Passive Fire Protection (PFP) - News

From commercial and industrial settings to local authorities, schools & universities, and residential properties, users are all required to strive for the highest standards of fire safety. Thankfully, there are many ways in which users can reduce the risk of fire thanks to a whole host of innovative fire safety systems. fire sprinkler systems When it comes to effectively containing a fire, an overwhelming body of evidence supports the use of fire sprinkler systems in effectively containing...

InciWeb is an interactive mapping resource available from the U.S. Forest Service to show where wildfires are burning in areas close to a location, allowing users to better prepare their community for wildfire safety. It is a trusted reporting tool for public affairs specialists and a single source of incident-related information for the public. Official announcements include evacuations, road closures, news releases, maps, photographs, and basic information on an incident. web-based program...

As the nights draw in, particularly now everyone is spending more time at home and indoors, many people like to light candles to brighten their home. However, candles can pose a fire hazard so do take care. Here are Abbot Fire Group’s top tips for keeping safe from the risk of fire: Take care when lighting candles, and never leave a burning candle unattended Never place candles near curtains, throws, cushions or other types of flammable material Keep the wax pool clear of wick trimmin...

BAFE is pleased to announce the SP207 Evacuation Alert Systems Scheme Document.  BAFE SP207 Scheme Supporting British Standard 8629 (Evacuation Alert Systems for use by fire and rescue services in buildings containing flats), the BAFE SP207 Scheme document covers demonstrating quality evidence of competency for the design, installation, commissioning, and maintenance of evacuation alert systems. The Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government published the outcome of the cons...

Cool fall weather has arrived, winter is fast approaching, and Big Bear Fire Department encourages everyone to practice safe winter heating. Big Bear Valley residents and tourists alike will soon be lighting pilot lights and finding other ways to keep warm during the chill of the season. When not functioning properly, the heating appliances that are keeping users warm can turn deadly quickly. Carbon monoxide “Carbon monoxide is odorless and colorless and can kill its victims while they&...

Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service is joining forces with local authority partners and emergency services, in order to help keep people safe in the upcoming bonfire and fireworks season. With many organized events canceled across the county, emergency services are preparing for a busier night than usual. There is an emerging concern that more people will plan displays and bonfires to celebrate in their own gardens, which could pose significant risk for the people. Safety measures for Bonfi...

ModuLaser, the innovative Aspirating Smoke Detection system from Carrier, is changing the way many look at this early detection technology and its implementation. Using a modular, distributed approach, designs can be much more cost effective and efficient leading to safer environments. Voluntary certification mark This certification to BOSEC allows installers and specifiers to utilize ModuLaser in countries and regions where this certification is required. BOSEC is a voluntary certification m...

Former Kent Fire and Rescue Service (KFRS) Director of Operations - Sean Bone-Knell and current Head of Procurement at KFRS, Tina Butler, have been recognized in the 2020 Queen’s Birthday Honours list. Sean Bone-Knell, who retired from KFRS in March 2020, after 33 years of service, has been awarded the Queen’s Fire Service Medal – a prestigious medal given to members of the fire services in the UK and Commonwealth for distinguished services or gallantry. Steering national pol...

Passive fire protection systems are built into all construction parts of a building such as the walls, floors, ceilings, and doors, etc. The purpose of passive fire protection systems is not to extinguish a fire but instead to help contain a fire to its origin. The way this is done is by compartmentalizing the building, so if a fire starts in one room or section of the building it doesn’t spread to other parts of the building. If the fire wasn’t compartmentalized then the structure...

Trade fairs are starting up again in Frankfurt: in the last quarter of 2020, a series of events is taking place on Messe Frankfurt’s exhibition grounds - including Hypermotion, the first hybrid event to be held at its Frankfurt base. Numerous guest events will also be opening their doors to visitors, adhering to the strictest hygiene and security standards at all times. Hypermotion is to take place in Frankfurt from 10 to 12 November - as a multimodal innovation platform, it will be focus...

The competence requirements for the proposed new role of the Building Safety Manager have been set out in a new report ‘safer people, safer homes: Building Safety Management’. Under new legislation being introduced in the draft Building Safety Bill published in July, those deemed responsible in law for the safety of higher-risk building, such as the landlord, will be required to appoint a Building Safety Manager. In the draft Building Safety Bill, homes that fall in the higher ris...

The competence requirements for the proposed new role of the Building Safety Manager have been set out in a new report Safer People, Safer Homes: Building Safety Management. Under new legislation being introduced in the draft Building Safety Bill published in July, those deemed responsible in law for the safety of higher-risk buildings, such as the landlord, will be required to appoint a Building Safety Manager. In the draft Building Safety Bill, homes that fall in the higher risk category...

A blueprint to improve competence for those working on higher-risk buildings and drive culture change has been set out by a cross-industry group representing more than 150 organizations in the fire and built environment industries. Setting the Bar is the second and final report of the Competence Steering Group (CSG) and is an update of its Interim Report, Raising the Bar, published in August 2019. The work was initiated by the recommendations in Dame Judith Hackitt’s review Building a Saf...

With curious minds and a knack for creating, twin brothers Geoffrey and Michael Howe have always pushed each other to think outside the box. The first RIPSAW® vehicle was a revolutionary concept that emerged from wanting to build the fastest-tracked vehicle in the world. Looking for an impactful way to support our country after the devastation of the 9/11 attacks on U.S. soil, the Howe brothers leveraged their RIPSAW platform to build an advanced unmanned ground vehicle equipped to safeguar...

As a result of the publication of the on the F Gas Regulation 517-2014 regulation, there has been reductions in the quantity of HFC’s that are allowed into the European Union. FM200 is just one of the many HFC’s in use the UK and EU as well as throughout the rest of the world. It was the main alternative to Halon and has been used for 20 to 30 years as a fire suppressant. What does this actually mean for FM200? The initial reductions from the baseline had no effect on Alberta G...

When their annual stair-climb event was sidelined back in March 2020, due to the global COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic spread concerns, LION and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) didn't let that stop their event. Instead, the LLS went virtual with their annual firefighter star-climb event. The event was renamed, 'Big Virtual Climb’. Big Virtual Climb event On June 13th, 2020 rather than gathering at San Francisco's Salesforce Tower, where the climb was originally scheduled to take...

Laidlaw has been supporting Fire Door Safety Week for a number of years. The campaign aims to engage and educate building owners and building users on how to fit, maintain and use fire doors properly. Fire Door Safety Week runs from 23rd to 29th September this year. The campaign brings to light not only the issues in specifying a compliant and certified fire door but also the importance of correctly maintaining them, these are not fit and forget products. They rely on fire doors to work correct...

The certifications are a testament to Laidlaw’s continuous improvement across the business, especially across health and safety, environmental management and quality management. Each certification involves rigorous assessments and external audits to ensure compliance with strict guidelines which provides customers with an assurance of Laidlaw’s safe and responsible practice. Laidlaw underwent a four-day audit in order to gain re-certification for three ISO standards. They are; ISO 9...

Dealing with megatrends is equated time and again with trying to predict the future - one might wish for that often, but only to a very limited extent. Megatrends are nothing more than a summary of developments and currents that have shaped us as a society in many situations in the recent past - economy, politics, technology, culture and many others - and that are slowly but fundamentally changing the world - like this also the fire service world! Blue light organizations The fire brigade tre...

In 2019, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, France and Italy rounded out the top five countries in Europe, in terms of their numbers of data centers. The challenge for facilities managers is to keep the critical infrastructure running, as problems can have serious consequences. On 31st October 2016, a Ford Motor Company data center in Detroit was shut down by an electrical fire. Thankfully, nobody was hurt but the whole Dearborn complex, which houses 30,000 workers, was forced to clo...

One of largest property developments anywhere in the world in recent years, the £9 billion regeneration of the iconic Battersea Power Station in London will be protected by cutting edge MxPro 5 fire panels and bespoke AdSpecials panels from Advanced. The Battersea Power Station Development Company (BPSDC) has selected UK-based Advanced to provide fire panels for the flagship project that will see 4,329 homes built around the famous Sir Giles Gilbert Scott-designed Power Station, which was...

The fire industry has experimented with touch screen technology for many years as ever sophisticated and human friendly solutions are sought to tackle fire situations which can be particularly problematic in cases involving large, complex sites and high-rise buildings. Advanced's Sales Manager for Southern Europe, Vladimir Zrnic, looks at some of the benefits to introducing touch screen technology. Protecting these buildings and often hundreds, if not thousands, of people from the danger and da...

Specialist AEI Cables is highlighting the need to use only approved cabling in critical signal and control equipment in the event of a real fire with the announcement of a revised version of the Code of Practice covering these areas of performance. The equipment served by these cables - including smoke and heat extraction systems - assists fire services in the case of firefighting and a safe evacuation in the case of life safety. As the only supplier in the UK with independent approval from LPC...

The pneumatic detection and automatic fire extinguishing tube, has passed all the demanding UL tests with ease, is built with a state-of-the-art polymer capable of maintaining its properties in the most demanding environments, thus allowing the temperature of activation is very precise and allows working with greater separation between the path of the sensor tube, optimizing the amount of material used. The tube is compatible with all fire fighting agents on the market: HFC-125 HFC-227ea F...

Over one million gallons of fire retardant have been dropped this fire season by military aerial firefighting units such as the ‘High Rollers’ of the Nevada Air National Guard and the support continues. “It’s very rewarding knowing you are helping so many people,” said Tech. Sgt. Paul Teska, a MAFFS flight engineer with the 152nd Airlift Wing, Nevada Air National Guard. Teska is also a former wildland firefighter. Fire Fighting Systems “I remember being on...

Bacharach, a globally renowned provider of HVAC-R gas instrumentation, has announced the appointment of Matthew Toone as the company’s new Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Matthew Toone joins Bacharach from Emerson, where he served as Vice President of Sales, Service and Solutions for Emerson’s Cold Chain Platform. New CEO appointed The company said Matthew Toone will be responsible for the further integration of the Parasense and Neutronics brands, and setting the company’s s...

The Association for Specialist Fire Protection (ASFP) has published its new Black Book: Active Fire Curtains: Compartmentation and Protected Routes, 1st Edition: Guidance on specification, use, and application of the product. This is the most up-to-date independent guide to the provision of proprietary active fire curtains. This is the most up-to-date independent guide to the provision of proprietary active fire curtains. The new ASFP Black Book outlines how to select a suitable fire curtain, a...

Third-Party Certification “is a useful differentiator for those who purchase and then depend on products and services to be fit for purpose.” On IFSEC Global, Simon Ince (Project Engineer - UL) has been discussing Third-Party Certification. While the article focuses on firestopping, his comments apply to all areas of fire safety provision. Simon opens with the fact that “there isn’t a single solution or a magic wand that can be waved to improve the delivery of fire...

From the structural situation to the hazards to possible reactions for care management and staff: the Joint Committee on Fire Prevention Education and Fire Safety Education of the German Fire Brigades Association (DFV) and the Association for the Promotion of German Fire Protection (vfdb) has worked up the topic of 'Behavior in case of fire in care facilities' with a technical recommendation. "Offered is an easy-to-read guide that provides the necessary background information to be able to make...

New COVID-19 restrictions have been introduced by the Government, announced by Prime Minister Boris Johnson.  While this does not directly affect fire safety work, BAFE would fully support the advice that the stronger requirements for face coverings should be implemented consistently within the fire safety industry. This is especially important with technicians working on-site at care facilities and other buildings where vulnerable people may be exposed to the virus. Controlling COVID-19...