association (FIA), almost 90% of workplace fires are successfully fought with a fire extinguishe...

Seek Thermal, a renowned manufacturer of affordable, high-performance thermal imaging sensors and products across the globe, announced the expansion of its Mosaic Core™ family, which now includes 53 total product offerings. This wide range of highly versatile OEM Thermal Cameras is configurable by resolution, field of view, and frame rate – for virtually any application – to give developers the ability to integrate high-resolution thermal imaging into even more products that c...

Housing Committee Chair, Clive Betts MP sets out his concerns about the gap between the guidance for external wall surveys and the reaction of mortgage lenders to their implementation, which is leaving leaseholders to face the consequences. Issues with the EWS1 process The Chair of the Housing, Communities, and Local Government Committee, Clive Betts MP, wrote to the government on 21 May to highlight continuing issues with the EWS1 process. This follows the publication of guidance in March by...

Grass, crop, and woodland fires can have a devastating impact, injuring or killing wildlife, destroying property and livelihoods, and even putting people’s lives at risk. As users enter peak season for these types of incidents, residents, workers, and visitors are being urged to do their bit to reduce the number of accidental grass fires across the county. Most grass fires happen between May and September when grassland can get very dry, and many are caused by out-of-control bonfires...

With the start of a new year comes expected change. 2021 is no different for the Automotive Service Technician with some finalized rules behind Motor Vehicle Air Conditioning (MVAC) service. The EPA, under the direction of Administrator Wheeler, signed a final rule entitled, “Protection of Stratospheric Ozone: Motor Vehicle Air Conditioning Systems Servicing”, on Monday, January 11, 2021. SAE safety standards Under this new ruling, any person repairing or servicing an R-1234yf MVA...

The new Fire Safety Bill (FSB) for England and Wales has been lauded by some in the fire industry, as the answer to many of the challenges faced post the Grenfell tragedy era, but it may not be as far-reaching as many had expected. Stacey Adams, the Market Development Manager at Apollo Fire Detectors Ltd, takes a look at the Fire Safety Bill, what it contains, what it aims to achieve, and its implications for the fire industry. New Fire Safety Bill for England and Wales The new Fire Safety Bi...

Northern Minnesota’s International Falls Fire Department (IFFD), together with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, quickly extinguished a dangerous wildfire on the shore of Rainy Lake. On May 18th, amid elevated fire danger conditions and high winds, the fire jumped across open water from Frank Island to Voyageurs National Park on the U.S. mainland, but those responding swiftly extinguished it with help from a new Lake Assault Boats fireboat. Fireboat stationed on rainy lake...

Lorient, a globally renowned manufacturer of high-performance sealing systems, is proud to unveil the latest edition of its popular: Acoustic, Smoke & Fire seals for Door Assemblies brochure. Founded in 1979, Lorient was responsible for introducing intumescent technology for fire doors to the UK & this new brochure showcases its extensive product portfolio. A fire door is an engineered safety device A fire door is an engineered safety device that is a crucial part of the passive fire...

In a brand-new episode of Assembly Point, RIBA past president, Jane Duncan OBE, explores why fire safety must be taken seriously, and what action still needs to be taken to ensure tragic events such as Grenfell are never repeated. Jane is the Chair of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Expert Advisory Group on Fire Safety formed shortly after the Grenfell Tower fire in June 2017. Its work is based on two key principles: To be visible and transparent in their discussion and outp...

Greater Manchester Fire and rescue service rounds off National Sprinkler Week with new videos promoting the benefits of sprinklers for local businesses. Love 2 Sleep is a major supplier of bedding to hotels, NHS and others based in Salford. There was a fire in their factory at 0215 which activated the sprinkler system; this alerted both the fire and rescue service as well as the business owner. Results of sprinklers Speaking about the fire in this video, the company representative said: &ldqu...

Firefighters from across the country participated in the National Fallen Fire Fighter Softball Tournaments in October 2020 and May 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Organizers of the annual event typically donate $10,000 from the proceeds to the IAFF Fallen Fire Fighter Memorial every two years, but this year was able to give $12,500. The check was presented on May 3 at Hennessey’s Tavern in downtown Las Vegas. “It was an honor to accept this check on behalf of the IAFF Foundation,”...

On Tuesday, June 22, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) is hosting “Keeping You Informed: The Big Wide World of Building and Life Safety”, a one-day program that addresses some of today’s leading building and life safety issues, opportunities, and challenges. The program is part of the association’s virtual 125th Anniversary Conference Series, which replaces the traditional in-person 2021 NFPA Conference & Expo and runs from May 2021 through M...

Notting Hill Genesis is looking for fire experts to help with fire safety and compliance across its 66,000 portfolios of homes across London and the southeast. fire safety services Launched on the government’s procurement portal Tenders Direct on 18 May, the Fire Consultants Framework 2021 is made up of five lots that cover a range of fire safety services related to the design, construction, refurbishment, maintenance, and management of housing stock. The housing association has allocat...

A court in Preston fined the former owner of the Plaza Beach Hotel in Blackpool £15,000 for multiple breaches of the Fire Safety Order that saw it treated as an unofficial HMO. Findings Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service first visited the hotel in September 2017 and prohibited its use after finding: Several members of staff sleeping in the basement with inadequate fire detection, Fire separation throughout the hotel was inadequate, Fire doors would not close, Combustible materials...