Training & Education - News

“To rise to the challenges of the 21st century, we need to harness our full potential. That requires dismantling gender stereotypes. On this International Day of Women and Girls in Science, let’s pledge to end the gender imbalance in science,” said Antonio Guterres, UN Secretary-General.  Long-standing biases and gender stereotypes are steering girls and women away from science-related fields, with only 35% of STEM students being women in higher education. Inspiring youn...

The U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) EMS Safety Practices manual provides information to enhance the health and safety of the emergency medical services (EMS) practitioner and support the reduction of occupational illness and on-duty injuries and fatalities. This 146-page manual outlines how to develop a safety program that covers all aspects of EMS operations to prepare for, prevent, mitigate and respond to all hazards. It covers safety regulations and guidelines while also emphasizing the impo...

CHEMTREC and the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) are teaming up for the fourth year to provide volunteer fire departments with the CHEMTREC HELP (Hazmat Emergencies Local Preparedness) Award to enhance their hazardous materials response capabilities and improve responder safety. CHEMTREC HELP Award The 2022 application period is now open until September 1, 2022. Two U.S. volunteer fire departments will each receive US$ 10,000, through the CHEMTREC HELP Award in 2022. Fire departments m...

National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) members can enter to win a personalized Cairns XF1 Fire Helmet, courtesy of MSA Safety Incorporated (MSA Safety). Cairns XF1 Fire Helmet The jet-style design of the Cairns XF1 Fire Helmet reduces snag hazards, provides a personalized fit, and houses its own integrated light module, and the soft goods are removable, washable, and replaceable. This is the second of three opportunities to win an XF1 helmet in 2022. One recipient will be randomly selected, a...

The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) is pleased to announce that Dr. Candice McDonald will join the staff as Deputy Chief Executive Officer. In this role, she will assist CEO Sarah Lee in managing the internal operations of the NVFC, including grants oversight, budget development, organizational planning, and more.  “We are very excited for Dr. Candice McDonald to join the NVFC as a key part of our staff leadership team,” said Lee. “Candice brings a myriad of experi...

Fire safety and protection are more prevalent now than ever before. There is a huge push on competency and compliance for the installation and products in the fire industry in 2022, following tragic recent events such as Grenfell. Just like a plumber would need to showcase that they are competent to service a boiler, the demand for fire protection installers to show they are competent is essential. What is Passive fire protection (PFP)? Passive fire protection (PFP) is a crucial component of...

Alongside the Fire Safety Act, the UK government has now committed to Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 and a raft of new measures that are designed to ensure a full response to the Grenfell Tower inquiry recommendations. The launch, coming at the same time as the commencement of the Fire Safety Act 2021, is described as ‘the most comprehensive plans for fire reform in decades’. The plans will be set out in the UK government’s Fire Reform white paper, in order to strength...

A safety warning on the use of lithium-ion batteries is being issued by Kent Fire and Rescue Service (KFRS) following several battery related fires this month. A safety warning on the use of lithium-ion batteries is being issued by Kent Fire and Rescue Service (KFRS) following several battery related fires this month. Lithium-ion batteries, or li-ion batteries (sometimes called LIBs) are commonly found in many items including mobile phones, laptops, e-bikes, hover boards, vaping devices and sco...

Avon Protection will showcase its full range of integrated personal protection solutions at Eurosatory 2022, including full-face respirators, ballistic helmets, escape hoods, SCBA systems, modular PAPR units, underwater equipment, and CBRN protective equipment. There, the Group will demonstrate its position as a world-renowned company in CBRN protection, with its respiratory technology solutions that are designed to meet the modern threat environment and enhance the capability of the tactical m...

The Association for Specialist Fire Protection (ASFP), the UK’s trade association for passive fire protection, will be showcasing its range of training courses, guidance documents, and membership services on stand 3A/H30 at the Fire Safety Event at Birmingham NEC from 5-7 April. Their experts will be on hand to answer all the passive fire protection queries, discuss the latest regulatory requirements, and to explain how their training courses can help to demonstrate competency. Fire prot...

Firstly, the type of detection being installed has continued to evolve. From the conversations held on the stand, it seems ASD systems continue to rise in popularity with a significant number of visitors coming to their stand to talk about the sites where they have installed these systems and the challenge of then ensuring ongoing testing and maintenance. From the customer survey’s they’ve known that the use of multi-sensor detectors has also been on the rise, this trend was confirm...

A fire that engulfed six buses at a Hertfordshire town center transport depot has been linked to an electric bus catching fire while charging. Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service (HFRS) arrived in the afternoon on Sunday, 22 May, 2022, where a local resident described the scene, saying: "I just heard an unbelievable noise that sounded like a jet and when I looked out my window, one of the buses exploded in a ball of flames." Causing further damage The smoke from the blaze was so heavy that...

Cumberland Valley Volunteer Firemen’s Association (CVVFA) President, Chief Joe Kroboth has released a message stating - Fellow members, for several years the association and individual members benefited from a relationship with the PA Fireman Magazine. The magazine has covered CVVFA’s events, published their articles, and informed readers about the association’s activities. With the steady long-term growth of the Emergency Responder Safety Institute, there is a need to provide...

FirePro participated in this year’s Securex West Africa 2022, at the Landmark Center in Lagos, Nigeria, held between 10 -12 May. This year marked the 10th anniversary of this three-day event, which is Africa’s largest exhibition for security, fire, and safety industry professionals. It welcomed more than 3000 specialist visitors, and hosted more than 150 companies from 25+ countries. Expert-Led conferences Visitors experienced daily expert-led conferences, technical workshops, liv...

The National Fire Chiefs Council’s (NFCC) People Programme has launched four new tools, in order to support fire and rescue services in the selection, recruitment, nurturing and growth of diverse talent. The Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Hub, Recruitment Hub, Talent Management Toolkit and Coaching and Mentoring Portal are the culmination of months of hard work, by National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) project teams and colleagues from across the fire and rescue sector. Each tool champi...

With a wealth of ideas, companies are constantly developing new, interesting services and products in the area of emergency response. At INTERSCHUTZ, young startups will be presenting themselves at a large joint booth (Hall 16/F48) from June 20 to 25. Whether in everyday use or in disasters: The work of fire departments and rescue services is mentally demanding. The helpers have to deal with a lot. In the most diverse areas of life, they experience conflict situations that often bring them to t...

EarthSafe Chemical Alternatives is known for developing the EvaClean Infection Prevention Solution, which firefighters use to mitigate pathogens in their fire stations and emergency vehicles. In a continuing effort to help protect the health of first responders, EarthSafe launched a safer, more sustainable line of industrial-strength products, in order to address hazardous spills and inhibit harmful molds. Joe Finn, the former Boston Fire Commissioner, Chief of the Department, and current First...

Contra Costa County Fire Protection District (Con Fire) announced the graduation of its Lateral Fire Academy 57 and the addition of 27 new experienced firefighters to the District’s ranks.  Academy 57 Academy 57 consisted exclusively of experienced firefighters from other agencies across the state and region who chose to join Con Fire to continue their careers. The abbreviated eight-week course of instruction was designed to align students’ past training with Con Fire&rsq...

AudioLINK+ is now faster, quieter, and more reliable than ever before. The second iteration of Aico’s award-winning AudioLINK technology makes it easy to access real-time data from alarms via the free AudioLINK+ app. AudioLINK+ AudioLINK+ extracts the same data as AudioLINK, but does this quicker and quieter than before to reduce disturbance and does not affect any other functionality of alarms. With the average time to take a report taking between 4-7 seconds, AudioLINK+ technology make...

Kentec Electronics, a global manufacturer of life-critical control systems, is celebrating the third anniversary of its Kentec Installation Program (KIP), at this year’s FIREX International 2022. With more than 200 installers now registered, across 19 countries, the company will take the opportunity to celebrate the success of scheme and thank installers for their support. Since its launch at Firex 2019, installers have been benefiting from the scheme’s key features, which include t...

Global safety experts, Ardent Group (Ardent Vehicle Fire Protection) have announced significant new investment in machinery and robotics at its site in Roecliffe, York, United Kingdom (UK), as the company expands its portfolio of market-renowned fire suppression and electronic systems, for a wide range of vehicles, as well as static and mobile plant. Investment in machinery and robotics Explaining the investment, Neil Crowther, the Managing Director at the Ardent Group, said “In recent y...

Pierce Manufacturing Inc., an Oshkosh Corporation company, announced that authorized dealer Golden State Fire Apparatus, Inc. will open its second service center, a new 45,000 square-foot facility in Tracy, California, to serve customers in central California, particularly the Bay Area. The project is currently in the design stage with construction expected to be completed in the next 18 to 24 months. The new facility will also serve as Golden State Fire Apparatus’ service hub for the rev...

More than 8,600 people traveled to Long Beach, California, USA, in order to attend the recent Advanced Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo 2022, North America’s largest advanced transportation technology and clean fleet event. Major retailers were in attendance, looking to decarbonize their fleets, gaining insight into the latest developments, policies, and technologies in clean transportation solutions. ACT Expo 2022 ACT Expo 2022 featured the largest collection of clean vehicle and fuel s...

When managing a commercial property, companies need to ensure that safety is absolutely paramount. There’s no room for cutting corners, especially when it comes to fire management. Residential fire extinguishers tend to be cheaper and easier to get their hands on, but commercial properties require a fire extinguisher that is compliant and can deal with fires that might arise. Current fire safety laws The Regulation Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 covers all fire safety legislation The...

Thank Hedy Lamarr for Wi-Fi, Marie Curie for radioactivity, Evelyn Boyd Granville for successful space missions, Rosalind Franklin for the double helix structure of DNA, and Ruby Hirose for vaccines against polio. Those are a few examples of fearless women in science who changed the world with their research and innovation. The world benefits when more women and gender-diverse people find inspiration in careers in science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics.  Sponsorship of Ope...

The unique set of stressors encountered on the job by first responders can create mental health challenges for them and their families. To address this reality, first responders must learn how to take care of their mental health and they need a support network tailored to their individual requirements. 3 agencies' programs 3 agencies' programs have recently been updated with new resources to help first responders take care of their mental health and support the mental health of their families...

Nedbank has made an equity investment into an industry-leading technology led emergency response platform, RapidDeploy. The bank is the first South African firm to invest in RapidDeploy, which was established in South Africa, after its Founders - Steven Raucher and Brett Meyerowitz experienced the antiquated, legacy technology that was available within the country’s public safety sector. Nedbank invests in RapidDeploy Steven Raucher experienced a personal tragedy, when his brother drown...

Eight years after the unveiling of the first robot from the AirCore family, the history of Magirus' remote-controlled and remote-operated tactical units continues with the handover of the Wolf R1 in Ehrwald. In an extraordinary ceremony on Germany's highest mountain, the Zugspitze, the company is handing over the world's first tactical response robot to the Ehrwald Volunteer Fire Department in Austria. The Magirus Wolf R1 was especially developed to meet the significantly increased demands of c...

The new Rosenbauer RFC CAFS Cube S compressed air foam system is the ideal addition to fire departments’ standard extinguishing equipment. Wetting agent, a water/foam compound mixture, and also wet and dry compressed air foam can all be generated by the ‘little brother’ of the all-in-one RFC CAFS Cube. However, the RFC CAFS Cube S is driven by a water-powered motor, rather than a combustion engine. Every fire engine with a fire pump on board can, therefore, be tactically u...

Effective immediately, Rob Kreikemeier has been appointed to the position of Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Rosenbauer America. John Slawson has left Rosenbauer America. Rosenbauer thanks John Slawson for his contributions and wishes him well in his future endeavors. Rob Kreikemeier is well-known, trusted, and respected throughout the fire industry for many decades. He has over 50 years of manufacturing and operations experience. This includes being the Founder of R.K. Aerials in...