Building Fire Safety - News

More than half a million COVID-19 vaccinations have been given by fire and rescue services staff, according to a report by the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC). As reported, the figure as of now is at 510,540 – a testament to the hard work from all involved, and will only increase as fire services continue their efforts to support the national program. Additional vaccination sites It is estimated up to 2,500 members of staff are supporting this vital work to get everyone eligible pro...

The past 18 months have been transformational in many ways. Events such as the COVID-19 pandemic, increasing safety legislation, and a squeeze on profit margins have been a catalyst for change, thereby leading to significant investments in new software. It’s also put the spotlight on productivity and efficiency. According to ONS figures, productivity levels in construction have remained consistently below the UK average, until more recently. New digital strategy However, civil engineeri...

Life safety manufacturer, Hochiki Europe, has announced a new perfect fit partnership which will enable its most sophisticated addressable multi-sensor device, the ACD, to be compatible with the MxPro 5 range of addressable fire control panels from Advanced Electronics. This new partnership with Advanced Electronics allows Hochiki’s ACD addressable loop-powered multi-sensor, with smoke, heat and CO sensing elements to be installed in even more projects than was previously possible...

Ten people from across the fire sector have been named in the New Year Honors 2022 lists, in recognition of their services. The honors system recognizes extraordinary people, who in accordance with the list's criteria, ‘made achievements in public life and committed themselves to serving and helping the UK.’ Ongoing impactful work The FPA would like to extend their heartfelt thanks and congratulations to everyone named in the New Year Honours list for 2022, for their ongoing impa...

A Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service (CFRS) Project Manager has been recognized for his outstanding contribution to supporting the vaccination rollout in Cambridgeshire. John Barlow, who’s been with the Service for over 35 years, has been supporting the COVID-19 vaccination program since January 2021. In celebration of his efforts, John Barlow was invited by the Duchess of Cambridge on behalf of the Royal Foundation to attend a Christmas Carol Concert at Westminster Abbey. The event t...

EEAST Paramedic, Paul Chittock, has been awarded a Station Commander’s Commendation, marking 15 years of voluntary support for RAF colleagues based at Marham air force base in Norfolk. Paul’s volunteering has seen him working on everything from events and first aid training to critical incident scenarios, this is all alongside his day job with EEAST as a Paramedic, based at Kings Lynn. Over the years of service, Paul Chittock has provided medical cover and education for Family and F...

There are six main varieties of fire suppression systems that are installed based on the nature of the industry. 1. The Wet Fire Sprinkler System Wet fire sprinkler fire suppression systems are an effective way of preventing and controlling fire hazards and providing safety to residential, commercial, and industrial dwellings. It utilizes a network of pipes that are filled with water and are connected to a reliable water source. These pipes are equipped with special sprinkler heads which are...

'Challenge Your Potential' and apply for a Regional (Retained) Firefighter role with the MFS. The South Australian Metropolitan Fire Service (MFS) is dedicated to providing an efficient and effective emergency service to the South Australian community. Being a MFS Firefighter is one of the most highly respected careers in South Australia. The MFS is looking for community-minded individuals who are fit, healthy, and possess personal and professional values that align with themselves....

Chate Singh pleaded guilty to six offenses under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. He was sentenced to eight months in prison, suspended for 18 months, at Nottingham Crown Court. According to the fire service, a judge said Singh's actions could have had 'catastrophic consequences'. Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service noted that the breaches included failing to provide adequate fire safety training for staff, failing to implement procedures such as safety drills, and failing to...

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has authorized the use of federal funds, in order to help with firefighting costs for the Marshall Fire burning, in Boulder County, Colorado, USA. Fighting Marshall Fire FEMA Acting Regional Administrator, Tammy Littrell approved the state’s request for a federal Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG), after receiving the request and determining that the fire threatened such a level of destruction that it would constitute a major disaster. At...

BAFSA’s advice service has recently seen a number of enquiries regarding installation certificates for residential sprinkler systems. BS 9251: 2021 and its previous 2014 iteration talks about ‘compliance certificates’ as a requirement for new sprinkler systems and includes a note saying these should not be confused with ‘certificates of conformity’. Relevant approving body This is because only contractors who are third-party certificated can issue these as the Co...

A landlord has been found guilty of a series of fire safety failings that left residents with only one option to escape a fire: via a restaurant with a metal shutter that was closed at night. Inspection London Fire Brigade inspectors visited the takeaway restaurant on New North Road in Islington after concerns were raised by one of the tenants and the local council.  There was residential accommodation on the first and second floors of the building with the takeaway on the ground floor....

The Extinguishing Section of Euralarm has published a guidance document on maintenance of extinguishing systems/equipment, controlled by electronic detection systems. Unlike a production tool, a fire protection system is on operational standby and is only activated in the event of a fire. Some faults may appear without being detectable, by a non-specialist operator. This is why it is necessary to carry out regular maintenance visits by specialists, to confirm the level of performance of the ins...

Continuing to invest in the training and development of colleagues, Checkmate Fire Solutions (Checkmate Fire) is delighted to finish 2021 in style – with a veritable bouquet of new qualifications and accreditations! As an ongoing process, the company ensures that their people have the opportunity to further both their careers and their expertise within the business. Through additional training and qualifications, Checkmate Fire aim to have the most motivated and knowledgeable team possibl...

AW Hainsworth is proud to announce that they have been accredited with ISO 45001:2018, which focuses on occupational health and safety in the workplace. ISO is recognized worldwide as a respected standards body, and this standard focuses on improving employee safety, reducing workplace risks and creating better, safer working conditions. This reinforces the company’s commitment to their workforce by ensuring they provide their employees a healthy and safe place of work. ISO 45001:2018 ac...

Vimpex Ltd, Europe’s foremost independent manufacturer of fire alarm ancillaries is pleased to announce the all-new, slick, and modern looking StroBell®, the combined Fire Alarm Bell and Visual Indicating Device. The all-new StroBell® has been upgraded to fall in line with the innovative ClamBell® which was released at the beginning of 2021. Installation Manufactured by Vimpex in the UK, the StroBell® is ideal for installations that require both a traditional bell tone...

Within the field service industry, organizing the business’s schedule can be one of the hardest challenges to tackle. As they juggle several different jobs, employee metrics, and equipment usage, it can be easy to let something important fall through the cracks. With the technology at disposal, now is the time to start working smarter instead of harder. A field service management software with mobile compatibility can help. Here are some of the scheduling and dispatch benefits they can e...

"With the Frequentis product line ASGARD, which is specifically designed for use in fire brigade and industry control center in the German market, we offer a flexible, highly reliable software solution for safety-critical control center. ASGARD strengthens Frequentis' strong position in the German public safety market," says Frequentis CEO - Norbert Haslacher. Frequentis was awarded the contracts for the projects in the context of EU-wide tenders. Frequentis Germany will be responsible for the...

As an organization invested in industry-led qualifications developing the knowledge, skills, and behaviors of individuals working within the fire safety sector, FireQual sees the development of a fire and security apprenticeship in Wales as a key step forward in demonstrating the importance of education and training within fire safety. FireQual Chair, Lewis Ramsay, commented on this latest development, "Since its inception, FireQual has been keen to not only provide a new generation of qualific...

As an organization invested in industry-led qualifications developing the knowledge, skills, and behaviors of individuals working within the fire safety sector, FireQual sees the development of a fire and security apprenticeship in Wales as a key step forward in demonstrating the importance of education and training within fire safety. Authority comment FireQual Chair, Lewis Ramsay, commented on this latest development, “Since its inception, FireQual has been keen to not only provide a n...

AutroGuard is a new range of multi-criteria detectors from leading detector manufacturer Autronica. As part of the introduction of this exciting new range, Detector Testers were asked to support the design of a customized removal tool designed specifically for the AutroGuard range. Functional testing With the Solo and Testifire solutions already approved for functional testing of existing Autronica detector ranges, developing a customized removal tool to meet the needs of this new range conti...

Fire and Rescue Services across the country will once again be assisting with the national vaccination program, following the government’s push to offer everyone aged over 18 a booster jab by the end of the year.   To date, almost half a million vaccinations have been given by fire and rescue service staff – and hundreds of thousands of hours spent on setting up centers and helping to run them.   Fire and rescue service staff have been assisting with the vaccination...

Education is the future and requires top performance. G-TEC, as a globally renowned specialist in the planning of technical building equipment, defines this claim for itself as follows: ‘Innovative building concepts that meet user requirements over the entire service life are indispensable’. G-TEC’s new school center projects Two large school projects currently planned by G-TEC in Weinheim and Heilbronn show how energy efficiency can be consistently implemented for the best p...

FirePro participated in the three-day Fire India Exhibition, held between 2nd and 4th December at the India Expo Center in New Delhi, India. Considered to be the foremost trade show in India’s fire and safety industry, this year’s exhibition was the 15th edition over a 25 year period. The exhibition, which is now MSME approved, attracts fire equipment manufacturers, suppliers, and service providers, who come together to showcase a range of fire engineering products, appliances, and...

Lewis Ramsay, Caretaker Manager/Board Member – BAFE, said, "BAFE fully supports any developments in helping younger people enter the fire and security sector. It is crucial the right skills, knowledge, expertise, and behavior are instilled from day one of working with life safety processes and systems." He adds, "We encourage all BAFE registered organizations based in Wales to complete this survey to establish evidence of employer interest to develop this further." specialist apprentices...

In the latest episode of Assembly Point, Howard Passey, director of operations at the FPA, Dennis Davis, executive officer at the Fire Sector Federation, Adrian Dobson, secretary of the RIBA EAG, and Peter Caplehorn, CEO at the Construction Products Association look back at the key milestones and turning points in fire safety in the UK, as well as looking ahead to the next 75 years.  Episode 10 of the podcast marks the 75th anniversary of the FPA and began with a look back at significant...

The Association for Specialist Fire Protection (ASFP) announced the winners of the 2021 Passive Fire Protection Awards, at the Association’s Awards Lunch at the Edwardian Hotel in Manchester on 26 November 2021. Broadcaster, naturalist, and marine biologist Monty Hall presented awards to the winners in six categories, each recognizing excellence within the passive fire protection industry. ASFP Installation of the Year Award  The winner of the ASFP Installation of th...

During the 51st General Assembly of Euralarm, the European association representing the fire safety and security industry, the members have chosen Jon Könz as new President of Euralarm. He succeeds Martin Harvey, who was President for the past three and half years. Before being elected President, Jon Könz was Chair of the Services Section of Euralarm. He is Head of Industry Affairs, at Siemens Smart Infrastructure. Euralarm’s 2021 General Assembly The 2021 General Assembly was...

The risk of fire at sea is serious. In fact, in many cases, a fire at sea is harder to control than a fire onshore with evacuation and access extremely problematic. As a result, fire detection systems form a vital part of a vessel’s safety infrastructure and seek to protect it in a similar way to an on-land building. Lavastica first started selling fire detection systems for ships in 1998, this led to a need for test equipment to maintain the systems and so the relationship between Lavast...

Many hallmarks of the holiday season, including Christmas trees, holiday decorations, cooking, and baking, present potential fire hazards that contribute to an annual increase in U.S. home fires during the winter months.  According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), Christmas Day and Christmas Eve are among the leading days of the year for home fires (topped only by Thanksgiving Day). Attention and planning "December is a leading month for home fires, in large part bec...