Training & Education - News

Even the most hazmat-phobic firefighter understands that chemical agents are added to odorless natural gas to make it obvious when there’s a leak. Beyond that baseline of basic knowledge, firefighter understanding of how odor agents work and how to detect the danger behind the smell can be all over the map.  Refresher courses for safety Whether it is teaching hazmat to new cadets, conducting annual refresher courses, or leading a team of firefighters into hazmat scenarios, having th...

There is currently a semiconductor shortage that is affecting some industries, including the automotive sector. The semiconductor shortage has reduced PACCAR’s truck deliveries in the first quarter of 2021, by approximately 3,000 vehicles. Semiconductor shortage PACCAR’s first quarter 2021 truck deliveries are estimated to be approximately 42,000 vehicles, compared to 40,800 vehicles delivered in the fourth quarter of 2020. The company anticipates that the semiconductor shortage w...

South Yorkshire’s firefighters have a new weapon to help them tackle moorland wildfires- off road vehicles. South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue has added two Polaris vehicles to its fleet, helping crews to respond more effectively to wildfires and other incidents, which might be hard to reach using a traditional fire engine. Polaris vehicles fitted with water pumps Fire crews will spend the next few months being trained in their use The vehicles are to be fitted with water pumps, which c...

Recently, BAFE published information discussing the roadmap for easing COVID-19 restrictions and that this should prompt reviews on fire safety.  Within this, BAFE reassured that fire safety service providers continue to operate as safely as possible following appropriate COVID-19 guidance to help clients meet their obligations. free rapid lateral flow tests The Construction Industry Council (CIC) has distributed important information that the Government is providing free rapid lateral f...

With warmer and dryer weather setting in, the Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service wishes to remind the public that lighting grass fires is not only illegal, but also a danger to its firefighters, following an incident that resulted in a firefighter sustaining a musculoskeletal injury. At 08:08 pm, on Tuesday, 30th March 2021, Joint Fire Control received the first call of a grass fire on Mynydd Cadle Common, in Penlan, Swansea, Wales and crews from Morriston and Swansea Central were deplo...

Airbus has launched ‘Advanced Superconducting and Cryogenic Experimental powertraiN Demonstrator’ (ASCEND), in order to explore the impact of superconducting materials and cryogenic temperatures on the performance of an aircraft’s electrical propulsion systems. The introduction of superconducting materials can lower electrical resistance, meaning that electrical current can supply power without energy loss. When coupled with liquid hydrogen at cryogenic temperatures (-253 degr...

Fire danger ratings are a shorthand way of describing the potential level of danger from bushfires. Ratings are used in many parts of the world and are especially important in the Australian context due to the prevalence of flammable vegetation and hot and dry conditions. The Australian landscape has evolved with fire, which is a natural part of many ecosystems. However, under certain conditions these environments are dangerous to communities, infrastructure, property, ecosystems and population...

The BCI releases the 2021 BCI Horizon Scan Report, sponsored by BSI. Throughout the years, this report continues to demonstrate its value to business continuity and resilience professionals by providing trends on incidents faced by organizations over the past year; the top threats and their impacts to organizations according to professionals; the use of the ISO 22301 standard and the cost of disruptions to organizations. This year, the report also analyses the impact that COVID-19 has had on bu...

“We are very excited to move into our Hempel Campus, which is a modern, international workplace and architecturally attractive. It is based on our vision of how we want to work together in teams and cross-functionally. Our new facilities reflect our culture and give us the perfect work environment enabling us to deliver on our ambitious strategy and growth targets,” explains Pernille Fritz Vilhelmsen, Hempel's Chief  People & Culture Officer. The new R&D facility will b...

Dycon Power Solutions Ltd, the Welsh-based developer, and manufacturer of advanced technology power supply products and solutions for the fire, security, building management, and communications’ markets, has recently expanded its fire distribution network to offer the full Dycon range of advanced fire power supplies to the fire systems installation market. In addition to its existing distributors Enterprise Security Distribution and CQR, Dycon has now welcomed KGM Fire & Security Dist...

A residential structure fire was reported on Yosemite Drive in Moonridge at approximately 2:35 am, on Wednesday, March 24, 2021. Upon arrival, fire crews observed a two-story, single-family home well involved on the side of the house near the chimney stack. Through a swift fire attack, fire personnel were able to quickly extinguish the fire. Two occupants were able to self-evacuate with no injuries. Due to close proximity of the structure fire, the shed was a complete loss. The structure fire...

Royal Berkshire Fire Authority has successfully concluded its search for the next leader of Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service. Wayne Bowcock will be joining the Service following the retirement of its current Chief Fire Officer, Trevor Ferguson, in July 2021. Wayne will join the Service in June to ensure a smooth transition, before Trevor’s departure. Wayne joins the Service from his current role as Chief Fire Officer and Director at Gloucestershire County Council. Wayne was selecte...

Emergency Reporting, the pioneer in cloud-based reporting and records management software (RMS) for fire, EMS, and other emergency response agencies, has acquired Medusa Medical Technologies. Medusa Medical Technologies provides electronic patient care solutions to emergency response and EMS agencies around the world. The company operates from its headquarters in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, with an additional office in the United Kingdom. Empowering first responders Medusa Medical Technolog...

Johnson Controls, the pioneer for smart, healthy and sustainable buildings and architect of OpenBlue connected solutions, is setting a new standard in fire suppression with the launch of ANSUL® NFF 3x3 UL201 Foam Concentrate. This new, patent-pending, Non-Fluorinated Foam (NFF) technology provides fast, effective fire suppression on most Class B hydrocarbon and polar solvent fuel fires. With a longer drain time than most AR-AFFFs, this foam blanket also delivers excellent post-extinguishmen...

The Capital Crescent Trail was crowded as bicyclists and walkers captured a few final moments of summer-like days before fall fully took hold when witnesses saw a man in his early fifties collapse a few yards from the Massachusetts Avenue pedestrian bridge. Bystanders called 911. Within moments the youthful-looking man laying on the pavement stopped breathing. Someone checked for a pulse, but none was found. Recognizing the man was in cardiac arrest, a companion began hands-only CPR. Medical e...

As hospitals battle through the second major wave of the COVID-19 virus, concerns have been raised around the NHS’ on-going maintenance backlog and the impact on safety and infrastructure. In January 2021, figures suggested that the total backlog was the equivalent of the annual running cost of the entire NHS estate, which was around £9.7 billion in 2019/20. fire safety standards compliance Emergency hospital evacuations are inherently more complicated when compared to other publi...

Detector testers training webinars remain as popular as ever, as a result, it is pleased to announce new dates for April and May. Led by the technical support specialist, Paul Gatens, the sessions are CPD certified and cover a broad range of topics linked to compliant testing and maintenance of fire detectors. Split into six areas, the webinar covers: Competency & Responsibility Standards & Best Practice False Alarms Test & Maintenance Tools Detector Removal & Cleaning W...

Royal Berkshire Fire Authority welcomes and supports the ongoing work of Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS), which aims to lead improvement across the fire and rescue sector at a national level. As part of this work, the Authority is pleased that Sir Tom Winsor, in the State of Fire and Rescue Annual Assessment in England 2020, has highlighted the outstanding work, which many fire and rescue services, including Royal Berkshire staff, have underta...

It is designed for rapid initial attacks during firefighting operations and technical assistance: the portable pump vehicle with water tank (TSF-W) is a multipurpose vehicle suitable for a wide range of possible operations. And that is also the reason why German fire departments and disaster protection organizations have ordered over 350 of them from Rosenbauer. Well over 200 units have now been manufactured at the Rosenbauer competence center for compact vehicles in Neidling near St. Pölt...

Fire protection solutions manufacturer Advanced has launched two new courses to understand BS 8629 Code of Practice recommendations and the EvacGo system designed to meet these recommendations. ‘A Guide to Meeting BS 8629’ is a continuing professional development course, approved by the FIA and the CPD Certification Service, suitable for fire safety in tall residential buildings. It is delivered online by the Advanced evacuation alert team, Ken Bullock, Advanced’s Business Dev...

Anheuser-Busch and the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) are teaming up for the third year to provide critical hydration to volunteer fire departments responding to wildfires through the Emergency Drinking Water for Wildland Firefighters program. The program is an expansion of Anheuser-Busch’s longstanding tradition of providing emergency drinking water and supplies for disaster relief efforts. Anheuser-Busch is continuing its commitment in 2021 by pledging to donate 1.5 million cans...

The Metropolitan “Metro” Fire Chiefs Association, a section of the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) and National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) announced their award honorees, and for the first time in its 56-year history, fire chiefs from the largest jurisdictions throughout the world have selected a female officer as Fire Chief of the Year. Mary Cameli, chief of the Mesa Fire and Medical Department in Arizona has earned the Metropolitan Fire Chief of the Year ho...

Granite Workwear stocks a wide range of products from many top brands that design the best, high-quality workwear. To celebrate the recent International Women’s Day and support the women in many different industries, Granite Workwear thought now would be a great time to highlight which workwear brands are the best for women. Carhartt Perhaps the most well-known and recognized brand on the list, Granite Workwear stocks a wide range of Carhartt products for both men and women, ranging in...

Globally renowned life-safety systems manufacturer, C-TEC, is heading up a live London Build Online panel discussion. Managing Home fire risks Featuring a host of top industry experts, innovators, and influencers, ‘Raising the grade: the evolution of fire protection in residential dwellings - how new fire detection and alarm system technology can better protect people and property’ webinar will take place on Thursday, 18th March 2021, at 1.30 pm and focus on the following key topic...

Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs (CAFC) is providing the opportunity to Canadian fire departments to apply for $500 stipend, in order to help educate their communities about the benefits of residential fire sprinklers. Fire departments are welcome to combine projects, for example, use the $500 to buy a TV monitor, produce an educational pull-up banner, or boost Facebook posts. Other examples include: Build or refurbish a fire and sprinkler side-by-side burn demonstration. This may includ...

As the House of Representatives considers the American Rescue Plan as amended by the Senate, the nation’s state and local emergency managers applaud the inclusion of several items that will aid in the response and recovery to COVID-19 as well as other ongoing disasters. Grants allowance The $100 million included for Emergency Management Performance Grants (EMPG) will allow for increased capacity at both the state and local levels. With these funds, emergency managers conduct coordinatin...

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and the Phoenix Society for Burn Survivors introduce an additional, final video interview of its Faces of Fire/Electrical series, which features personal stories of people impacted by electrical incidents and demonstrates the need for continued education and awareness about electrical hazards in the workplace and at home. Arc Flash Event In August 2004, Don Johnson, an electrician from Florida, was at work connecting a client’s backup gener...

Evolution, the globally renowned integrated fire & security systems business, has opened a new office in Cork, Ireland, so as to service the increasing new business opportunities in the area. New Cork service and support base The new Cork office will provide a new account management, service and support base in the county and beyond for new and existing customers, and coincides with the appointment of two new members to the team. Mark Field has been appointed as a Key Account Manager resp...

Emergency Reporting, the provider of Fire & EMS records management software headquartered in Bellingham, Washington, launches a new website for its Rover notification and alerting app. Rover, acquired by Emergency Reporting in 2020, is a cloud-based notification and response platform that provides critical two-way communication between dispatchers and first responders. When an incident occurs, Rover’s CAD-to-mobile technology instantly relays the call to responders’ mobile devic...

Amesbury Fire Chief Ken Berkenbush and West Newbury Health Agent Paul Sevigny, on behalf of the nine-community Lower Merrimack Valley Regional Collaborative, report on another successful COVID-19 vaccine clinic held this weekend, and the organizers and their municipal government leaders are extremely proud to announce that the clinic will continue, with approximately 3,000 more doses allocated to this local, volunteer-driven effort. The most recent session, a “second dose clinic” he...