Active Fire Protection (AFP) - News

A fire alarm system’s purpose is for the protection of property but, more importantly, life! A fire alarm system consists of many components, the majority providing either detection or alarm functionality. One of these components being the fire alarm sounder. The fire alarm sounder was always assumed to be one of the best methods for alerting occupants of a fire scenario. But is it? Over recent years the sounder with integrated beacon has been the favored solution as they offer both audib...

FIREX International Connect 2021 is a brand-new, month-long digital event running throughout June. The upcoming FIREX International in-person event will take place at ExCeL London from 12-14 July, providing the first opportunity in over two years for the fire safety industry to unite face-to-face. “Both events present unmissable opportunities for the industry to reconnect and explore the innovative approaches to fire safety that have been born out of a challenging year,” said Chris...

The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has recently launched its Small Organisations Newsletter - SME Newsletter. The NCSC notes “SMEs cover a huge range of businesses and makeup 99% of all business in the UK." cyber-related issues The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) adds, "Often SMEs do not have the budget of large organizations to spend on cyber security. This Newsletter aims to break down cyber-related issues into bitesize pieces which can be read in a coffee break." The NC...

Owners of a hotel in Leamington Spa have been ordered to pay £350,000 plus costs after a judge at Warwick Crown Court found them guilty of multiple breaches of the Fire Safety Order. 38 breaches of fire safety laws Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service inspectors visited the Falstaff Hotel on multiple occasions between 2017 and 2019, finding smoke alarms covered in plastic bags, fire escapes blocked with laundry, locked fire exits, and faulty alarms. The owners of Talash Ltd and parent f...

Task Force Tips (TFT), a fire service pioneer in innovative and life-saving firefighting equipment, announces a new partnership with Hoosier Burn Camp (HBC). The partnership is a natural fit for TFT, which was founded on the legacy of firefighter Clyde McMillian, who was severely burned in the line of duty. TFT has committed to a significant, multi-year sponsorship to bolster the important work Hoosier Burn Camp is already doing to improve the lives of young burn survivors and their families....

The Australian Fire Danger Rating System (AFDRS) program is redesigning the forecasting of fire danger in Australia. It aims to improve public safety and reduce the impacts of bushfires by improving the way that fire danger is calculated and communicated. As one enters the second quarter of 2021, the AFDRS Program is approaching major design milestones that will allow states and territories to trial the new system in parallel with current fire danger ratings. The trial of the AFDRS is a key ste...

Australia is at a turning point in the national conversation about sexual harassment and gender inequality. To make sure these conversations turn into action, the Diversity Council of Australia is asking Australian CEOs to take the #IStandForRespect diversity pledge. Advancing gender equality AFAC CEO Stuart Ellis recently signed the pledge, committing to: Stand against gendered harassment and violence in all its forms. Take steps to address sexual and sex-based harassment, to make the wor...

A new guide that outlines the key updates relating to cable pathways has been launched by Legrand UK & Ireland, following updates to a number of key industry regulations. The guide – Creating Cable Pathways – follows recent updates to the IET wiring regulations, as well as the release of the Dame Judith Hackitt independent review of building regulations and fire safety final report. Current standards landscape It has been launched to provide electrical installers with assistan...

Following a decision of its Board, Euralarm has welcomed its new member Innohome. The company will join the fire section of Euralarm. Innohome will now benefit from Euralarm’s services in terms of representation towards European institutions and standardization organizations. This includes the monitoring of legislative and standardization issues relevant to the industry. Innohome will have access to the extended network of national associations and major companies in the electronic fire s...

Fire Safety Bill receives Royal Assent and is an Act of Parliament, leading to major changes to fire safety in response to the Grenfell Tower fire. The Fire Safety Act 2021 provides the legal basis for meeting some of the recommendations from Sir Martin Moore-Bick’s Grenfell Inquiry Phase 1 report. series of regulations The Act makes changes to the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, known as the Fire Safety Order. It’s not the end of the process, as much of the cont...

£9.5 million fire safety framework contract will see social housing providers accessing suppliers to provide external wall certification and fire engineering services. The Peabody Trust is pioneering a tender exercise to help find suppliers who can provide external wall assessments for their own building stock as well as allow other social housing groups to use the same framework. safe and affordable housing The Peabody Group is responsible for 71,800 homes across London and the southea...

A Cambridgeshire fire officer is taking on a fitness challenge to raise money for The Fire Fighter’s Charity. Group Commander Simon Thompson has taken on the challenge of completing 44,597 press-ups, marking one for each member of staff who works for the fire service in England. Firefighters' Memorial Day He began the ‘44k by the 4th May’ mission on 1 December and will be completing the remaining press-ups on Tuesday 4 May (Firefighters’ Memorial Day) at Cambridge...

Usually, if the application requires acoustic and visual notification, the market offers two separate products. Nevertheless, sometimes for public buildings, hotels, and hospitals, but also for industry and other verticals, it may be necessary to have a combination of visual and acoustic alarms in one device. AVENAR all-in-one 4000 Bosch Security System’s AVENAR all-in-one 4000 is one product that can provide such a solution. This product is able to combine not only a sounder and a strob...

At approximately 0100, E811B was sent for an investigation in the 3600 blk of Marlbrough Way. The crew arrived on scene to find a single family home filled with smoke and heat. E811B’s crew filled the box assignment, E811 responded as the second due unit on the box alarm, and A811B responded as well. The engine crews from 11 extinguished fire, checked for extension, and searched for victims with assistance from TK812. Company 11 operated for approximately 90 minutes before returning to se...

Congratulations to the many pubs, restaurants and cafes that have reopened for outdoor dining and drinking. Once again, we’re all adapting to a new normal – one where we eat, drink and socialize outside. But it’s not just the tables and chairs that make this new arrangement possible. As hospitality businesses know, public safety is vital, but not just in COVID-19 terms. Barriers in outdoor seating areas Many local authorities across the United Kingdom (UK) have accepted that...

Verint®, the Customer Engagement Company™, announces Verint Intelligent Virtual Assistant Professional (IVA Pro) Package™, a low-code conversational Artificial Intelligence (AI) offering that can rapidly turn existing conversation data into automated self-service experiences. As part of the Verint Intelligent Virtual Assistant (IVA) offering, the package allows business professionals to quickly deploy a production-ready chatbot to deflect calls and support customers. Verint IVA...

Rescu (Rescu Saves Lives), an emergency alert app that connects people directly to certified emergency dispatchers, has launched throughout the United States, in partnership with over 30,000 local emergency agencies. Rescu is the first and only Personal Emergency Response System (PERS) in a non-hardware platform. Rescu emergency alert app Unlike 9-1-1, the Rescu app does not require speaking to a dispatcher. With Rescu, users can communicate non-verbally to an emergency dispatcher. This means...

The fire and rescue service is thanking partners as the incident on Marsden Moor is brought to a close. Teams from West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service (WYFRS), Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS), other emergency partners, the National Trust, Kirklees Council, landowners and gamekeepers, Mountain Rescue, Plymouth Brethren Response team, and other groups joined together to tackle the blaze following a call to WYFRS at around 7 pm on Sunday, 25 April 2021.  Day and ni...

Safe Fleet Fire, EMS and Industrial (FRC, FoamPro, Elkhart Brass, ROM) is excited to announce and welcome the addition of Kurtis Rood as a member of the North American sales team. In his new role, Kurtis will be responsible for supporting Midwestern OEM customers and dealers while expanding use of the portfolio of safety products. He joins Safe Fleet from TTI (Milwaukee Tool) where he was a territory rep in charge of generating new growth opportunities. Prior to TTI, Kurtis completed his unde...

Court hears how a rail worker suffered severe burns as a result of a fire caused by health and safety breaches in an electrical substation in Kent. Recently, Network Rail pleaded guilty at Folkestone Magistrate’s Court to an offense under the Health and Safety at Work Act for failing to protect the safety of staff. failure to maintain dehumidifiers The incident took place on 20 December 2018 after Network Rail failed, over a significant period of time, to prevent water from leaking into...

The UK Government has published its second quarterly update on progress to meet the Grenfell Tower Inquiry recommendations, highlighting the breadth of work taking place. In a useful development, the UK Government is providing thematic updates of the work taking place by the government, the London Fire Brigade, the National Fire Chiefs Council, and other bodies to respond to the 46 recommendations made by Sir Martin Moore-Bick in his Phase 1 report. update Key changes in this quarter include:...

Global fire detection and alarm devices leader, Argus Security (Argus), has appointed Giorgio Koursaris as its new General Manager, with responsibility for both - Argus and its UK sister brand, Hyfire. He joins at a pivotal moment for the well-known brand, which is about to embark on a series of new product launches that promise to revolutionize the fire sector. New General Manager appointed Giorgio Koursaris will oversee both commercial and production operations for Trieste-based Argus Gior...

During the first quarter of 2021, the R&D team worked with determination to develop several new products or product updates. As a result of this great effort, Global Fire Equipment is pleased to introduce the following products to their vast portfolio of fire detection products: OCTO+ Large Box (New) BUILT-IN-PRINTER (New) INT-TCP-WEB (New) NFC KEY (New) PHYSICAL KEY (New) EARTH BAR (New) MULTI IO

Fire detection equipment manufacturer, Global Fire Equipment (GFE), has been awarded EN 54-13:2017+A1:2019 system compatibility approval, demonstrating the company’s ongoing commitment to offering its customers best-in-class fire detection and alarm solutions. An international third-party accredited laboratory awarded GFE the EN 54-13:2017+A1:2019 approval for its entry level and high-end addressable fire detection and alarm systems. Various individual components EN 54-13:2017+A1:2019 i...

The decision by Southampton City Council to fit sprinklers in all its high-rise residential blocks proves right with yet another fire quickly extinguished.   importance of sprinklers Firefighters from the newly combined Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service were called to a fire in a flat on the 21st floor of a tower block in Southampton this week. The first crew was on the scene within three minutes and found that a cooker fire in the kitchen was already out on arriva...

Allison Transmission, a designer and manufacturer of conventional, hybrid, and electric vehicle propulsion solutions, in collaboration with Emergency One (UK) Ltd, the market pioneer in the United Kingdom in the manufacture, service, and support of fire and rescue vehicles, announced a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The two companies will integrate the Allison eGen Power™ 100D electric axle into Emergency One’s fire rescue and emergency vehicle platform as part of this...

The Fire Protection Association (FPA) is delighted to announce that it has been awarded UKAS accreditation to carry out fire tests on watermist systems to BS 8458: 2015 Fixed fire protection systems - residential and domestic watermist systems - code of practice for design and installation. automatic fire suppression systems It is proud to be heading the way as one of the first UK fire testing facilities accredited to offer this important British Standard test. The desire for automatic fire s...

The Fire Protection Association is among the first UK testing laboratories to become UKAS accredited for BS 8458 water-mist system testing. The Fire Protection Association (FPA) is delighted to announce it has been awarded UKAS accreditation to carry out fire tests on water-mist systems to BS 8458 : 2015 Fixed fire protection systems - residential and domestic water mist systems - code of practice for design and installation.  automatic fire suppression systems It is proud to be leading...

The cutting-edge kit designed by firefighters for firefighters has been revealed for the very first time in Wales. It is a proud milestone for Welsh crews who collaborated to shape the new advanced design in a ground-breaking two-year project which saw the final contract awarded to supplier Ballyclare.  Xenon fire kit Brand recruits from South Wales Fire and Rescue Service proudly displayed their new kit for the first time at their official passing out parade at Cardiff Gate Training and...

Vimpex’s new ClamBell® is an innovative, UK manufactured, fire alarm bell with a unique hinged design that swings shut after installation, which means it’s quick to install, aesthetically pleasing, and reassuringly reliable - setting it apart from other fire alarm bells on the market. ClamBell® is the first newly developed and approved bell to be launched globally in decades and the only fire alarm bell that’s made in Europe. It has been carefully designed to combine c...