Apparatus and Equipment Accessories news

The Scottish Government has provided funding of £56,000 to enable firefighters based in Scotland to participate in a UK-wide health screening program, which is being facilitated by the Fire Brigades Union and the University of Central Lancashire. Around 1,000 UK firefighters will take part in trials, which will include blood tests to look for early signs of illness and cancer and these trials will help to inform the evidence around potential future annual health screening arrangements. S...

This September, fire service staff and volunteers will be hosing down cars at Cambridge, Burwell and Chatteris Fire Station to raise money for The Fire Fighters Charity. Vehicles of all shapes and sizes are welcome. Previously, cars, bikes, vans, trucks, and even tractors have been known to come along. Fire Fighters Charity The event will be raising money for The Fire Fighters Charity, which is currently celebrating 80 years of providing support and rehabilitation to both serving and retired...

Kidde Engineered Systems, a pioneering fire and life safety brand committed to delivering the highest standards in commercial fire and life safety protection for more than 100 years, announced its new Kidde Commercial brand identity. Kidde Commercial is a part of Carrier Global Corporation, the pioneering global provider of healthy, safe, sustainable, and intelligent building and cold chain solutions. Rebranded Kidde Commercial The rebranded Kidde Commercial aims to set a new standard f...

One of Scotland’s newest firefighters has told how he was inspired by the bravery of rescue teams after witnessing devastating earthquakes in South America. Cesar Colorado successfully completed his firefighter training with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS), following a grueling 13-week training course. He graduated at a ceremony in Motherwell Civic Center on Friday, 18 August, alongside 44 new Wholetime Firefighters and three Operations Control Firefighters. Early fascination...

As the warm weather looks set to continue for the coming days, leading up to the bank holiday weekend, residents are being urged to stay fire safe, while enjoying the sunshine. Many people may be looking to dust off the BBQ, as opportunities have been limited so far this summer, along with lighting bonfires or firepits. As much as these can be enjoyable, Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service wants to ensure residents are aware of the risks and keep themselves and their families safe. Basic sa...

West Yorkshire emergency services tested their joint incident response plans and procedures during a simulated training exercise in Leeds city center last week. On Thursday 17 August, a live exercise simulating a terrorist attack was carried out by the three regional emergency services: West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service (WYFRS), West Yorkshire Police (WYP), and Yorkshire Ambulance Service (YAS).  Hosted by the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP), the scenario saw first responders f...

Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service has been assessed as 'Outstanding' in one of eleven categories inspected earlier this year by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS). They also received six Goods, three Adequates and one Requires Improvement. The inspection team, who visited the Service in April, gave the highest score possible for how CFRS manages its resources, highlighting innovative practices for its ‘comprehensive financial and r...

Crew Commander - Kevin Macrae, based at Port of Ness Community Fire Station, has been an on-call firefighter for nearly 25 years. He also runs his own business, Kevin Macrae Electrical where he employs three people. One of his employees, Alasdair MacLeod – is also an on-call firefighter - he’s a Crew Commander at South Lochs Community Fire Station. On-call firefighter role Kevin, who started his business 23 years ago, is always looking to promote the on-call firefighter role and w...

The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) regional administrator authorized the use of federal funds on August. 9 to assist the state of Hawaii to combat the Pulehu Fire burning in Maui County. On August. 9, the state of Hawaii submitted a request for a Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG). At the time of the request, the fire threatened approximately 375 homes in and around Kihei, with mandatory evacuations in place for approximately 750 people. The fire also threatened local b...

RealWear, the pioneer of industrial extended reality (XR) wearables, is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Chris Parkinson as RealWear’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO). HMT-1® flagship headset Dr. Parkinson, Co-Founder, and former CTO of RealWear®, is the visionary mind behind the HMT-1® flagship headset that started the RealWear story in 2016. The HMT-1 was RealWear’s first industrial head-mounted tablet computer on the market and catapulted RealWear into the s...

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) authorized the use of federal funds to help with firefighting costs for the Eagle Bluff Fire burning in Okanogan County, Washington. The state of Washington’s request for a federal Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) was approved by FEMA Region 10 Administrator Willie G. Nunn on Sunday, July 30, 2023, at 8:55 a.m. PT. He determined that the Eagle Bluff Fire threatened to cause such destruction as would constitute a major disaster. This i...

Hochiki’s Enhanced System Protocol Range (ESP) and Latitude system are already EN54 pt13 certified, however with this additional certification in place it provides greater choice of fire detection products and systems to choose from for customers based in the Belgium region as well as bordering countries Luxemburg, the Netherlands and Germany. The Hochiki ESP range is one of the most robust platforms on the market, offering a wide selection of features and benefits for some of the most co...

Fire-Dex, the country’s fastest-growing manufacturer of PPE for first responders, is growing again with the opening of a new production facility in Old Fort, North Carolina, USA. As the company’s fourth major production center, the 25,000-square-foot Old Fort facility, located at 59 Commerce Street, will play a vital role in ensuring quality craftsmanship, fast shipping, and attentive service to customers for years to come. Position Critical Resources “While our footprint is...

The Association for Specialist Fire Protection (ASFP) has announced several new dates for its Foundation Course in Passive Fire Protection at both level 2 and level 3. The seven-day classroom-based level 3 courses will take place in Manchester, commencing on 15 August; Reading starting on 17 August; and Dublin on 7 September. The four-day level 2 courses will take place in Coventry from 1 September, and Dublin commencing on 7 September. Revision courses to help learners prepare for the Institut...

At the Kissimmee Fire Department in Florida, 105 paid operations personnel train regularly for garden apartment and taxpayer fire scenarios on The Fire Chief training model. Customized to handle the specific training demands of the department, the impressive structure was opened in 2019. “We chose this Fire Facilities structure as opposed to any other type of training unit because of the different options we had to choose from for the price,” says Battalion Chief Eric Gentry, a 22-y...

The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) partnered with DripDrop Hydration, PBC, an electrolyte rehydration company, for the fourth year to provide dehydration relief to volunteer firefighters. More than 2,700 cases (547,000 servings) of DripDrop’s electrolyte drink mix have been donated to 1,544 volunteer fire departments to help keep their firefighters at their best while serving their community. Dehydration is a serious concern for firefighters and can cause decreased performance as...

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) authorized the use of federal funds to help with firefighting costs for the Newell Road Fire burning in Klickitat County, Washington. The state of Washington’s request for a federal Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) was approved by FEMA Region 10 Administrator Willie G. Nunn on Sunday, July 23, 2023, at 12:14 a.m. PT. He determined that the Newell Road Fire threatened to cause such destruction as would constitute a major disaster. This...

TV Presenter, Katie Rushworth from ITV’s Love Your Garden, will be pioneering the celebrations on July 21, with the festivities kicking off at 12 noon. Until recently, the space at the West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service (WYFRS) station wasn't being used and was just covered in grass. But thanks to firefighters, it has been transformed into a thriving space full of produce. Carrots, onions, strawberries, radishes, cherries, and Brussels sprouts are all growing happily alongside a herb...

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) is proud to announce that they have received the prestigious Gold Award from the Ministry of Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) for their unwavering commitment to supporting the Armed Forces. This recognition is a testament to the dedication to ensuring those who have served, who continue to serve, and their families, are not disadvantaged in the workplace. Iain Morris is the SFRS Acting Director of Asset Management. SFRS Honored For Supportin...

The UK government is committed to achieving its legally binding target of net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050. As net-zero policies are designed and implemented, and collaborative initiatives to achieve ambitious carbon emission targets are developed, credible standards and accredited conformity assessment will be key enablers of their robustness, effectiveness, and sustained impact. UN Sustainable Development Goals UKAS has an established track record in deploying accreditation t...

Johnson Controls, a provider of smart, healthy, and sustainable buildings, announced the launch of the FireClass FC-EAS Evacuation Alert System. The system is designed to provide fire and rescue service personnel with a simple and intuitive way to initiate an evacuation alert signal within high-rise structures.  This helps residential high-rise buildings in the UK comply with the recently mandated BS8629:2019 code of practice requiring the use of sounders or similar devices to alert reside...

In response to increased reports of fires caused by batteries and electricals containing batteries in the waste and recycling system. Material Focus is strengthening its work to help address this issue. A new public safety film ‘Stop Battery Fires’ created in partnership with the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC), has been launched and is available for local authorities to share. Material Focus is also calling on local authorities to participate in the 2023 ‘Stop Battery Fi...

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) is consulting on two options: the reinstatement of operations and closure of the station. The public and stakeholders can take part between Monday, 10 July, and Friday, 18 August, 2023. The South Lanarkshire-based station has not been operational for more than eight years due to incident data, building maintenance issues, recruitment challenges, and best-value considerations, with nearby fire stations providing cover at this time. The lease of the bui...

Accreditations and certifications are critical for maintaining compliance with fire door regulations. They represent the strict standards that must be followed for fire doors to offer proper protection, and mark the culmination of rigorous testing procedures. In the UK, certifications are provided by various organizations, including the government, industry associations and independent accrediting bodies. Ultimately, they show evidence that a fire door has been tested and approved to meet the r...

The project has been created by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) and the Scottish Police Authority (SPA) Forensic Services, as well as the Leverhulme Research Centre for Forensic Science at the University of Dundee and the Danish Police. The Joint Scottish Fire Investigation Training and Research Facility in Porthlethen opened on Wednesday, 5 July and will support forensic scene investigation techniques used by firefighters, police, and forensic services personnel. Implementation of...

FireScout and Mighty Fire Breaker will join forces to protect the 20-acre TERI Campus of Life. TERI, a San Diego-based nonprofit, has served people with developmental disabilities including autism, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, and other diseases since 1980. Their Campus of Life is a decades-long vision of the founder, Cheryl Kilmer, to serve those people with developmental disabilities and be an integral part of the community, welcoming everyone to enjoy the recreation, fitness, dining, and en...

Hanoi is poised to become the focal point of the security and fire safety business as Secutech Vietnam returns to the city for the first time in seven years, from 19 July to 21 July 2023. The sold-out fair will welcome 350 exhibitors from across the globe, including Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, China, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, India, Italy, Luxembourg, Malaysia, New Zealand, Poland, Sweden, Taiwan, the UAE, the UK, and the US, while Japan, Korea, Singapore, and Vietnam will be...

The future of a fire station in South Lanarkshire is under review as the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) prepares to launch a public consultation to gather views from the community. The SFRS will consider options for Leadhills Community Fire Station based on robust data, delivering community safety, value for money and feedback from the public and stakeholders. Views of the local community SFRS will gather the views of the local community on a way forward for the station The building...

Darley, a pioneering manufacturer and distributor for national heroes, is pleased to announce the newest addition to its team, Slade McLendon. Slade joins Darley as a recent top graduate from Auburn University, bringing with him a wealth of knowledge and a strong commitment to serving first responders. Hailing from a family with deep roots in the fire service industry, Slade has spent his formative years immersed in the world of life safety products. Coming from one of the longest-standing E-On...

As part of its ever-intensifying focus on marine fire safety, VIKING has reached agreements to distribute Bridgehill’s fire blankets and the Rosenbauer Battery Extinguisher System (BEST) to maritime customers worldwide. The agreements are key outcomes of a project focusing on fire safety needs arising from the growing electric vehicle numbers moving by ship and more initiatives are to be added in the future. Fires due to EVs All cars carried by ship are classified as Dangerous Goods (DG...