South Africa Fire Industry News

Three new fire engines have been introduced to the on-call fleet at Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service. The new smaller alternative vehicles will be initially trialed by on-call firefighters at St Neots, March, and Ely. The crews will also be trialing new battery-powered cutting equipment, for use mainly in road traffic collisions. The kit is similar to that currently used, but doesn’t require wires or a power generator. Lightweight portable pump Group Commander Gary Mitchely, head...

Just weeks after winning a coveted gold award for hot work safety training, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has released the content in Spanish to educate Hispanic trade workers throughout Massachusetts. After a nine-alarm fire in a Boston brownstone initiated by hot work activity killed Lieutenant Edward Walsh and firefighter Michael Kennedy in March 2014, the Boston Fire Department, Boston Inspectional Services, the Building and Construction Trades Council of the Metropolitan...

Rapidrop offers a range of accredited CPD seminars for professionals who are looking to further enhance their knowledge or learn something new. What is CPD? Continuing professional development (CPD) is the intentional maintenance and development of the knowledge and skills needed to perform in a professional context. Engaging in Continuing Professional Development ensures that both academic and practical qualifications do not become outdated; allowing individuals to continually ‘up skil...

The design of firefighting systems in railway environments is highly critical in the limited space available for the storage of extinguishing agents: passenger cars, driver's cabs, engines, electrical panels and control panels are environments that are difficult to protect as they are characterized by spaces already strongly "compressed". The need to maximize useful spaces implies a search push towards dimensional optimization. Pursuing this objective, Tema Sistemi, a company specialized in th...

FLIR Systems, Inc announced that Tony Buffum will join the company as Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources (HR) Officer. As a key member of the executive management team, Mr. Buffum will report to President and CEO Jim Cannon and will assume a strategic role in the continued growth and overall operations of FLIR. Mr. Buffum will lead the company’s global HR team, oversee delivery of all programs, and drive all facets of change management pertaining to culture, organizational de...

There are many sources of wood as a biomass energy source. Larger pieces can be harvested directly or come as stumps and branches from forest clearing. While smaller chips and sawdust can come from many different industrial processes. Since it is very bulky, wood biomass is normally sourced locally to reduce transportation costs. What is the biggest risk? Biomass in bulk is a dangerous material that can ignite and burn spontaneously, and fine wood dust – which is often generated during t...

HAIX® announces the addition of the Black Eagle® Tactical 2.0 GTX High Side Zip. Features Made in Europe Breathable leather/textile design Sun Reflect leather keeps the leather, and the feet, cooler GORE-TEX® Extended inner liner for indoor and outdoor use Side zipper for easy on and off Pull-on loop at the rear Durable anti-slip sole is fuel and oil resistant Heat resistant and cold insulating sole Tread is non-marking, self-cleaning; naturally releasing dried and caked-...

GearGrid is excited to be attending and exhibiting at the Firehouse Expo 2018, taking place at the Music City Center, in Nashville, Tennessee, USA. GearGrid will be exhibiting its products at booth #715, during the exhibit show times: October 18: 10:00 am - 5:00 pm, October 19: 11:15 am - 5:00 pm and October 20: 11:15 am - 3:00 pm. GearCart on display at Firehouse Expo 2018 In 2018, GearGrid is excited to introduce their newest innovative solution for fire station storage, the GearCart In 20...

The Viking Corporation, a global provider in fire protection and life safety systems, has introduced a new sprinkler platform – The XT1. With XT1, Viking engineers have re-thought and re-invented the fire sprinkler from the ground up. This new platform represents a true advancement of fire sprinkler technology, and integrates several key features providing for easier installation and an overall “best-in-class” level of fire protection. XT1 sprinklers feature a smaller, more co...

On the occasion of the Wired Next Fest 2018 held in Florence from 28 to 30 September, Tema Sistemi has been selected together with 5 other Apulian companies to tell its story of excellence in the area. Wired, in collaboration with Puglia Sviluppo, institutional partner of the Wired Next Fest in Florence, told with a video how these innovative companies relate to their territory and what advantages they can derive from it. Tema Sistemi told about its technological solutions, its history and the...

GearGrid is excited to be attending the 2018 Firehouse Expo at the Music City Center in Nashville, TN.  GearGrid will be located at booth #715 during the exhibit show times: October 18th, 10:00 am – 5:00 pm, October 19th, 11:15 am – 5:00 pm, and October 20th, 11:15 am – 3:00 pm. GearCart GearGrid is excited to introduce its newest innovative solution for fire station storage: the GearCart. The new GearGrid product offers an ideal storage space for drying and storing PPE...

Fairview Fire and Rescue in Monroe, North Carolina has increased its fleet’s firefighting power with the purchase of a new Toyne Pumper Tanker. Fairview received the high-capacity apparatus in mid-September. This addition will boost the fire defense of this robust department, which covers a nearly 35-square-mile district in North Carolina. Pumper Characteristics The new pumper tanker, built on a Peterbilt 367, 6x4 drive chassis, is powered by a Cummins ISX 600 horsepower engine and...

POK S.A.S has been offering a very wide range of towable units for many years. These can be equipped with various monitors, going from 3,000 to 30,000 liters per minutes, according to the requirements of the customers. POK has released its latest 15,000-type towable unit equipped with a Dicodoplus monitor. 15,000-type towable unit The 15,000-type chassis has the same basic characteristics as the entire POK range, such as: Aluminum alloy chassis entirely made by a highly qualified boiler-mak...

Training is an essential priority for any subject that one wish to become proficient in. The HAZMAT training field is no exception to this. However, due to the serious and strenuous nature of HAZMAT response, it is important to safely execute training in a way that doesn’t damage gears or health. Often times one of the most costly things one can do to the response gear is ruining it while in training, rendering it useless during an actual event. Ripping and tearing the issued PPE during a...

C3 Shared Services has been appointed by Bombardier to supply and install a combination of two military-grade technologies, namely Opgal’s thermal cameras combined with ioimage intelligent video analytics, to monitor the tracks and tunnels of the Gautrain rail. Opgal Thermal Cameras Thermal cameras were selected for their high probability of detection and low false alarm rate Due to the emphasis on a very high level of security along the Gautrain rail and in the tunnels, the main criteri...

In December 2012, power and automation technology group ABB won the order to supply a turnkey PV power plant to the Soutpan Solar Park project in Polokwane, which included design, engineering, installation, and commissioning. The park would generate 31 MW and would be among the first utility-scale photovoltaic power plants to be built in phase one of the government’s long-term renewable energy program, which aimed to reduce pollution and diversify South Africa’s energy mix. C3 Shar...

Commfire just completed their latest project in the upgrading of the fire alarm system to future-proof it for the next 10 years. They have to replace the original fire alarm control panel due to age-related issues where the system kept crashing, the usual reboot process (switch off and back on again) would not resolve the problem The fire alarm control panel was replaced with the latest touch screen technology using the Teledate One fire alarm control panel and Apollo protocol (smoke detectors,...

Global safety equipment manufacturer MSA Safety Incorporated announces that its new jet-style fire helmet, called the Cairns® XF1, has received third-party certification as compliant to the 2018 edition of the National Fire Protection Association’s (NFPA) 1971 performance standards for structural firefighting. It is also certified as compliant to the 2013 edition of the NFPA’s 1951 performance standards for technical rescue. With this certification, MSA can begin shipping orders...

Until recently, a one-size-fits-all approach for firefighter respiratory protection might have been considered the norm. However, no two fire stations are alike, and each has differing needs, preferences, and expectations of their protective equipment. This understanding served as the key driver behind the development of a new and innovative self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) platform – called the M1 SCBA – that was unveiled at the 125th French Firefighters Congress by MSA Sa...

According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), if one is have a reported home fire in 2018, one is more likely to die than one was in 1980. This startling fact is attributed to several factors, including the way homes are built and the contents in them. “Open floor plans and a prevalence of modern synthetic furnishings make homes burn faster and the fires produce deadly smoke and gases within moments,” said Lorraine Carli, NFPA Vice President of Outreach and Advocacy....

The RemTech Expo event was held in Ferrara (19-21 Sept.), the international event specializing in remediation, environmental and natural risks, safety, maintenance, redevelopment, regeneration of the territory, climate and chemical changes circular. Tema Sistemi contributed to the ChemTech seminar coordinated by Dr. Eng. Francesco Del Litto of Eni-Versalis, with an intervention relating to the regulatory aspects of the ‘Fire prevention design in chemical and petrochemical plants’....

Firefighters, their families, friends and community members from across the nation gathered at the historic Lambeau Field on Saturday, September 22, 2018 to participate in the sixth annual 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb. Over 2,700 participants promised to “never forget” by honoring and remembering the 343 New York firefighters who lost their lives on September 11, 2001. This year’s event raised more than $135,000 with all proceeds benefitting the NFFF and has again been recognized...

City-based Thompson Group staged Technology 2018 at Wolverhampton Racecourse on Wednesday with the Mayor of Wolverhampton, Councillor Phil Page, opening the event. Nearly 300 people had registered in advance for the seven-and-a-half hour free showcase and hundreds more turned up on the day. Visitors were able to see demonstrations of drone operation, virtual reality and body worn cameras. The 40 exhibitors ranged from international businesses like Honeywell to national and local firms like Abloy...

Metropolitan Fire Chiefs from the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom participated in the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Urban Fire Forum (UFF) at NFPA headquarters in Quincy, Mass. NFPA President and CEO Jim Pauley welcomed the chiefs and provided an overview of the association’s Fire and Life Safety Ecosystem, reinforcing the critical role urban fire chiefs play in ensuring safe communities. Special guests at the Forum included the President of the Canadian Associ...

The UK’s largest fitness operator has chosen the P50 to protect its 200-plus gyms and more than a million members. Fast-expanding PureGym is installing our multi-use composite P50, the only extinguisher that needs no external servicing contract and can be maintained in-house by trained staff, in its new gyms, with a program to replace metal extinguishers in all its premises. Eliminating the process of “organizing and chasing” external servicing was the driving force behind the...

In response to reports that 24,000 portable space heaters and 7,000 hotplates will be delivered to customers impacted by the recent Merrimack Valley gas explosion, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) is reminding the public to keep fire safety in mind. “Everyone should always be vigilant about fire safety. As Governor Baker and Columbia Gas work to proactively meet the needs of Massachusetts residents, we want to make sure portable space heaters and hotplates are used with the...

This year saw fire and rescue teams from across the UK competing in the West Midlands Fire Service (WMFS) Extrication and Trauma Challenges, which was held for the second year running at the Emergency Services Show, NEC, Birmingham. The two-day event which is split into trauma scenarios and extrication scenarios tested firefighters skills at first aid and trauma care, road traffic accident extrication, casualty care and more. As always, a high standard of skills was demonstrated by all the team...

During the shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., on Feb. 14, the gunman activated a manual fire alarm and shot at students as they left the building. The alarm promoted confusion during the calamity, in part because there had been a fire drill earlier in the day. It's not the first time a fire alarm has played a role in an active shooter scenario. Twenty years ago, a similar tactic was used at the Westside Middle School shooting in Jonesborough, Ark.  A fire alarm als...

Fire Door Safety Week 2018, which runs from September 24th to 30th, is designed to promote awareness of the importance of choosing the right fire doors and ensuring they are properly installed and maintained. To help the user implement the advice that are given during the week, Checkmate Fire has compiled a downloadable fire door inspection checklist. The specialist teams at the company’s Yorkshire, Birmingham, Harlow and new South-West offices are fully supportive of the Fire Door Safety...

On September 2, 2018, the world watched as flames engulfed the National Museum of Brazil and 90 percent of its artifacts from around the world. Recovery efforts are still underway, but almost certainly lost were the museum’s massive butterfly and arthropod collections numbering in the millions, a 3,500-year-old Chilean mummy, an 811,500-year-old skull said to be the oldest in existence from the Americas, several dinosaur skeletons, a 2,700-year-old sarcophagus among hundreds of other anci...