Public Education - News

BAFE is pleased to note the announcements made by Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Most notably, the one meter plus rule (in England) will help in the continuation of the fire safety industry by gaining access to buildings to perform essential fire safety work and maintenance as required by legislation. BAFE awaits further guidance to be released by the Government shortly, which will assist the industry to determinedly continue with extreme care and diligence. fire safety provisions and systems...

Fireworks can be beautiful, but they can be unpredictable and deadly. Numerous fires have resulted from the use of personal fireworks, not to mention causing severe injuries to the users. Personal fireworks are illegal throughout Big Bear Valley, including 'safe and sane' fireworks. In addition, all fireworks that explode, shoot into the air, or move along the ground are termed dangerous and are illegal anywhere in California, USA. fines up to $1,000 Big Bear Fire Department’s Assistant...

Informa has made the difficult decision to postpone FIREX International along with all of the other co-located events that were due to run at London ExCeL on September 8th-10th 2020. The events will now run May 18th-20th 2021, still at London ExCeL. Informa's focus over the last three months has been on ensuring that they can provide a safe and secure environment for the FIREX event visitors, exhibitors and staff. Additionally, as everyone knows, the FIREX event has a strong international parti...

The NVFC welcomes new Advocate Member DripDrop ORS (oral rehydration solution), producer of electrolyte powder sticks that provide dehydration relief fast. Invented by a doctor to save lives while serving on a humanitarian aid trip, it is used by medical professionals, elite athletes, firefighters, and every day people who suffer from dehydration due to heat exhaustion, illness, travel, and more.

bp continues to support first responders, doctors, nurses, and medical workers on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic by offering a discount of up to 15 cents per gallon on every fill up at bp and Amoco stations for 60 days. Program sign-up is available through the company’s website and rewards can be used at the pump with the BPme app for no-contact payment. This offer is in addition to the more than $8 million in fuel discounts issued by bp since April 2020 to 650,000 responders and...

TRANSCAER and the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) are hosting a series of free Ethanol Emergency Response webinars as well as a train-the-trainer webinar. These courses are being offered online due to the pandemic and current social distancing guidelines. Take advantage of this special opportunity to get this important training online. RFA has conducted nearly 300 in person ethanol safety seminars across the country.  Ethanol Emergency Response Webinar Due to current circumstances and...

Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (TEEX) Emergency Services Training Institute, a Sustaining member of the National Volunteer Fire Council and provider in high-quality emergency response training and instruction, is offering free and low-cost online firefighting continuing education courses. With many firefighters looking for affordable online training opportunities during the pandemic, these courses are a great option to incorporate into department training. Emergency responders can...

Throwline stations are being installed at waterside locations across Cambridgeshire. The potentially lifesaving equipment is being installed in hotspots and high-risk sites across the county, that are known locations for people going into the water, or where incidents have happened in the past. throwline stations The 12 throwline stations are being installed with two already in place at Riverside Park in Huntingdon and in Ely. The installations have come at a time when we see most water-r...

G4S India offers a comprehensive range of solutions under the work assurance program in the post COVID-19 lockdown era. This year so far has been quite unprecedented for people, businesses, economy and the government. Safety and care for all lives has taken a center-stage and a preventive approach is the most sought-after behavioral change. Everything that was done prior to COVID-19 is being questioned from a safety stand point and simple things that were routine have become important now, for...

Coopers Fire are now hosting their CPD seminars online through Microsoft Teams and Zoom. In line with the UK Government guidance on social distancing due to the current Coronavirus pandemic, Coopers Fire have changed the way to deliver the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) approved CPD seminars. Coopers Fire can now offer a CPD seminar on Active Fire Curtain Barriers using Zoom or Microsoft Teams. The CPD seminars are designed for architects and other construction professionals acro...

West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service (WYFRS) and Yorkshire Water have created a video warning of the dangers of open water as part of the national Drowning Prevention Week, which runs between June 12 and 19. The video highlights some of the hidden dangers present within rivers, canals, reservoirs, and other types of watercourses. Drowning Prevention Week Drowning Prevention Week was created by the Royal Life Saving Society (RLSS) UK and the campaign is in its 7th year. Firefighters in West...

On the heels of expanding its industry-renowned eDRAULIC watertight extrication tool (EWXT) line and attaining NFPA 1936 2020 certification for it, HURST Jaws of Life announced that it has earned NFPA 1936 2020 compliant status for all of its current low-pressure and high-pressure tools, as well as its StrongArm multi-tool, completing the company’s certification for all pressure rescue products available today. HURST Jaws of Life attains NFPA 1936 2020 compliance “HURST Jaws of Lif...

Erickson Incorporated, a foremost operator, maintainer, and manufacturer of utility aircraft, just won an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, multiple-award contract as a subcontractor to Metson Marine Services, Inc. The Naval Undersea Warfare Center Operational Support Services for Ocean Testing Contract will be performed at government locations based on each individual task order, all over the world. Completion is expected by June 2025.        &nb...

Discussions with architects, developers and others, as well as main contractors when discussing areas of a sprinklered building frequency relate to areas where sprinkler protection can be omitted. One concern often raised with the British Automatic Fire Sprinkler Association (BAFSA) is the possibility of injury or damage when sprinkler protection is installed in electrical utility rooms.  BS 5306 Part 0 standards The forthcoming iteration of BS 5306 Part 0 standards contains advice on the...

Beyond keeping the industry updated on the latest updates on the most important topics, the FIA is actively involved in these topics through its work with Government, councils and committees. The section aims to serve as a collection of the FIA’s involvement with a variety of topics and will be continuously updated moving forward with links to the relevant news story where available. This will allow one to see what FIA have done and are doing to improve the industry for the members. COVID...

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...

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 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...

Aico celebrates a significant milestone in 2020 with finishing 30 years of renowned market presence in Fire and Carbon Monoxide (CO) protection solutions. Incorporated in 1990 in Oswestry, Shropshire, United Kingdom, Aico has rapidly grown from strength to strength over its 30-year history, with the growth being marked by the move to a new, bespoke head office. New Oswestry head office The new 7-acre site came as a necessity as Aico’s growth and success has seen significant expansion to...

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...

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 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.

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...

Pierce Manufacturing Inc., an Oshkosh Corporation company, announced that the Eighth Annual 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb set to take place on the steps of Lambeau Field in September, will now be hosted as a virtual fundraising event in support of the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF). Co-sponsored by the Green Bay Metro Fire Department, the 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb at Lambeau Field has been recognized as the largest event of its kind in the United States. Due to the unprecedented cir...

WYFRS recommends reviewing the fire assessment as soon as possible after returning from lockdown and systems and provisions are maintained to check they are working correctly. Stephen Adams, Chief Executive–BAFE, commented: “We are pleased to see Fire and Rescue Service information mirrors what BAFE has been advising as we begin the process of returning to a ‘new normal’. Many business premises will have changed the way they operate due to new coronavirus safety measures...

At Zitko, they take giving back seriously. Well, seriously enough that they talk about what they can do for the communities on a regular basis. Whether it’s women’s football, bake sales, tough mudder, Macmillan coffee mornings; local or international, security or recruitment, they’re always looking at ways they can give back to the causes that need it. As a growing profitable business, they’re in a fortunate position. They look at the interests of the staff, what they&rs...

The Construction Leadership Council (CLC) summarizes the document as 'a strategy to drive the recovery of the construction and built environment sectors, and through them, the wider UK economy, following the COVID-19 pandemic and economic downturn.' BAFE is optimistic the construction sector will, as the document states, 'ensure the sector is reformed to create a legacy of safe building.' importance of fire safety Stephen Adams, Chief Executive of BAFE, comments, “The importance of this...