Tall Building Fire Safety - News

The Harris County Fire Marshal's Office (HCFMO) has announced that their Hazardous Materials (HazMat) Response Team will begin pre-incident planning in March 2020, in compliance with NFPA 1620: Standard for Pre-Incident Planning. Funding from the Harris County Commissioners Court, to support additional HazMat team staffing, has allowed the Harris County Fire Marshal's Office to develop and pursue this progressive avenue of pre-incident planning of businesses and facilities in the unincorporated...

On January 28, Senators Jacky Rosen and Deb Fischer introduced the HERO Act, S. 3244, companion legislation to H.R. 1646, which was introduced last year by Representatives Ami Bera and Brian Fitzpatrick. The HERO Act establishes a series of programs to address public safety behavioral health issues, including: Creates a grant program for peer-support behavioral health and wellness programs at fire departments and EMS agencies Directs the U.S. Fire Administration in coordination with the Depa...

At this year’s NFPA Conference & Expo 2020, FFE Ltd. is slated to launch their new innovative Fireray One, Optical Beam Smoke Detector. It is the perfect fire protection and detection solution for wide open spaces. Visitors at FFE Ltd’s stand at the NFPA Conference can get hands on with the new product and experience how quick and easy the solution’s intelligent auto-alignment process is. Visitors can get immersed in this new technology, and talk to company executives at th...

Sprinklers retrofitted in a high-rise block of flats in Doncaster helped to save the lives of two people, fire chiefs say. A chip pan caught fire in one of the flats at Hatfield House in the borough at around 5.10 a.m. on Friday (21 February 2020). But fire sprinklers activated and suppressed the blaze, saving the flat and two people who were asleep inside. Damage to the flat was limited to minor smoke and water damage, while the occupants suffered minor smoke inhalation. Effective use of spri...

The widely awaited digitalBAU 2020 event took place for the first time from February 11th to 13th, 2020 in Cologne, Germany. The new trade fair for digital solutions for the entire building life cycle was well attended with more than 10,000 visitors and was aimed at everyone involved in the construction industry. In addition to the predominantly software manufacturer, G-TEC was also represented as an engineering office with a trade fair stand at the buildingSMART eV joint stand. G-TEC’s...

The Government consultation ‘Fire safety: risk prioritization in existing buildings’, closed recently. In January Stephen Adams, Chief Executive, BAFE, encouraged everyone to review the document provided on the MHCLG website and to respond accordingly. The call for evidence noted it was “in line with the Secretary of State’s commitment to conducting a full-scale technical review of the Fire Safety guidance to the Building Regulations (Approved Document B) and to provide...

For almost 100 years, Magirus Lohr has manufactured fire engines in Hönigtal near Kainbach in Austria. As a result of successful business developments in recent years, there is a requirement to accommodate potential growth. “Following increasing demand, we started a strategic search for a new location in 2017,” said Christian Reisl, Managing Director, Magirus Lohr, adding “Due to the specific topographic conditions, there is no possibility for expansion at the Hönigta...

Avon Fire & Rescue Service (AFRS) is changing how it responds to Automatic Fire Alarm signals to reduce its response to unnecessary false alarms. From the 1st April 2020, the new procedure will be introduced and will mean the automatic response to some alarms will be removed. This change follows the implementation of the Service Plan (2019-2022) to ensure that the AF&RS is better able to match resource to risk and ensure public safety. In 2018/19 alone, AF&RS attended over 5,700 cal...

Bronto announced that THT Polička s.r.o. has been named as a Bronto Skylift distributor in Czech Republic. The exclusive distribution agreement includes the sales of Bronto Skylift high-rise rescue and firefighting products as well as supporting services and is limited to the area of Czech Republic. Bronto Skylift’s previous distributor in Czech Republic, D.I.K. consulting will be helping with the transition and remains as a service contact until the new collaboration is fully effective....

Following an exhaustive search, the International Fire Suppression Alliance (IFSA) has announced that Paul Sincaglia, P.E. will become the organization’s first full-time Managing Director, effective from March 1, 2020. A fire protection engineering graduate of Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Paul brings a broad range of experience to the IFSA. Fire safety industry veteran Most recently, he has served as Director of Industrial, Fire and Life Safety for Osborn Engineering in Cleveland, Oh...

Following the recent outbreak of the Coronavirus in China, FAFS is working with their Supply Chain Partners to ensure minimum disruption for customers, and continuation of their supply routes.  As a fire life safety and security service provider and key member of the Marlowe Fire & Security Group of companies, FAFS has access to an extensive and diverse supply chain, governed by and incorporated into their Business Continuity Strategy.   FAFS Business Continuity Strategy ensures...

At Textron Systems, their engineers push themselves daily to rapidly evolve current technologies and meet their customers’ future needs. As part of their team, they are innovators, thinkers, and doers, creating the solutions their customers count on to accomplish their missions. Throughout Engineering Week, Textron highlights engineers from across their family of brands, including Textron Systems, Howe & Howe, TRU Simulation + Training, and Lycoming. Join them as they celebrate the gr...

At this year’s Firex International 2020, FFE Ltd. is slated to provide an interactive experience to showcase their high-tech range of Fireray Optical Beam detectors and Talentum Flame detectors that the company claims will leave a lasting impression on viewers. Firex International 2020 FFE Ltd. will be showcasing the company’s Fireray Hub as well at Firex International 2020. Fireray Hub is a fully modular system supporting both end-to-end and reflective beam technology on the same...

Fire on board! This is a grave danger for any ship, but especially so when a ship is ostensibly safely docked in the harbor, where 'normal' firefighters are on duty and have to cope with the special challenges on board a ship. Firefighters’ safety Since 2005, 44 potentially disastrous incidents have occurred in German ports alone, including 15 fires and 13 spills of hazardous materials. EFAS, a joint project coordinated by the Fraunhofer Institute for Communication, Information Processi...

The Congressional Fire Services Institute (CFSI) and Masimo will honor the San Antonio (TX) Fire Department (SAFD) and the Chesterfield County (VA) Fire and Emergency Medical Services with the Excellence in Fire Service-Based EMS Award. The award presentations will take place on April 30th at the 32nd Annual National Fire and Emergency Services Dinner in Washington, DC. EMS awards program First presented in 2011, the Excellence in Fire Service-Based EMS Award has recognized fire departments fr...

Rethinking fire toxicity – inaugural conference featuring speakers from across the globe – focus on long-term effects of firefighter health. As part of the review of Building Regulations (Approved Document B), and in response to emerging evidence on long-term firefighter health issues, the government is investigating whether the effects of fire toxicity should be a legal requirement when choosing materials for high risk buildings. To assist in this research, the Fire Protection Asso...

The proliferation of false fire alarms places a huge burden on the Fire & Rescue Service. Understanding false fire alarm causes and taking steps to prevent them can help reduce false dispatches. The threat of fire is known to all; there is no need to overstate the devastating impact of fire on people, wildlife, businesses and buildings. Only recently, Sydney and its surrounding areas have been devastated by raging bushfires, while in the UK, there was a 14% increase of fire incidents attend...

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a large family of man-made chemical compounds found in a wide range of consumer products, such as nonstick products, polishes, waxes, paints, and cleaning products. Two PFAS compounds, perfluorooctane acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), may be present in firefighting aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) solutions. Certain PFAS can accumulate and stay in the human body for long periods of time. Long-term exposure to PFAS/PFOA/PFOS, in h...

Honeywell, a global pioneer in fire and life safety, and Nexceris, developer of Li-ion Tamer® lithium-ion gas detection solutions, announced the formation of a strategic alliance to address lithium-ion battery system safety. The partnership, which builds on Honeywell’s fire portfolio, will enhance its advanced detection technology with Li-ion Tamer’s products and give customers early warning capability of potential battery failure and the ability to mitigate or avoid the effects...

FPA’s first Building a safer future seminar of 2020 attracted over 150 delegates to London to hear the latest updates from the public inquiry into the Grenfell Tower fire. The expert speakers discussed competency, governmental and regulatory changes ahead, third party certification (TPC), dilemmas for the fire and rescue service (FRS) and toxicity. FPA’s managing director Jonathan O’Neill opened by ‘tracking the progress’ of the government’s recent announceme...

The Viking Corporation, a provider of fire protection and life safety systems, offers the ability for customers to order custom design cover plates for both residential and commercial sprinkler projects. This new cULus Listed and FM Approved feature, exclusive to Viking, allows customers to include logos and custom artwork on their sprinkler cover plates. The new custom design process is possible for almost any Viking flat cover plate, including small, standard, extra-large orifice, sidewall, a...

FLIR Systems, Inc. has announced the release of FLIR A8580 series of thermal science cameras - 1.3 megapixel, entry-level cooled camera designed for a wide range of industrial, military, science, and product research and development (R&D) applications. This camera records blur-free images of high-speed targets, offering a wide range of precision, manual and motorized lenses, and also integrates seamlessly with the new FLIR Research Studio thermal analysis software, all providing the user wi...

CSVHFD responded mutual aid with the Bromley Fire Department for a structure fire on Highwater Road. On arrival, crews found heavy fire showing from a vacant residence. The fire was marked under control in 1 hour. No injuries were reported. The cause of the blaze was determined to be arson.

CSVHFD responded to Enid Street in the Hollywood neighborhood of Crescent Springs. Units responding were told at the time of dispatch that multiple calls were being received for what appeared to be a chimney fire. On arrival, crews found heavy showing from the exterior of the home. Multiple lines were simultaneously deployed and the fire was marked under control in 15 minutes. No injuries were reported at the time of the incident. The cause of the blaze was determined to be malfunctioning equi...

The Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs’ is honored to announce that Whistler Fire Chief John McKearney has been appointed as the President of the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs (CAFC), effective immediately. He will serve the remainder of past CAFC President, Chief Ken Block’s term. Chief Block stepped down in order to accept the role of Fire Commissioner in the state of Victoria, Australia. “I’m honored to have been appointed by my colleagues and to serve in this...

In a post-Grenfell world there is clearly, and rightly so, a focus on the fire safety of high-rise buildings – especially in the residential sector. Yet this focus has answered as many questions as it has made new ones, particularly for the construction and fire industries. As reported in December of 2019 by the Fire Industry Association (FIA), a new cross-industry valuation process called the External Wall Fire Review (EWFR) was implemented by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors...

ASSA ABLOY’s range of door closers is one of the few available on the market to satisfy the certification demands of uninsulated metal fire doors, the ASSA ABLOY Door Hardware & Access Control Group has announced. At the end of 2017, a number of UKAS accredited authorities withdrew certification for almost all door closers used on uninsulated metal fire doors. While a number of these certifications have since been reinstated, they typically only cover the use of door closers on the si...

Fire chiefs say hundreds of high-risk homes will be safer for decades to come due to more than £1 million spent on fire sprinkler projects in the last five years. South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue spent the money fitting fire sprinklers in around 650 flats across the county in a bid to prompt owners of accommodation for mostly vulnerable residents to consider fire sprinklers as a long-term measure to keep their tenants safe. funding beneficiary More than 20 separate projects were awarde...

A fire at a high-rise block of flats in North Wales has been successfully extinguished thanks to an effective sprinkler system. North Wales Fire and Rescue Service crews were called to a report of a fire at Bolingbroke Heights, Flint at 1749, and appliances from Flint, Deeside, and Holywell were mobilized to the incident. Firefighters rescued a man in his 70s from a heavily smoke-logged flat within the building. He received a precautionary check for smoke inhalation at the scene. The fire was...

West Yorkshire Fire was first called to a fire at 1317 today, on the ground floor of the Speedibake building on Chald Lane in Wakefield. By 1550, 75% of the ground floor had become consumed by the fire. About 140 firefighters were at the scene from across the country and it is clear the fire service was stretched for available water using a nearby park lake to secure additional supplies for their efforts. There were no reported injuries. Fire Service Statement In a statement released at 1800,...