Firefighter Health and Safety - News

Safety boots have come a long way, in the last few years and the availability of choices in safety footwear now is staggering. Safety work boots can vary widely, in terms of quality and features. Safety boots When considering safety footwear, certainly one wants to consider the level of protection that these boots are going to provide them, in a given work environment. However, one also needs to take into consideration the features that they offer, with regards to comfort and overall foot heal...

On Feb 1, 2021, a new mass vaccination center opened its doors in Bedford Heights, Bedford. This is one of six centers opening over the next month. Over 200 members of the public received their vaccination on the first day. Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service’s Station Commander, Robert Hulatt has been working with local partners, including the NHS Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Clinical Commission Groups to ensure the smooth set up and running of the centers. New vaccination cen...

Germany’s fire department training facility, The Institut der Feuerwehr NRW (IdF NRW), has ordered 109 Magirus LF20-KatS vehicles on behalf of the North Rhine-Westphalian Ministry of the Interior. The Euro 6 emission standard vehicles, on MAN TGM 18.340 BB 4x4 chassis with Allison 3000 Series™ fully automatic transmissions, form the largest ever order for firefighting vehicles in the state. A total of 38 vehicles have been delivered to local fire departments, with another 30 schedul...

The unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic is causing challenges for many when it comes to sourcing even the most basic response essentials. As a prime vendor to the Defense Logistics Agency, and with over 112 years of past performance serving the nation’s first responders, Darley is standing by to assist however possible. Darley is stocking essential items Darley is currently working closely with numerous supply partners to stock essential items Darley is currently working closely with numer...

Erickson Incorporated is pleased to announce that the firefighting contracts in the Hellenic Republic of Greece have been renewed for the 2021 fire season. During Erickson’s 21+ years of support to the Hellenic Fire Service, they have an impressive list of major achievements that include saving lives; supporting the 2004 Olympics; saving the Ancient Olympia Museum and the adjacent archeological sites; saving the archeological site of Ancient Messini; and the distinct honor of being recogn...

E-ONE®, a subsidiary of REV Group, Inc. and a foremost manufacturer of fire apparatus, has received an order for 36 Active Air Purification Systems to be installed into existing fire apparatus for the Columbus Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services in Columbus, Georgia. The units are being placed in the department’s front line and reserve apparatus. This includes 16 engines, seven ladder trucks, three squad trucks, and 10 ambulances. Going forward, all new apparatus will ha...

On Thursday, December 13th, 2018, Cobb County Fire & Emergency Services will be assisting Baking Memories 4 Kids to surprise a family with exciting news. Baking Memories 4 Kids sells delicious chocolate chip cookies to help children with life threatening and terminal illnesses experience a vacation of a lifetime. Baking Memories 4 Kids’ founder and cancer survivor, Frank Squeo, along with Cobb County Fire & Emergency Services, Engine #7 will be traveling to a family home to share...

With all residents of the US state of California worried about ‘wildfires’, fire protection is primarily on everyone’s mind right now. No home is totally fireproof. However, with the right precautions, one can help safeguard their home, belongings and family, in the event of a wildfire. Making homes wildfire-resistant Listed below are just a few ways to quickly increase a property’s resistance to fire damage: Install tempered glass, multi-pane windows and screens If...

Alexander Enström joins coatings manufacturer, Hempel, to lead its marine organization, as Hempel looks to build on its leadership position in the marine industry. With a strategic ambition to double revenue by 2025, Hempel is keen to build on its leadership position in the marine segment. Hempel is already the pioneer in fuel-saving hull coatings and fuel-efficiency monitoring services, which help marine customers reduce fuel costs and radically lower their carbon footprint. The company...

There are many ways that portable gas detectors for personal use can deliver individual protection for key staff, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Kevin O'Donnell, EMEA Business Development Manager at Teledyne (Teledyne Gas and Flame Detection), has answered some pertinent queries regarding the same. COVID-19 and gas detection link The packaging, transportation and storage of COVID-19 vaccines at low temperatures necessitate the use of dry ice, which is a form of carbon dioxide (CO2). If CO2 esca...

A mental health response car that is a joint initiative involving Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust and the East of England Ambulance Service is live across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, in the UK. The ambulance response car will be crewed by a paramedic and a specialist mental health practitioner and will respond to 999 calls where there is a mental health concern. Following funding from the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Clinical Commissioning Group, it will operat...

Vaccination sites around the county are being supported by Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service staff pitching in to help with getting residents immunized against COVID-19. Staff from across all areas of the Service, from emergency call handlers and support staff to fire officers and both on-call and wholetime firefighters, have all been giving help at vaccination sites. Staff response  Group Commander Wayne Swales, the Officer coordinating the support project, said, “The respons...

Wearing the correct clothing in a workplace can oftentimes prevent serious injury. Risk assessments are carried out and employees must meet the regulations put in place by their employer as well as industry regulations. Wearing shorts and a t-shirt in a high-risk workplace is generally not acceptable. But wearing high-visibility workwear, hard-hat, proper shoes and clothing is what’s needed to prevent. Granite takes a look at why protective clothing is so important. What Is PPE? PP...

E-ONE®, a subsidiary of REV Group® and a foremost manufacturer of fire apparatus, is pleased to introduce a completely new line of build-ready Custom Pumpers, available in multiple configurations at competitive market prices and with faster delivery times. This new line of Custom Pumpers will feature two (2) primary body construction styles AFT5000 and AFT1000 with several models available for each. Through the rigorous voice of customer research, E-ONE received feedback to offer vari...

The Open Security & Safety Alliance (OSSA®), an industry body comprised of stakeholders from all facets of the security, safety and building automation space, announces it has joined Euralarm, the association of European manufacturers, installers and service providers from the electronic fire safety and security industry. By joining the Security Section within Euralarm, OSSA will contribute valuable expertise in the domain of Internet of Things (IoT), while leveraging on Euralarm’...

Open Security & Safety Alliance (OSSA), an industry body comprised of stakeholders from all facets of the security, safety and building automation space, has announced joining Euralarm, the association of European manufacturers, installers and service providers from the electronic fire safety and security industry. By joining the Security Section within Euralarm, OSSA will contribute valuable expertise in the domain of Internet of Things (IoT), while leveraging on Euralarm’s profound...

GFE is delighted to introduce a new module, the ZONE-MIMIC. Assembled in a Dual Gang (DG) Box, the ZONE-MIMIC is designed to be used with GFE's Chameleon addressable control panels. Features  The GFE team has developed a module for ‘Mimic Boards LEDs’, to signal fire conditions or system status for each individual zone. It also features a ‘lamp test’ input, a buzzer driver output, and a ‘local’ buzzer silence input. These are just some of the many feat...

In modern parking garages, the number of electric charging stations and parked e-cars, e-scooters and e-bikes is constantly increasing. However, fires involving electric vehicles are more complicated than those involving conventionally powered vehicles. The use of high pressure water mist (HPWM) systems enables highly efficient and safe fire protection in the case of fires involving electric vehicles. High pressure water mist systems Task in the event of an e-car fire is usually to move the o...

Elbeco introduces the new BodyShield™ External Vest Carrier V4. Based on extensive wear testing and evaluations, changes were made to the BodyShield™ that address an improved side closure performance while providing enhanced mobility and comfort. Features The addition of a 2" knit elastic extension to the end of each front side panel providing an extra range of motion while relieving the FastLock closure of direct stress when bending, getting in and out of vehicles, running, etc....

An inspection by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) confirmed that Royal Berkshire Fire & Rescue Service (RBFRS) has adapted and responded to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic effectively, thereby highlighting the additional support that the fire service has been offering its communities, throughout this public health crisis. RBFRS response to COVID-19 In August 2020, the UK Home Secretary commissioned HMICFRS to examine how fire and rescue...

Volunteers are special people, willing to share their time and passion to help others, simply because they care and want to make a difference. Those inspirational individuals form an important part of Kent Fire and Rescue Service (KFRS), working alongside operational crews and office-based teams to help keep communities across Kent and Medway safe. Trying new challenges KFRS is fortunate to have 34 volunteers supporting a range of roles, and now the service is looking to welcome more people...

The Agility team is excited to announce the addition of Solid Responder LLC as their first exclusive authorized dealer for the US State of Florida. Solid Responder Solid Responder is the brainchild of Joe Hernandez from Disaster Medical Solutions, who has served as the DHS/FEMA National Coordinator and Lead Instructor for the US&R Medical Team Training Program and Lead SME for current curriculum development at FEMA. Solid Responder provides equipment designed, developed, tested, and prove...

Rosenbauer America, a renowned global manufacturer of custom fire apparatus, has announced the appointment of Mark Fusco. He will be assuming the role of Vice President of Sales & Marketing at the company. Marketing and sales expert Mark Fusco brings with him more than two decades of marketing and sales experience to Rosenbauer America. His expertise includes channel development, go-to-market strategy, sales, inventory, and operations planning (SIOP), precision technologies, and data insig...

Global safety equipment manufacturer MSA Safety Incorporated announced it has acquired U.K.-based Bristol Uniforms (“Bristol”) in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $60 million. The acquisition strengthens MSA's position as a global provider of fire service PPE products while providing an avenue to expand its business in the U.K. and key European markets. Headquartered in Bristol, U.K., Bristol Uniforms is a renowned innovator and provider of protective apparel to the f...

MSA Safety Incorporated announced it has acquired U.K.-based Bristol Uniforms in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $60 million. The acquisition strengthens MSA's position as a front-runner in fire service PPE products while providing an avenue to expand its business in the U.K. and key European markets. Headquartered in Bristol, U.K., Bristol Uniforms is a foremost innovator and provider of protective apparel to the fire and rescue services sector, with annual revenue of approxima...

Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) have been recognized nationally for its response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In particular, SFRS was praised for its positive contributions to the local community and commitment to the welfare of its staff. In August 2020, Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) was commissioned by the UK Home Secretary to examine how fire and rescue services are responding to the pandemic. Effective command and control frameworks...

UKAS was pleased to contribute to CQI’s recent report ‘The Future of Work’, which explores the realities of “digital transformation” in the workplace. When considering the age of digitalization (often referred to as the 4th Industrial Revolution) ‘The Future of Work’ report considers the key drivers for change that were identified by CQI’s Research Advisory Panel.  These include: Big data and analytics Augmented reality Artificial i...

The end of a challenging year is worth celebrating and so is Twiceme's second anniversary. The last year was difficult for many, while surprisingly promising for a few. Although it was far from the year, Twiceme hoped for on a humanitarian level, new learnings were gathered and adjustments were made, which will result in new opportunities in 2021. Twiceme Technology’s journey towards becoming a global standard of accessible vital info faced several obstacles in early 2020, however, these...

A national inspection has praised the response of South Yorkshire’s fire service to the COVID-19 pandemic. South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue adapted to the pandemic effectively, carried on delivering its core services and provided additional support to the community during the first phase of the pandemic. Inspectors also found that staff well-being was made a clear priority for the service and praised senior pioneers for actively promoting well-being services, in a report published b...

With distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine accelerating around the globe, hopes are high that society can reclaim a sense of pre-pandemic normalcy in the coming months. Organizations may look to call many of their remote workers back to physical buildings as the vaccine rollout continues. However, there are unique new challenges to in-person work in a post-pandemic world, as organizations who have maintained in-person workforces can attest. Managing an in-person workforce in 2021 Marc Bognar,...