United Kingdom (UK) Fire Industry News

Welcoming the winter period with bursts of color is a great way to celebrate and enjoy the experience, but doing so safely is far more important. According to the NHS, there were a whopping 116 hospital admissions of people injured by fireworks in the United Kingdom (UK) during the 2020/21 period. Coopers Fire Ltd recommends that party-goers attend an organized bonfire or firework display, rather than a DIY event at home, as an event will have all of the security in place, in order to keep atte...

Vital equipment has been donated by West Yorkshire firefighters to help those battling to save lives in Ukraine.  West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service (WYFRS) has added to the special convoy that left the UK this weekend to head to Poland. Once it arrives the equipment will be handed over to the Polish State Fire Service, with support from Germany en route, to help support firefighters in Ukraine. boats and PPE Among the equipment are six inflatable boats and a box of PPE equipment don...

The guidance from consumer charity Electrical Safety First comes after several energy suppliers have outlined their plans to run money-back schemes for their customers during the winter period. The opt-in schemes, which are geared for launch between November 2022 and March 2023, are being run by the National Grid, OVO, and Octopus Energy. They aim to reduce the amount of energy being consumed during peak hours by requesting customers to run certain appliances, such as washing machines and tumbl...

Climate change poses a serious risk to businesses globally, but which of the facilities are at the highest risk, and in what ways? And how can users best protect their business and ensure users prosper in the future? FM Global answered these questions for policyholders by introducing two new first-of-their-kind climate resilience products: the FM Global Climate Risk Report and the FM Global Climate Reporting Aid. Both are available to FM Global clients, which include many of the...

London Ambulance Service faces a strike vote as GMB Union launches a formal industrial action ballot. Ballot dates will be announced in the coming days. The vote comes following a consultative ballot which saw almost 92 percent of LAS members who voted say they were in favor of a walkout.  Reason for strike GMB has more than 1,500 LAS paramedics and ambulance workers who are angry over the Government’s imposed 4 percent pay award, which leaves them facing yet another massive real-t...

L3Harris Technologies battlefield awareness systems will enable faster identification and targeting capabilities, providing increased lethality for American Rheinmetall Vehicles’ Lynx Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle (OMFV). Using digitally engineered systems provided by L3Harris, the Lynx OMFV can detect and engage battlefield threats faster and at greater distances while reducing crew members needed from three to two. High-Capacity communication systems “L3Harris capabilities...

According to the latest Home Office report, released recently, false alarms make up 98% of automatic fire alarm confirmed incidents in 2020/21; 90% of this figure is due to faulty apparatus. The research from the Home Office, which was collated from Fire and Rescue services across the country from the last financial year, shows that just 2% of the incidents from automatic fire alarms were a result of an actual fire. Life safety product Most of the false alarms could easily be avoided with pro...

Johnson Controls, the pioneer for smart, healthy, and sustainable buildings, is proud to announce it has been named to the 2022 Fortune Change the World list, for its OpenBlue solutions and OpenBlue Net Zero Buildings as a Service offering. Fortune's Change the World list recognizes companies that use creative tools to address society's unmet needs and is evaluated based on measurable social impact, business results, and degree of innovation. First-of-its-kind digital solution OpenBlue is rev...

It’s the 100th anniversary of Fire Prevention Week and the Victoria Fire Department is again partnering with the National Fire Protection Association to promote the public safety campaign - 'Fire won’t wait. Plan the escape™.' The campaign runs October 9 - 15 to raise awareness on how to plan to keep users and their families safe in the event of a fire. Tips for a safe household safe Follow these tips to prepare the household to be safe: Install smoke alarms in sleeping a...

A bonfire safety campaign is being launched across West Yorkshire as fireworks officially go on sale. West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service (WYFRS) has launched its #BanginBonfire campaign to help people across the region enjoy Bonfire Night safely. People will be able to buy fireworks and sparklers from registered sellers to use at home. However, fire officers are urging the public to attend organized events where possible. WYFRS guidance Area Manager - Scott Donegan said, “We want th...

Teledyne FLIR Defense, part of Teledyne Technologies Incorporated, has collaborated with AM General to display its Lightweight Vehicle Surveillance System (LVSS) on a HUMVEE 2-CT (2-Door Cargo Truck) during the Association of the U.S. Army (AUSA) annual conference this week. The display is a technology demonstrator for future Army mobile command and control (C2) vehicles, integrating newly advanced radar, long-range cameras, and other sensors to detect and defeat threats such as weaponized smal...

911inform, the only notification and security management platform that bridges the gap between first responders and organizations, announced that it has entered into a memorandum of understanding with Meta Materials Inc. The combination of 911inform’s security data platform and META’s proprietary optoelectronics imaging technology will allow first responders and public safety agents to have better situational awareness when responding to incidents. META’s electro-optics syste...

A recent spate of maliciously activated hoax fire alarms in a number of high schools and colleges has lead Council chiefs, the Police, and the Fire and Rescue Service to condemn the reckless behavior and warn that the unnecessary emergency callouts could stop genuine emergencies being attended and even result in a “needless tragedy”. One school was evacuated seven times in the first 12 days of the new term due to hoax fire alarms, with fire crews attending one school on seven separa...

Covering the financial year between 1 April 2021 and 31 March 2022, the annual report covers numerous data – as listed by the Incident Recording System (IRS) – on fire incidents, including fire-related fatalities, non-fatal casualties, rescues, and evacuations; the extent of damage and spread of fire; the causes of dwelling fires and fire-related fatalities; temporal and seasonal fire analyses; and smoke alarm functions.   In summary, in the year ending March 2022, a total of 5...

As reported by the BBC, a total of 4,400 domestic flats will be checked for fire safety issues and risks. The announcement comes after the tragic fire at Twinnell House, Easton, where a 30-year-old man died, and eight others were hospitalized. Author's quote On 4 October 2022, Tom Renhard – the councilor for housing – addressed cabinet members by saying that the money would come from a £3.8 million underspend in the 2021/2022 housing revenue account: “Fire safety i...

The government has launched a professional indemnity insurance (PII) scheme to help EWS1 assessors carry out their assessments of high-rise buildings. PII scheme Launched on 26 September 2022, the government has created a new scheme that will enable qualified professionals to get the cover they need to conduct a fire risk appraisal on external wall systems (known as an EWS1 form) of mid- and high-rise buildings. Developed by the Department of Levelling Up, Housing, and Communities (DLUHC), th...

Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service (CFRS) announces it has entered into a partnership with B&M as part of the Primary Authority scheme (PAS). The partnership means that CFRS will support B&M on all fire safety matters across their store portfolio and warehouses in the UK. B&M is one of UK's fastest-growing variety retailers and has over 600 stores and is committed to ensuring that the business has appropriate health and safety standards. The new PAS partnership means that B&...

Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service is reminding residents to heat their homes safely this winter. With the recent rise in energy prices, residents may turn to alternative methods of heating, such as electric heaters and blankets. Both items can be effective ways of staying warm if used correctly. If someone chooses to use an electric heater to keep warm, first ensure that any heater purchased carries the mark of the British Electrotechnical Approvals Board, which means it is has been properly test...

A leading professor has praised a North East fire service for their commitment to firefighter safety and innovation. This week, Professor Anna Stec from the University of Central Lancashire provided insight into the importance of reducing contaminants and improving safety to firefighters, fire service staff and members of the public. In an event ran by the Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service (TWFRS) and the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) local representatives, Professor Stec addressed a number of...

Fearless firefighters have been praised for their quick response to a serious fire at a commercial garage today. Just after 10:40 am, on Thursday, October 6, 2022, Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service received a report that a car had ignited in a commercial car garage in South Shields, United Kingdom. Fire Control staff who took the call quickly dispatched a crew to attend the scene at Evans Yard, in the Templetown area of the town. That quick response saw the fire appliance arrive on the scen...

TSI Instruments Ltd., a UK subsidiary of TSI Incorporated, has acquired Casella from IDEAL Industries, Inc. Casella is a globally renowned company in the design and manufacture of innovative instruments and systems for occupational health, industrial hygiene, the outdoor environmental and the workplace. Products include real-time dust monitors, personal sampling pumps, sound level meters, vibration monitors, and outdoor boundary monitoring systems. Acquisition of Casella This acquisition demo...

Atura Power has selected Cummins Inc. to design and manufacture the electrolyzer system for its Niagara Hydrogen Centre in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada. This will be Ontario’s first 20-megawatt (MW) green hydrogen facility. Cummins’ proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolysis system will be manufactured at its Mississauga, Ontario facility and become the center-piece of Atura Power’s Niagara Hydrogen Centre. PEM electrolyzer system Powered by renewable hydroelectricity, th...

Rotherham’s world-famous firefighting TikTok stars are set to give the public a chance to peek behind the scenes at the fire station where they work. Firefighters on Rotherham Blue Watch have become famous around the globe after clocking up millions of views on the social network. Lifesaving work Now the firefighters behind the videos hope to give the public an insight into their important, lifesaving work by staging Rotherham Fire Station’s first open day in more than three years...

A proposal to rebuild the Elm Lane fire station is to be discussed by Fire Authority members. South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue plans to replace the existing facility with a new building on the same site, in a construction project which could become a UK first. The new ‘modular’ fire station would be constructed off-site in a move that could save both time and money. Modular construction methods Refurbishing the existing facility has been ruled out, due to the high cost of re...

The Association for Specialist Fire Protection (ASFP) has launched several new websites to reach out to fire safety professionals across the world. The new websites welcome visitors in their own language, signposting them to ASFP resources and information, including membership, training and technical guidance. New websites Offer greater interaction with ASFP The sites will encourage greater interaction with the ASFP on a global scale and help to improve understanding of passive fire protectio...

Ajax Systems announces the new FireProtect 2 lineup and unveils the first release that includes seven models of fire detectors. The re-engineered detectors feature a patented smoke chamber that is ultimately dustproof and impenetrable for insects, thermistors that ensure rapid detection of temperature spikes, long-lasting battery life, and many accompanying hardware and software improvements. FireProtect Applications "Due to the wide application of the FireProtect detectors, we gathered valua...

A UK council is facing a bill of almost £20 million after fire safety failings were discovered at a block of flats it owns. fire safety issues Mansfield District Council bought the apartment block in Clapham, London, for investment purposes in 2017, however, following an independent assessment of the building in 2018, a number of fire safety issues were found. The London Fire Brigade (LFB) also allegedly discovered several “undisclosed” failings with the building and issue...

Violence is the second most frequent cause of nonfatal injuries to emergency medical services (EMS) providers according to 2020 data from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) data tracking. Most of these injuries are caused by the patient's EMS providers are treating. Recommendations Recommendations for personal safety vary from department to department and include: Understanding that emergency scenes are dynamic and that violence to emergency responders is alwa...

On Friday, September 30, 2022, the new fire brigade technical center (FTZ) of the Minden-Lübbecke district in Hille, Germany was officially opened. Not only were there numerous representatives from business, politics, administration and the fire brigade on site for this festive occasion , but also, of course , some of G-TEC Ingenieure GmbH’s (G-TEC) Co -Designers who were responsible for the project – on behalf of the entire G-TEC team . New fire brigade technical center (FTZ)...

Evolution, the integrated international fire and security systems business, has launched a new dedicated Life Safety Systems division to provide a range of specialist services and solutions to new and existing clients. The new division will build on the company’s 26 years of experience, expertise, and success of its fire safety systems team, to deliver a range of new services and technologies to accommodate a broader portfolio of environments and risks. Service and solutions  It wi...