HazMat Protection Accessories news

Firefighters are calling for support from the public after responding to more than 2,000 deliberate fires in six months.  Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service (TWFRS) have revealed, since the beginning of 2023, they have responded to incidents of grassland, wheelie bins, and even play parks being targeted by fire setters. Their figures show there have been a shockingly high 2,055 deliberate fires set across the region since the start of the year. Responsible for the Gateshead area...

U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) released its final report on the December 8, 2020, fatal incident at Optima Belle LLC (Optima Bell) in Belle, WV. The incident occurred during Optima Belle’s production of a sanitizing compound for Clearon Corporation (Clearon). A dryer at the Optima Belle facility that was removing water from the compound exploded, resulting in the death of an employee and significant property damage, and a shelter-in-place order for the neighborin...

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...

Firefighters selflessly put themselves in harm's way to protect others, and as covered before, their noble actions come with significant risks, including exposure to a multitude of hazardous contaminants. Understanding the sources and pathways of exposure is crucial for developing effective preventive measures and protocols to mitigate these risks. Enhanced training, improved gear, regular medical monitoring, and strict decontamination procedures are essential for safeguarding the health and w...

The investigation into the cause of Friday’s fatal flat fire in Kings Hedges, Cambridge, has now concluded. It is believed that the fire started accidentally and the most probable cause was an e-bike. Area Commander Stuart Smith, from Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service, said: "Fire service and specialist fire investigators, together with police forensic teams and a fire dog, have spent the weekend carrying out a thorough investigation of the maisonette. A fire investigation looks for...

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...

A Fire Chief has been presented with a lifetime achievement award for his outstanding work with hazardous materials. Dave Walton, the Deputy Chief Fire Officer at West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service (WYFRS), received the award at the NCEC Hazmat 2023 conference, when the work he does across the country was highlighted to hundreds of delegates. Dave is a national pioneer in Hazmat (hazardous materials) and is the National Fire Chiefs Council Hazmat Lead. He was also the Project Executive for...

The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) released its final investigation report on the 2020 propylene release and explosion at the Watson Grinding facility in Houston, Texas, that fatally injured two workers and a nearby resident and damaged hundreds of neighboring homes. The CSB’s final report highlights two key safety issues: the lack of a comprehensive process safety management program at the Watson Grinding facility to manage the risks of its thermal spray c...

Opening on Thursday, 29 June, the Museum of Scottish Fire Heritage is a new attraction designed to charm people of all ages and interests. Visitors will be able to explore five themes within the museum, which brings a touch of modern technology and interactive displays to the experience. The museum is located at the site of McDonald Road Fire Station in the heart of Edinburgh. The entrance can be found via Dryden Terrace. Kelly McMeekin is the Manager of Museum and Heritage at the...

Nashville, TN Former Police Officer and Stoney Creek Records Artist - Frank Ray joined US Senator Ben Ray Lujan (New Mexico) for a panel at the US Capitol to discuss the mental health challenges first responders are facing and the robust services and resources essential to supporting their mental health needs. The panel was an open dialogue where they were joined by a prestigious group of experts. Ray’s visit to the Capitol officially kicked off his first responder-oriented mental health...

Safety Technology International (STI) has donated protective covers to help a local community charity with false alarms at a time when they need it most. Wildgoose Rural Training is a charitable care farm in Hallow, just outside of Worcester, that supports adults and young people with a variety of learning disabilities. Starting in 2000 with just a handful of students, Wildgoose has grown into a 42-acre site with a thriving 6-acre farm where students from all backgrounds can learn horticulture,...

Honeywell has announced that it has joined forces with a group of pioneering industry partners to help deliver more detailed contextual information about commercial fire emergencies to first responders. In a fire emergency response, firefighters are typically only given a simple building address, before they arrive on site. By sharing data from either the fire communicator radio at the building or from a monitoring station, this group will provide first responders with access to the important i...

ALCHERA X’s Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Michael Plaksin, was recently interviewed by O.P. Almaraz for an episode of his All Things Wildfire podcast 'Safeguarding Lives and Communities: The Game-Changing AI Technology of ALCHERA X'. In the episode, Almaraz and Plaksin discuss how ALCHERA X, with its groundbreaking wildfire prevention AI technology FireScout, is participating in the prestigious Wildfire XPRIZE competition, ALCHERA X’s collaborative work with the Santa Clara...

The official awards of publications Fire Safety Matters and Security Matters, the "FSM Awards," took place yesterday evening at the Coventry Building Society Arena. Established to promote innovation and the highest standards of excellence, NSI approved companies were well-represented among the finalists and winners. NSI congratulates all the winners and finalists among whom 10 NSI approved companies were shortlisted as finalists with 28 nominations between them, of whom six took home the top pr...

Throughout the development of Testifire XTR2 they have held regular meetings and focus groups with industry professionals, and now, as the product draws closer to launch, they are increasing efforts to gain feedback from a wide group of users around the world. This has involved testing with service managers, fire engineers, and detector manufacturers. As part of this process, FireSense one of the distribution partners in the Netherlands identified Hefas Brandbeveiliging as a company that would...

Northwest Highland has been given a ‘very high’ warning, while all other areas of Scotland face an ‘extreme’ rating. An increased risk of wildfires begins today (Thursday, 15 June) and runs until Saturday, 17 June – however could be extended further as the warm weather continues. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) warns that many rural and remote communities are hugely impacted by wildfires, which can cause significant environmental and economic damage. R...

Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service and its Fire Authority councilors have been left surprised and concerned after being given notice that Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service is withdrawing from its highly successful Combined Control collaboration at the end of 2024. The Combined Control operates from Cambridgeshire’s headquarters in Huntingdon and was the first merger of fire control centers in the country. With 12 years of successful joint working, it has saved the public purse £ 1...

Edwards, a pioneer in fire alarm, mass notification, and hazard warning systems, has announced the launch of Edwards ConnectedSafety+, a new SaaS life-cycle solution that optimizes the management of commercial fire installations. This next-generation system includes predictive maintenance insights, real-time event notifications, intelligent reporting, and a multi-site dashboard that enables managers to view all locations at once remotely or on-site. Edwards is a part of Carrier Global Corporat...

The Association for Specialist Fire Protection (ASFP) has published three new Advisory Notes and updated another. The documents cover a range of topics related to fire-stopping, penetration seals, and smoke seals. new Advisory Notes Advisory Note (AN) 13 covers the testing of partial penetrations, for example, socket boxes, which are installed into drywall systems. Firestopping products are made to help maintain the performance of a wall where such electrical boxes have been added. A CEN stan...

The figure has been revealed as the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) gets ready to change the way it responds to unwanted fire alarm signals.  From 1 July, 2023 an alarm activation will require those with fire safety responsibility, known as dutyholders, to investigate the cause of an alarm and only call 999 once a fire has been confirmed. This approach is already embedded across several other UK fire and rescue services, which require a confirmed fire before they send fire applianc...

From 1 July, 2023 an alarm activation will require those with fire safety responsibility, known as duty holders, to investigate the cause of an alarm and only call 999 once a fire has been confirmed. This approach is already embedded across several other UK fire and rescue services, which require a confirmed fire before they send fire appliances.   The change in response will affect all premises and businesses that do not provide sleeping accommodation. Hospitals, care homes, hotels, stude...

Strengthening its work in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), wireless solutions provider, Ramtech, has reported ongoing success in collaboration with Liberty Fire and Safety, its exclusive distribution partner in GCC countries. This follows the successful installing of its Wireless Fire and Evacuation System (WES), as part of a $2.5 billion mixed-use development in Dubai. EN54-25 compliant WES solution The EN54-25 compliant WES solution has been specified within several projects at the eig...

Pierce Manufacturing Inc., an Oshkosh Corporation company, announced the Anderson County Fire Department in South Carolina has placed an order for 19 custom fire apparatus, including 18 Pierce Saber® pumpers and one Enforcer™ 100’ Heavy-Duty Aerial Platform. This significant order marks the largest fleet purchase in the county’s history and is the latest representation of the department’s commitment to providing quality resources to support its emergency personnel....

The original inventor of Automist, an electronic water mist fire suppression system that is installed in homes across the UK and the US, has launched a new training suite to demonstrate the competency of its installers. Each year, Automist Authorized Reseller Installers (ARIs) are required to undertake a rigorous audit as part of its policy of continual improvement and commitment to providing excellent service through its network of more than 30 installers. In addition, each individual installe...

Six years on from the Grenfell Tower fire and there is still so much to be said. It is hard to believe just how many things went wrong. Not only on the night of the fire, but the decades before, and the time that followed. The misconduct in practice and errors of judgment from all parties turned what should have been a ‘normal flat fire’ into one of the deadliest modern-day residential fires this country has seen. After closely following the Grenfell Tower public inquiry, one theme...

The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) released a new safety video on its investigation into the April 2018 explosion and fire at the Husky Superior Refinery in Superior, Wisconsin. The incident injured 36 workers, caused roughly $550 million in damage to the facility, and released 39,000 pounds of flammable hydrocarbon vapor into the air. Over 2,500 residents of the City of Superior were evacuated from their homes, and the City of Duluth, Minnesota, issued a shelter-in-p...

The built environment and construction industry, as well as associated professional and educational bodies, are showing a momentous culture shift, reporting much more awareness and activity around climate literacy than what was the case a few years ago. However, for every organization striving for improvement, there are some stuck in ‘business as usual’ mode, making only limited, ad-hoc progress. Built environment Some don’t even know where to start – either due to a l...

Portland Fire and Rescue in Oregon will welcome its new Pierce Volterra electric pumper into service with a “push-in” ceremony open to the public on Monday, June 12th at 12:00 pm PDT at Station 1 located at 55 SW Ash, Portland, Oregon. Representatives from Portland Fire and Rescue and Pierce Manufacturing will welcome the fire department’s new Pierce Volterra electric pumper into service with a “push-in” ceremony open to the public. The revolutionary fire...

A ‘very high’ warning for an increased risk of wildfires begins today (Wednesday, 7 June, 2023) and runs until Saturday, 10 June, 2023. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) warns that many rural and remote communities are hugely impacted by wildfires, which can cause significant environmental and economic damage. risk awareness Station Commander - John Harvey, said, "We know that many people will be hoping to enjoy the outdoors when the weather is good, but we urge everyone...

Mighty Fire Breaker's Do-It-Yourself (DIY) Wildfire Defense System (WFDS), if added to more of the homes at risk in mapped wildfire regions of the U.S., could have a significant and positive impact on the Homeowner's Insurance Industry Crisis. In fact, this positive impact could help bring Allstate and State Farm back to California. In recent days, both Allstate and State Farm announced they will no longer issue new homeowner's insurance coverage anywhere in California, creating an insurance cr...