Building Fire Safety - News

An electric vehicle (EV) crash in Woodlands, Texas has prompted significant scrutiny and calls for emergency personnel to be trained on the fire risks associated with high voltage, lithium batteries within EVs (electric vehicles). In response to the tragic accident that killed two occupants last week, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are reminding first and second responders that resources are available to help safely address i...

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...

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...

April 28, 2021– The “2021 Fire Service Safety Stand Down Quiz” Sweepstakes is now live. The informative and interactive online quiz is designed to reinforce the safety messages that are part of this year’s Safety Stand Down theme: “Rebuild Rehab.” Safety Stand Down will take place June 20-26. The Safety Stand Down campaign and quiz is organized each year by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), International Association of Fire Chiefs&n...

Business owners across Norfolk are being asked to check their fire risk assessments following incidents since pubs and restaurants reopened for outdoor dining in the county. Norfolk Fire & Rescue Service has attended two fires involving the use of outdoor heaters at licensed premises this month. There have also been several incidents across the county of fires in residential gardens as people use barbecues, patio heaters, and fire pits to allow outdoor socializing in cool weather. Accidents...

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...

Howard Passey talks to Sarah Brodie from the Association of British Insurers about what matters to the insurance industry when it comes to fire safety. In this third episode of the FPA’s brand-new podcast, Assembly Point, Howard and Sarah discuss how legislation offers the opportunity for welcome improvements to fire safety in the built environment. fundamental reform The ABI has argued for many years that there needs to be fundamental reform of the building safety and regulatory system...

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...

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...

A new consensus framework for building control bodies and fire and rescue services will help resolve disagreements about plans for building work to meet fire safety requirements.    Government officials wrote to heads of building control and Chief Fire Officers last week to advise progress on one of the matters contained within its recent fire safety consultation. task force The consultation response, published by the government in March, noted a strong preference from respondents f...

The fire risk appraisal and assessment of external wall construction and cladding of existing blocks of flats – Code of practice (PAS 9980) has been issued as a Draft for Public Comment (DPC). The public consultation will last for a month and will close on Thursday 20 May 2021. registration and CIC response If there is a new user, they will need to register before logging in for the first time. Registration is free and only takes a couple of minutes. Where possible, comments should...

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 (FPA) is delighted to announce they have 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. They are proud to be pioneering the way as one of the first UK fire testing facilities accredited to offer this important British Standard test. Automatic fire suppression systems The desire for a...

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...

Fire and carbon monoxide (CO) safety is important at any age. However, seniors are often more vulnerable to home fires than groups of the population. In fact, according to the U.S. Fire Administration, by age 65, people are 2.7 times more likely (or 4 times more likely for those aged 85 and older) to be killed or injured by fires compared to the population at large. There are a variety of factors that contribute to this increased vulnerability within the senior demographic. When living alon...

In celebration of Sparky the Fire Dog’s® 70th birthday, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has announced the launch of Sparky’s Fire Safety Club and badging system on Sparky.org, the association’s award-winning website for kids. These new online features teach kids basic but critical elements of fire safety while rewarding them for their efforts as they go. “Making fire safety fun is critical to capturing kids’ attention and maintaining their ong...

Dispelling the myths about sprinklers, Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service highlights the benefits of modern systems for both new builds and older properties. new year-long campaign This new year-long campaign led by the service’s Business Safety team will include COVID-safe events, as well as interactive social media chats, where local businesses can ask questions about how sprinklers work to extinguish fires at the source.  The campaign will focus on different business sectors each...

Verint Systems (Verint), the globally renowned customer engagement company, has announced the lineup for its Engage21 virtual conference, taking place from May 19 to May 21, 2022, featuring inspirational speakers, including Barbara Corcoran, Charlene Li and Jay Shetty. This premier event will feature in-depth content, which is geared towards customer engagement and customer experience professionals, with more than 60 sessions, led by Verint experts, customers and partners, over three days. Shi...

Verint Systems (Verint), the globally renowned customer engagement company, announced the April speaker line-up that features how to power today’s evolving workforce of people and bots. Thought leaders will address new workforce management trends and challenges at SWPP, the Verint/Opus Research webinar series focused on customer engagement data and AI and analytics, how to modernize knowledge management for greater productivity and VoC strategies for better customer insights. In addition...

Accidents with hazardous materials, missing persons in the sprawling countryside, or clearly laid out situation plans during major incidents: the Neuruppin fire department relies on Rosenbauer's EMEREC operations management system for these and many other situations.Six fire stations spread over an area of more than 300 km2 with residential areas, industrial zones, and extensive countryside: this is the operational area of the Neuruppin fire department, which is located about an hour's drive nor...

A fire investigation has concluded at the Metropole Hotel, Llandrindod Wells, which was undertaken following a fire at the premises on Tuesday evening, April 13, 2021. The investigation determined that the cause of the fire was accidental. The significant fire was brought under control and extinguished by firefighters and rescue personnel belonging to the Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service. However, effective fire safety measures already placed at the hotel helped contain the fire to th...

Kentec Electronics, a foremost manufacturer of life-critical control systems, has promoted Sammy Steel to the role of Head of UK Sales to further strengthen the company’s UK growth and footprint. In her new role, Sammy will lead, manage, and support the UK BDM sales team to achieve Kentec’s strategic sales plan. She will be working directly with installers, distributors, and end-users while strengthening the current UK customer base. A key part of the strategy includes focusing on b...

Building on the themes explored in its ‘Managing Fire Risk in the Fifth Façade’ session, ROCKWOOL is set to present a panel discussion on ‘Designing Compliance in the Fifth Façade’ at London Build Online (15th – 24th March 2021), the UK’s largest virtual event for the construction industry. The session, which will take place on 18th March 2021 (9:30 am), brings together experts from across the industry for a detailed discussion of compliance cri...

Jim’s engineering background includes the development of gas turbine combustion systems, the design of testing equipment for gases and liquids, along with considerable manufacturing design work in areas such as packaging, molding, and shop floor automation. Jim is a graduate of SUNY Plattsburgh and a volunteer fire fighter with the Coeymans New York Fire Department. One of his many hobbies is restoration of classic cars and trucks. Jim’s background and work experience will m...

Ryan DeMuth has been promoted to the position of Engineering Manager. Ryan has over 13 years’ experience at Hannay Reels as a Design Engineer and Senior Design Engineer. During his tenure here, Ryan has been responsible for a number of important new product development efforts. He has additionally taken the lead on designing and executing some very innovative improvements to our manufacturing processes. Ryan is a Mechanical Engineering graduate of Rensselaer Polytechnic Insti...

Coatings supplier - Hempel has provided coatings to protect the Orbital O2 tidal energy turbine – the world’s most powerful tidal turbine. Hempel’s ambition is to become the major global coatings solution provider for the global renewable energy segment. O2 is set to operate at the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) in the Orkney Islands in the UK. Around the islands of Orkney, tidal currents can reach over four meters per second, making them some of the strongest in the wor...

On Tuesday, April 13, 2021, at 06:25 pm, crews from Llandrindod Wells, Builth Wells, Rhayader, Llanwrtyd Wells, Talgarth and Knighton, in the United Kingdom, attended to a fire break-out at a hotel in Llandrindod Wells. The hotel comprised of six floors, above ground, and two basements. The fire was contained to a laundry room basement, but the smoke had spread to all rear rooms of the hotel. Incident Command Unit deployed Firefighters extinguished the fire using breathing apparatus, hose ree...