Fire Industry Association (FIA) News

Dr Guillermo Rein of the University of Edinburgh Sensor technology for fire detection and prediction to help firefighters. Scientists have developed technology that could help firefighters in their job, by using sensors in fire detection and prediction. Sensor Assisted Fire Fighting (SAFF) is a technology that predicts how a fire will spread, therefore helping  fighting the fire safer and more efficient, reports the Scotsman. Researchers developed the technology, which...

FIA Fire Risk Assessment Council has announced that the FIA is to run quarterly CPD days FIA Fire Risk Assessment ‘Extinguishers’ CPD Day. The FIA Fire Risk Assessment Council has announced that the FIA is to run quarterly CPD days on various subjects. The FIA ran a pilot event in July this year and despite the fairly short notice managed to attract 52 delegates to attend a day on Passive fire protection. ‘Experts’ from the various ‘passive fire...

Fire Safety Order 2005 is required so that big fire accidents can be avoided which cause huge damage North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service discovered breaches including lack of an adequate means of escape, a fire alarm, a fire detection system or an emergency lighting system. The landlord of a north Yorkshire property has pleaded guilty to eight violations of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 at Scarborough Magistrates Court. Lazlo Banki appeared at the court a...

Fire safety breaches often lead to catastrophic fires and subsequent loss of property and life Michael John Snow was slapped with a £24,000 fine earlier in the year at Nottingham Crown Court. Temporary events organisers are not exempt from complying with fire safety regulations as one individual found out after he was prosecuted for falling foul of rules. According to thisisnottingham.co.uk, Michael John Snow was slapped with a £24,000 fine earlier in the year at...

The Didcot Railway Center attracts 5000 visitors annually The centre will now be protected by a fire detection and emergency lighting system.The Didcot Railway Centre in Oxfordshire now features a new fire solution thanks to the installation of an addressable fire detection system aimed at protecting visitors, but also historic machines. The centre's collection of Great Western Railway steam engines, coaches, wagons, buildings and relics, which attract 50,000 visitors annuall...

Pondstretcher has been found of violating the Fire Safety Order 2005 According to Judge Reid, who presided over the case, Poundstretcher had not made the premises safe despite having been reprimanded for similar offences earlier. A store in Yorkshire described as a "death trap" has been handed a fine of more than £50,000, the Yorkshire Evening Post reports.The Poundstretcher branch in Castleford's Carlton Street was penalised £51,500 for seven breaches of the Fire...

The study programme would include all fire safety techniques, construction and safety planning for the students Fire safety engineering scholarships offered by the BRE Centre for Fire Safety Engineering at the University of Edinburgh aim to make buildings safe from fire and prevent casualties. Fire safety in modern buildings is being promoted by the Lloyd's Register Educational Trust, which has provided more than £200,000 in new student scholarships. The fire...

A research is going on in University of Ulster on fire safety in constructions Experts at the university are analysing the fire resistance of a new type of steel column.Fire safety in the construction industry could be revolutionised by new research by scientists at the University of Ulster, which has secured funding from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council. Experts at the university are analysing the fire resistance of a new type of steel column, which feat...

The complete process of responding to a faulty fire alarm is a waste for professionals and the resources Earlier in the month, the Fire Industry Association advised business owners to regularly test their fire detection equipment following a blaze at a hotel. The Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service have announced plans to cut back on the number of times it attends false alarms. According to figures released by the service, its firefighters answer around 9,000 call-...

Grahm Ellicot, Chief of The Fire Industry Association FIA Chief Grahan Ellicot said: "Any changes made to the present remit and structure of Health and Safety Executive (HSE) would be a mistake."The government should not include the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) in its public sector cuts as it helps to prevent fires and arson attacks, it has been suggested. A leaked document from the Cabinet Office, which was picked up by the BBC's Politics Show, revealed that the future...

Firefighters may no longer attend automatic fire alarms in a bid to save money Firefighters may no longer attend automatic fire alarms in a bid to save money, according to a report in the Dumfries and Galloway Standard.The proposals could mean firefighters only go to premises when they are sure the fire alarm is for real, but the idea has been slammed by some saying it would put lives at risk. It will be put to councillors this week as part of a set of moves aimed at saving &...

Heavy rains have led to false fire alarms and unwanted work for the firefighters which has become a nuisance for most of them False fire alarms are not only a nuisance to those affected, but also waste resources. Heavy rain across the country left the capital's fire and rescue services stretched to the limit over the weekend as firefighters responded to flooding incidents in residential and business premises. Crews were also forced to respond to several false fire alarms as a...

'Fire Safety in Sleeping Accommodation' will help hotel industry take required measures   The free seminar the last in a series presented throughout 2010 is entitled 'Fire Safety in Sleeping Accommodation' and will take place at Blackpool Football Club on Tuesday 30 November. The Fire Industry Association (FIA) and the British Automatic Fire Sprinkler Association (BAFSA) have joined forces to present a seminar aimed at raising awareness of fire safety in owners of hotels...

Crews from Southall, Heathrow,Hillingdon and Heston fire stationsbattled the blaze for two and a half hrs A fire on an industrial estate on Dominion Road in Southall, London, has been attended by four fire engines and around 20 firefighters from the London Fire Brigade.Property worth thousands of pounds was destroyed as the external fascia of two industrial units was partly damaged by the inferno, which also badly razed a lorry and a three-tonne pile of waste wood on Septe...

Meadowcrift Mill drowned in fire was attended by four fire crew from Rcohdale, Bury, and Heywood. Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service recently battled the fire at a mill in Rochdale. Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service recently tackled an inferno at a mill in Rochdale, underscoring the importance of having regular fire risk assessments in commercial premises.The incident at Meadowcrift Mill in the Bamford area, which involved the roof void of the single storey i...

C-TEC's new fire safety products will enhance the safety of new veterinary hospital in Glasgow The new C-Tec fire solution system helps in providing better safety of animals and staff against possible dangers of the fire. A new veterinary hospital in Glasgow city centre now features a fire detection and alarm system from C-Tec, a member of the Fire Industry Association (FIA). C-Tec's powerful XFP analogue addressable fire panel has been installed at the facility, which featu...

False fire alarms have been highlighted by the evacuation of guests from the venue hosting the Ryder Cup FIA has been working with Chief Fire Officers' Association on minimising false fire alarm to avoid unwanted fire signals. The importance of minimising false fire alarms has been highlighted by the evacuation of guests from the venue hosting the Ryder Cup in South Wales.A full evacuation took place at the Celtic Manor Resort in Newport on September 27th after the alarm went...

All fire detection and alarm equipment needs to be regularly tested to ensure it is fully functional - Becky Reid A regular check of fire safety equipment helps to maintain the safe environment of the premises.Commercial premises owners and the responsible person in such places may want to ensure they regularly test their fire detection and alarm systems in order to avoid the fate of one hotel manager.Plume of Feathers hotel manager Michael Martin was hauled before magistrates...

"It is important to get it right at the front end, to ensure fire safety equipment is up to professional standards" MP Dr Vince Cable has discussed with the Fire Industry Association (FIA), a new business to his constituency, the importance of fire safety and addressed the delicate issue of ‘cowboy’ contractors and the potential hazards that they could instigate. During his visit to their Hampton office on August 27, Cable affirmed both his personal concern and tha...

False fire alarm resulted in evacuating many pensioners from housing complex A false fire alarm resulted in dozens of pensioners being evacuated from a housing complex as firefighters were deployed to tackle the incident on August 24th it has been reported. Fire crews turned up at Moneyhill Court, in Field Way, Rickmansworth, at around 20:00 BST only to discover steam from a hot shower in one of the sheltered houses had triggered the alarm, reports the Watford Observer. The...

Fire safety breaches in court and prisons have come to light thanks to a Freedom of Information by  CLG Alleged fire safety breaches in court buildings and prisons have come to light thanks to a Freedom of Information disclosure by Communities and Local Government (CLG). Some 15 fire enforcement notices, including one for lack of a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment and another for inadequate firefighting procedures or training, were issued on the concerned gove...

FIA and Chief Fire Officer's Associationworking together on reducing false alarm False alarm reduction plans could put lives at risk. Controversial plans by Lancashire Fire and Rescue Services to cut automatic fire alarm call outs have raised concerns that they could end up putting lives at risk, it has been reported. In a bid to free up engines to fight genuine fires and help save money, operators will ask people to confirm themselves that there is actually a blaze before f...

"This was a case of someone failing to understand theirresponsibility as a landlord"  The landlord pleaded guilty to eight counts of breaching the Fire Safety Order 2005 in his three-storey property where the top two floors had been transformed into a number of flats. The importance of businesses complying with regulations has been highlighted by the prosecution and fining of a landlord who was ordered to pay £8,500 for fire safety breaches. Cheshire Fire and...

The FIA works with Skills for Security on the Apprentice Scheme which is aimed at candidates aged 16-24 Now in its third year, Skills for Security on the Apprentice Scheme is designed to bring young people into fire protection.  Graham Ellicott, CEA of the FIA, comments: "In the UK we are justifiably proud of our fire safety record and the expertise that we have here. But we know the vital importance of attracting new blood to ensure that this continues. ...

CEN-CENELEC is to hold web-based seminars on SMEs and European standardisation Small and medium enterprises will benefit from two-day CEN-CENELEC webinar. On Wednesday 26 May and Thursday 27 May CEN-CENELEC is to hold to web-based seminars on SMEs and European standardisation. To find out how your company can benefit from European standardisation, sign up for one of these free events. For more information and to register please click here. 

Video smoke detection is gaining popularity in the fire detection field Video smoke detection is still in the process of research and development. A VSD guidance has been published by the FIA. Although it has been in use for a number of years, until recently VSD was still seen as an emerging technology. Research into this area continues and few commercial systems are available, but it is increasingly becoming a recognised solution for both interior and exterior appl...

UK is a world leader in fire safety industry Now in its third year, the apprenticeship scheme is designed to bring young people into fire protection in a bid to ensure that the UK retains its reputation as one of the world's leading lights in fire safety. Graham Ellicott, CEA of the FIA, comments: "In the UK we are justifiably proud of our fire safety record and the expertise that we have here.  But we know the vital importance of attracting new blood to ensure that this...

The FIA seminar was attended by people from across the fire service industry The seminar was given by Martin Duggan, General Manager of the FIA, and was well attended by representatives from many different sectors of the fire protection industry. Despite risk assessment being the fundamental platform on which fire safety measures are based under the Fire Safety Order, to date there has been no definition as to what constitutes a ‘suitable and sufficient' fire risk...

The topics at FIA/BAFSA seminar will include legal obligations, responsible person and fire risk assessments The free seminar, entitled ‘Fire Safety in Warehouses', will take place at Tranmere Rovers Football Club, Birkenhead on Wednesday 19 May. It is designed to provide all the latest information for the responsible persons: owners, operators, health & safety managers, building designers and consultants of such facilities along with those who use third party w...

A level of safety can be achieved by installing LD1 detection and combining it with a sprinkler system The NHBC study recognises that by installing detection to the LD1 fire alarm system category (BS 5839-6) and combining this with a sprinkler system, a level of safety can be achieved that is at least as good as a similar Approved Document B design. Some 80% of all fire deaths in the UK occur in dwellings - some 450 to 500 deaths a year.  In dwellings where there is no...