Industry News

The London Fire Commissioner, Dany Cotton, has announced she will be stepping down from her position at London Fire Brigade on 31 December. The Commissioner had previously announced in June that she intended to retire from the fire and rescue service in April 2020, but in consultation with City Hall it has been agreed that Dany will bring that forward to the end of this year to enable a timely handover to the next Commissioner, as the Brigade works to urgently deliver the recommendations of the...

A Cambridgeshire firefighter becomes the first female at March Fire Station to be the officer in charge of emergency incidents and qualified to drive a fire engine. Firefighter Vicky Vata was successful at the crew’s drill night on late November 2019 where she was assessed by officers from Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service’s training center. The qualification, known as ‘safe to ride’ means Vicky will ride a fire engine as the officer in charge of an incident, taking...

Responding to a terrible student accommodation fire in Bolton, the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) has called for a complete overhaul of UK fire safety and condemned cuts to fire and rescue services. Matt Wrack, FBU general secretary, said: "My congratulations go to the crews on the ground who did amazing work in incredibly difficult circumstances. This terrible fire highlights the complete failure of the UK’s fire safety system. It’s deeply troubling to see fire spread rapidly up a build...

ASSA ABLOY Opening Solutions UK & Ireland is advising fire safety professionals on the importance of properly certified hardware and training, following warnings from experts in fire safety law that they may now be deemed responsible for any breaches. Liability for fire safety breaches is being increasingly pushed down from building owners and occupiers to those that have been consulted, assessed and advised on the appropriate fire safety solutions for a site. Should these products fail to...

As Electrical Fire Safety Week is upon every one for another year, it’s a good time to share some top tips to help keep you safe from the risk of electrical fire. Here are some good advice to last all year round: Don’t charge laptops and mobile phones on flammable materials e.g. beds or cushions. When charging, ensure they are on a suitable flat surface, and don’t charge overnight. Don’t overload plug sockets, and check cables regularly to ensure they are not worn, fr...

Fires in modern data centers are a harsh reality. Such fires result, not only in serious amounts of direct damage, but also in costly indirect damage, including downtime associated with server outages and cleanup from the fire. These fires are not only dangerous, they can disrupt modern life. In 2017, a fire at a large data center in Azerbaijan took almost seven hours to extinguish. During that time, the entire country lost computer access to the Internet, with access to the network available o...

Cold Cut Systems announces that Bernie Higgins, Head of Cold Cut Academy and one of our UK staff, takes over as Chair of FIRESA Council. FIRESA Council is one of seven councils under the aegis of the Fire Industry Association, the largest fire protection and firefighting trade association in the UK with over 850 members. Bernie is a former Principal Officer in London Fire Brigade and brings his experience of the UK Fire and Rescue sector as well as his commercial knowledge to the role.

Avon Fire and Rescue Service (AF&RS) has taken part in a series of multi-agency training exercises to tests its chemical, biological, radioactive and nuclear response. The three training sessions, which fell under CBRNe, were designed to test how emergency services from across the region responded to incidents such as chemical spills and contamination. Training exercises These scenarios involved staff from Avon and Somerset Police, South Western Ambulance Service, Devon & Somerset Fire...

The risk of further residential fire tragedies, following the fatal Grenfell Tower fire, has been raised by leading engineering services trade association ECA, in its response to the ‘Raising the Bar’ consultation. In the aftermath of the blaze at the Grenfell Tower high-rise block in West London, several inquiries have concluded that installer competency is fundamental to public safety. This is particularly the case in buildings such as residential tower blocks, care homes and hospi...

When a fire starts, every second counts. Fire extinguishers can help save lives when used quickly and effectively. Yet an astonishing 70% of fire extinguisher owners say they would not be comfortable using an extinguisher in the event of a fire according to recent research. For this reason, First Alert and the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) have developed a new fire extinguisher training course for volunteer fire departments nationwide, supplemented by an extinguisher donation program fo...

On April 29-30, 2020, the Congressional Fire Services Institute (CFSI) will host the 32nd Annual National Fire and Emergency Services Symposium and Dinner in Washington, DC. Once again, the annual tribute to the nation’s fire service is expected to draw over 1,500 fire and emergency services leaders from across the country. They will attend seminars, conduct meetings with their members of Congress, and network with their colleagues. At the conclusion of the two-day event, they will assem...

The FPA Managing Director Jonathan O’Neill thought it was important to chair the Fire Sector Summit to stress his feelings towards the current state of the fire industry. He opened the event commending the Fire and Rescue Services but commented “Please don’t see Sir Martin [Moore-Bick]’s comments and recommendations [regarding the Grenfell Tower fire] as an attack. See them as an opportunity.” “If Dame Judith Hackitt gets her way you will likely to be asked t...

Europe’s pioneer door provider, Hörmann UK, has launched its new FlexFire Protection Curtain, specifically designed to provide the construction and other industrial sectors with unrivalled smoke protection in the event of a fire. Equipped with an intelligent FSA-FLEXControl hold-open device as standard, the curtain closes reliably if smoke develops. When combined with optical smoke detectors that monitor the door area, the hold-open device is compliant with the requirements outlined...

The concept of firefighter cancer prevention has been the main topic these days around the fire service. The fire apparatus industry is taking a proactive stance when it comes to firefighter cancer prevention by designing new apparatus that makes it easier for firefighters to decontaminate after a fire. Not only does it make sense for firefighters to clean their gear after a fire but also to keep their apparatus clean as well. In the long run it may certainly be harmful to themselves while retu...

Central Pierce Fire & Rescue stepped away from a long history of purchasing fire apparatus from a sole manufacturer. With this step, the department chose KME Fire Apparatus and Cascade Fire & Emergency, WA to provide eight KME Custom Pumpers engineered to the department's exact specifications. Paul Stueve, Asst. Chief of Logistics for Central Pierce Fire & Rescue states, “Cascade Fire and KME have provided an experience of responsiveness, a willingness to meet high expectations...

Using water to fight a fire is as old as time. Thankfully the days of the bucket brigade are over and modern firefighters have all the tools they need to combat any fire. A key part of firefighting technology is the flow meter. To show how important flow meters are one can read the report from the Fire Protection Research Foundation; titled Evaluation of Fire Flow Methodologies. As stated in the report: “In order to effectively fight a fire, the water supply available must be adequate for...

The Canadian Commission on Building and Fire Codes (CCBFC) invites organizations and its members to take part in the fall 2019 public review from October 22 to December 23, 2019. Purpose of the review The responsible standing committee will consider each comment in its recommendations on the proposed changes The purpose of the public review is to provide users of the model codes and stakeholders with a detailed look at the changes being considered and to seek comments as t...

BAFE endorses the response to the Grenfell Review by the Fire Sector Federation and their call for action that this sort of tragedy never happens again. They must look ahead, including into Phase 2 of the Inquiry, to ensure that competent providers, at every stage of a building’s construction and use, keep residents and occupiers safe and that all means of fire protection are regularly monitored, with the full co-operation of owners, managers and residents. Making fire safety a priority...

Mr. Passey stated that they’re looking at a ‘new world order’, noting multiple changes recommended in Dame Judith Hackitt’s post-Grenfell Review that will dramatically alter the landscape of premises management which ‘some of us won’t recognize’. One of these changes he notes is that ‘duty holders should ensure that any recommendations outlined in the fire risk assessment are undertaken and completed in a timely manner.’ He adds to this, as...

According to the Government, the key function for UKSAR services is to “ensure a coordinated response to emergencies in order to search for, rescue and recover those missing or in distress or potential distress on land, sea and shore line areas, including tidal and inland waters and to coordinate those actions”. Coordinated rescue operations The Police (including the National Police Air Service), Fire & Rescue Services (including Flood Rescue and Urban SAR units), Ambulances Se...

What does STACS mean? STACS means Smart Truck Active Control System. STACS is the foremost firefighting vehicle monitor control system using smart brushless motor technology. It can control several monitors fitted on the roof and bumper from different places and offers great flexibility of use from the driver cabin, or from outside the vehicle by wire or radio connection. Compatible To Any Vehicle STACS is fully configurable and can be adapted to any type of vehicle, regardless of the existi...

Businesses today operate in a world where the growth of violence, vandalism, and theft requires ever-increasing levels of security. While video security cameras have become a standard for the protection of businesses, their effectiveness is limited in outdoor settings and low light conditions. These limitations make perimeter security the first line of defense against intrusion particularly challenging. Thermal imaging cameras are quickly becoming a popular choice for outdoor security applicati...

From the 16th October 2019 we will be able to request North Yorkshire Police’s drones to assist us at incident scenes. Thermal imaging drones North Yorkshire Police have been using drones since 2018 to assist with searches, examining crime scenes and at road traffic collisions. The drones use thermal imaging technology and are able to take photographs and videos. They were used earlier this year to assist us at a large fire in a workshop in Northallerton. Group Manager Mark Naylor from...

During the Pennsylvania Association of Fire Equipment Distributors (PAFED) Annual Conference on October 16-18, 2019, Kistler O’Brien’s President, Eric Blasser, was recognized for his exemplary dedication, service, professionalism, and leadership on behalf of PAFED and the fire equipment industry.

Door & Hardware Federation (DHF) is demonstrating its continuing support for Fire Door Safety Week by holding a series of free fire door safety seminars. The national awareness safety campaign, which took place between 23-29 September 2019, was launched in 2013 in response to a legacy of fire door neglect and aims to increase the public’s understanding of the role that fire doors play in protecting life and property. It is led by high-profile organizations such as the British Woodwork...

Micro-distilleries are a rapidly emerging industry that is creating a lot of concern among fire safety officials due to the unique fire risks they bring to the communities in which they are located. The potential causes of fire and explosion at a micro-distillery are no different than those associated with a large distillery. However, unlike large distilleries, which are typically located in rural areas, micro-distilleries pose additional safety risks due to their proximity to populated areas an...

The Queen’s speech raised a number of post-Grenfell Tower issues including building safety standards legislation. She declared “My Ministers will bring forward laws to implement new building safety standards.”  Within the official document released alongside this speech, it stresses that the purpose of this legislation will be to “put in place new and modernized regulatory regimes for building safety and construction products, ensuring residents have a stronger voice...

The latest of West Midlands Fire Service’s large-scale training exercises involved more than 100 volunteers playing the roles of casualties and evacuees. West Midlands Fire Service joined forces with Coventry University and Coventry City Council, to provide a unique opportunity for students on a number of courses to put their learning into practice. Just after 10am on Friday 5 October, some 10 fire engines and more than 50 firefighters responded to the training scenario of a fire in the c...

Following the publication of the Raising the Bar Interim Report, the Competence Steering Group (CSG) are welcoming responses to this document. “The Competence Steering Group is inviting comments on its interim report Raising the Bar, which sets out measures to improve competence in the design, construction and fire sectors. The measures are intended to tackle competency shortcomings identified in the Hackitt Review, Building a Safer Future, following the Grenfell Tower fire.” raisin...

In response to requests from fire departments, KIMTEK has introduced the FIRELITE® FHR-205, a new version of its popular FIRELITE® series skid units for use with UTVs. Distinct from KIMTEK's patient transport units in the FIRELITE series, the FHR-205 skid unit positions the hose reel to wind off to the rear. Constructed of KIMTEK's signature rugged, high quality aluminum diamond plate and tubing, FHR-205 skid units are durable, attractive, and produced to KIMTEK's highest standards of ma...