Fire Industry News for August 2019

The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) is pleased to announce that the next NVFC Training Summit will take place June 26-27, 2020, in Orlando, FL. Pre-register here to save your spot and get updates as event information becomes available. NVFC Training Summit 2020 Launched in 2014, the Training Summit provides an opportunity for first responders from across the country to participate in valuable classroom training as well as exchange ideas and best practices with their peers. The NVFC&rsq...

Showcasing at the Emergency Services Show (NEC Birmingham, Stand C71, 18-19 September) are rugged innovative 360 degree rescue solutions from the UK’s leader, Vimpex, dedicated to delivering new levels of performance to emergency services teams at any incident. There will be lots of new and versatile products to see, including the new Pacific R6 Helmet range - helmets for Ambulance, Fire & Rescue and Police; an interactive area where visitors can trial the multi-featured next generati...

Manholes on-board ships or in industrial or offshore plants are generally only used from time to time. The manholes are closed most of the time and are only opened when there is a need for maintenance or other activities to be performed on the installation. Gaskets are used to ensure the steel sealing plates reliably seal off the manhole. The NOFIRNO gaskets supplied by Beele Engineering for these types of systems were recently subjected to one of the most severe fire tests possible. Tested To...

MSA, DuPont, and the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) have awarded new turnout gear to two additional departments through MSA’s Globe Gear Giveaway. A total of 13 fire departments will each receive four new sets of state of the art turnouts in 2019 to help them increase the safety of their firefighters and safety personals. To be eligible to apply for MSA’s Globe Gear Giveaway awards, fire departments had to fulfill the criteria of being all volunteer or mostly volunteer, serv...

Bullard, a pioneer in the personal protective equipment market, announces the acquisition of Switzerland-based Darix™, an award-winning spin-off of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne focusing on improving the situational awareness of professionals in critical environments. Darix, founded in 2017, is comprised of a team of specialists in image processing and software, user experience and design, micro-electronics and rapid prototyping, and is a frontrunner on smart-glass...

FIREX 2019 was a great success for ASL as the company welcomed clients, distribution partners and media at ExCeL London, renowned international convention center in London, UK for the duration of the exhibition. FIREX 2019 Head of Business Development at ASL, Neil Voce comments, “ We got the opportunity to discuss a number of new projects with existing clients and new prospects over the course of the exhibition, with visitors from the UK and overseas, so for ASL it was a great exhibition...

Correctional facilities in California, Iowa, and Pennsylvania are implementing aspirating smoke-detection technology for fire protection. This advanced technology not only provides faster, more sophisticated smoke detection, but eliminates several costly and troublesome operational issues associated with traditional induct smoke detectors. In-duct smoke detectors are prone to accumulate dirt and dust, particularly in inmate housing areas. Because these particles can be mistakenly interpreted as...

Tyne and Wear Firefighters Gene (Clinton) Browne and his son, Curtis, have both been awarded Chief Fire Officer’s Commendations for outstanding contribution above and beyond the call of duty to their community. Gene who has recently retired from the White Watch at Gosforth Community Fire Station after 11 years and his son Curtis, from Gosforth’s Blue Watch, received their commendation (presented by Assistant Chief Fire Officer, John Baines) following a letter from Gateshead Councilo...

UK manufacturer of security systems, ASL, located in Lewes, East Sussex has been recruiting apprentices since early 2012 via the UK Apprenticeship Service. Working with local training provider Sigta Training, ASL currently employs five apprentices, four in engineering and one in business and administration, at ASL’s head office in Lewes. An apprenticeship is a genuine job combining practical training while working with study. Apprenticeships can run for up to four years and include on the...

The first firefighters recruit course at Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service in almost a decade draws to an end this week. After 15 weeks of intensive training, Recruit Course 49/18 will close this Friday. The 23 recruits had their Passing out Parade which took place on Wednesday 13 February. The Parade is a long standing fire service tradition allowing the successful recruits the opportunity to showcase a small selection of their new skills. This includes a number of fire ground scenarios an...

AFAC19 powered by INTERSCHUTZ is the biggest-ever edition of the event. This is due in part to the first-time inclusion of the national conference of the Institution of Fire Engineers (IFE) in the AFAC program, which also includes the Australian Disaster Resilience Conference. The high-caliber Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC Research Forum will once again cover all the latest research findings on natural catastrophes and resilience, while a German group pavilion with 11 companies will also be...

Global design and detection products manufacturer, FFE, announces the industry’s first one minute auto-aligning smoke beam detector, Fireray One, which promises to make advanced smoke detection more accessible and easier to install. FFE’s expert knowledge has been engineered to deliver an advanced detection system, ensuring total simplicity for the end-user. The new ground-breaking beam detector self-aligns in just one minute and offers a sophisticated solution to those wishing to p...

Almost 100 delegates attended an important seminar organized by Wessex Electricals during electrical fire safety month. The event at AFC Bournemouth’s Vitality Stadium heard from Tim Bollard of NICIEC and ELECSA, the certification body for electricians. He spoke about the new wiring regulations, which come into effect on January 1, 2019 and are an important subject in the industry. Stuart Fisher, managing director of the long-standing Dorset business that is based in Shaftesbury and is pa...

Fire doors are often the first line of defense in a fire, yet the strict specification, maintenance and management of these doorsets is still not fully understood. This is something that ASSA ABLOY is passionate about changing. So, to coincide with Fire Door Safety Week 2019 (23-29 September), ASSA ABLOY Opening Solutions UK & Ireland will be hosting two dedicated events to help people responsible for fire doors, unlock compliance to fire door safety. The two events will take place at the...

Nittan Europe, UK manufacturer of conventional and addressable fire detection products and systems, has had its Evolution analog addressable fire detection system installed into St. Nicholas Church in Bristol. The system was supplied and commissioned by Coomber Fire and Security Systems who are a Nittan Elite Partner and BAFE SP203-1 & SP101 accredited. Grade II listed, St Nicholas Church was built in 1769, although the crypt dates back to medieval times. St. Nicholas has always played an i...

Bullard, a global provider of personal protective equipment, is teaming with the Firefighter Cancer Support Network (FCSN) in their mission to aid firefighters and their families following a cancer diagnosis. At the Bullard booth (#511) at FDIC (Fire Department Instructors Conference) Wells Bullard, CEO of Bullard and Peter Lugo, President and COO of Bullard presented Lisa Raggio, Executive Director of FCSN, and Trey Kelson, CFO of FCSN, with a donation of $10,000. Bullard plans to continue it...

Security and fire systems specialist, Trigion Security Services, has bolstered its team with a new senior appointment, as the firm continues to strengthen its presence within the UK market. Richard Webster has joined Trigion as Head of Sales for the Security Services division – Trigion’s specialist manned security business. With over 30 years industry experience, Richard has held senior positions within a number of well known, and well respected regional and national security servic...

Kochek Company, LLC has posted on its website white papers detailing the latest independent flow test results of multiple brands of fire hose, strainers and elbows. Conducted by GBW Associates, LLC and Water Supply Innovations, LLC, test conditions were closely monitored for consistency and elimination of variables. Kochek lightweight suction hose was used as a constant in each testing category. Kochek's low level, ice, floating, box, and barrel strainers and 90° suction elbows performed at...

During FDIC 2019, TenCate Protective Fabrics will showcase TurnOut Gear that has seen multiple exposures. Concern over higher rates of occupation cancer among firefighters prompts additional efforts in decontamination and cleaning of turnout gear to reduce particulate accumulation. But will turnout gear stand up to more washing and drying along with the hard work firefighters do. TurnOut Gear TenCate Protective Fabrics wanted to find out and now firefighters at FDIC International 2019 will be...

Hicks Gate Fire Station will be throwing its doors open to the public this Saturday (17/08), showcasing Urban Search & Rescue (USAR) and how firefighters keep local communities safe. From 10am to 4pm, the open day will focus on the national resilience capabilities that ensure community safety through location extraction and stabilization in structural collapse. Staff will also demonstrate risk reduction and how everyone can play a part in making safety a key part of their daily lives throug...

The wildfire season in 11 Western U.S. states has started out slower than last year, although deadly fires could still develop in the second half of the season, as they did last year. Meanwhile, wildfires in the Arctic have reached new levels, especially in Alaska and Siberia. Wildfires in the West killed 160 people and caused $40 billion in damage in the past two years, according to the National Centers for Environmental Information. The trend is toward larger fires burning more acres –...

Dame Judith Hackett’s recommendations to the U.K. Government after the Grenfell Tower fire in 2017 were that the competence of the individuals working in the construction and life cycle of Higher Risk Residential Buildings (HRRBs) needs to improve and be clearer. Work had already started in many fire protection sectors to create fully recognized qualifications, and these help raise the benchmark. Improving fire safety training A force driving improvements in training is the Fire Industry...

Those responsible for the specification of products which go into new modern buildings have been asking for safe, approved cabling, which play a critical part in electrical supply systems. The number of fires in high-rise buildings in Europe and the Middle East have brought the issue of quality of products for fire performance circuits into sharp focus, not least the Grenfell disaster. Meanwhile, new buildings become increasingly complex, with the use of new materials and the designs of many r...

Intelligent fire panels from global fire systems pioneer, Advanced, have been installed in a prestigious, £134million Central London office building. Situated in the prime London business address of St Paul’s Churchyard, the nine-story commercial premises, Condor House, stands adjacent to St Paul’s Cathedral and just meters from Fleet Street. Comprising 110,000 sq. ft. of high-quality office space, Condor House is home to a number of professional services firms including finan...

Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service is the first fire service in the UK to achieve the ISO 45001 accreditation with a 100 percent pass rate. ISO 45001 Occupational Health and Safety Management System is the world’s first International Standard for Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S). It was introduced in 2018 and replaces the previous British Standard of OHSAS 18001 in the organization. Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service has been working closely with staff and partners to ens...

Huntingdon Fire Station is opening its doors to the public on Saturday August 10 for a free event that promises something for all the family. The station will be open for members of the public to come and find out what life is like at a fire station and take a look around our fire engines. Activities on the day include dunk a firefighter, raffle, face painting, and a BBQ. There’ll also be a vintage fire engine and memorabilia on show. They’ll be joined by colleagues from Cambridgesh...

Avon Fire and Rescue Service (AF&RS) is delighted to announce that one of its stations has won a national energy reduction competition. Fire and Rescue Services from across the country took part in the energy-saving competition to reduce energy consumption over a four-month period throughout the winter, with Avonmouth fire station topping the leaderboard. The competition involved 66 fire stations from Avon, Essex, Greater Manchester, Hertfordshire, London and Scotland. Avonmouth fire statio...

TargetSolutions, a Vector Solutions brand that offers operations and training management software for the fire service, and the International Association of Fire Chief’s (IAFC) Volunteer & Combination Officers Section (VCOS) are proud to announce Lee Whitner of South Adams County (Colorado) Fire Department, as the recipient of the 2019 VCOS Training Officer Recognition Award. 2019 VCOS Training Officer Award As the award winner, Whitner will be recognized during the annual VCOS meeti...

Wormald has officially opened a new office in Adelaide’s Kidman Park, bringing key divisions together under one roof for the first time in four years. Since returning to local management three years ago, Wormald has renewed its focus as Australia’s independent and dedicated fire and safety services provider, marking an exciting new chapter for the organization following 25 years of US multinational ownership. Establishing new facility Key developments in the national transition ha...

Door & Hardware Federation (DHF) has welcomed the Ministerial Statement to the House, given by the then Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, James Brokenshire, in which he updated members on building safety. In particular, he informed those present that following an independent investigation into timber fire doors, no issues had been found with the consistency of the fire-resistance performance of the doors tested. This is good news for the industry and adds fur...