Barbados Fire Industry News

The Big Bear Fire Department has a new way to report illegal fireworks. The new Illegal Firework Reporting System offers an easy and anonymous way to report the use and sale of personal fireworks. Anyone can now go on to the Department’s website or simply scan a QR Code and anonymously report the use or sales of illegal fireworks by completing a simple online reporting form. Fire Department Investigators will respond promptly to the reported location where fireworks are currently in use,...

In the last twelve months, the government has moved to strengthen a range of fire safety provisions in building regulations and guidance, including drawing up tougher standards on the use of combustible materials on medium-rise blocks of flats between 11m and 18m high. The changes are being brought about by the Building Etc (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2022 which makes amendments to the Building Regulations 2010 and changes to Approved Document B. Changes Other aspects of the changes inc...

The German Navy is making advances in the digitalization of its core processes. For many years now, the Fraunhofer Institute for Communication, Information Processing and Ergonomics FKIE has been providing scientific and technical support in this area. The Defense Technology Institute, based in Wachtberg, Germany, has focused its research on digitalization in defense and security. Now, in a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) the Navy Command and Fraunhofer FKIE have agreed to further expand th...

FirePro and Crown Safemasters, their Nigerian channel partner, participated in Securex West Africa 2023. The exhibition took place from May 9th to May 11th, 2023, at the Landmark Center in Lagos, Nigeria. This year marked the eleventh edition of Securex West Africa, solidifying its position as the premier exhibition and conference for professionals in the security, fire, and safety industry in the region. With over 3,000 attendees, the exhibition showcased more than 150 renowned brands from 25+...

Safe Fleet: Fire, EMS, and Industrial (FRC, FoamPro, Elkhart Brass, ROM) is excited to announce the promotion of Matt Pitzer to the position of Vice President of North American Sales — Fire & EMS. With this promotion, Safe Fleet is bringing in Jason Witmier to replace Matt Pitzer as the Director of OEM and Technical Sales. Safe Fleet appoints new Director of OEM and Technical Sales Jason Witmier will be managing the Fire & Emergency OEM account sales team In his new role, Jason...

Streamlight®, Inc., a globally renowned provider of high-performance lighting for first responders, announced that it donated $21,000 to the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF), which included $11,000 in proceeds from sales of the company's specially marked NFFF Red Nano Light®, Red Vantage® helmet light, and Red Siege® AA lantern. Supporting NFFF via donations Streamlight earmarks $1.00, $3.00, and $2.00, respectively, from the sale of each light for the NFFF. The d...

Mighty Fire Breaker's Retail Store rollout started in Sonoma County in the towns of Santa Rosa, Petaluma, Sonoma, and Ukiah, where the Tubbs Fire of 2017 killed 22 people, destroyed 5,000, and caused billions of dollars in losses. MFB delivering a product to a store in El Dorado County, where the Caldor Wildfire of 2020 destroyed over 1,000 homes in Grizzly Flats. It is also delivering to a store in Murphy, an old Gold Rush town that is close to where the Dixie Fire of 2021 destroyed most of th...

A very proud moment for GFE, as Paul Pope received a commemorative award from Brigadier General/Expert Ali Hassan Al Mutawa, the Assistant Director General of Dubai Civil Defense for Fire and Rescue Affairs. Paul Pope was presented with the award at the IFSJ Leaders in Fire & Safety Conference 2023 in Dubai in recognition of his excellent contributions to the event on the crucial matters of fire system survivability and firefighters’ welfare. Paul Pope recognized at Fire & Safety...

Mighty Fire Breaker's Retail Store rollout started in Sonoma County in the towns of Santa Rosa, Petaluma, Sonoma, and Ukiah, where the Tubbs Fire of 2017 killed 22 people, destroyed 5000 and caused billions of dollars in losses. This week, (MFB) delivered products to a store in El Dorado County, where the Caldor Wildfire of 2020 destroyed over 1,000 homes in Grizzly Flats. Also delivering to a store in Murphy, an old Gold Rush town that is close to where the Dixie Fire of 2021 destroyed most of...

Woolpert was contracted to conduct a facility conditions assessment study of 24 facilities for the Toledo Fire & Rescue Department. The study’s findings, finalized in March, identified an estimated $22 million in needed repairs over the next 10 years with $12 million estimated for the most urgent repairs and improvements. Report recommendations The study attributed much of the projected costs to roofing, HVAC systems, windows, and upgrades to kitchens and bathrooms that would bring...

West Yorkshire’s first non-binary firefighter has thanked colleagues for their acceptance as they highlight the steps being taken to fight discrimination.  Tay Stevenson recently joined West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service (WYFRS) and says the team at Halifax station, where they are based, has embraced their status and worked hard to help them settle in. Colleagues correctly use the pronouns ‘them’ and ‘they’ when referring to them.  awareness of discr...

Mark Thompson spends every day helping others during some of their worst moments.  However, Mark, who is the Control Manager for West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service (WYFRS), revealed how he needed support when he and his wife struggled with their mental health, after losing two family members in a house fire. Mental Health Awareness Week This week is Mental Health Awareness Week and WYFRS is focusing on the importance of taking care of oneself and those around them. Mark Thompson r...

Staff from South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue will be swapping fire helmets for swimming caps next week, as they prepare to swim the equivalent of the perimeter of South Yorkshire (170 miles) to raise money for two incredible causes – The Fire Fighters Charity and The Royal Life Saving Society. Big SYFR Swim Challenge People from across the organization, from frontline firefighters to corporate staff, have pledged that they will swim anything from 100 meters to several miles to support th...

The fire service is calling for the widespread adoption of sprinklers by businesses, schools and care homes, as it marks a national awareness week. South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue has tackled 1,065 fires in non-domestic properties over the last three years. The most serious of these incidents can take fire engines several hours to tackle, as well as potentially putting the company involved out of business. Commercial premise fire But business fire safety officers say fire sprinklers are the...

A new publication that focuses on incidents in Greater London where fire sprinklers have helped protect our communities from fire has been published BAFSA in time for this year’s Sprinkler Week (15-22nd May). Greater London Review, provides powerful evidence of the role sprinklers play, as part of an appropriate package of fire safety measures, in reducing the impact of fire on people property and the environment. The review is broken down into three key areas: a look at fire trends in G...

Congratulations to the first recipient of the 2023 MSA Cairns® XF1 Fire Helmet Giveaway, Raymond Ravare! Ravare serves his community as a Volunteer Firefighter at the Ophir Rural Fire Department in Gold Beach, Oregon, USA. The MSA Cairns® XF1 Fire Helmet Giveaway, in partnership with the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC), gives volunteer responders the chance to experience the most innovative and up-to-date technology to improve health and safety. Cairns® XF1 Fire Helmet The...

On May 11, 2023, the House of Representatives Committee on Science, Space, and Technology’s Subcommittee on Research and Technology held a hearing regarding ‘Reauthorizing the U.S. Fire Administration and Fire Grant Programs: Evaluating Effectiveness and Preparedness for Modern Challenges’. The National Volunteer Fire Council’s (NVFC) Georgia Director, David Bullard, testified at the hearing on the behalf of the NVFC. The hearing provided a great opportunity for the NVFC...

NIBCO is offering its free specification review service, a one-on-one individualized resource that offers customers the opportunity to have their specifications reviewed by industry professionals to ensure that they meet the most current industry standards. Targeted to consulting specifying engineers, design-build contractors and building owners, fire protection, mechanical and plumbing specifications are reviewed by industry professionals at NIBCO to ensure that they are not outdated. Free sp...

The specialist Portsafe board has been installed by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) at Aviemore's Loch Morlich and is one of the first of its kind in Scotland. coded padlock system Designed to reduce the vandalism or theft of life-saving equipment, the board uses a coded padlock system to protect a water rescue throwline contained within. In the event of an emergency, a member of the public can call 999 and quote their location. They will then obtain a code from Operations Control...

Rep. Marc Molinaro (R-NY) and Ann Kuster (D-NH) introduced H.R. 3104, the Helping Our Heroes Act. This bill would establish an “above the line” tax deduction for the time volunteer firefighters donate to their communities. Helping Our Heroes Act Specifically, the Helping Our Heroes Act allows volunteer emergency responders, including firefighters, ambulance services, civil air patrol, and search and rescue services, to treat each hour of service or training as a $20 charitable con...

At Gear Wash, the main priority is keeping the department safe and healthy by keeping gear clean and ready for the next firefight. Throughout Mental Health Awareness Month, they want to emphasize that supporting those who serve them is valuable and needed. The first way to break down the stigma of Post Traumatic Stress in the fire service is to understand what it looks like. Studies estimate that about 20 percent of firefighters will experience symptoms at some point during their...

Fire staff across West Yorkshire are putting on their running shoes to tackle the Leeds Marathon and raise vital funds for charity.  A total of 14 fire staff will be running in the race on May 14, 2023, when they will raise money for good causes including The Fire Fighter’s Charity. The Akhirah Team Another charity that will benefit is The Akhirah Team, which operates in Harehills, Leeds, and is being supported by Firefighter, Hassan Abrar. Hassan has been undertaking a difficult c...

A Cambridgeshire fire officer has celebrated four decades of dedicated service to the community. Station Commander Clive Allen, currently one of the Service’s officers working in the On-call Group, reached the milestone of 40 years as an operational firefighter and celebrated with officers and staff at Chatteris Fire Station, one of the stations he manages. He was presented with his long service certificate by Area Commander Stuart Smith. Firefighting career Clive began his firefighting...

First Response Group (FRG), a security, risk, and facilities management specialist business, has strengthened its senior leadership team with the appointment of two new positions; Mark Mansfield joins the company as a Chief Operating Officer (COO), and Sheila Sloan as the Director of Human Resources. The Leeds-headquartered firm, which employs more than 1,200 people is forecasting revenue of more than £60 million in 2023 continuing a long run of year-on-year growth. Furthermore, it is fir...

KME, a subsidiary of REV Group, Inc., and a globally renowned manufacturer of fire apparatus, is pleased to announce Phoenixville (Pennsylvania) Fire Department has placed an order for a KME 100-foot Tractor-Drawn AerialCat (TDA) to serve its area. As the first TDA to service the Phoenixville borough, this specific type of truck was chosen because of the maneuverability and compartmentation. Phoenixville Fire Department worked closely with Campbell Supply, a KME dealer, to specify the truck to...

As part of the company’s commitment to continuous improvements, Nittan Europe Ltd is working on a number of Sustainability Initiatives, in an effort to reduce their overall carbon impact for the future. In part, driven by the necessity to introduce remote working during the pandemic, Nittan initiated use of a secure managed electronic signatory platform in 2021. Comprehensive training provided to all staff members Comprehensive training was provided to all members of staff, in order to...

Kentec Electronics, a pioneering manufacturer of life-critical control systems, will showcase its latest technologies at FIREX and highlight the sophisticated capabilities of its award-winning, flagship Taktis control panel and K-Mesh's wireless fire detection system through an on-stand video.  The K-Mesh wireless detection system will take center stage, showcasing how its self-healing and configuring MESH technology delivers optimum levels of reliability, alongside ease of installation, a...

Vehicle electrification has come a long way in recent years. When the world was first introduced to vehicle electrification, reduced-emission firefighting vehicles were probably not envisioned. Innovation has come a long way, and while electric and hybrid-electric engines are not new, electrification in the municipal firefighting and ARFF sectors is a relatively new advancement. Oshkosh Airport Products is proud to be a pioneer in the development of the Striker Volterra ARFF vehicle. Striker V...

Firefighters pledged to never forget the football fans who died 38 years ago in a devastating fire at Valley Parade.  West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service (WYFRS) laid a wreath this morning at Bradford City Football Club to remember the 54 Bradford City supporters and two traveling Lincoln fans who died in the fire on May 11, 1985. Firefighters then joined dignitaries and the families of those who had lost their lives to lay wreaths at a service in Bradford’s Centenary Square. mem...

Homeland Security Secretary, Alejandro N. Mayorkas and U.S. Fire Administrator, Dr. Lori Moore-Merrell delivered remarks during the 42nd National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF) Memorial Weekend on May 7, 2023, in Emmitsburg, Maryland, USA. The Homeland Security Secretary and the U.S. Fire Administrator paid tribute to the 79 firefighters who died in the line of duty in 2022 and 65 firefighters who died in previous years.  Paying tribute to fallen firefighters The emergencies to wh...