Industry News

Often considered the unofficial kick-off to summer, Memorial Day weekend typically includes lots of celebrations and cookouts, often with outdoor grilling as a focal point. As the holiday and summer months near, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) reminds everyone of basic safety tips and precautions to grill and celebrate safely. NFPA data shows that from 2014-2018, fire departments responded to an annual average of 10,600 home fires annually involving grills, hibachis, or barbec...

Arson costs the country millions of pounds every year and puts lives at risk. It accounts for almost half of all fires attended by the fire and rescue services and can have devastating effects in terms of its cost and consequences. Insurers report that arson costs over £1bn in fire-related claims across the UK each year. Damage to property, business interruption, and other inconvenience caused by arson is significant. Deliberate fires cost a vast amount of money, but also endanger life,...

  In the fight against COVID-19, the Russian Government has ordered the fast-track construction of new hospitals to be built in 16 regions of the country. It is mandatory for these buildings to be equipped with reliable and proven fire detection systems. Argus Spectrum International has been chosen and is working together with the authorities to install advanced wireless fire detection throughout the hospitals and in record time. In this unprecedented period, the St Petersburg factory and...

Argus Spectrum International, a foremost manufacturer of wireless fire detection technology, and Hochiki Europe, a renowned life safety manufacturer are pleased to announce their partnership and the launch of the ‘Ekho’ hybrid wireless fire detection and alarm system for COVID-hospitals. Ekho is a wireless-based family of products that can be seamlessly and fully integrated into Hochiki’s ESP protocol. Ekho is the next generation of hybrid wireless fire detection and outperfor...

  On an unprecedented global scale, COVID-19 is significantly impacting the way of life. Today, responsibilities are very much on all to work together and mobilize in order to fight against this pandemic. The front-line medical specialists are eagerly supported by teams of dedicated workers operating in the field of engineering, construction, and many associated trades. Argus Spectrum International is proud to be part of this crucial network to fast-track the construction of new medical c...

An electric vehicle (EV) crash in Woodlands, Texas has prompted significant scrutiny and calls for emergency personnel to be trained on the fire risks associated with high voltage, lithium batteries within EVs (electric vehicles). In response to the tragic accident that killed two occupants last week, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are reminding first and second responders that resources are available to help safely address i...

With new fire safety legislations demanding a renewed focus on safety in all residential settings, Karen Trigg of Allegion UK explains why care home and sheltered housing associations must prioritize the maintenance of fire doors. The regulations and standards associated with fire safety and sheltered, assisted and social housing are, by necessity, robust. Yet, the responsibilities towards those standards, and subsequently, fire safety equipment such as fire doors, can often leave people vulner...

Misinformation is the target of a new campaign in South Yorkshire, which seeks to curb the spread of false content online. tongue-in-cheek campaign Health chiefs, emergency services, and councils across South Yorkshire are coming together to warn people to think twice about the things they share- and to get their information from official sources. The tongue-in-cheek campaign draws on local references and familiar conversations to point out how well-meaning conversations online can quickly de...

Specially designed for fire safety trainers, the LEADER range of fire training equipment can be used to organize particularly realistic and dynamic fire training. Any company firefighting policy would be incomplete without training on what to do in the event of a fire. For over 20-year, LEADER has designed and manufactured fire training equipment like flame generators which perfectly meets the training requirements of any company’s fire safety officers, whilst respecting the environment, h...

Over the decades, milestones in firefighter safety technology have included the open-circuit breathing apparatus, flame-resistant fabrics, thermal imaging cameras, and Bluetooth communications. Safety equipment manufacturer, MSA Safety Incorporated announced the availability of LUNAR, a new multi-purpose search, and rescue device that promises to join that list of breakthrough innovations. While production will begin in the coming weeks, LUNAR is available to order now. cloud technology Resu...

Eurotech introduces the latest in fire alarm technology, the world’s first fully touch screen, EN54 certified fire alarm panel. Launched to the industry immediately, the Toccare Touch Screen Intelligent Fire Alarm Panel is the first truly aesthetically designed fire alarm panel developed to slip seamlessly into high-end, exclusive surroundings. ‘Revolution’ in fire alarm technology The Toccare range of fire alarm panels sits unimposingly in design-le...

Fire prevention remains essential even in the current economy. However, the design, installation, and maintenance of critical life safety systems have come under new price and process pressures. Costs must be optimized, while time-on-site and person-to-person contact minimized. Italy’s home-grown Argus wireless fire systems offer fire professionals the optimal solution in today’s environment. Advantages of the system Wireless fire detection and alarm systems offer key advantages o...

With new fire safety legislations demanding a renewed focus on safety in all residential settings, Karen Trigg of Allegion UK explains why care home and sheltered housing associations must prioritise the maintenance of fire doors. The regulations and standards associated with fire safety and sheltered, assisted and social housing are, by necessity, robust. Yet, the responsibilities towards those standards, and subsequently, fire safety equipment such as fire doors, can often leave people vuln...

As hospitals battle through the second major wave of the COVID-19 virus, concerns have been raised around the NHS’ on-going maintenance backlog and the impact on safety and infrastructure. In January 2021, figures suggested that the total backlog was the equivalent of the annual running cost of the entire NHS estate, which was around £9.7 billion in 2019/20. fire safety standards compliance Emergency hospital evacuations are inherently more complicated when compared to other publi...

Faulty fire alarms endanger life and can result in fines for a business. Fire and rescue services across the country can impose fines on businesses that are responsible for excessive false alarms (the number of false alarms that trigger a fine varies by region).  For example, County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service (CDDFRS) can issue fines of almost £300 for premises visited three or more times in a year (BBC News). Servicing and maintenance The Office of National Stat...

Following the City of Orlando’s order related to the prohibition of alcohol sales where it is consumed on-premise, the Governor issued an executive order that mirrored the city's prohibition related to a bar, nightclub, and tavern establishments. Additionally, the Governor’s Executive Order, which takes effect at 5 p.m., March 17, 2020, provides specific regulations for restaurants. The City of Orlando, for consistency and to lessen confusion for businesses, will align with the Gove...

The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 is an essential document that sets out the regulations to be followed when in contact with electrical equipment. Where required, the document is updated to improve the safety of installation operations and living standards. In more recent news, the 18th Edition of the IET Wiring Regulations was updated on 1st January 2019, requiring electricians to be up to date with new guidelines. Within BS 7671:2018, which is also known a...

Staff at the Columbia-Richland Fire Department encourage citizens to not waste the opportunity to check their smoke alarms when it comes time to ‘Spring Forward’ on Sunday, March 14th. “When you set your clocks forward one hour this Sunday for Daylight Savings Time also be sure to change the batteries in ALL the smoke alarms in your home or business. It’s a perfect reminder to help ensure that you and your loved ones are safe in the event a fire breaks out,” said C...

The Metropolitan “Metro” Fire Chiefs Association Board of Directors has unanimously voted to rename their annual Lifetime Achievement Award the “Russell E. Sanders Lifetime Achievement Award” in recognition of Sanders’ leadership and continuous contributions to Metro Chiefs and the international fire service. Metro Chiefs is a section of the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) and National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). The Russell E. Sanders Lifet...

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and the Phoenix Society for Burn Survivors introduce an additional, final video interview of its Faces of Fire/Electrical series, which features personal stories of people impacted by electrical incidents and demonstrates the need for continued education and awareness about electrical hazards in the workplace and at home. Arc Flash Event In August 2004, Don Johnson, an electrician from Florida, was at work connecting a client’s backup gener...

For thousands of restaurants, hotels, offices, factories, hospitals, leisure facilities, and retailers across the UK, fire extinguishers act as the first line of defense, should a fire occur. With the blueprint for reopening now set, your fire extinguishers must be fully operational. Service and Maintenance Whilst maintenance and servicing must be carried out every twelve months, businesses must conduct a visual inspection of all fire extinguishers on-site once per month. Examples of things t...

It’s no secret that many surveillance installations often fall short after the initial installation and signoff are done. Cameras move, trees grow, circumstances and environments change, and there is normal wear and tear, dust on the lenses, etc to take care of. Strangely, not all customers budget for, or even want to have an SLA or maintenance plan to take care of their surveillance installation after the initial work is done. Understanding that there is still more to be done after the...

Lithium-Ion Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) are required to obtain approval from the New York City Department of Buildings (NYCDOB) Office of Technical Certification and Research (OTCR) and the New York City Fire Department (FDNY). This BESS is located on a Rooftop in close proximity to three buildings and was determined to be an exposure hazard due to deflagration vents on the top of the BESS container. Sparc prepared a performance-based design analysis and utilized computational fluid d...

With temperatures across Harris County expected to fall below freezing this weekend, the Harris County Fire Marshal’s Office encourages everyone to practice heating safety. Heating equipment is one of the leading causes of home fire deaths but can be prevented by following a few fire safety precautions. “Harris County is expected to experience a very cold air mass in the next few days, with temperatures below freezing for extended periods of time,” said Harris County Fire Mars...

While many manufacturers are currently working on understanding the requirements of UKCA, the new marking for placing relevant regulated products on the market in England, Scotland, and Wales, it should not be forgotten that there is another deadline coming up for the certification of point type heat and smoke detectors. The Technical Committee CEN/TC 72 released in 2018 the two common standards EN 54-5: 2017 + A1:2018, Heat detectors – Point heat detectors, and 54-7: 2018, Smoke detector...

With all residents of the US state of California worried about ‘wildfires’, fire protection is primarily on everyone’s mind right now. No home is totally fireproof. However, with the right precautions, one can help safeguard their home, belongings and family, in the event of a wildfire. Making homes wildfire-resistant Listed below are just a few ways to quickly increase a property’s resistance to fire damage: Install tempered glass, multi-pane windows and screens If...

Recently the Columbia-Richland Fire Department became one of only 250 fire-service agencies in the U.S. that will take part in a new nationwide pilot program to map areas of risk in the communities. Tracking fires and emergencies In the coming weeks, the new software will be coming online at the department that will help keep track of and chart areas in Richland County that have experienced fires and other types of emergencies. Using this information, the department can then take actions that...

With distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine accelerating around the globe, hopes are high that society can reclaim a sense of pre-pandemic normalcy in the coming months. Organizations may look to call many of their remote workers back to physical buildings as the vaccine rollout continues. However, there are unique new challenges to in-person work in a post-pandemic world, as organizations who have maintained in-person workforces can attest. Managing an in-person workforce in 2021 Marc Bognar,...

Firefighting kit has a number of functions. It protects crew members in a wide range of situations and makes them instantly recognizable in an emergency. Replacing the firefighting kit at the right time keeps fire firefighters and rescue personnel safe and comfortable, no matter what the emergency. Call outs for firefighters  According to the UK Home Office, in the last year, 28 per cent of call-outs for firefighters and rescue staff involved responding to fires, 42 per cent of call outs...

Fire and rescue service employers have unilaterally scrapped a ground-breaking agreement with the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) which had enabled firefighters to assist the NHS and care sector response to COVID-19. Negotiations over health and safety measures for firefighters delivering high-risk COVID-19 duties were ongoing when the National Employers issued a communication ending the agreement on the evening of Wednesday 13 January. The decision appears to be supported by the National Fire Chiefs...