Building Fire Safety - News

Howe & Howe Inc., a subsidiary of Textron Systems Corporation, a Textron Inc. company, unveiled its latest innovations for the firefighting community – its next-generation Thermite EV2, an all-electric firefighting robot, as well as its new, handheld controller. The Thermite EV2 is an all-electric firefighting robot operated by a software-driven controller to effectively target fires with a modular design, including a multi-position nozzle and additional attachments. Thermite EV2 Ho...

Wildland firefighters are exposed to many of the same naturally occurring respiratory hazards as structural firefighters. They are also exposed to many of the same man-made respiratory hazards, especially when fighting fires in or near the wildland-urban interface. However, unlike structural firefighters, wildland firefighters are unable to use the current standard respirator systems. They are heavy and bulky, taking up valuable carrying capacity needed for the tools and supplies required for w...

Howe & Howe Inc. (Howe & Howe Technologies), a subsidiary of Textron Systems Corporation, a Textron Inc. company, has unveiled its latest innovations for the firefighting community, its next-generation Thermite EV2, an all-electric firefighting robot, as well as its new, hand-held controller. The Thermite EV2 is an all-electric firefighting robot, operated by a software-driven controller, to effectively target fires with modular design, including a multi-position nozzle and additional a...

KME Fire Apparatus, a subsidiary of REV Group® and a leading manufacturer of fire apparatus, will display a diverse group of apparatus at FDIC International (Fire Department Instructors Conference) in Indianapolis, Indiana from August 5 – 7, 2021. KME’s booth, number 3901 in the Indiana Convention Center, will have seven unique vehicles to meet multiple fire service needs. Expected to garner substantial interest is the new Tractor-Drawn AerialCat™ with Steel-Safe™...

BAFE Fire Safety Register has teamed up with building services membership scheme operator, NAPIT to offer a new competency scheme for organizations involved with Grade D fire alarm systems.  Two years in the making, the new scheme will assess the competency of organizations that provide design, installation, commissioning and maintenance services for BS 5839-6 Grade D fire detection and fire alarm systems in domestic premises. BAFE and NAPIT partner on new Competency Scheme This new comp...

The Fire Standards Board for England has published the Prevention Fire Standard setting out what fire and rescue services should be doing to keep communities safe from fire. This is the seventh Fire Standard to be published and sits alongside the operational response Fire Standards released earlier this year. The Protection Fire Standard will be published in September 2021. New Prevention Fire Standard published Fire and rescue services will look to use the Prevention Fire Standard to ensure...

Following an extensive development process over two years in the making, the BAFE Fire Safety Register and NAPIT are proud to announce a new Scheme to assess the competency of organizations, who provide design, installation, commissioning and maintenance services for BS 5839-6 Grade D fire detection and fire alarm systems in domestic premises. BAFE DS301 Scheme BAFE DS301 (For the Design, Installation, Commissioning and Maintenance of Grade D Fire Detection and Fire Alarm Systems in Domestic P...

With more people planning to spend time outdoors over the coming weeks, Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service (RBFRS) is urging residents to take some simple steps, in order to reduce the risk of a wildfire breaking out. Wildfire awareness campaign A week-long wildfire awareness campaign (running 26 July – 1 August) is taking place, following a period of warm and dry weather, and with more people expected to be outside, enjoying the countryside, due to COVID-19 restrictions easing and...

MSA Safety Incorporated (MSA Safety), the globally renowned company in the development, manufacture and supply of advanced safety solutions that protect people and facility infrastructures, has announced it has been named a preferred supplier of portable gas detection equipment for Royal Dutch Shell. This preferred supplier status is part of three-year global framework agreement to supply portable gas detection equipment and other safety technology to Shell’s offshore and onshore faciliti...

Pierce Manufacturing Inc., an Oshkosh Corporation company, has announced that it will showcase a broad selection of the latest in fire apparatus design and innovation with 12 fire trucks to be on display during the Fire Department Instructors Conference (FDIC) on August 5 – 7, 2021 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Attendees can find Pierce’s display located in the north end zone of Lucas Oil Stadium (booth #8807).“Over the last year and a half, our team continued in a pivotal role to...

East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust (EEAST) is encouraging the public to use NHS 111 online for medical advice, with demand for 999 calls increasing and ambulance staff helping more patients. NHS 111 online service The NHS 111 online service offers patients quick advice on the best option for them to get the care they need, including getting a call back from a trained clinician or nurse, booking them an appointment in A&E or providing advice on how to help them recover. The call c...

  VIKING Life-Saving Equipment launches fully certified, three-in-one protective gear so first responders can be ready for wildland fires, technical rescue/extrication, or emergency medical operations. The VIKING Shield is a new generation of multi-purpose protective gear that allows crews answering emergency calls to get underway assured of having the gear that is fit-to-purpose, whatever lies ahead. The challenges are growing with more frequent and larger wildla...

In 2021, the Felixstowe Community First Responders (CFRs) embarked upon a variety of fundraising activities to replace aging lifesaving equipment. The funds will be used to purchase new equipment in line with improvements to their skillset, running costs, and keeping up with the rapidly increasing size of the team of volunteers. This is in addition to their primary goal of responding to local emergency medical calls to stabilize, treat and reassure patients until the arrival of an ambulance cre...

Based in Birmingham at the NEC, the Fire Safety Event is dedicated to supporting industry practitioners, professionals, and organizations in achieving and maintaining the very highest standards of fire safety management. Showcasing the latest products, technology, and solutions in fire safety, this is the perfect opportunity for visitors to gain direct insight into improving business protection and continuity. Visit the Coopers Fire stand 4/L11, to find out more about the BS 8524 fully complia...

Coopers Fire announced that they have been re-certified for ISO 9001 Quality Management System (QMS) and ISO 14001 Environmental Management System. ISO 9001 Quality Management Systems The ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System specifies what our business needs to do: To provide products and services that consistently meet customers’ needs To enhance customer satisfaction through a process of continual improvement To ensure it conforms with all applicable statutory and regulato...

The difference is that any change in technology or attempt to innovate current solutions could result in a matter of life or death. With ever-adapting technology in 2021, some trends have the potential to shift the ways we keep safe during the event of a fire and how first responders work in the future. Not only that, they can improve overall awareness, reduce operational costs and – most importantly – save lives. Developing data The exciting developments around IoT could change t...

The Building Safety Alliance, an independent industry-led ‘not for profit’ organization, is launched to implement the certification of competent individuals wishing to deliver the role of building safety manager (BSM) and a publicly accessible register of those certified by the scheme. building safety The Grenfell Tower tragedy brought to the fore how the safety of all buildings needs to be ensured. Recognizing the role they play in delivering safe buildings, representatives of bo...

A global road safety barrier group, VRS Solutions Group, has made an ambitious commitment to fighting climate change and reducing its impact on the environment. VRS Solutions Group, which consists of Asset VRS, Varley & Gulliver Parapets, Hardstaff Barriers, and Hill & Smith Barrier, has signed up to the Carbon Footprint Standard and is now on an important journey to reduce its carbon emissions. Carbon Footprint Standard The Midlands-based companies, which manufacture and supply vehic...

With recent regulations mandating more fire safety precautions be put in place around building services, REHAU, a globally renowned polymer specialist, has released a Class B fire-rated pre-insulated pipework solution for quick installation in high-rise buildings. Following previous developments, such as the 2018 Hackitt Review and the Government’s July announcement of legislation appointing a new regulator for safety in buildings, there is even more emphasis on building compliance from d...

The National Quality Infrastructure (NQI) partners, BSI, National Physical Laboratory (NPL), and UKAS with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy have published the Standards for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, an action plan to unlock the value of standards for innovation. Joint Action Plan This joint Action Plan is intended to enable the NQI’s activities across standards, measurement, and accreditation to support innovation and technological change for the fourth...

A Sheppey homeowner is helping Kent Fire and Rescue Service (KFRS) share life-saving safety advice after a vanity mirror sparked a fire in the bedroom of his home. The blaze developed in the occupant’s bedroom in Belgrave Road on Sheppey, on a sunny afternoon on Friday 16 July, and is believed to have started after sunlight reflected from a vanity mirror onto some bedding. The heat from the mirror's reflection caught the bed alight, which then spread throughout the room within a matter o...

A Knowsley tower block played host to a major training exercise when the Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service (MFRS) led an exercise to test their response, in the case of a major high-rise fire incident. MFRS’ fire safety training exercise Around 80 emergency service staff, eight fire engines, two support vehicles, and an aerial platform ladder vehicle descended on the unoccupied Gaywood Green, on Broad Lane, in Kirkby, United Kingdom, on Thursday, July 22, 2021, as part of the fire saf...

Its speed, unparalleled firefighting performance, off-road capability, and crew safety: the PANTHER's capabilities make it the perfect airfield firefighting vehicle. But it is precise because of these capabilities that PCK-Raffinerie GmbH uses the PANTHER for another, no less demanding purpose.Almost all the fuel requirements in the Berlin and Brandenburg region are met by the PCK refinery in Schwedt an der Oder. About 1,200 employees work here, and 2,000 more in other companies located on the...

The Building Safety Bill is the direct result of recommendations made in the Grenfell inquiry and the Hackitt Review. The framework set out in the draft Bill will impact the entire construction supply chain. safety regime with implications ‘Higher risk’ buildings include all multi-occupancy residential buildings over 18 meters high The provisions target ‘higher risk’ buildings, but the bill will introduce a stricter safety regime with implications for all buildings. &...

Verint Systems (Verint), the globally renowned customer engagement company, has that it has won an AI Breakthrough Award for excellence and innovation in Artificial Intelligence (AI). Verint Intelligent Virtual Assistant Professional (IVA Pro) Package is the winner of the ‘Best Virtual Agent Solution’ award. Earning its fourth consecutive AI Breakthrough Award, the company previously won ‘Best AI-based Solution for Customer Service’ award in 2020, ‘Best Chatbot Sol...

Arlington County, VA Local 2800 is formally requesting that Arlington County Manager, Mark Schwartz allow Local 2800 to be recognized as the exclusive bargaining unit for the county’s fire and EMS personnel. “This is an historic time for Arlington,” said Arlington County, VA Local 2800 President, Brian Lynch, adding “Until the new collective bargaining law was passed, Virginia firefighters were denied a seat at the table, on critical safety issues for firefighters and th...

As a response to the Grenfell tragedy, Envirograf has manufactured fire-resistant panels for the purpose of constructing eco-homes and flats. As part of a large-scale fire test, Envirograf constructed an eco-house made of these prefabricated panels to demonstrate its fire resistance and integrity. The panels are manufactured with MDF board, insulation slabs, and mastic adhesive to create a fireproof panel, suitable for use in walls or ceilings. The panels have been fire-tested, as well as airbo...

The demands on today’s fire systems have never been greater, but not all panels are created equal, which can make choosing the right solution a challenge. Many fire panels are relied upon to alert people to real and potential emergencies, control evacuation procedures, and reduce the number of false alarms. They are also required to control the release of suppressants, operate smoke control systems, manage the closure and release of fire doors, link to graphical control systems, and int...

Sutphen Corporation, the largest family-owned fire apparatus manufacturer in the nation, announces the launch of the Sutphen tractor drawn aerial. Adding to Sutphen’s expansive family of aerials, the 131-year-old, family-owned business offers its renown mid-mount design, its leading rear-mount design and, now, its new tractor drawn aerial design. “Sutphen is proud to introduce our new TDA into our product mix, allowing us to welcome more fire departments into the Sutphen family,&...

Kent Fire and Rescue Service (KFRS) is urging smokers to light up outside to reduce the risk of fire in homes across the county. Despite the number of people smoking in the UK falling, Kent is seeing a continuous trend in the number of property fires linked to smoking – with fire crews tackling the equivalent of one smoking-related fire every single week. 'Smoke Outside, Feel Safer Inside' campaign Most often these types of fires start when smokers light up and then fall asleep or get d...