Fire Industry News for January 2022

BSI, in its role as the UK National Standards Body, publishes a new code of practice for the fire risk appraisal of external wall construction and cladding of existing multistorey and multi-occupied residential buildings. It has primarily been developed to support the upcoming changes to the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order which will confirm that the fire performance of external cladding systems is a material consideration. Fire risk appraisal code The code, PAS 9980:2021, Fir...

The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) is joining the Firefighter Cancer Support Network (FCSN) and International Association of Fire Fighters in recognizing January as Firefighter Cancer Awareness Month. Chances are someone in the department or a firefighter who has battled cancer. This is a very prevalent and serious issue facing the fire service. The good news is that there are actions taken to lessen the risks and prevent future tragedies so members don’t lose more firefighters...

The application period is currently open for two of FEMA’s fire service grant programs. The Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) funds critically needed resources to equip and train emergency personnel and meet the response needs of fire and EMS departments. Firefighter retention and safety The Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant supports recruitment and retention initiatives for volunteer and paid firefighters. In addition, the application period for the...

Chubb, a global provider of fire safety, security, and monitoring solutions and services launched a High-Rise Evacuation Alert System to assist the UK’s Fire and Rescue Services in safely evacuating residential buildings over 18 meters. Responding to the new Code of Practice recommendations outlined within British Standard (BS) 8629:2019, the High-Rise Evacuation Alert System will facilitate the immediate evacuation of any floor within a building to securely phase the evacuation process...

Cummins Inc. has announced that Bonnie Fetch has been named the Vice President – Global Supply Chain and Manufacturing, effective February 1, 2021. Bonnie Fetch currently serves as Vice President – North America Regional Operating Team and Distribution Business Supply Chain Services. Navigating supply chain challenges “Bonnie is the right person for this role, as we continue navigating supply chain challenges and executing our Supply Chain transformation,” said Jennifer...

Cancer is a serious threat facing today’s fire service, but there are ways by which people can lower the risks. These include the 11 best practices for firefighter cancer prevention, outlined in the Lavender Ribbon Report. Firefighter cancer prevention This course explains how to incorporate these practices into daily routines, so as to reduce the exposure risks and protect themselves and fellow firefighters. For a limited time, interested individuals can take this course for free in the...

Secutech India, India’s security business event will mark its return in 2022 re-uniting the security industry from 19 – 21 May at the Bombay Exhibition Centre in Mumbai. As the first edition post-lockdown, the platform will spotlight the latest security technologies, trends, and innovations as well as the post-pandemic response of the industry that is shaping product developments in India’s physical security, cyber security, fire & safety, smart home & automation marke...

SMART SHOOTER, a world-class designer, developer, and manufacturer of innovative fire control systems that significantly increase the accuracy and lethality of small arms, reveals the SMASH Dragon: an armed drone system incorporating Smart Shooter's combat-proven SMASH Technology that ensures precise target elimination. Presented by the company for the first time, SMASH Dragon is an advanced robotic weaponry payload that can be mounted on different drones and other unmanned aerial platforms. L...

Tragically, 2022 has gotten off to a heartbreaking start for many families due to home fires across the country, with as many as 126 lives lost in fires since the year began. In just the first nine days of the new year, the American Red Cross has responded to almost 1,700 home fires, providing help to more than 5,700 people. Their hearts go out to all those who have been affected by these tragedies. Home Fire Safety The Red Cross has steps people can follow to help them stay safe should a fire...

More than 100 American Red Cross disaster volunteers continue to support victims of late December’s Marshall Fire, Colorado’s most destructive wildfire in history. The blaze torched more than 6,000 acres, forced the evacuation of some 35,000 people, and destroyed nearly 1,000 homes. The fast-moving Marshall Fire is the latest example of an extreme weather event prompting thousands of people to flee their homes and seek help, this time months after the regular wildfire season ended....

Cummins Inc. announced the launch of the C550D5 (50hz) and C500D6(60hz) series diesel generator sets for prime and standby power applications globally. This series is engineered to deliver higher power density over 15 and 16-liter competitors with 42 kVA per liter of displacement thanks to the robust and reliable Cummins QSZ13 engine with 13L displacement. The QSZ13 engine, featuring XPI fuel injection with 3-stage fuel filtration, protects from poor fuel quality. The new S-range of alternators...

Between the 16th and the 18th of January 2022, Argus Spectrum International will take part in the world’s premier trade fair for Security, Safety & Fire Protection - Intersec Dubai (UAE). Argus Spectrum International as being one of the world’s pioneers in the design and manufacturing of wireless fire systems will present certified in 83 countries wireless fire detection system Streletz-PRO at the stand A12, Hall 4.  MESH-network Streletz-PRO is a new product line of wire...

The National Fire Protection Association was founded in 1896 to help prevent injury, death, and economic losses resulting from fires. NFPA is a global nonprofit organization with a membership of over 60,000 worldwide. NFPA’s consensus standards and building codes are a recognized benchmark around the world for quality fire safety construction practices. Fire safety education In addition to its standard-setting work, NFPA also serves the public with information, advocacy, and outreach pr...

Fire safety in hospitals is incredibly important, considering the care required for vulnerable people within such facilities. These premises require a lot of precaution in every aspect, and health and safety are at the forefront of concern. With the possibility of many patients dealing with mobility issues, in the event of a fire, the evacuation process may prove more difficult than in the usual facilities. Taking the time to understand what the common hazards could be within a hospital environ...

False fire alarms can cause a lot of disruption in homes and businesses alike. False fire alarms cost taxpayers over £1bn every year in the UK. And, with the risk of a fire department attending a false alarm and possibly missing a real emergency, common causes of false fire alarms need to be considered. In reality, it isn’t so much due to fire alarm and detection systems causing false fire alarms, it is most likely because of lack of training, limited responsibility and everyday mis...

A trusted provider of fire safety for over 100 years, Kidde announced the launch of its latest innovation – the Smoke + Carbon Monoxide Alarm with smart features and corresponding new mobile app. Designed for Wi-Fi connectivity, the alarm and app function not only as a standalone safety solution, but, notably, is the first smart system that can transform existing Kidde hardwired interconnected alarms into smart ones with an easy and fully integrated solution that offers whole-ho...

When the alarm rang at the Defense Distribution Center Susquehanna firehouse shortly after 7:00 a.m. Dec. 30, 2021 firefighters assigned to Defense Logistics Agency Truck 69 were dispatched to 813 Bridge Street, New Cumberland, Pennsylvania, for a four-unit apartment building fire. Flames from a rapidly growing fire on the first floor at the front of the building left two victims trapped on a second-floor rear balcony. DLA Susquehanna firefighters jumped into action, using a 28-foot ground ladd...

Life safety manufacturer, Hochiki Europe, has announced a new perfect fit partnership which will enable its most sophisticated addressable multi-sensor device, the ACD, to be compatible with the MxPro 5 range of addressable fire control panels from Advanced Electronics. This new partnership with Advanced Electronics allows Hochiki’s ACD addressable loop-powered multi-sensor, with smoke, heat and CO sensing elements to be installed in even more projects than was previously possible...

Without significant warning, a vicious wildfire quickly destroyed hundreds of homes in just hours in Colorado. The American Red Cross is responding there, where tens of thousands of people have had to leave their neighborhoods. Spurred by strong winds, the fire spread very quickly. Thousands are without power and gas, leaving them without heat in single-digit temperatures and facing a winter storm warning. Red Cross Response Red Cross disaster workers, some of whom have had to evacuate their o...

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has authorized the use of federal funds, in order to help with firefighting costs for the Marshall Fire burning, in Boulder County, Colorado, USA. Fighting Marshall Fire FEMA Acting Regional Administrator, Tammy Littrell approved the state’s request for a federal Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG), after receiving the request and determining that the fire threatened such a level of destruction that it would constitute a major disaster. At...

Globally, it’s clear that devastating wildfires are now becoming commonplace. Of the top 20 largest wildfires in Californian history, six of them occurred in 2020 alone. In Australia, the story was the same – 2020 saw wildfires destroy millions of acres of land and raze billions of dollars of property. As the Earth’s temperature climbs and the effects of climate change become more apparent, there is increasing evidence that wildfires will become a greater threat, even in the U...

ImageTrend, Inc. is excited to announce the company has formed an official Medical Advisory Board comprised of medical directors from across the nation, who will assist in providing insight into different service models and specialties in the healthcare industry including Emergency Medical Services (EMS). Sparking new initiatives ImageTrend’s six-member Medical Advisory Board was assembled to support the company’s commitment to providing solutions to the healthcare industry that ar...

Carolyn J. Harshman, MPA, CEM, has taken office as 2021-2022 president of the USA Council of the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM-USA). She was sworn in at the President’s Banquet during the Annual Conference in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Other officers sworn in were IAEM-USA First Vice President Cathy M. Clark, MA, IAEM-USA Second Vice President Justin Kates, CEM, and IAEM-USA Treasurer Walter English, III, CEM. Expansion of emergency management  Upon taking offi...

The IAEM-USA Awards and Recognition Committee of the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM) has named Andrew D. Friend, CEM, the IAEM-USA 2021 Emergency Manager of the Year. The award will be presented at the President’s Banquet and Awards Ceremony on October 20 at the IAEM 69th Annual Conference & EMEX, in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He is being honored for his leadership during the COVID-19 response in 2020. Experience Friend led the COVID-19 response in two states dur...

Johnson Controls, the global pioneer for smart, healthy, and sustainable buildings and architect of OpenBlue connected solutions, is releasing two new Tyco early-suppression, fast-response (ESFR) Rapid Install Sprinklers (RIS) for the protection of warehouse and storage facilities. Simple installation The Model ESFR-22 and Model ESFR-25 pendent sprinklers, and their accompanying custom welded outlet fitting, simplify installation for fire protection contractors by featuring pre-installed rubbe...

Brother Mobile Solutions, a globally renowned provider of mobile, desktop, and industrial printing and labeling solutions, has announced the release of an agile, on-demand printing solution for the quick creation of safety signage and labels, which are required in modern workplaces and public spaces. Safety Labeling Solution The new on-demand Safety Labeling Solution pairs a Brother thermal transfer 4-inch printer with highly-intuitive safety signage design software, as well as a wide variety...

ImageTrend, Inc. announces the release of the first Collaborate Short Report: 2018-2020 National Trends in Firearm-Related Incidents in the Prehospital Setting. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) identified firearm-related incidents as the top five causes of death for individuals under the age of 65 in the US. Volume one, issue one of the Collaborate Short Report focuses on how these incidents have changed across age groups and different regions from 2018 to 2020 by looking at a large sample...

RESCUE Intellitech AB is excited to announce the launch of their new product, the DeconFilter Pro S. When the company first developed the Solo Rescue Decon Washer, its goal was to develop a decontamination solution that could help reduce firefighter’s exposure to carcinogens and other hazardous substances, in a quick, easy and safe way. RESCUE Intellitech AB ended up doing a great job and their machines have now been shipped throughout the world to countries on four different continents....

A housing association has been fined £40,000 and ordered to pay £23,407 prosecution costs for breaking fire safety laws following a fatal fire in a tower block. Lewisham Homes was sentenced at Woolwich Crown Court on Friday, January 29, after pleading guilty at an earlier hearing to failing to properly maintain fire doors at the block in Deptford and failing to review an existing fire risk assessment which was carried out in 2008. The prosecution was brought by the London Fire Brig...

Hundreds of IAFF members continue to fight a Northern California wildfire, the second-largest wildfire in state history. Known as the Dixie fire, it has burned more than 482,000 acres and more than 800 structures. Only the August Complex Fire of August 2020, which consumed more than 1 million acres, was bigger. Four CAL FIRE Local 2881 members, who are part of the department’s 18-person Butte unit, were injured when a large tree burned and fell on them. All four were transported to the ho...