COVID-19 - News

The Kentec Installer Program (KIP), launched by the manufacturer of life-critical control systems at last year’s Firex, is now expanding to include Kentec’s vast international installation customer network. To date it has registered more than 100 installers, making it one of the largest partner programs in the fire industry. The scheme provides Kentec’s registered customers with a wide-ranging program of bespoke training and best-in-class technical support, as well as dedicate...

MSA, DuPont, and the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) are helping volunteer fire departments obtain much-needed gear through MSA’s and DuPont’s Globe Gear Giveaway. In 2020, 13 departments will each receive four new sets of turnout gear and four new helmets to help enhance the safety of their firefighters. The first 500 applicants also received a one-year NVFC membership, courtesy of MSA. The latest recipients of MSA’s and DuPont’s 2020 Globe Gear Giveaway are the...

For Sunshine Coast-based cycling team ARA-Pro Racing Sunshine Coast, travel is as much a part of the job as riding a bike. The team, a Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) Continental level development team that is part of the Australian Cycling Academy at the University of the Sunshine Coast (USC), estimates they are on the road 150 days out of each year, with 100 races days spread throughout Australia, Asia, the US, and Europe. Zwift With the emergence of COVID-19 and related travel bans in...

To prepare for its reopening, Scarth Memorial Hall in County Durham has chosen the Agrippa door holder to support their COVID prevention strategy and reduce door handle contact. Agrippa door holder Built in 1875, the Scarth Memorial Hall is a Victorian building that has served its community for over a century, such as providing facilities to soldiers during the Second World War. Ensuring that the property’s character remained intact when implementing COVID prevention measures was of high...

Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service have welcomed 12 new on-call firefighters to stations across the county. Despite the pandemic, the on-call recruits have completed a 10-week training course to enable them to get ‘on the run’ at the community fire stations. The group completed their phase one training course earlier this month and now have the core skills required to operate safely as a firefighter with their new stations. On-call firefighters are such a huge part of the fire a...

As front line fire fighters and first responders strive to keep their work areas free from bacteria and viruses, one company has introduced several cost effective ways to help keep them and their patients safe. Neu-Tech Energy Solutions, LLC provides an assortment of Bacteria Killing Blue Lights and UVC lights to help them fight MRSA, Staph, Strep and now the COVID-19 virus in their vehicles and firehouses. Initial cleaning methods Before the COVID Virus, Firefighters and EMS personnel were m...

Trevor Palmer, Property Insurance Specialist at NFU Mutual, said: “The ongoing global crisis has put pressure on commercial property owners and their tenants as they adopt new measures to ensure working environments are COVID-secure, often involving changes to the premises. Having seen a spike in our commercial fire claims statistics, we’re concerned that the added focus on Coronavirus may be causing some premises to put other safety matters to one side." "While following Coronaviru...

The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) offers dozens of on-demand webinars, live virtual trainings, and in-person courses on a variety of key fire service topics. Until in-person trainings can be offered again, the NVFC is pleased to announce an afternoon of live, virtual training providing a condensed version of our popular in-person full-day course offerings focused on successful departments. The NVFC Virtual Leadership Symposium is sponsored by the Motorola Solutions Foundation. Fire an...

The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) is excited to bring to a new Virtual Classroom to enhance the online learning. The updated classroom provides a more user-friendly experience with updated content, design, and navigation. Trainings feature on-demand and self-paced courses delivered by fire and emergency service subject matter experts. Free course member benefit All Virtual Classroom courses are free for NVFC members. Non-members will pay per course, or they can join the NVFC for just...

“Looking forward to escaping for a summer holiday this month, but want to ensure the best COVID-19 safety precautions? Knauf Insulation has issued advice for its employees that may provide useful to anyone thinking of taking an August break. The guidelines provide practical measures that can be taken whether you are in an airport, on a flight, in a taxi or settling into a hotel room,” Eline Lhoest says. Philippe Coune, Knauf Insulation’s Group HSE Lead EMEA, said: “We wa...

FIA’s Northern Ireland Week was originally scheduled to be held in March 2020; however, due to the effects of COVID-19, it will now be held in Belfast at the Titanic Centre Belfast on 16th -17th March 2021. FIA has been working closely with the Titanic Centre for many months throughout this unprecedented period of lives to ensure they will be in a strong position to deliver a safe environment for the exhibitors, visitors and staff. Scientific and political advice After consultation with...

DripDrop Hydration, a rehydration therapy company, and the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC), the association representing the volunteer fire, EMS, and rescue services, announces a new partnership to provide dehydration relief to the nation’s volunteer firefighters. The need has never been greater amid a wave of summer heat, wildfire season, and a COVID-19 pandemic that has pushed the healthcare system to the limit of its capacity. DripDrop ORS will provide a one-to-one ‘buy on...

In May 2020, as the world grappled with life in lockdown and a deadly virus (COVID-19), things couldn’t have looked bleaker for humankind. However, out of the chaos came a glimmer of hope for the future, the first crewed spaceflight flown from US soil in almost a decade. It is a well-known fact that to survive as a species, humans will eventually have to step away from the planet that spawned them. However, the journey to the stars will be fraught with dangers. Chief among them will be hu...

Because of the major health concerns today, there is a major reluctance among emergency service personnel to perform direct mouth-to-mouth rescue breathing on an unknown victim. When confronted with a resuscitation emergency, response personnel do not always have the luxury of using a resuscitation unit, which would be carried on a fire engine or in a police car. Even if the equipment is available, they can’t always wait to obtain the equipment before resuscitation efforts are begun. The...

Local governments are beginning to allow swimming pools and other aquatic facilities to reopen as restrictions ease across the United States of America. Lifesaving Resources Inc. provides guidance and training to aquatic facilities looking to safely reopen their doors and resume operations. The guidelines issues by the company are based on current advice from the Scientific Advisory Council on COVID-19 and Aquatics. The primary factor is to determine laws in the local community. The federal gov...

With changes to pool operations as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, there are also recommended changes to how lifeguards respond to medical emergencies. Based on current recommendations, Lifesaving Resources Inc. has outlined Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for swimming pools, waterparks and other aquatic venues to follow for lifeguard training. Importance of effective lifeguard training Lifesaving Resources believes that preparing the staff with the new COVID-19 restrictions in mind i...

Responding to Cardiac Arrest calls during the Coronavirus pandemic has required First Responders to modify protocols to reduce risk to responding personnel while providing lifesaving care to patients. Throughout this COVID-19 pandemic, Lifesaving Resources will continue to update best practice protocols for EMS, Fire, Law Enforcement, Lifeguards and other responding personnel. As scientists and medical teams continue to research the COVID-19 Coronavirus, new information is frequently released r...

Milipol Qatar 2020, the Middle East’s international event for Homeland Security and Civil Defense which returns to Doha this October, will feature a powerful three-day seminar program in which decision makers and security experts will outline major strategies for a safer post-COVID-19 world amongst other main foresights. The program will run alongside the 13th Milipol Qatar at the Doha International Exhibition and Convention Center from October 26-28. biometrics, Cybersecurity And C...

Fireco has released its newest innovation, Germgard, a smart sanitizer combined with digital signage. Germgard has been designed to promote awareness of the importance of hand sanitization to all building users. With the outbreak of COVID-19, good hygiene practice has become more important than ever before. Fireco has already helped many customers improve their infection control with their hold-open devices, which can reduce the need to touch door handles. However, they wanted to help their cus...

Grassroots political organization Firefighters & EMS Fund launches a petition this week against the budget cuts fire departments are facing throughout the nation. Firefighters & EMS Fund's mission is to provide a grassroots voice for firefighters across the country in the state and local political process. Threatening local finances "We are launching a petition to stand up for those on the front lines in Fire Services in protest of political decisions which cost Fire Fighters their jo...

At the start of April this year, BAFE published information for SP101 Registered Companies regarding coronavirus and the multiple factors related to fire extinguisher technician requirements.  BAFE earlier this month resumed technician assessments and BS 5306 Exam invigilation (where safe to do so). SP101 Scheme Now that COVID-19 restrictions are beginning to ease, BAFE would like to announce that refresher, asbestos awareness, and health and safety training will now resume under normal...

ImageTrend, Inc. announced the release of the second annual Health of Our Emergency Responders: A CrewCare Report. This new report is comprised of anonymous aggregate first responder data collected throughout 2019 from the CrewCare Mobile App. This app currently provides insight into stress and mental well-being support to over 5,000 first responders and healthcare workers. The goal of this report is to provide insight into life stressors and associated factors related to careers, physical heal...

At the start of April this year, BAFE published information for SP101 Registered Companies regarding coronavirus and the multiple factors related to fire extinguisher technician requirements. BAFE earlier this month resumed technician assessments and BS 5306 Exam invigilation (where safe to do so). Now that COVID-19 restrictions are beginning to ease, BAFE would like to now announce that refresher, asbestos awareness and health and safety training will now resume under normal conditions as requ...

Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service (CFRS) will be taking part in #KnowExactlyWhere week with emergency services, local authorities and organisations around the United Kingdom (UK), in order to raise awareness about the free what3words app - and how it can be used to save precious time, resources and lives in an emergency. what3words has divided the world into a grid of 3m x 3m squares. It has given each square a unique combination of three words - a what3words address. ///ports.rests.stint,...

Because of new social distancing standards brought about by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, many workers are increasingly operating physically further apart from one another. At times, this may be due to a workforce that’s been reduced in numbers due to affected team members or it may be because employees are working different shifts to accommodate for new work standards. The underlying reason for these changes is the highly contagious nature of the coronavirus disease.  This pandemi...

With the ever-changing post coronavirus world, the ability to communicate virtually has never been more important. This is why ASSA ABLOY Opening Solutions UK & Ireland is improving its customer experience and launching the ASSA ABLOY Customer Support app. Free to download on Apple and Android mobile devices, the app enables customers to quickly and conveniently contact the right customer service team within ASSA ABLOY in the UK. The app provides customers with remote technical product supp...

Reducing the spread of germs and bacteria has never been more essential in the current climate. Holding open internal doors provide an easy and effective method of infection control within the building, but it is important that this does not impact the user’s fire safety. A study by the New England Medical Journal, which researched the survival of coronavirus on a number of surfaces, identified that the virus was still detectable on hard surfaces such as plastic and stainless steel 72 hour...

MSA Safety Incorporated, DuPont, and the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) have teamed up again to help volunteer fire departments obtain much-needed gear through MSA’s and DuPont’s Globe Gear Giveaway. 2020 Globe Gear Giveaway This annual program began in 2012 and has provided 507 sets of turnout gear to 108 departments to date. In 2020, another 13 departments will each receive four new sets of turnout gear and four new helmets to help enhance the safety of their firefighters...

Due to the continuously evolving circumstances surrounding COVID-19, the IAEM-USA Annual Conference, scheduled to be held in November in Long Beach, California, will be produced as a virtual event. IAEM members offered input for this decision by the survey. Further, IAEM-USA Board carefully analyzed the current state and projections for the coronavirus pandemic. Barriers to attend the event “This was a difficult decision, but one that made sense given current events,” stated IAEM-...

NürnbergMesse GmbH and FeuerTrutz Network have jointly decided not to hold FeuerTrutz 2020 as a physical event at the usual venue in Nuremberg. Instead, parts of the trade fair and parallel Fire Protection Congress will take place in virtual form. FeuerTrutz 2020 goes digital This decision to go digital with FeuerTrutz 2020 event was ultimately based on the results of an exhibitor survey, which revealed considerable reservations about an on-site event due to the unpredictable developments...