COVID-19 - News

As the weather improves and the COVID-19 restrictions begin to ease, an increase in staycations is predicted with many choosing to holiday in Wales’ beauty hotspots. Fire Services across Wales are working in partnership with Visit Wales and holiday homeowners to ensure they are familiar with new and updated guidance to continue keeping themselves and their customers safe in the summer. This toolkit designed by multi-agency specialists across key agencies offers unique tailored advice...

Following a competitive recruitment process, the East of England Ambulance Service (EEAST) has appointed Tom Abell as its new permanent Chief Executive. Tom Abell, who was earlier serving as the Deputy Chief Executive at Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust, will formally take up his new role as Chief Executive at EEAST in the autumn. Announcing the appointment, East of England Ambulance Service’s Chair Nicola Scrivings, said “Tom brings significant experience in the NHS and jus...

After an intense campaign, Austin, TX Local 975 has won the ability to call on an impartial arbiter to settle future disputes that may arise while negotiating with the city, after the passage of Proposition A. Proposition A, which passed by an impressive 81% to 19% margin on May 1, sends a clear message from Austin voters to city leaders. “Our community showed up and voted in support of their firefighters,” says Local 975 President Bob Nicks. Fairer resolution process “We ar...

Chubb, a foremost provider of security and fire safety solutions, is helping local pupils continue their education remotely throughout the COVID-19 pandemic with its Laptops for Schools initiative. Chubb is a part of Carrier Global Corporation, the foremost global provider of healthy, safe and sustainable building and cold chain solutions. When the COVID-19 crisis required schools across the country to close, children were sent home to continue their learning. Teachers took their classrooms o...

The number of Police Fire and Crime Commissioners could rise after the PCC elections on 6 May, as the UK Government indicates strong support for this type of governance. Currently, there are four Police Fire and Crime Commissioners in England: Staffordshire Essex Northamptonshire North Yorkshire Julia Mulligan is stepping down in North Yorkshire and Mathew Ellis is likewise in Staffordshire. PCC elections Other PCCs have shown interest in taking on governance in the fire but have bee...

Verint Systems (Verint), the globally renowned customer engagement company, announced that global wellness brand, GNC is leveraging Verint Experience Management, as an investment in its omni-channel strategy, in order to provide consumers with the ultimate shopping experience. Spike in health products demand With more than 3,000 locations in the U.S. and Canada, GNC prides itself on meeting the growing and fast-changing needs of its customers. The company experienced a spike in demand for heal...

  In the fight against COVID-19, the Russian Government has ordered the fast-track construction of new hospitals to be built in 16 regions of the country. It is mandatory for these buildings to be equipped with reliable and proven fire detection systems. Argus Spectrum International has been chosen and is working together with the authorities to install advanced wireless fire detection throughout the hospitals and in record time. In this unprecedented period, the St Petersburg factory and...

Argus Spectrum International, a foremost manufacturer of wireless fire detection technology, and Hochiki Europe, a renowned life safety manufacturer are pleased to announce their partnership and the launch of the ‘Ekho’ hybrid wireless fire detection and alarm system for COVID-hospitals. Ekho is a wireless-based family of products that can be seamlessly and fully integrated into Hochiki’s ESP protocol. Ekho is the next generation of hybrid wireless fire detection and outperfor...

  On an unprecedented global scale, COVID-19 is significantly impacting the way of life. Today, responsibilities are very much on all to work together and mobilize in order to fight against this pandemic. The front-line medical specialists are eagerly supported by teams of dedicated workers operating in the field of engineering, construction, and many associated trades. Argus Spectrum International is proud to be part of this crucial network to fast-track the construction of new medical c...

In the fight against COVID-19, the Russian Government has ordered the fast-track construction of 17 new hospitals to be built in 16 regions of the country in 60 days. It is mandatory for these buildings to be equipped with reliable and proven fire detection systems. Argus Spectrum International has been chosen to provide all the hospitals with the Streletz-PRO advanced wireless fire detection system in record time. More than 40,000 Streletz-PRO wireless devices were installed and commissioned 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...

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...

Johnson Controls, a global company for smart, healthy, and sustainable buildings, announced that its chairman and CEO George Oliver has been invited by U.S. President Joe Biden to participate in the virtual Leaders Summit on Climate. Addressing Climate Crisis The summit will bring together leaders of the world’s major economies and other vital partners for an urgent and open dialogue on ways to strengthen collective efforts to address the...

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...

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...

In times of crisis, people look to secure their safety; as the world prepares for “the new normal” it is vital to move from a reactive mindset to a proactive one, with health and safety at the forefront of people’s minds. Access control systems As businesses begin to reopen and the public sector unlocks, access control will play a key role in infection control – keeping employees, customers, and the general public safe from the transmission. Post-COVID research di...

Shareholders approved all resolutions proposed at Airbus SE’s 2021 Annual General Meeting (AGM), including the renewal of the Board mandate of Chairman René Obermann. The Board mandates of Amparo Moraleda, Victor Chu, and Jean-Pierre Clamadieu were also renewed. 2021 AGM resolutions Following the AGM’s approval of his Board mandate, René Obermann was formally reappointed Chairman at a Board meeting held after the shareholder meeting. At the same Board meeting, Amparo...

Essex wood treatment firm, Prime Biomass Ltd created a huge fire safety risk to the local community by storing more than double the agreed limit of wood waste. A jury at the Old Bailey returned unanimous guilty verdicts against two directors of an illegal waste wood operation in Essex. One director was ordered to pay £50,000 in fines, compensation and legal costs while the other faces a five-year ban as a company director. A third director was acquitted by a majority verdict. five-week t...

An emergency services team on the frontline of keeping people safe during the pandemic has revealed the full breadth of its work, as it reflects on a year’s activity since the UK’s first lockdown. South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue and South Yorkshire Police’s joint community safety department has delivered education packages to more than 8,000 children, visited 2,500 high-risk vulnerable people and given guns and knives training to over 2,100 pupils. Top of the team’s e...

Airbus SE is announcing the following changes to the Executive Committee, led by Chief Executive Officer, Guillaume Faury, following approval from the Board of Directors. These changes come at a new juncture for both commercial aviation and defense activities, with the decarbonization of the aviation sector becoming a central ambition for the industry, and strategic European defense programs entering their development phase. The following changes will be effective from 1st July 2021: After...

Marking a year of challenges and change, IFSEC Global reviews a year of fire safety and publishes its list of the top influencers in fire safety. The Fire Safety Annual Report covers a wide range of fire safety topics and looks at how the fire safety industry has responded to Covid-19. In his foreword to the report, Ian Moore, Chief Executive of the Fire Industry Association said: “It has been an unpredictable and a somewhat turbulent year for us all. Broadly speaking, our year...

Misinformation is the target of a new campaign in South Yorkshire, which seeks to curb the spread of false content online. tongue-in-cheek campaign Health chiefs, emergency services, and councils across South Yorkshire are coming together to warn people to think twice about the things they share- and to get their information from official sources. The tongue-in-cheek campaign draws on local references and familiar conversations to point out how well-meaning conversations online can quickly de...

AW Hainsworth is pleased to announce the appointment of Amanda McLaren to the post of Managing Director at the company. Following the formation of the Family Council and the appointment of Andrew Wright as Non-Executive Chairman in 2018, Amanda McLaren is a welcome addition and will support the Executive Director Team, with the safe running of this family business. Supporting customers and suppliers in COVID-19 Period Amanda McLaren is a highly experienced Executive Board Director with a reco...

Results from a survey conducted by a manufacturer of fire safety technology, Geofire, found that 53% of fire safety professionals have seen an increase in fire doors being wedged open since the start of the pandemic. The survey, which was completed to gain an insight into how COVID-19 has impacted the fire safety industry over the last 12 months, highlighted key themes such as the impact of financial pressure following the pandemic. Fire safety maintenance 84% of the respondents identified th...

The Government has stated that outdoor areas at cafes, restaurants, bars, pubs, and social clubs will be allowed to reopen, including for takeaway alcohol, on April 12. Hardstaff Barriers, the manufacturer and supplier of roadside safety and hostile vehicle mitigation (HVM) barriers, is recommending that hospitality businesses install approved concrete or steel barriers to create designated ‘alfresco dining’ areas. The barrier systems not only provide clear outdoor seating areas and...

The International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM) and the National Emergency Management Association (NEMA) released the joint annual report entitled Emergency Management Performance Grant: An Evaluation of the Nation’s Return on Investment Amid Coronavirus. About EMPG The Emergency Management Performance Grant (EMPG) allows state, local, territorial, and tribal governments to make key investments to build capacity and enhance the capability of states and localities to respond to...

Fire detection and alarm devices company, Argus Security, 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.  commercial and production operations Giorgio, who holds both Greek and Italian citizenship, will oversee both commercial and production operat...

Fire prevention remains essential even in the current economy. However, the design, installation, and maintenance of critical life safety systems have come under new price and process pressures. Costs must be optimized, while time-on-site and person-to-person contact minimized. Italy’s home-grown Argus wireless fire systems offer fire professionals the optimal solution in today’s environment. Advantages of the system Wireless fire detection and alarm systems offer key advantages o...

The AFAC National Resource Sharing Center (NRSC) was activated on Saturday 20 March 2021 to assist the New South Wales State Emergency Service (NSW SES) with coordinated interstate assistance with flood and severe weather operations. This has been the largest flood and storm deployment coordinated by NRSC, with a total of 342 interstate personnel deployed into NSW. Incident management personnel AFAC NRSC had a Deployment Manager and a Management Support Officer embedded within the NSW SES Sta...