COVID-19 - News

Pierce Manufacturing Inc., an Oshkosh Corporation business, in partnership with the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC), is pleased to announce the 2024 IAFC Fire Chief of the Year honorees. Volunteer Fire Chief C. Reid Vaughan of the Cuba Fire Department in Alabama and Career Fire Chief Randy Royal of the Colorado Springs Fire Department in Colorado have been named this year’s recipients. Since 1996, the IAFC has annually recognized one volunteer and one career fire chief for...

For nearly three decades, Graham Lowe has been a guiding force in fire safety, serving as Managing Director of Hochiki Europe. Now, as he steps into retirement, Lowe offers a unique perspective on the remarkable transformations within the fire detection industry and how Hochiki Europe has strategically adapted to stay at the forefront. In this interview, Lowe shares his insights and thoughts for the future not only for the team at Hochiki but also for the broader industry. Over your tenure at H...

Informa PLC, the world’s largest exhibition organizer, has announced that the co-located exhibitions; Facilities Show, FIREX, IFSEC, and Safety & Health Expo will become part of the newly launched Anticipate London, taking place from the 2nd to the 4th December 2024, at ExCeL London, in London, United Kingdom (UK). Anticipate London Anticipate London emerged as a result of insightful conversations with members of a future-focused advisory board that includes pioneers in security, saf...

The festive season is a time for generosity, and in this year’s Hanukkah celebration, members of the FDNY’s Ner Tamid Society, the Uniformed Fire Fighters Association (UFA) Local 94, and the Uniformed Fire Officers Association (UFOA) Local 854 are serving members inside the firehouse and remembering those lost.  “For Hanukkah this year, we’re holding an event at FDNY headquarters,” said Deputy Chief Yonatan Klein. “We’ll have donuts, latkes, and...

The Association for the Promotion of German Fire Protection (vfdb) will present itself with a colorful mix of topics at its joint stand during INTERSCHUTZ (20 to 25 June 2022) in Hall 13/D50 together with the Association of Heads of Professional Fire Departments (AGBF Bund). The stand motto: "comprehensive, networked, proven".  The vfdb is considered the "inventor" of INTERSCHUTZ. In 1953, the association organized the industry's first major trade exhibition - at that time still called "De...

Just before schools broke up for the summer holidays, Safety Zone made its welcomed return after being put on hold following the COVID-19 pandemic. The scheme first returned to St. Neots Fire Station, where more than 300 pupils from St Marys, Little Paxton, Middlefield, Buckden, Bushmead, Priory, Great Paxton, Eynesbury CoE, and Whinhills took part. road safety, CPR, fire safety Various partners attended the day, including, Cambridgeshire Constabulary, Cambridgeshire County Council, Woodgreen...

Recruitment and retention are vital elements for the success of any volunteer fire or emergency medical services (EMS) department. Volunteer departments play a critical role in safeguarding communities, but without enough dedicated volunteers, these departments struggle to fulfill their mission. Volunteer fire and EMS departments across the country are struggling to attract and retain qualified members. Recognizing this challenge, the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), in partnership with the Nat...

Residents and business owners are being encouraged to give their views to help shape Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service’s plan for the next five years. The Service is looking ahead and starting to draft its plan, known as the Community Risk Management Plan (CRMP), which covers its key focus areas until 2029. The plan will identify the fire and rescue related risks in the county and how the Service will mitigate them, as well as the opportunities that exist to continue improving its se...

Coopers Fire is proud to announce that they have achieved FIA approval for CPD material for active curtain barriers. Continuous Professional Development (CPD) plays a vital role within the fire safety industry, keeping industry professionals updated with the latest knowledge and advancements. Coopers Fire recently received approval from the Fire Industry Association (FIA) for their CPD material. This achievement reinforces Coopers Fire’s commitment to educating fire safety professionals a...

Streamlight®, Inc., a globally renowned provider of high-performance lighting for first responders, announced that it donated $21,000 to the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF), which included $11,000 in proceeds from sales of the company's specially marked NFFF Red Nano Light®, Red Vantage® helmet light, and Red Siege® AA lantern. Supporting NFFF via donations Streamlight earmarks $1.00, $3.00, and $2.00, respectively, from the sale of each light for the NFFF. The d...

On May 11, 2023, the House of Representatives Committee on Science, Space, and Technology’s Subcommittee on Research and Technology held a hearing regarding ‘Reauthorizing the U.S. Fire Administration and Fire Grant Programs: Evaluating Effectiveness and Preparedness for Modern Challenges’. The National Volunteer Fire Council’s (NVFC) Georgia Director, David Bullard, testified at the hearing on the behalf of the NVFC. The hearing provided a great opportunity for the NVFC...

Firefighters pledged to never forget the football fans who died 38 years ago in a devastating fire at Valley Parade.  West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service (WYFRS) laid a wreath this morning at Bradford City Football Club to remember the 54 Bradford City supporters and two traveling Lincoln fans who died in the fire on May 11, 1985. Firefighters then joined dignitaries and the families of those who had lost their lives to lay wreaths at a service in Bradford’s Centenary Square. mem...

Homeland Security Secretary, Alejandro N. Mayorkas and U.S. Fire Administrator, Dr. Lori Moore-Merrell delivered remarks during the 42nd National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF) Memorial Weekend on May 7, 2023, in Emmitsburg, Maryland, USA. The Homeland Security Secretary and the U.S. Fire Administrator paid tribute to the 79 firefighters who died in the line of duty in 2022 and 65 firefighters who died in previous years.  Paying tribute to fallen firefighters The emergencies to wh...

Research which surveyed more than 3,000 UK fire and rescue service (FRS) personnel has found that mental well-being across the service is being impacted by issues such as sleep disruption, occupational stress, burnout, anxiety, and depression. Carried out by Nottingham Trent University (NTU) and commissioned by the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) and The Fire Fighters Charity, findings also suggest that increased length of career – not related to age - is associated with experiencing...

Responding to the inspectorate spotlight report on culture in the fire and rescue service, the Chair of the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) has stated his commitment and determination to work with all fire and rescue services to deliver an open, inclusive, and welcoming culture for all. He is clear that this is his number one priority. Following His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) report into values and culture, NFCC Chair - Mark Harding...

RealWear, the pioneer of assisted reality wearable solutions for frontline industrial professionals, has launched three new products to advance its drive to become the de facto productivity platform for frontline professionals and its partners. Products  The new products include:  RealWear App Marketplace  RealWear App Marketplace is the new destination to discover powerful applications for frontline professionals using RealWear devices. Customers can quickly discover pur...

As the rising number of COVID admissions pushes patient capacity limits, ensuring compliant fire safety has never been more important. As hospitals battle through the second major wave of the virus, concerns have been raised around the NHS’ on-going maintenance backlog and the impact on safety and infrastructure. In January 2021, figures suggested that the total backlog was the equivalent of the annual running cost of the entire NHS estate, which was around £9.7bn in 2019/2020. Em...

Over 12 months, the COVID-19 pandemic has dominated the world with the necessary, but disruptive nature of lockdowns and restrictions impacting day-to-day business across the UK. Despite the turbulent year, the risk a fire poses to life and property remains unchanged and it is essential that businesses continue to ensure precautionary and preventative measures are taken. Survey among fire safety professionals In order to gain an insight into how COVID-19 has impacted the fire safety industry,...

The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC), in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), is offering a new Hazmat Train-The-Trainer program: Partners in Training (PIT) Crew. This project will help first responders gain the knowledge and skills they need to train others in their communities on hazmat safety and response. NVFC’s Hazmat train-the-trainer program The NVFC will provide 15 in-person tra...

Our 2023 training schedule continued recently as we supported engineers participating in the Accelerated Development Programme by Chubb Fire & Security. The session, led by DT’s Paul Gatens and Simon Flavell, covered products from across the DT portfolio with a focus on Testifire – a system of choice for Chubb due to the ease at which it offers compliant testing. The training covered; the set-up and use of the product and ensured each engineer was able to deliver compliant te...

Kentec Electronics, a pioneering manufacturer of life-critical control systems, has launched the Loop Explorer 2 (LE-2) software to provide installers with a faster, more secure means to program and configure fire control panels that delivers a highly secure means of controlling access to the engineering software and access to Kentec’s technical support. LE-2 supersedes the LE-1 and will be used to commission all Kentec’s analogue, addressable control panels, providing one softw...

GearGrid is about being able to store athletic gear safely, which is why these lockers can be secured with locks.  In addition to keeping the gear safe, these lockers are designed to make the gear long-lasting. The open grid pattern allows for proper airflow, allowing damp athletic gear to dry faster and ultimately reducing odor build-up. The Wall Mount GridIron Locker has the solution. Custom and color options  These lockers offer an abundance of customization. There are many areas...

As a proponent of the proposed NFPA 915 Standard for Remote Inspections, Johnson Controls, the pioneer for smart, healthy, and sustainable buildings, is hosting a webinar on February 16 to provide participants with a comprehensive review of the code. If passed in the summer of 2023, the standard will provide inspectors with official procedures for the remote verification of building systems using video and audio technologies. digital technologies “Due to reduced staffing during the...

Delegates attending this free to attend seminar, which is scheduled to be held on Wednesday, 22nd February, 2023, in Hamilton, Scotland, will participate in an intense 3 hours of presentation, delivered by experts, focusing on automatic fire suppression standards and regulations. Water Mist Roadshows This is the second in the series of Water Mist Roadshows hosted by the British Automatic Fire Sprinkler Association (BAFSA) and the Fire Industry Association (FIA). Earn valuable CPD hours for fr...

The World Health Organisation (WHO) states that lead is a cumulative toxicant that can result in adverse health effects. In severe cases, anaemia, seizures, coma, or death may occur. Lead is considered particularly harmful to young children and it is estimated to have contributed to 540,000 deaths worldwide in 2016. There is no known level of lead exposure that is considered safe. This has resulted in lead being restricted or banned from use in some products that could enable the direct ingesti...

Fire-Dex, the fastest-growing manufacturer of PPE for first responders in the country, is donating nearly 15,000 nonsurgical AAMI Level 3 isolation gowns to the Illinois Fire Service Institute (IFSI) which will in turn distribute the garments to fire departments and EMS services statewide. As the ideal safety wear for medical calls and contamination events, the gowns provide enhanced protection against biological and environmental hazards. They can also be laundered and reused, unlike many othe...

The U.S. Fire Administrator’s Summit on Fire Prevention and Control Executive Summary is now available. This report provides highlights from the Summit that took place on October 11, 2022, and brought together government officials, fire service leaders, and scientists to address America’s fire problem. Included in the report are fact sheets detailing the recommendations covered in the Fire Service National Strategy.

Following the publication of the annual State of Fire report, the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) has responded to its findings. Published by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS), it looks at the fire and rescue service’s effectiveness, efficiency and how they focus on their staff. In the report, HMICFRS’ Chief Inspector - Andy Cooke said: “I am continually struck by the dedication of firefighters and other staff, and I...

G4S Integrated Fever Screening Solution helps detect elevated body temperature, which is a key symptom of COVID-19. Efficient It takes just a second to detect individual temperatures even in a group of people, thus preventing any delay or congestion while entering the premises. The temperature is detected in real-time. Accurate Temperature measured accuracy is +/- 0.3C Flexible The solution is easy to set up and deploy. G4S offers options for deployment depending on the requirements b...

The Head of the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), a component of Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and principals of America’s national fire service organizations traveled to New York City and Philadelphia to honor those lost to fires in the past year, including the 29 victims of the tragic fires in the Bronx and Philadelphia. During her visits, U.S. Fire Administrator - Dr. Lori Moore-Merrell shared steps to reduce the risk of fire in local communities and launch the USFA Nation...