Fire Industry News for December 2023

Cambridge firefighters had a busy Christmas Day as they were called to several house fires. While many people were enjoying the festivities and tucking into a Christmas dinner, firefighters from Cambridge Fire Station’s Red Watch responded to several emergencies. Christmas morning fires At 9 am on Christmas morning the crews, along with the south roaming fire engine and an on-call crew from Linton, were called to a house fire involving a roof at Egerton Close. The fire spread quickly f...

The IAFF is welcoming new locals in Loyalist Township, Ontario and View Royal and Colwood, B.C. Loyalist. Professional Fire Fighters Association Local 5464, which serves the communities of Amherstview, Amherst Island, Odessa, and Bath in Loyalist Township west of Kingston, joins with seven members including four suppression fire fighters, two fire inspectors, and an emergency vehicle technician. Local 5464 President - Jeremy Franklin said he was pleased to be joining the IAFF and is lo...

Kidde, a trusted pioneer in fire safety for more than 100 years, has launched a new paid subscription feature in its Advanced Home Health mobile application to enhance home health monitoring. The new service will allow families to take proactive, informed steps to keep their homes safe with indoor air quality insights. Kidde is a part of Carrier Global Corporation, a pioneer in intelligent climate and energy solutions. The subscription service provides a weekly healthy home report with con...

The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) released its final report into the fatal explosion and fire at the KMCO production facility in Crosby, Texas, USA. On April 2, 2019, KMCO was producing sulfurized isobutylene as a lubrication additive. The explosion and fire occurred after isobutylene leaked from a fracture in a segment of piping and formed a flammable vapor cloud, which ignited. Fatal injury One KMCO employee was fatally injured, and two others were seriously inju...

FirePro participated in the 9th edition of VdS-FireSafety Cologne, held at the Koelnmesse exhibition center in Cologne, Germany, from December 6th to 7th. This year’s event attracted over 4,000 visitors with its seven specialist conferences and a compact seminar, offering a wealth of up-to-date knowledge, engaging exhibits, and expert-led conferences and seminars. VdS-FireSafety Cologne, renowned as one of the most important industry events for fire protection systems and preventive struc...

Oshkosh Airport Products, a division of Pierce Manufacturing Inc., a subsidiary of Oshkosh Corporation, announced the pivotal sale of a Striker® Volterra™ 6x6 electric aircraft rescue and fire fighting (ARFF) vehicle to the Japan Ministry of Defense. The electric ARFF vehicle is built to meet the unique firefighting standards of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF). This marks a significant step towards carbon neutrality in Japan's defense sector by integrating innovative, environ...

MSA Safety, Inc., the global pioneer in the development of safety solutions that help protect people and facility infrastructures announced it has been named one of the Best-Managed Companies of 2023 by The Wall Street Journal (WSJ). Top 250 list The Top 250 list, which was established in 2017, is compiled by the Drucker Institute and is published annually by The Wall Street Journal. The Drucker Institute evaluates companies based on five key categories of corporate perfor...

The final three recipients of MSA and DuPont’s 2023 Globe Gear Giveaway, conducted in partnership with the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC), have been selected. The Bell County Volunteer Fire Department (Pineville, KY), Broadway (VA) Volunteer Fire Department Inc., and Scotts Hill (TN) Fire Department will each receive four new sets of turnout gear and four helmets to help keep their crew safe. These donations wrap up the 2023 giveaway, in which a total of 52 sets of turnout gear an...

Honeywell, one of the pioneering brands in fire and life safety, recently unveiled its NOTIFIER INSPIRE™ fire control system, an all-in-one fire panel that delivers reliable protection, scalability, efficient monitoring, as well as flexible and timely reporting.   NOTIFIER INSPIRE panel The NOTIFIER INSPIRE panel is connected through Honeywell’s Connected Life Safety Services (CLSS) platform. CLSS delivers real-time visibility of the fire system to installers, s...

The Association for Specialist Fire Protection (ASFP) is delighted to have been shortlisted for three awards in the Trade Association Forum’s (TAF’s) Awards. The Awards recognize, reward, and promote best practices among trade associations in the United Kingdom (UK).   Ignite The Association’s magazine, Ignite, has been shortlisted for Magazine of the Year. Ignite caters to the needs and interests of professionals within the passive fire protection (PFP) indus...

The construction of the European Southern Observatory’s Extremely Large Telescope (ESO's ELT) has reached an important milestone with the delivery to ESO and shipment to Chile of the first 18 segments of the telescope’s main mirror (M1). Once they arrive in Chile, the segments will be transported to the ELT Technical Facility, at ESO’s Paranal Observatory in the country’s Atacama Desert, where they will be coated in preparation for their future installation on the teles...

Fire fighters are a community’s ‘Swiss Army knife’ – responding not just to fires, but medical calls, terrorist attacks, natural disasters, train derailments, behavioral health emergencies, and more. The all-hazard role of the country’s fire service was a recurring theme of a recent IAFF member focus group led by pollster and political analyst Dr. Frank Luntz. “There’s no emergency that [fire fighters] won’t go and do their best to bring order to,...

When users think about an office, they usually imagine where people work at computers, have meetings, and drink coffee. However, it’s important to remember that an office can also be where fires could start. Offices have lots of electrical equipment like computers, printers, and coffee machines. If these aren’t used or handled properly, they can cause a fire. Another risk is if people must remember to turn off this equipment when leaving the office. Also, if the office is clutter...

Fire fighters are being urged to take extra precautions when approaching structure fires involving residential energy storage systems (ESS), an increasingly popular home energy source that uses lithium-ion battery technology. The findings are part of an exhaustive report released by the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) and UL Solutions, based on a two-year research project examining the characteristics of fires resulting from the overheating of lithium battery systems stored in...

Public buildings, like schools, libraries, and offices, are places where people come together. Keeping these places safe from fires is super important. Fires can start quickly and spread even faster, putting everyone inside at risk. That’s why the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) offers tips to keep these buildings safe. By following these fire safety tips, establishments can help ensure that everyone can get out safely, if a fire starts and the damage is kept as low as possibl...

Hochiki, the provider of innovative, Japanese-designed life safety solutions, specializing in the design, manufacturing, and distribution of state-of-the-art fire detection and emergency lighting systems will be at Intersec 2024 - the event for emergency services, security, and safety. The Hochiki regional team, who are based in Dubai, UAE, will be at the event to demonstrate their range of sophisticated fire detection systems, Latitude, and their emergency lighting system, FIREscape Nepto....

Running a restaurant is about more than just making delicious food. It’s also about keeping everyone safe. Fires are a big risk in restaurants because kitchens have many things that can catch fire, like oil and gas. Plus, with people cooking all day, there’s always a chance that something could go wrong. Having a restaurant fire safety plan means having thought about what could cause a fire and having a clear plan to keep everyone safe if one starts. This plan is a set of instructio...

When times get tough, a glimmer of light always finds its way through the darkness. In March, tragedy struck when Caribou, ME Local 5191 Capt. Daniel Raymond died in a car accident.  Ryan Hall, a firefighter and paramedic with Local 5191, shared that his sudden death not only devasted his family and colleagues but also the entire community.  Light up the Community Fund “So, over the summer, many local community members wanted to find a way to honor him and create something a...

Hospital fire safety is paramount, where the lives and well-being of patients, staff, and visitors are at stake. In this context, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) plays a pivotal role in establishing guidelines and standards that ensure the highest level of fire safety in healthcare facilities. Compliance with NFPA guidelines is not just a regulatory requirement but a fundamental commitment to the safety and security of all those within a hospital’s walls. Hospital Fire Sa...

The festive season is a time for generosity, and in this year’s Hanukkah celebration, members of the FDNY’s Ner Tamid Society, the Uniformed Fire Fighters Association (UFA) Local 94, and the Uniformed Fire Officers Association (UFOA) Local 854 are serving members inside the firehouse and remembering those lost.  “For Hanukkah this year, we’re holding an event at FDNY headquarters,” said Deputy Chief Yonatan Klein. “We’ll have donuts, latkes, and...

Warringtonfire, a global pioneer in Fire Testing, Inspection, and Certification (TIC), has announced plans to open a new facility in Warrington, United Kingdom (UK). Expected to open in 2025, the new facility will be the largest in the UK and provide fire testing, technical and certification services. Warringtonfire’s testing capacity Customer demands for Warringtonfire’s product testing are set to continue to grow significantly, due to increasing regulatory requirements, the intr...

The International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) is celebrating the adoption of a House of Commons motion that calls on the Canadian Government to strengthen the nation’s airport firefighting regulations as an important step toward improving air passenger and fire fighter safety at Canada’s major airports. Motion M-96 points out shortfalls in the Canadian Aviation Regulations (CARs) requirements for airport firefighting and asks the Canadian Government to bring them up to Inter...

Pierce Manufacturing Inc., an Oshkosh Corporation company, announced Canada-based dealer Commercial Emergency Equipment Co. has secured a 10-year contract with the Calgary Fire Department (CFD), focusing on the provision of custom tenders in an as-needed quantity.   Building upon the earlier established contract in 2022, which was centered on the supply of aerial platforms and ladders, this new agreement also places significant emphasis on apparatus standardization. Tandem-axle Enforcer&t...

The world is changing and challenging the fire service to keep up. The core missions of firefighting and fire prevention have not changed, but the environments in which those missions operate are changing faster than ever before. Technology, sustainability, shifting demographics in recruitment and retention, and an increasing need for partnership and collaboration are among the factors that will impact the fire service and the fire industry in 2024. Let’s consider some of the big issues...

Candles are an optimal way to enhance ambiance to any occasion or environment. Their scents make the room inviting and cozy. Luckily, candle fires only make up a minor percentage of the cause behind residential fires. However, using candles can result in a fire emergency, if not handled carefully. Recognizing the dangers and fire safety behind candle usage and understanding how to use them safely can prevent a fire emergency. This article offers key learning on how to handle candles with care....

Siemens Smart Infrastructure is expanding its fire safety offering on Building X through newly launched applications and an application programming interface (API) to increase transparency, decrease response time in case of incidents, and enhance maintenance processes for service providers. Building X Building X is a digital building platform that supports customers to digitalize, manage, and optimize their building operations. This leads to an enhanced user experience, increased performance,...

The positioning of the portable fire pump requires four firefighters, and the deployment of a B nozzle at least two. Moreover, these activities require a lot of energy and sometimes have to be carried out in the middle of a danger zone. These two striking examples quickly show how much modern auxiliary equipment such as the multi-functional RTE Robot firefighting robot can support everyday operations.  Rosenbauer presented the petrol-powered tracked manipulator back in 2010. This meant tha...

A group of Fenland youngsters have been benefitting from fire service training to help develop teamwork skills, increase self-esteem and confidence, and understand the consequences of risk-taking decision-making. Learnings Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service has been hosting students from Thomas Clarkson Academy at Wisbech Fire Station. Led by the Service’s Community Development Instructors, the groups have been learning how to use hose reels, ladders, and breathing apparatus, and le...

In the six years since the tragic Grenfell Tower disaster, the construction industry's approach to fire safety has faced rigorous examination, and sparked a series of legislative changes, most notably the enactment of the Building Safety Act and Fire Safety Act of 2022. These measures have substantially raised standards, contributing to a safer overall industry. As we approach the year’s end, assessing the industry's progress and its trajectory becomes a crucial endeavor, especially consi...

President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. announced that FEMA awarded a $22.4 million grant to the city of Philadelphia, paying for 72 firefighters’ salaries and benefits for three years, allowing three city fire stations to reopen: Engine 6 in Fishtown, Ladder 1 in Fairmount and Ladder 11 in South Philadelphia. In 2022, Philadelphia suffered its highest number of fire fatalities in a decade with more than a dozen of those deaths occurring from a single fire in the Fairmont neighborhood, which was...