Industry News

Firefighters attended a fire at St Mary’s School in Darley Abbey, Derbyshire with six fire engines at the scene being supported by 2 aerial ladder platforms and a control unit. On arrival firefighters were met with a well-developed fire. Sean McClafferty, Chief Executive of the St Ralph Sherwin Catholic Multi Academy Trust, said “The fire has caused extensive damage to the building. As a result, it is not safe for staff and pupils to enter. The school will be closed from Monday. Ima...

Advanced's Technical Support Manager, Paul Duffy gives his insight into the diagnostic features of fire panels that can help save time, money and hassle. Fire detection and alarm systems are increasingly complex and sophisticated, benefiting from cutting-edge digital technology. As a fire alarm engineer installing, servicing and/or commissioning such technology, it can be hard to keep on top of electrical skills and the latest regulations/local installation standards, let alone the many differe...

In 2019, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, France and Italy rounded out the top five countries in Europe, in terms of their numbers of data centers. The challenge for facilities managers is to keep the critical infrastructure running, as problems can have serious consequences. On 31st October 2016, a Ford Motor Company data center in Detroit was shut down by an electrical fire. Thankfully, nobody was hurt but the whole Dearborn complex, which houses 30,000 workers, was forced to clo...

CU First Responders Finance (CUFR) is excited to welcome Albany Firemen’s Federal Credit Union (AFFCU) to their Referral Credit Union program. AFFCU is looking forward to offering business loan services to their membership. CUFR’s business lending program CUFR’s business lending program provides the avenue for first responder credit unions to refer commercial real estate, apparatus, equipment, and other business loans for potential funding. The referring credit union gets bu...

The letters ‘FR’ have many meanings, including flame resistant, flame retardant, fire resistant and fire retardant, but is there a difference? And which FR is the right FR for a particular firefighters and rescue team? The truth is, these terms are used interchangeably and there is no clear standard or definition that backs up any of these phrases. What matters when looking to choose the right FR protection for the team is understanding and specifying garments that meet the right FR...

Eunomia has convened a consortium to explore the costs of, and potential measures to prevent, fires which are being started by Lithium-ion (li-ion) batteries in waste. Fires in waste electronics are estimated to be growing: the incidence of fires in waste company Veolia’s refuse trucks are up 37.5% since 2017, and these are thought to have been caused by Li-ion batteries. Major cause of waste fires Li-ion batteries are found in a variety of consumer IT and electronics products and are o...

Retention has long been a challenge for many volunteer and combination fire and EMS departments, yet little research has been done on the subject. volunteer fire service retention Thanks to support from a Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant, the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) has conducted a study to identify institutional drivers that cause volunteers to leave, the differing perceptions between leadership, current volunteers and former volunteers and what c...

DripDrop ORS (DripDrop Hydration), a globally renowned rehydration therapy company, announced partnering with the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) to provide the nation’s volunteer firefighters with dehydration relief. DripDrop Oral Rehydration Solution The company pledged to donate 100,000 sticks of DripDrop Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS) this summer to assist volunteer firefighters during extreme heat, wildfire season, and the COVID-19 pandemic. When this donation was met within...

As part of a continuing campaign, the British Automatic Fire Sprinkler Association (BAFSA), Business Sprinkler Alliance, the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) and European Fire Sprinkler Network (EFSN) have been involved in to influence the Review of BB100 Sprinklers in Schools in England. Zurich Municipal analysis of data on over 26,800 schools in England shows the average fire risk in schools is almost double when compared to that of non-residential buildings. Schools in England are nearly...

Everyone is going through this strange time together and it is important, now more than ever, that everyone come together and look out for one another. It is in a fire fighter’s first nature to protect those around them and spring into action when they are needed, but who is protecting them? Is it common knowledge that it's possible to infect others with the Coronavirus without showing symptoms oneself? It's a fact. One can infect others before they even realize that they are infected. Mu...

BAFSA, the British Automatic Fire Sprinkler Association Ltd is delighted to report that the London Assembly has launched a powerful and comprehensive report calling for the mandatory installation sprinklers in all new homes in England. London Assembly Report In the opening statement of this proposal, Navin Shah, Chair of the London Assembly, stated “We pay our respects to all those who have died in fires in their place of residency and those who’ve been affected. Our thoughts are p...

Standards for products and services are at the heart of success of the fire safety industry. Euralarm’s members need a fast and flexible standards-setting system because it is not only the best way to serve the interests of customers, the industry and society but also is a basic requirement for a safe and secure society. The company’s standardization system helps them to continue to deliver the highest levels of safety and security to citizens. However, for the competitiveness of th...

In October 1993, the American Heart Association appointed the Task Force on Automatic External Defibrillation. The task force was charged with conducting a conference on automatic external defibrillation, evaluating research needed for broader community use of automatic external defibrillators, and overseeing evaluation of the feasibility and desirability of their use by healthcare professionals and the lay public. In December 1994, a conference on public access defibrillation was held in Washi...

If one owns, manages, or are building any type of commercial structure, they are likely all too aware of the codes which require their building(s) to have a working fire alarm system. Yet many do not understand how these systems work and often confuse them with individual fire protection apparatuses, such as fire sprinklers or smoke detectors. But fire alarm systems are a far more comprehensive and complex approach to fire protection than any individual device. In this blog, one will learn what...

If you are like most homeowners, you want to do everything you can to protect your home and those you love who live there. Installing smoke alarms is one significant way you can do that. However, while many homeowners have smoke alarms, they often neither understand the most effective locations and placement for their alarms, nor the proper testing and maintenance their alarms need to keep their home safe. So, if one is planning to purchase and install smoke alarms in one's home, or if the hom...

In May 2020, as the world grappled with life in lockdown and a deadly virus (COVID-19), things couldn’t have looked bleaker for humankind. However, out of the chaos came a glimmer of hope for the future, the first crewed spaceflight flown from US soil in almost a decade. It is a well-known fact that to survive as a species, humans will eventually have to step away from the planet that spawned them. However, the journey to the stars will be fraught with dangers. Chief among them will be hu...

The following information is reprinted from an April 1995 brochure published by the National Swimming Pool Foundation in cooperation with the National Spa and Pool Institute and the National Safety Council. Think Ahead Once the diver starts their dive, they don’t have time to think. Know the depth of the water. Plan the dive path. Never dive where they don’t know the water depth or where there may be hidden obstructions. Steer Up When the diver dive down, they must be rea...

The Standard of Care in Lifeguarding law requires lifeguards to act or behave toward other individuals in a certain, definable way, and, under given circumstances, the lifeguard has a duty to act or refrain from acting. Generally speaking, the lifeguard must be concerned about the safety and welfare of other individuals when his or her behavior or activities have the potential for causing others injury or harm. The manner in which a lifeguard is expected to act or behave is referred to as the &l...

Because of the major health concerns today, there is a major reluctance among emergency service personnel to perform direct mouth-to-mouth rescue breathing on an unknown victim. When confronted with a resuscitation emergency, response personnel do not always have the luxury of using a resuscitation unit, which would be carried on a fire engine or in a police car. Even if the equipment is available, they can’t always wait to obtain the equipment before resuscitation efforts are begun. The...

Local governments are beginning to allow swimming pools and other aquatic facilities to reopen as restrictions ease across the United States of America. Lifesaving Resources Inc. provides guidance and training to aquatic facilities looking to safely reopen their doors and resume operations. The guidelines issues by the company are based on current advice from the Scientific Advisory Council on COVID-19 and Aquatics. The primary factor is to determine laws in the local community. The federal gov...

With changes to pool operations as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, there are also recommended changes to how lifeguards respond to medical emergencies. Based on current recommendations, Lifesaving Resources Inc. has outlined Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for swimming pools, waterparks and other aquatic venues to follow for lifeguard training. Importance of effective lifeguard training Lifesaving Resources believes that preparing the staff with the new COVID-19 restrictions in mind i...

Responding to Cardiac Arrest calls during the Coronavirus pandemic has required First Responders to modify protocols to reduce risk to responding personnel while providing lifesaving care to patients. Throughout this COVID-19 pandemic, Lifesaving Resources will continue to update best practice protocols for EMS, Fire, Law Enforcement, Lifeguards and other responding personnel. As scientists and medical teams continue to research the COVID-19 Coronavirus, new information is frequently released r...

6 part webinar series on firefighter cancer risk reduction. Join the VCOS and NVFC for a 6 part webinar series, where one will explore some of the most important information one needs to know when it comes to firefighter cancer risk reduction. The webinar will also discuss the importance of early detection and what to do when a firefighter has cancer. February 18: Exposure DocumentationExplore and learn about apps available for documentation that one can implement in one’s department. Th...

The government is seeking views on proposals to strengthen the Fire Safety Order, implement Grenfell Tower Inquiry recommendations, and strengthen the regulatory framework for how building control bodies consult with Fire and Rescue Authorities. The government is determined to continue to learn the lessons from the Grenfell Tower fire, and reform building and fire safety to ensure that such a tragedy can never happen again. Fire safety consultation proposals To strengthen the Regulatory Ref...

Reducing the spread of germs and bacteria has never been more essential in the current climate. Holding open internal doors provide an easy and effective method of infection control within the building, but it is important that this does not impact the user’s fire safety. A study by the New England Medical Journal, which researched the survival of coronavirus on a number of surfaces, identified that the virus was still detectable on hard surfaces such as plastic and stainless steel 72 hour...

MSA Safety Incorporated, DuPont, and the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) have teamed up again to help volunteer fire departments obtain much-needed gear through MSA’s and DuPont’s Globe Gear Giveaway. 2020 Globe Gear Giveaway This annual program began in 2012 and has provided 507 sets of turnout gear to 108 departments to date. In 2020, another 13 departments will each receive four new sets of turnout gear and four new helmets to help enhance the safety of their firefighters...

BAFE, the British Approvals for Fire Equipment has stated that professional competence recommendations set out in Dame Judith Hackitt’s ‘Building a Safer Future’ report is set to be fulfilled by BSI with a new standards program. National Standards program “BAFE is actively working on a number of Working Groups (WGs), including the Built Environment Competence Standards (BECS) Strategy Group and the Competence Steering Group (CSG) to help raise and set the bar of fire sa...

The UK Government published the draft Building Safety Bill which “takes forward reforms to the [domestic] building and fire safety system.” They state the Bill will “improve building and fire safety, so that people will be, and will feel, safer in their homes.” The draft Building Safety Bill, alongside supplementary information can be found on the Government website. Government have also launched an important consultation to strengthen the current Regulatory Reform (Fir...

With the Grenfell Tower fire exposing serious flaws ‘across the whole system of building and managing high-rise homes’. Resultantly, the government asked Dame Judith Hackitt to ‘carry out an independent review of building regulations and fire safety to understand the causes of the fire’. The report found that ‘the whole system needed major reform and that residents’ safety needed to be a greater priority through the entire life cycle of a building – fro...

The Fire Industry Association (FIA) announces the launch of the new Level 3 qualification on BS 5839-6, “FIA AO Fundamentals of Fire Detection and Alarm Systems in Domestic Premises.” The new OFQUAL recognized qualification has been carefully designed to deliver a great introduction to a key part of the Fire Detection & Alarm (FD&A) sector. British Standard, BS 5839-6:2019 provides detailed recommendations for fire detection and fire alarm systems in all domestic premises la...