Ropes news

A grateful pensioner has thanked firefighters who rescued him after his mobility scooter plunged down an embankment in South Shields. Syd McDonald, 90, has praised Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service (TWFRS) after they helped to rescue him from Simonside Metro Station earlier in November 2023. Rescuing a 90-year-old The 90-year-old was rescued by firefighters after his scooter rolled on top of him, pinning him to the ground, on a steep embankment. The alarm was raised on Tuesday 7th No...

Twiceme, a global pioneer in safety technology, is excited to be part of Guardian's B7-Comfort Harness, launching in the United States of America (USA).  This revolutionary harness offers unparalleled safety and comfort, thanks to innovative technologies such as Twiceme, groundbreaking engineering, and expert design that puts the user's needs first. B7-Comfort Harness The B7-Comfort Harness has been in development for over a year, with extensive end-user feedback informing every stage of...

The National EMS Education Standards (the Standards) PDF have been updated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The Standards are a core element of a nationwide integrated system approach to developing emergency medical services (EMS) clinicians who are competent in the appropriate knowledge, skills, and abilities for their licensure level. They define the competencies, clinical behaviors, and judgments required of EMS personnel to perform their roles. 1996 EMS Agend...

The Chief Fire Officer for Cambridgeshire is warning there will have to be reductions to the county’s fire and rescue service unless the way in which it is funded changes. Recently, as part of national negotiations with the Fire Brigades Union, a revised cost of living pay award of five per cent was offered for firefighters. Combining this with the offer already on the table for support staff, the Service will be in budget deficit of at least £1.1m at the start of April 2023. pay i...

A new version of the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) Program Planning Toolkit has been designed to aid alerting authorities and alert originators at federal, state, local, tribal and territorial levels in developing an alerting program plan using best practices. The new interactive, web-based toolkit walks the user through an alerting plan template in 5 steps, resulting in a downloadable, formatted draft of a comprehensive alerting plan tailored to their agency's operational...

Fire, EMS, and Industrial (FRC, FoamPro, Elkhart Brass, ROM) is excited to announce the addition of Nick Novotny as Industrial Product Manager — Elkhart Brass. In his new role, Nick will be responsible for achieving gross margin requirements, identifying sales trends, launching new products, developing go-to-market plans, and other critical functions. Prior experiences Nick has a Bachelor in Electronics Engineering from Cleveland State University, Lean Sigma Training, and Project Manage...

The International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) and the Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Association (Metro Chiefs) released a joint statement PDF warning firefighters that synthetic chemicals in their protective gear are associated with various health risks, including an increased risk of liver and kidney cancer. The chemicals responsible are a group of fluorinated compounds called per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances commonly referred to as PFAS. They are used in firefighter turnout gear to incr...

Community members and business owners must understand the importance of protecting their structures from ember and fire exposures (radiant, conductive, and convective heat). Preparing for all fire exposures, not picking and choosing only one, is vital for improving home and building survival chances. Information for the community Wildfires spread primarily by: Ember generation and deposition: Burning or smoldering pieces of material generated during a wildfire event can land on combustible...

Get a 2-page Checklist for Communications Technology in Training and Exercises PDF that provides planning and evaluation considerations for statewide interoperability coordinators and other emergency preparedness personnel when incorporating new communications technology into a training or exercise. The checklist Offered by the National Council of Statewide Interoperability Coordinators' Planning, Training and Exercise committee, the checklist, developed directly from emergency communications...

Landing a medical helicopter is a delicate operation that requires skilled flight crews and trained personnel on the ground following well-rehearsed, pre-planned procedures for the safety of all involved. Fire and emergency medical services agencies can access free resources to review their procedures for establishing a safe air medical transport landing zone: A June 2022 FirefighterCloseCalls.com article provides tips and links to training videos on landing zone safety. Responder Safety Le...

Integrations will enable alerting authorities to disseminate wireless emergency alerts to the public in near real-time through vehicle navigation and entertainment systems. The Department of Homeland Security's Science and Technology Directorate concluded a proof-of-concept demonstration of the wildland urban interface (WUI) integration model that integrates next-generation technologies with FEMA's Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) and GPS navigation applications and cutting-ed...

To use the fluorine-free foams currently on the market safely and effectively, fire departments will need to adopt different tactics and new training on how to select, use and dispose of these new foams. Fire Service Roadmap outlines the transition from the fluorinated aqueous film-forming foams (AFFFs) currently used to extinguish flammable liquid (Class B) fires to fluorine-free foams (FFFs). AFFFs going away AFFFs use of a class of chemicals containing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances,...

Staff at the North East Ambulance Service (NEAS) will be bringing the celebration to crews who cannot attend UK Pride event in Newcastle. Two vehicles have been rebranded with the rainbow colors of Pride to mark the Northern Pride festival, which is hosting this year’s UK Pride. One is an ambulance which will be on the Town Moor for the two-day event and the other is an equipment stock van, which will be working across the North East region supporting emergency care and patient transport...

As those first on the scene to respond to disasters and emergency events, first responders prioritize the safety and well-being of the communities they serve. This often means first responders are facing dangerous and challenging situations, to high-stress levels, and possible development of burnout, compassion fatigue, or unhealthy coping mechanisms. The Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) recently featured 2 behavioral health resources for first responders. Disast...

A life-saving partnership between ambulance staff and firefighters has been extended with the addition of new co-responding fire stations in Cambridgeshire. From 4th July 2022, on-call firefighters from Littleport and Soham joined the scheme, which is part of a regional memorandum of understanding with the East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust (EEAST). It sees on-call firefighters sent to emergencies, in addition to ambulance clinicians and community first responders, to calls where a pa...

When people store and charge their mobility devices inside their homes, garages, or businesses, there is the potential for battery fires to lead to structure fires. Just one example is a recent apartment fire in New York City that resulted in injuries to 12 citizens and a Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY) firefighter. Best practice tips Motivated by the surge of fires started by batteries in mobility devices, the FDNY has created best practice tips for firefighters confronted by...

CMC announced that the company is excited to showcase their latest rescue products at FDIC International 2022 (FDIC 2022) exhibition. Visitors will be able to demo the CMC CLUTCH by Harken Industrial, the comfortable and customizable ATOM Harnesses, the innovative LEVR Escape System, featuring the Flash.G and Flash.2 Escape Anchors, the new SL Anchor Straps, and much more! CLUTCH by Harken Industrial The CLUTCH is the latest evolution in rope hardware that enables the technical rope professio...

NIST released the WUI Structure/Parcel/Community Fire Hazard Mitigation Methodology (HMM) PDF to provide guidance for homeowners and communities to protect themselves from wildfires. Integrating the latest post-fire field observations and fire science research, this report defines dozens of clear, measurable, and cost-effective protective actions homeowners can take to defend their homes. Wildfires can spread through a community very quickly, especially one with dense housing. Often, the progr...

A new study suggests that the presence of very highly reflective markings may decrease drivers’ ability to see first responders working adjacent to their vehicles. Traffic incident scenes are a dangerous place. Secondary crashes, including struck-by incidents, are a leading cause of line-of-duty deaths among emergency responders. One significant variable impacting the safety of responders operating along a roadway is their visibility to approaching and passing motorists, especially at ni...

The tragic loss of life from the 19-story apartment building fire that occurred in New York City on Jan. 9 reminds of the fire and life safety challenges that tall buildings present to the emergency services and to the occupants who live or work in them. Challenges and features Because of the inherent nature of tall buildings and a series of historic fires, the practice of protecting the people who live and work in high-rise buildings has evolved over the years. Very specific sets of precautio...

Following the unprecedented year prior, 2021 continued to present significant challenges for everyone, but Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service continued to deliver its vital services, while also providing support for partner agencies. The year began with mopping up from significant flooding across the county over the Christmas period. The country was also in the midst of another national lockdown, with those that were able to still working from their homes. Staff across the Service pulled o...

To help communities plan for the threats and hazards of climate change, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) released its updated Long-Term Community Resilience Exercise Resource Guide: Designing Whole Community Exercises to Prepare for the Effects of a Changing Climate PDF in November 2021. Increase preparedness As the impacts of climate change are being felt across the country, this resource offers communities low-risk and cost-effective ways to increase preparedness with: Tools...

The approach of the summer season is expected to draw more and more area boaters out on the waters of Lake Murray for events and recreation. In order to provide added security and safety for citizens, the Columbia-Richland Fire Department (CRFD) is working with the Richland County Sheriff’s Department (RCSD) to joint staff two RCSD boats during peak days of the lake traffic. These Marine Teams will patrol portions of Lake Murray to provide swift responses for any incidents that may requir...

In 1965, Greater London Council ordered six Commer Cobs to be used BACVs (Breathing Apparatus Control Vehicles). DYC32C ended up, at least to start with, in Bromley. It remained with the Fire Brigade until 1977 when it was sold out of the service. Of the six ordered, DYC32C is believed to be the only one that survives today. The Commer was, at one point, owned by a builder who cared little for the fire-based heritage and then used it as a van. However, it survived the cement dust and was sold a...

Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service (CFRS) announces that it will be recruiting for whole time firefighters to join fire stations across the county from January 2021. Applications will open on Monday 4 January 2021, at 8am, and will close two weeks later on Sunday 17 January at 11.59pm. To give people the opportunity to find out more about the role and the recruitment process, a range of information workshops and ‘Have a Go’ days will be held over the next few months. Busting m...

Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service (CFRS) has invested in new equipment to help respond to incidents. As part of a unique collaboration with the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, and Hertfordshire Joint Protective Services (BCH JPS) police command, new drones are being rolled out which will assist firefighters in their response to a wide range of incidents and provide a bird’s eye view of the scene. They will be used at incidents such as search and rescue, investigative support, large-sca...

Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service has introduced a new daytime contract to help attract more people to become on-call firefighters. The new contract allows people to be available to respond to emergencies from just 24 hours a week, for example while working at their regular day job. This will help increase the availability of fire engines during the day around the county. The new contract is available for anyone interested in joining an on-call station, providing they can offer a minimum...

CMC and Harken Industrial are proud to announce the launch of a new multi-purpose rope travel device, the CLUTCH. Now available in 13 mm and 11 mm models, this single wearable tool has been designed for efficient hauling, controlled lowering, smooth personal descent, easy ascending, and reliable progress capture. Single Wearable Tool The CLUTCH boasts an impressive range of benefits for those working in the Rescue, Rope Access, and Work at Height industries, including: Single wearable tool...

The FireFit Championships course at INTERSCHUTZ comprises five firefighting tasks that will take contestants to the limits of their strength and endurance. The first task is the Stair Climb, in which contestants, in full turnout kit, race up a HAIX stair tower – that's three flights of steps and a total height of 12 meters – carrying a 19 kg high-rise hose pack. Once at the top, it's time for the Hose Hoist, in which the contestants must haul an additional hose pack up from the grou...

Firefighter Adrian Sargent has been presented with a Certificate of Commendation from Chief Fire Officer (CFO) Chris Lowther, Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service, for his meritorious conduct while under extremely challenging conditions. At around 9.30pm on 29 April 2019, South Shields crews were called to the Wearmouth Bridge after receiving reports of a person threatening to jump. When they arrived, they found the distressed 21-year-old female on the wrong side of the railings. Demonstratin...