Industry News

Wyoming fire service is glad to hear the passing of Fire Safe Cigarette Legislation Wyoming is the 50th state to pass legislation aimed at reducing the number of cigarette fires and fire fatalities. Wyoming Governor Dave Freudenthal recently signed legislation requiring all cigarettes sold in Wyoming to meet a specific fire safety standard as of July, 2011. This marks the 50th state to pass legislation aimed at reducing the number of cigarette fires and fire fatalitie...

Arson fire in Lebanon, in February of 2009. Photo Credit: Jonathan Paul, Fire Inspector Lebanon Fire Department The focus of Arson Awareness Week will be on the horrific crime of arson, and provide communities with tools and strategies to combat arson in their neighborhoods, businesses, schools, and places of worship. The United States Fire Administration (USFA) announces this year's Arson Awareness Week (AAW) theme Community Arson Prevention. The USFA will partner w...

Fire Prevention and safety grant will help NVFC to concentrate on firefighters' health issues The Fire Prevention and Safety (FP&S) Grant is meant for supporting programmes like Health Fair, Health and Wellness Advocate Workshops, and National Firefighter Health Week.The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) has received a Fire Prevention and Safety (FP&S) Grant from the Department of Homeland Security to support the Heart-Healthy Firefighter Program. The grant will...

Regional administrators are crucial for handling emergency situations Robin Finegan has more than 20 years of experience in crisis management and community preparedness. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Craig Fugate has applauded President Obama's appointment of Robin Finegan as FEMA Regional Administrator for Region VIII, which encompasses Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming. "Regional Administrators are crucial to...

From (L to R) Mark Whittall with Charlie Harwood and Tooting Station Manager, John Day Charlie spent the war years fighting fires in London, attending many of the major blazes and incidents, including those during the Blitz. 100-year-old Charlie Harwood, who served as a fire fighter in Tooting during World War two, visited Tooting fire station recently to celebrate his 100th birthday with fire fighters from the station's green watch. Charlie was presented with a comme...

FEMA personnel are working on the forefront of flood affected areas FEMA and Department of Homeland Security have increased their effort to bring life back to normal in flood-affected Rhode Island. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Deputy Administrator Richard Serino traveled to Rhode Island to tour areas affected by flooding and meet with Congressional, state and local leaders to discuss the...

  Federal Signal Corporation  today announced that it will form Federal Signal Technologies Group   Federal Signal Corporation, a leader in environmental, safety and transportation solutions, recently announced that it will form Federal Signal Technologies Group ("FSTech"), a new division to be focused on Intelligent Transportation Systems ("ITS") solutions. FSTech will be comprised of recently acquired Diamond Consulting, Sirit and VESystems as well as the C...

The ABI published their report 'Tackling Fire: A Call for Action' The ABI have published a report entitled 'Tackling Fire: A Call for Action' which expresses the concerns of the insurance industry that even though the numbers of fires in the UK has fallen, the costs of fires have risen. The report concludes that the current challenging economic climate is likely to have a significant impact on the number and cost of fires and has the potential to have an impact on...

  A wide range of natural disasters occurs within the United States every year A wide range of natural disasters occurs within the United States every year. Natural disasters can have a devastating effect on you and your home. The U.S. Fire Administration encourages you to use the following safety tips to help protect yourself, your family and your home from the potential threat of fire during or after a flood. Types of Fire Related Hazards Present During and After a Fl...

USFA says there are simple steps you can take to prevent the loss of life and property due to home fires Electrical fires at homes claim the lives of 485 Americans each year and injure 2,305 more. Some of these fires are caused by electrical system failures and appliance defects, but many more are caused by the misuse and poor maintenance of electrical appliances, incorrectly installed wiring, and overloaded circuits and extension cords. The United States Fire Adm...

FEMA brings out awareness campaign related to safety and fire emergency The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)  is encouraging Americans to take advantage of the March 14 time change for Daylight Savings as a reminder to ensure their families are prepared for a possible emergency. A few simple steps like checking smoke alarms, developing a family communications plan, and putting an emergency kit together can go a long way toward keeping families safe. "No matte...

The fourth London safety plan is built on excellent work done by members of London Fire Brigade The fourth London safety plan agreed by London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority at its meeting on 18 March is built on excellent work already carried out by the London Fire Brigade's 7,000 staff members. It proposes new ways of delivering some of its resources to incidents, expands the work of the London local authority co-ordination centre run by the Brigade on behalf of...

The new bill asks for mandatory installation of fire sprinklers in UK schools A Coventry MP is calling for all new schools and colleges to install automatic sprinklers to help prevent fires and save lives. Jim Cunningham, Labour MP for Coventry South, said: "About 1,400 schools in the UK are damaged by fire each year, with almost a third occurring in daylight." "The cost of the damage from the fires is estimated around £100m," he said. His Fire Safety (Sc...

IAFF has selected MSA to develop a prototype of a new SCBA New pressure-vessel technology of SCBA will increase fire fighters safety. The International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF), under contracts with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, has selected global safety equipment manufacturer MSA  to build a prototype of a new self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA). The IAFF's next-generation SCBA prototype will rely on pressure-vessel technology, which p...

IMS Research reports says global fire market declined by 3 per cent during 2009 IMS Research estimates the global fire market to have declined by some -3.0% during 2009.Nobody it seems was able to escape the damaging effects of the global economic depression. In its latest fire detection and suppression report, IMS Research (www.imsresearch.com) estimates the global fire market to have declined by some -3.0% during 2009, with the market not set to recover to pre-re...

Old Fire Station, Stoke Newington, Hackney, London. Photo: Fin Fahey This guidance is intended to help those authorities who are faced with applications for alteration and adaptation.From the compact allure of Belsize to the elaborate Victorian splendour of Kensington, London's historic fire station buildings are an instantly recognisable part of the capital. The one that remain in active use are part of their proud legacy of civic buildings that are cherished by their com...

KFRS has issued safety tips to ensure garden bonfires don't result in fire accidents Kent Fire and Rescue Service is issuing safety tips to ensure garden bonfires don't result in injury or property damage.As the spring weather tempts more residents out in to the garden, maybe to start tidying up after the long winter months and dispose of garden waste, Kent Fire and Rescue Service is issuing safety tips to ensure garden bonfires don't result in injury or property damage. He...

Paul Hufnagel is the 8th District Vice President of the International Association of Fire Fighters Retired Lansing fire fighter and Michigan Professional Fire Fighters Union President Paul Hufnagel has been elected 8th District Vice President of the International Association of Fire Fighters. Hufnagel replaces Tommy Miller, who in January was nominated and elected to become General Secretary-Treasurer of the IAFF. Hufnagel was sworn in March 11. "I am confident t...

FEMA's share of assistance is 75 %  of the eligible cost for emergency measures and permanent restoration FEMA's PA Program encourages protection from future damage by providing assistance for hazard mitigation measures during the recovery period. "Public Assistance (PA) helps to strengthen communities that do not have the means or resources to bounce back quickly from a natural disaster," according to Richard Griffin, state coordinating officer. "It reimburses local go...

  Deadly explosion at PCA corrugated mill in Wisconsin The U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) recently issued a safety bulletin warning of the hazards of conducting hot work in a variety of industries and identifying seven key lessons aimed at preventing worker deaths during hot work in and around storage tanks containing flammable materials. Hot work is defined as any work activity that involves burning, welding, cutting, brazing, grinding, soldering, or similar spa...

A level of safety can be achieved by installing LD1 detection and combining it with a sprinkler system The NHBC study recognises that by installing detection to the LD1 fire alarm system category (BS 5839-6) and combining this with a sprinkler system, a level of safety can be achieved that is at least as good as a similar Approved Document B design. Some 80% of all fire deaths in the UK occur in dwellings - some 450 to 500 deaths a year.  In dwellings where there is no...

Craig Fugate participated in a panel discussion at 2010 Harvard Social Enterprise Conference The 2010 Social Enterprise Conference is a joint effort of Harvard Business School and Harvard Kennedy School of Government. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Craig Fugate participated in a panel discussion Sunday at the 2010 Harvard University Social Enterprise Conference on preparing for disasters in the 21st century. Fugate talked about the increasing role t...

The Haitian National Palace, located in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, heavily damaged after the earthquake of January 12, 2010 Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) personnel and members of FEMA-trained Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) teams from California, Florida, New York, and Virginia today joined other personnel and teams involved in the United States response to Haiti for a Rose Garden ceremony with President Obama. The President thanked all who participated in the U.S. A...

Pierce, received a new order from the Arlington County Fire Department for six Pierce®Arrow XT™ pumpers Pierce Manufacturing, an Oshkosh Corporation (NYSE:OSK) company, received a new significant order from the Arlington County Fire Department in Arlington, Va., for six Pierce®Arrow XT™ pumpers. The order represents the first year of an annually renewable, seven-year contract. Over the length of the contract, the department will replace pumpers, rear m...

E-ONE Vacuum Tanker helped Byram Volunteer Fire and Rescue department during record-low temperatures The new Water Master vacuum tanker fom E-ONE provided water for HVAC systems during extreme cold.When the Byram Volunteer Fire and Rescue department in Byram, Miss., purchased their new Water Master vacuum tanker they knew it would protect property and save lives, but never imagined it would help keep a city warm during a record-breaking cold-snap. On January 12th, cities an...

Don Holmstrom has updated the public on CSB's investigation of the catastrophic accident at Kleen Energy A transcript of the statement by CSB Lead Investigator Don Holmstrom."Good morning. I am CSB Lead Investigator Don Holmstrom; thank you for coming to this CSB news conference. The Chemical Safety Board is an independent federal agency that investigates and reports to the public on the causes of major chemical accidents at industrial sites across the country. The CSB...

The USFA report examines the causes and characteristics of winter residential building fires The report, "Winter Residential Building Fires", was developed by USFA's National Fire Data Center and is further evidence of FEMA's commitment to share information with fire departments and first responders around the country to help them keep their communities safe.The Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) United States Fire Administration (USFA) issued a special report exam...

The month of March celebrates the contributions made by women in fire fighting industry and EMS Message from USFA:"Since 1981, this nation has recognized the month of March as an opportunity to celebrate the contributions made by all women to this great nation of ours. I am honored to join with many others in recognizing the countless and unselfish acts of so many women serving their communities in fire and emergency medical services (EMS) organizations as firefighters...

FEMA funds 75 percent of the approved costs for eligible public assistance projects The New Jersey Office of Emergency Management announced that briefings to explain the application process are being held this week.State and local governments and certain nonprofit organizations in the southern New Jersey counties that may be eligible for disaster assistance following the Dec. 19 - 20 snowstorm are urged to begin the process of applying for federal assistance. "Requests from...

Portable generators are useful when temporary or remote electric power is needed, but they can be hazardous Portable generators are useful when temporary or remote electric power is needed, but they can be hazardous. The primary hazards to avoid when using portable generators are carbon monoxide poisoning, electric shock or electrocution, and fire. The United States Fire Administration (USFA) would like you to know that there are simple steps you can take to prevent th...