Public Education - News

During the 51st General Assembly of Euralarm, the European association representing the fire safety and security industry, the members have chosen Jon Könz as new President of Euralarm. He succeeds Martin Harvey, who was President for the past three and half years. Before being elected President, Jon Könz was Chair of the Services Section of Euralarm. He is Head of Industry Affairs, at Siemens Smart Infrastructure. Euralarm’s 2021 General Assembly The 2021 General Assembly was...

Many hallmarks of the holiday season, including Christmas trees, holiday decorations, cooking, and baking, present potential fire hazards that contribute to an annual increase in U.S. home fires during the winter months.  According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), Christmas Day and Christmas Eve are among the leading days of the year for home fires (topped only by Thanksgiving Day). Attention and planning "December is a leading month for home fires, in large part bec...

The UK Government has apologized to the victims of the Grenfell Tower fire tragedy, and admitted to a string of failings in the years leading up to the disaster, dubbed one of the ‘major scandals of our time.’ The government’s Barrister told the Grenfell Tower Inquiry it was ‘deeply sorry for its past failures’, in regards to overseeing building safety. Jason Beer QC said shifted some of the onus onto local inspectors, saying they were responsible for the safety...

Thanks to member feedback, the new membership scheme offers FPA members additional benefits such as access to the Business Property and Protection Portal which produces a risk report for any business type in the UK, the Cladding Compliance Toolkit created by RISC Authority, which aims to help users understand the complex legislative fire safety requirements of external building cladding systems, and easier access to resources such as our popular Assembly Point Podcast. Launch of a CPD Record To...

The Minister of Transportation, Dr. Ángela María Orozco Gómez, adopted the Manual for the Design, Construction, Operation and Maintenance of Road Tunnels for Colombia through Resolution 20213040058015 of December 2, 2021. Scope of the manual The manual includes the general and necessary requirements for the management of planning, design, construction, operation and maintenance of tunnels, which covers the general guidelines and guidelines to be implemented by public entit...

Verint Systems (Verint), the customer engagement company, has announced a strategic partnership with Theta Lake, a globally renowned provider of modern collaboration security and compliance solutions. The partnership provides financial and trading organizations, as well as other businesses, with extended capabilities to help avoid the legal, business, and reputational consequences of compliance breaches, misconduct, data loss, and security issues. Verint – Theta Lake partnership The par...

Hytrans Systems BV’s submersible pump is linked to the power-pack, by means of 60 meter long hydraulic hoses, allowing access to any water within 60 meter distance from the power-pack, either horizontal or vertical. Hytrans' submersible pump The submersible pump is not like a standard fire truck or draft pump that has to stand very close to the water. Additionally the pump features the capability to pump salt water, chemically polluted water, mud, dirt and operate from shallow water, wit...

An update to all BAFE registered organizations and the wider fire safety industry. Recent weeks have seen a new Omicron variant of COVID-19 emerge and begin to spread across the UK. With this, the Government has re-introduced measures to mitigate this risk such as mask-wearing in shops and on all public transport.   BAFE is confident by now that the fire safety industry fully understands its position as a life safety, and therefore necessary, provision of service required to continue (whe...

EEAST is pleased to announce that Dr. Simon Walsh has joined EEAST as Interim Medical Director. Having worked in several hospitals in the East of England during his training program, Simon was appointed as an Emergency Medicine Consultant and Paediatric Emergency Medicine specialist at the Royal London Hospital in 2004.  Experience  He started pre-hospital care in 2014, flying with London's Air Ambulance. After moving to live in Hertfordshire he joined Essex & Herts Air Ambulance...

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has created a Drone Knowledgebase to help more than 29,000 fire departments in the United States improve existing public safety drone programs or to establish new drone initiatives. Drones have become a key instrument for public safety efforts in recent years with first responders increasingly deploying aerial technology to achieve greater situational awareness during structural fires, wildfires, natural disasters, rescue efforts, and large publ...

AQUASYS welcomes its new partner Nile Systems from Egypt in Linz. At the kick-of-meeting in Linz, the partners are proud of projects that have already been successfully realised and the up-close experience of standing in the middle of the high-pressure water mist (HPWM) in the in-house demo room. Nile Systems focuses on the development, supply and installation of fire protection products in Egypt. The company is managed by professionals with more than 20 years of experience in this field. AQUA...

National Foam has announced the completion of its fluorine free foam manufacturing line expansion in Angier, North Carolina. This expansion, along with ongoing product initiatives, is designed to support the growing shift to synthetic fluorine free foam concentrates. fluorine free foam production “We have substantially increased our fluorine free foam production, to meet the rapidly growing demand in the marketplace,” said Bobby Nelson, the General Manager at National Foam. Bobby...

Advanced’s Technical Support Engineer, Mark Taylor, examines some of the solutions available to those tasked with protecting hotels from the threat of fire. Cooking equipment, careless smoking, and electrical malfunctions are three of the leading causes of fire in hotels. Aside from the serious threat to life and property, posed by genuine fires, failure to provide and maintain high-quality fire protection measures has other dire consequences as well. False alarms lead to disruptions...

BAFE continues to stress the importance of verifying appropriate UKAS-accredited third-party certification with growing industry support. 'Don’t just Specify, Verify' campaign As the nation moves towards stronger responsibility and accountability for fire safety measures, the BAFE Fire Safety Register reiterates their message on the significance of UKAS-accredited third-party certification. BAFE’s 'Don’t just Specify, Verify' campaign launched in March 2020 identifies the im...

The Royal Warrant Holders Association (RWHA) is an organization established in 1840. Its purpose is to ensure the continued existence of the Royal Warrant, as a respected institution. Businesses established enough to hold the Royal Warrant title must follow the regulations set by The Lord Chamberlain. What is the RWHA Seminar? RWHA Sustainability Seminar was held in central London, in October 2021. With guest speakers, including those of which A&E Fire Security are also proud members, the...

The Scutum Group is pleased to announce that Statewide Fire Corp. (Statewide Central Station) in the United States has joined Scutum North America Inc. Founded in 1981, Statewide is a UL Listed, TMA (The Monitoring Association) five-diamond designated central station, monitoring all emergency conditions throughout the United States and has established a reputation for excellence in customer service, expertise in the industry and cutting-edge technology. Acquisition of Statewide Alarm installe...

Cumberland Valley Volunteer Firemen's Association’s (CVVFA) Candice McDonald is featured in a new e-Book authored by CVVFA’s good friend, Chief Dennis Compton. Candice McDonald and 30 other exceptional women have been featured in the new e-Book for their vital roles in the fire service. Candice McDonald featured in new e-book Chief Dennis Compton chose to include Candice MacDonald in his e-book, describing her as a leader who balances her professional, family and volunteer respons...

Users are all only too familiar with the “Hands, Face, Space” mantra intended to help control the spread and risk of Covid-19. Obviously, this means it has never been more important to ensure that surfaces are kept clean. This includes items such as Nittan fire alarm control panels, which have controls and touch screens used by engineers and end-users when operating them. But as with all electronic equipment, the materials used to clean them need to be chosen very carefully. Tech...

Over 70 colleagues from the fire sector gathered at the Oriental Club in Stratford Place, London to celebrate the FPA's platinum jubilee. Guests included current and former government ministers, and staff from the NFCC, IFE, and the London Fire Brigade, among many others. More than merely a victory lap or a gathering of old friends, the event was also a poignant reminder of what can be achieved within the sector with a collective and unified voice, and a singular message.  FPA C...

According to the NFPA, every 1 in 31 Christmas tree fire is deadly. Most households and businesses across the United States will bring a Christmas tree inside, decorated with ornaments and string lights. Fire risk with Christmas tree While Christmas tree fires are rare, they still happen and can result in fatal injuries. It’s important to be aware of the fire risks that come with owning a Christmas tree so that users can focus on creating the safest environment possible. If the user...

The adoption and implementation of hazard-resistant building codes is the most effective community mitigation measure against hazard risk. According to FEMA's Building Code Save Study, 65% of counties, cities, and towns across the United States of America (USA) currently have not adopted modern building codes. Getting community ready FEMA's new Building Science Resource Library, launched in October 2021, contains materials focused on creating disaster-resistant communities, including detailed...

Globally renowned Japanese life safety solutions provider, Hochiki, has launched in the Danish market, with its most powerful and sophisticated fire control and indication system yet, L@titude. Following Part 13 certification, which then paved the way for DBI approval, this market renowned system uses an interface that is available in multiple languages, simple to use and understand. L@titude life safety system The new L@titude life safety system combines the very latest hardware and software...

The Association for Specialist Fire Protection has announced the shortlist for its 2021 Passive Fire Protection Awards, with the winners due to be announced on 26 November at the Association’s Awards Lunch at the Edwardian Hotel in Manchester. The awards will be presented by broadcaster, naturalist, and marine biologist Monty Hall. The 2021 event will see awards presented in six categories, each recognizing excellence within the passive fire protection industry, at a company and...

The Fire Protection Research Foundation (FPRF), the research affiliate of NFPA, has received four direct grants that will advance safety in a variety of areas. The FPRF will also serve in an advisory service capacity for several other grants from the Federal Emergency Management Agency Assistance to Firefighters Grants (FEMA AFG), National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and National Science Foundation (NSF). This support for FPRF projects in 2022 coordinates with the Foundatio...

The November 15 - 21, 2021 week is all about celebrating the heroes of road safety and Hardstaff Barriers is proud to be taking part in the celebrations. The Road Safety Week runs from November 15 to November 21, 2021 and is celebrating the work of people across the United Kingdom, who play a key role to make the roads a safer place for everyone. Road Safety Week Hardstaff Barriers value every single member of their hard-working team, who work around the clock to supply, manage and install th...

Six fire engines and 2,000 sets of personal protective equipment (PPE) have started their journey across Europe to Ukraine.  The de-commissioned fire engines have been donated to Fire Aid by Kent Fire Rescue Service (KFRS), together with a vast array of equipment, including PPE donated by fire and rescue services from across the country. KFRS Supports Fire Aid Mission In Ukraine KFRS Station Manager, Mike Pitney, said: “Last year, hundreds of Ukrainian firefighters worked for weeks...

As Thanksgiving fast approaches, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) is urging everyone to use added caution when celebrating the holiday, as Thanksgiving Day represents the leading day for home cooking fires. More than three times as many cooking fires occur on Thanksgiving Day as a typical day of the year. "Thanksgiving is a hectic holiday that involves lots of cooking and distractions, which can make it easy to lose sight of what’s on the stove and in the oven,” said...

The Government has confirmed that verification bodies for the UK ETS scheme do not need to be registered as a UK legal entity or have an office in the UK, but they shall need to hold the appropriate accreditation (ISO 14065) from the UK’s National Accreditation Body, i.e. UKAS. The UKAS assessment will take into account any relevant accreditation where this has been granted by a National Accreditation Body that is a signatory to the EA Multilateral Agreement (MLA) and, where such accredit...

As a direct result of the findings of the Hackitt Report and subsequent government focus on the recommendations for the wider fire safety environment, FIREX International, the UK’s fire industry tradeshow, has taken the decision to fully commit to supporting and promoting third-party approvals, independent accreditation, and competency for construction products and services. This will mean all exhibiting companies with relevant fire protection or prevention systems and materials will need...

UK Building Regulations regularly update the importance of fire safety compliance for building structures and require all buildings to have adequate fire protection measures in place, in order to protect both property and lives. Regular fire risk assessments Regular fire risk assessments and monitoring of the quality of buildings ensure that no corner of a building remains unprotected. Most types of buildings are well-equipped with fire extinguishers, alarms and other fire safety measures, so...