United Kingdom (UK) Fire Industry News

Sepura's TETRA terminal will help improve fire safety at Lyon-Saint Exupery airport Lyon Saint Exupery Airport's technical staff selected the Sepura STP8000 hand held radio because of its superior sound quality which ensures workers can communicate whatever the background noise and its robustness. Lyon-Saint Exupery Airport has selected Sepura TETRA terminals for its radio and communication needs following the recent deployment of a new digital communications system that...

Fike has been specialising in fire, explosion and over-pressurisation solutions for over 65 years Fike has announced that it has received CE Marking on its Percussion Initiator and Time Delay Fuse products, part of Fike’s specialised line of energetic devices that work with oil and gas downhole operations. GB Explosives Notified Body (ENB), which operates within the Health and Safety Laboratory, offers an independent, specialised technical service in the assessment...

Cigarettes sold in EU must comply with a specified 'fire safer standard ' to reduce the fire accidents Cigarettes must be manufactured to have bands down the length of the paper. The number of people killed and injured in fires caused by cigarettes could be dramatically reduced, thanks to new life saving legislation, says London Fire Brigade. Following a campaign by the Brigade, the European Commission has agreed a "fire safer standard" on all cigarettes sold in the Euro...

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue service has issued its statement related to the grants and expenditure The settlement statement from North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service gives complete details about grants it has received. The settlement has been broadly in line with planning assumptions but there are a number of issues on which further information is required before the full extent of the settlement is known. Firstly it is disappointing that only the first two years figu...

Small Fire Units will help in fighting non-critical fires and reducing the number of false alarms The unit will attend non-critical fires, freeing up the larger fire engines to attend to life-threatening incidents such as property fires. A fire and rescue service based in Hampshire has launched a specialist unit to deal with small fires, in moves aimed at ensuring the larger appliances are available for larger fires. The new Small Fires Vehicle, which will service the Re...

Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service firefighters clearing the snowy terrains to make travel easier Firefighters from across Wigan visited the elderly shovelling away the snow to clear car windscreens and paths. Fire crews from Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service have been venturing into their local communities helping neighbours to stay safe in the snowy weather, as well as put big smiles on lots of faces. Firefighters from across Wigan visited the elderly...

London Fire Comissioner Ron Dobson received CBE for his distinguished services in the fire and rescue industry Ron has 31 years of firefighting experience. He became London Fire Commissioner in 2007. He is well known for his contribution to the fire and rescue services since then. London Fire Commissioner, Ron Dobson has been awarded a CBE in the New Year honours for his distinguished contribution to the fire and rescue service. Ron said: "This honour represents eve...

Shropshire's Deputy Chief Fire Officer John Redmond hands over fire appliances to a Bulgarian fire official Shropshire brigade transported two fire engines, two Ranger vehicles, a minibus, cutting equipment and fire kit hundreds of miles across eastern Europe. UK fire brigades have come to the rescue of European firefighting colleagues with the delivery of much needed vehicles, equipment and uniforms in a co-ordinated mission organised by Shropshire Fire and Rescue Servi...

View of City Thameslink train station which is now equipped with iVENCS 3D control and supervisory platform  iVENCS is aimed at mission-critical facilities that require lifelike representation of events within an integrated control environment across many disciplines and sub systems. ASL Safety & Security has delivered its iVENCS 3D control and supervisory platform at City Thameslink train station in London as part of the Thameslink programme. iVENCS is a sensor and...

BAFE has set standards for the use of its logo and scheme number by any company registered with it Any companies registered with the body must display the correct scheme number beneath its BAFE logo. The fire protection industry's registration body has been putting together new guidelines relating to the use of its logo. British Approvals for Fire Equipment (known as BAFE) has informed all companies registered with the body of the importance of displaying the corre...

Firefighters are now taking the help of social networking sites to protest against the proposed fire cuts A “Stop the Suffolk Fire Service Cuts” Facebook page has been set up by Fire Brigades Union officials. Suffolk firefighters are harnessing the power of social networking to fight proposed cuts to the county’s fire and rescue service. The cuts threaten to compromise public safety. The “Stop the Suffolk Fire Service Cuts” Facebook page, set u...

Xlocate is an online asset tracking and management system for meeting the requirements in critical situations Xlocate provides a cost effective way of locating, managing and controlling resources and assets around the clock in real-time using any commonly used web browser. Thorcom Systems has announced the immediate availability of Xlocate, a new generation online asset tracking and management solution. Designed to improve process efficiency and service delivery through bette...

Suffolk fire crew plans for legal action if decision is taken to close Suffolks 999 control room On 7th December fire chiefs urged County Councillors to vote through controversial plans to close and sell-off Suffolk’s only emergency fire control room without any prior public consultation. The Fire Brigades Union was preparing legal action if they do.Suffolk’s fire crews are calling upon the Councillors to step back and reconsider the needs of the Suffolk communitie...

The Fire Safety Seminar had some very important discussions on the aspects of fire safety in the industry The various topics discussed during the seminar ranged from means of escape, emergency lighting, legal obligations, and third party certifications and much more. Despite the snow, the FIA and BAFSA held a Fire Safety Seminar in Blackpool last week for sleeping accommodation in the conference suite at Blackpool FC. Dave Russell from Lancashire Fire Rescue Service open...

Warwickshire's firefighters response to fire alarms will lead to more fire risks Councillor Tony Lloyd has voiced his fears that it will be the most vulnerable that will suffer, as automatic fire alarms are often fitted in elderly residency. Lives will be put at risk if fire services change the way they respond to automatic call-outs, Councillors in Nuneaton and Bedworth have suggested. In attempts to cut back on false alarms, Warwickshire Fire Service has said they will not...

The number of firefighting vehicles attending a fire scene will depend on the amount of risk involved in the fires Preveting false fire alarm will help in lowering too many fire fighting vehicles to reach the scene where nothing happens. A Scottish fire service wants to change the way it responds to fire alerts, with the aim of reducing false alarms. Highlands and Islands Fire and Rescue Service (HIFRS) want to extend a policy in place at some buildings to all buildings, repo...

The job cuts in fire services can lead to poor qulality of attending emergency calls and safety risks Humberside Fire and Rescue Service has released its draft IRMP for consultation which has been branded as threatening to public and firefighter safety. Fire Brigades Union members from Humberside  begin a united campaign to fight 170 job cuts to emergency front line firefighter posts that will decimate frontline 999 services. The proposals can only mean a reductio...

B&Q have warned customers about the dangers of fire and carbon monoxide poisoning Leading DIY superstore B&Q have warned customers about the dangers of fire and carbon monoxide poisoning and advocated third-party certification of fire products. In an in-store leaflet recently published by the DIY firm, the company highly recommended that businesses and landlords ensure all fire-fighting appliances in their buildings have Loss Prevention Certification Board (LPCB)...

The matter of fire risk assessment was raised in Fire Safety Order conference organised by LFB London Fire Brigade has focussed on the need of 'competence' in fire risk assessment. Fire risk assessments are in danger as landlords are struggling to find competent assessors, it has been revealed. A fire safety manager for London Fire Brigade (LFB) has said "competence is what we need" at a conference about the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order. Nick Coombe, member of LFB's...

Fire fighters deal with warehouse firefor hours on 2nd December Cheshire fire crew tackle warehouse blaze on December 2nd. Fire fighters have been battling a blaze at a warehouse in Cheshire since the early hours on December 2nd, highlighting the importance of carrying out a thorough fire risk assessment. The Chester Enterprise Centre is only around 100 metres away from Chester's railway station and the fire caused a suspension of services passing through. Around 60 people...

Damage due to frozen pipes is putting a challenge before the firefighters of London Fire Brigade  London Fire Brigade firefighters attended 163 flooding incidents in the last four days of November, a massive increase on 2007 and 2008 figures of the same period. New figures revealed that flooding incidents have increased by 150 per cent in London due to frozen pipes bursting in the coldest start to a winter since records began. Firefighters attended 163 flooding inci...

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...

999 fire calls to be transferred to Cambridgeshire due to closing of the lpswich control centre Emergency fire calls in Suffolk could soon be answered outside the county under plans to close the county’s emergency fire control centre, putting public safety at risk, warns the Fire Brigades Union. On Friday Nov 26 Staff working in Suffolk Fire Control in Ipswich learned that their jobs could go under the plans. Closing the Ipswich control centre and transferring 999 fire c...

ADT a leader in fire and security products has got a new MD Andy Ellis Mr. Ellis joined the industry as an engineer in 1984 and has risen through ADT by excelling in a number of roles of increasing responsibility across ADT’s UK and European region businesses. ADT Fire and Security, a Tyco International company, announced the appointment of Andy Ellis as Managing Director of ADT UK and Ireland, the region’s leading provider of electronic protection services for h...

Fire services are anticipating savings of £500,000 by not attending 2,000 calls, which cost them £250 each Staffordshire fire and rescue chiefs plan to cut costs and enhance savings by reducing the number of engines they send to attend the false call-outs. Fire and rescue chiefs in Staffordshire plan to make savings by reducing the number of engines they send to false alarms. The services in the West Midlands county has planned the moves to make efficiency saving...

Chubb's Sunbury headquarters will provide the training venue to upgrade firefighters' skills in practical situations Station Manager at Sunbury and Spelthorne, Andy Pompei, believes that training is vital. Four fire stations within the north area of Surrey will use Chubb Fires Sunbury headquarters for a series of high-rise training exercises. Chubb is a business of UTC Fire & Security, a unit of United Technologies Corp. Chubb offered the vacant floors of the 12-sto...

Deputy Chief Fire Officer John Redmond and Beacon Radio copywriter Simon English with the award  Radio advert made for the Community Fire Safety Department, broadcasted across Shropshire, has won a top award. A "chilling" radio advert made for Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service to get out a vital fire safety message about the dangers of cooking late at night after drinking too much alcohol has gained international recognition. The Beacon Radio advert made for the Commun...

Firefighters and emergency fire control staff will gather on the Scottish Parliament to promote their campaign Fire Brigades Union members from the outskirts of Scotland will converge on the Scottish Parliament to promote their campaign to protect the fire and rescue service in Scotland.Firefighters and emergency fire control staff from around the Scotland will converge on the Scottish Parliament to raise the profile of their campaign to protect the fire an...

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...

Are new VA standards cause for alarm? Dr Steve Harrison, Product Engineering Manager at ASL Safety & Security, considers certification requirements in the voice alarm (VA) sector and how pending new standards will differ from predecessors. What's new, what should we be interested in, when are the implementation deadlines and what is the best route towards compliance?  With major new voice alarm standards set to come into operation in Britain in 2011 (British Standard...