Industry News

RHoK brings together disaster relief experts and software engineers to develop solutions to critical issues The event brings together top programmers to develop solutions to disaster relief challenges.FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate keynoted the inaugural ‘Random Hacks of Kindness, Disaster Relief Codejam' (RHoK) initiative. RHoK is sponsored by industry leaders such as Google, Microsoft, and Yahoo! in conjunction with NASA and the World Bank, and brings together d...

The Disaster Recovery Center at the Lee Center in Utulei will be open daily except for Sundays The deadline to register with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and to turn in a completed U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) loan application is only a few days away.FEMA's Federal Coordinating Officer Kenneth R. Tingman said the deadline for American Samoa residents to apply for disaster assistance and return a completed SBA loan application for damages or...

CSB Chairman John Bresland asked US jurisdictions to adopt the ASME Pressure Vessel Code CSB Chairman John Bresland released a new video safety message, asking jurisdictions across the country to adopt the ASME Pressure Vessel Code.  The message is aimed at reducing the number of accidents involving catastrophic pressure vessel failures in process industries.The safety message can be viewed on CSB.gov and on the CSB's safety message channel,...

Carl Barlow has won an award for long service at the London Fire Brigade A London Fire Brigade firefighter, who once starred in the famous 'boy on a bike' Hovis advert in the 1970s, has been presented with a long service award for serving Londoners for 30 years. Carl Barlow, 50, who now earns his crust as a Crew Manager at Islington Fire Station, said: "I've thoroughly enjoyed my career as a firefighter. I love the variety - you never know what's going to happen f...

The IAFF represents more than 296,000 full-time professional firefighters and paramedics  The conference was organised around the theme - Preparing You for Survival: The Fire Ground, the Economy and Beyond. To more than 1,100 attending firefighters and paramedics, IAFF General President Harold Schaitberger kicked off the 20th John P. Redmond Symposium held in Los Angeles, California, November 8-12. Schaitberger kept to the conference theme - Preparing You for Su...

All new one- and two- family dwellings in the US are to have residential fire sprinklers starting 2011   American homes are one step closer to being more fire-safe, following an October 28 vote at the International Code Council (ICC) hearings in Baltimore, Md. The vote reaffirmed national building codes making it mandatory for all new one- and two- family dwellings to have residential fire sprinklers starting in 2011. American homes are one step closer to b...

A new Realistic Fire Training (RFT) unit for firefighters is to be officially opened next week A new state-of-the-art training facility for firefighters is to be officially opened next week (17 November) at Ashford Fire Station Crews using the Realistic Fire Training (RFT) unit, in Ashford, are exposed to the real conditions they face during a blaze, otherwise only experienced at genuine incidents. The new facility consists of a tower with a three-storey house attached, si...

FEMA Administrator W. Craig Fugate. FEMA/Bill Koplitz Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Craig Fugate yesterday addressed the National Voluntary Organisations Active in Disaster (National VOAD) Board of Directors Meeting. The gathering of national nonprofit organisations, that are dedicated to disaster preparedness, response, and recovery, took place at the Salvation Army headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia. "FEMA's only one part of our nation's...

An estimated average of 3,800 fires occurs each year in university dwellings The Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) United States Fire Administration (USFA) has issued a special report examining the causes and characteristics of fires in college and university residential buildings that include dormitories, fraternity, and sorority houses.  Thef report, University Housing Fires, was developed by the National Fire Data Center and is a part of the USFA's Topi...

Manager John Carpenter, based at Dowgate fire station, has won a London Fire Brigade special achievement award The 'Potential Arson Target' database (PAT) aims to identify 'red hot' buildings across London which are at a high risk of being destroyed by arson. Watch Manager John Carpenter, based at Dowgate fire station, has won a London Fire Brigade special achievement award for developing the innovative new project. Buildings at risk include those that have been refused...

Kent Fire and Rescue Service has issued an electric blanket safety warning after a house fire in Tonbridge Kent Fire and Rescue Service is issuing an electric blanket safety warning after a house fire in Tonbridge left an elderly couple needing to be temporarily re-housed. The fire broke out in an upstairs bedroom of their two-storey home in Brook Street in the early hours of Sunday morning as the couple slept. They awoke to a smouldering fire at the end of their...

  The firefighters arrived seemingly within seconds, and quickly got to work fighting the fire Wine bar owner praises firefighters for successfully tackling the blaze in his historical property Richard Davies, who owns Rumours Wine Bar, in The Square Birchington, discovered the fire on Friday evening (November 6) and immediately dialled 999. He said: "I was extremely pleased with the response of the firefighters - they arrived in what seemed seconds of me cal...

 Flood damage in Cedar Rapids, summer 2008. Photography bySusie Shapira/FEMA The team of inspectors found that the Cedar Rapids fire station has suffered so much flood damage that it would be easier to replace than to repair. The State of Iowa and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced today that the City of Cedar Rapids will have the option to replace the Central Fire Station. The Central Fire Station was damaged during the historical flooding in...

The Program Guidance document for the FY2009 SAFER Grants provides a wealth of information on the SAFER program The FY2009 SAFER program has approximately $210 million available for grants. The application deadline is December 18. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the posting of the Program Guidance for the FY2009 SAFER Grants. The Program Guidance document for the FY2009 SAFER Grants provides a wealth of information on the SAFER program including t...

116 Georgia cities, counties and other public organisations have applied to GEMA for public assistance In just over six weeks, more than $82 million have been channelled to survivors of the Georgia floods to help them on their way towards recovery. "While much has been done to help thousands of people, there are still those who have not registered for help," said Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA) Director Charley English.  People and businesses in 17...

Voters and legislators across the United States had consistently rejected TABOR initiatives In Maine and Washington, voters rejected the Taxpayer Bill of Rights (TABOR). On Tuesday, November 3, voters in many states went to the ballot box. In two states - Maine and Washington - ballot initiatives that would have severely impacted professional fire fighters and other public safety personnel were roundly rejected. In both states, voters rejected a proposal known as...

IAFF members can call their local country radio stations and request "My First Ride" The IAFF Disaster Relief Fund assists the US and Canada members who suffer financial hardship as the result of a federally declared disaster area. BLEVE Entertainment Group, LLC continues to work to raise money for the IAFF's and Fraternal Order of Police's (FOP) disaster relief funds from sales and performances of the country music single, "My First Ride," featuring recording a...

The project aims to determine the best way to communicate fire safety messages to children aged 3-9 Through this project, the two organisations are seeking to encourage safety-conscous behaviour in children. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and the Center for Injury Research and Policy at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (JHSPH) announced a joint project titled Strengthening the Impact of Fire and Life Safety Messages...

  Fire Sprinkler Initiative, a project of NFPA, is a effort to encourage the use of home fire sprinklers   Home fire sprinklers can be integrated with local water supply systems with ease, according to a new study.  The study - Integration of Residential Sprinklers with Water Supply Systems (PDF, 842 KB) - was released by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). Conducted by Newport Partners of Maryland, it looked at deta...

  Fire Sprinkler Initiative, a project of NFPA, is a effort to mandate the use of home fire sprinklers   NFPA has called the vote a critical step toward reducing deaths and destruction caused by home fires National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) President James M. Shannon applauded the recent vote by the International Code Council (ICC) to retain the code provision in the next edition of the International Residential Code (IRC) that all new...

Kent Fire and Rescue Service offers free home safety visits to all Kent residents Firefighters discovered that the man had badly burnt himself while attempting to tackle the fire by himself. Never attempt to tackle a fire yourself - that's the stark message from firefighters after a pensioner suffered burns to his face and arms following a fire in his Ashford home. Two crews were called to the flat in Meadowsweet House, Hackfield, Ashford, just before 1.30pm on November...

EPA workers locating hazardous material moved by Ike in Texas The funds will go toward developing an all-hazard multi-jurisdictional mitigation plan The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has released $437,325 in Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) funds to Cook County, Ill., for the development of an all-hazard multi-jurisdictional mitigation plan. This plan will identify and propose ways to reduce the risks of na...

USFA launched an effort to encourage everyone to install and maintain home smoke alarms and sprinklers The nationwide ‘Install. Inspect. Protect. Campaign' will emphasise how important smoke alarms are to the saving of lives. The U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) has launched an effort to encourage everyone to install and maintain home smoke alarms and, if possible, sprinklers. More than 3,000 people die in home fires each year, and the majority of them have...

The London Fire Brigade is the only service to achieve Brigade Level 5 London Fire Brigade is leading the way in equality and diversity within the UK's fire and rescue services. External assessors recently awarded the London Fire Brigade the 'Brigade Level 5' of the Local Government Equality Standard -- the only fire service to have reached this level of achievement. The Equality Standard measures how public sector organisations such as councils, heal...

The National Volunteer Fire Council has an online resource to help applicants The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will begin accepting applications for FY 2009 Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Services (SAFER) Grants beginning November 16, 2009 at 8:00 a.m. Eastern Time. The deadline for receipt of the SAFER Grant applications will be December 18, 2009 at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time. The automated applications will be accessible from the web site for the Assistan...

The London Fire Brigade celebrated staff's special achievements yesterday Some of London Fire Brigade's most dedicated and innovative staff were honoured yesterday (4 November), winning ‘Special Achievement Awards' at a ceremony held at Altitude in Millbank Tower.    Certificates were handed out for people and projects including:    Three firefighters from Hornchurch Fire Station (Marc Berridge, Richard Norris and Andrew Wright) for sa...

There was flash fire at the same refinery in January,  when a flammable vapour cloud ignited A six-member team from the U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) is deploying to the scene of today's explosion and fire at the Silver Eagle Refinery in Woods Cross, Utah. According to local officials, the explosion in the diesel hydrotreater unit caused damage to homes in the surrounding area and was felt several miles away from the facility. The CSB is investigating a January 2009...

Membership of the National Volunteer Fire Service has many great benefits Incentive rewards for hours to be a benefit of membership Junior firefighters can now take advantage of the many great benefits of being a member of the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC). The NVFC is offering a new membership option especially designed for junior firefighters. A year-long Junior Membership to the NVFC can now be purchased for just $10 at www.nvfc.org/membership. The membership wi...

Kent and Medway are changing fast with new large scale developments in housing, retail and transport, and environmental risks like extreme weather and floods. To keep you safe, Kent Fire and Rescue Service (KFRS) needs to begin planning for those changes now - and it wants local people to get involved with shaping the future of the service. Kent and Medway Fire and Rescue Authority Chairman, Bryan Cope said: "Kent Fire and Rescue Service works around the clock, 365 days a...

Kent Fire & Rescue Service issues behaviour tips to avoid fires caused by carelessness A Whitstable woman is recovering in hospital today after being rescued by firefighters from a blaze in her home which was caused by a discarded cigarette. Edwina Nixon fell asleep while smoking which set light to the sofa at her home in Station Road, shortly after 7pm last night. Kent Fire and Rescue Service (KFRS) was alerted to the terrace property after neighbours spotted smoke...