COVID-19 - News
Throughout the pandemic, everyone at Kent Fire and Rescue Service (KFRS) has been proud to support the blue light partners, NHS colleagues, local councils, and community organizations. People from across KFRS have volunteered to offer their services whenever possible, including during the mass roll-out of Covid-19 testing and more recently, vaccinations. In the last week, officers have been helping to collect thousands of vaccines from hospitals across Kent and Medway, and delivering t...
Experts are highlighting the importance of installing crash-rated barriers in roadworks after the latest figures showed there have been 347 road worker casualties on the UK’s roads in the last four years. Vehicle restraint system (VRS) manufacturer and supplier, Hardstaff Barriers, has issued the advice after examining the STATS19 road casualty data, published by the Department for Transport each year. Road worker casualties Between 2017 and 2020, six pedestrian road workers were killed...
UKAS is the National Accreditation Body for the United Kingdom. UKAS is appointed by the Government, to assess and accredit organizations that provide a variety of services including certification, testing, inspection, and calibration based on compliance with international standards and demonstration through objective evidence of competency and impartiality in the performance of defined activities. At the beginning of the pandemic reliable testing was quickly identified as a key component in th...
Within just 48 hours of the government announcing the acceleration of the national vaccination program, fire and rescue services are already supporting the effort and have vaccinated hundreds of people. Almost half a million vaccinations have been given by fire and rescue service staff this year – and this figure is set to rocket in the coming days as more services will be administering the boosters. Up to 2,500 fire and rescue services, staff could assi...
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has released its Fifth U.S. Needs Assessment report, which found that while some fire department needs have declined, some unmet needs have remained constant, and many areas have increased need. This includes aging facilities and apparatus, a lack of behavioral health and safety programs, and challenges in providing training and certification for structural firefighting and other community needs. About the Needs Assessment report Published every...
Education is the future and requires top performance. G-TEC, as a globally renowned specialist in the planning of technical building equipment, defines this claim for itself as follows: ‘Innovative building concepts that meet user requirements over the entire service life are indispensable’. G-TEC’s new school center projects Two large school projects currently planned by G-TEC in Weinheim and Heilbronn show how energy efficiency can be consistently implemented for the best p...
The award recognizes the work undertaken throughout 2020/2021 by the FPA to revolutionize its digital services by launching two new websites and a CRM system to improve customer engagement, integrating a third-party security tool throughout all digital platforms to protect the members, delivering two successful virtual events, and implementing a new webinar platform to improve member engagement and also in the process of launching an app to improve accessibility to digital products. Both websit...
On November 18, President Biden signed the Protecting America’s First Responders Act (S. 1511) into law. The bill contains language clarifying that members of fire departments who provide traffic incident management services, often referred to as fire police, are public safety officers and eligible to receive the Public Safety Officers’ Benefit (PSOB). Bill signing ceremony The bill also makes it easier to qualify for PSOB Disability and extends for two years a presumption that...
An update to all BAFE registered organizations and the wider fire safety industry. Recent weeks have seen a new Omicron variant of COVID-19 emerge and begin to spread across the UK. With this, the Government has re-introduced measures to mitigate this risk such as mask-wearing in shops and on all public transport. BAFE is confident by now that the fire safety industry fully understands its position as a life safety, and therefore necessary, provision of service required to continue (whe...
An update to all BAFE registered organizations and the wider fire safety industry. Recent weeks have seen a new Omicron variant of COVID-19 emerge and begin to spread across the UK. With this, Government has re-introduced measures to mitigate this risk such as mask wearing in shops and on all public transport. Representing latest guidance BAFE is confident by now that all the fire safety industry fully understands their position as a life safety, and therefore necessary, provision of service...
Cumberland Valley Volunteer Firemen's Association’s (CVVFA) Candice McDonald is featured in a new e-Book authored by CVVFA’s good friend, Chief Dennis Compton. Candice McDonald and 30 other exceptional women have been featured in the new e-Book for their vital roles in the fire service. Candice McDonald featured in new e-book Chief Dennis Compton chose to include Candice MacDonald in his e-book, describing her as a leader who balances her professional, family and volunteer respons...
Users are all only too familiar with the “Hands, Face, Space” mantra intended to help control the spread and risk of Covid-19. Obviously, this means it has never been more important to ensure that surfaces are kept clean. This includes items such as Nittan fire alarm control panels, which have controls and touch screens used by engineers and end-users when operating them. But as with all electronic equipment, the materials used to clean them need to be chosen very carefully. Tech...
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. Now in its tenth year, the program has provided over $1 million worth of gear to assist volunteer fire departments in need. In 2021, 13 departments will each receive four sets of turnout gear and four helmets to help enhance the safety of their firefighters. The first 500 applicants also received a one-year ...
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 its tenth year, the program has provided over $1 million worth of gear to assist volunteer fire departments in need. In 2021, 13 departments will each receive four sets of turnout gear and four helmets to help enhance the safety of their firefighters. The first 500 applicants also received a one-year NVFC m...
On October 27, the House of Representatives passed the Protecting America’s First Responders Act (S. 1511). Then on November 4, the Senate voted unanimously to agree to the House version of the bill. S. 1511 now goes to President Biden to be signed into law. “I’d like to thank Senator Grassley and Representative Pascrell, along with the many bipartisan cosponsors of the Protecting America’s First Responders Act, for their leadership in introducing and getting Congress...
The Association for Specialist Fire Protection has announced the shortlist for its 2021 Passive Fire Protection Awards, with the winners due to be announced on 26 November at the Association’s Awards Lunch at the Edwardian Hotel in Manchester. The awards will be presented by broadcaster, naturalist, and marine biologist Monty Hall. The 2021 event will see awards presented in eight Award categories, each recognizing excellence within the passive fire protection industry, at company and ind...
As Americans prepare for much-anticipated travel in the coming months, the safety of transportation and roadways is a concern for most travelers, according to a new survey facilitated by 3M. Nearly half—or 47 percent—of U.S. respondents plan to travel for a vacation or trip, within the next six months, and more than 3 out of 4 plan to travel by car. At the same time, 53 percent are concerned about the safety of transportation and roadways, when traveling outside their community. 3M...
Culminating nearly three years of work by the IAFF and congressional advocates, Congress passed legislation significantly expanding and improving Public Safety Officer Benefits (PSOB) for firefighters who die or are disabled in the line of duty (PAFRA; S 1511). President Biden is expected to sign the bill into law in the coming days. “Supporting the families of our fallen brothers and sisters is the most important thing we can do and we will never shy away from this fight,” says Gen...
Notices were recently posted by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), and the National Personal Protective Technology Library (NPPTL) concerning the safety and quality of 2 types of personal protective equipment (PPE) used frequently by emergency medical services personnel: medical gloves and N95 particulate filtering facepiece respirators. Medical gloves notice Medical gloves notice is issued by the FDA on Oct. 29, 2021. Thi...
The growth and development of the Association for Specialist Fire Protection (ASFP) continue apace; having recently gone through a rebranding initiative one of the final steps was to install new signage at the Association’s registered office. In 2020, the ASFP moved its secretariat and management services to be under the provision of the British Coatings Federation (BCF) at their Coventry-based facility, Spectra House. This move has seen the ASFP’s professionalism and resources grow...
RBFRS is delighted to say that they will be holding the first in-person Armed Forces Veterans’ Hub on Wednesday, 17 November from 10:30am-12:30pm at Crowthorne Community Fire Station. The Armed Forces Veterans’ Hub is designed to offer a place for veterans to come together, listen to speakers and meet organizations that can provide them with advice or support them and meet each other. The Veterans’ Hub forms part of the Royal Berkshire Fire Authority’s commitment to supp...
In the plenary meeting, the participants discussed Russian-Finnish cooperation in economy, industry, power, technology, and transport. The Minister of Finland Ville Skinner pointed out that the Russian Federation was one of the most important markets for Finland and due to this fact a major goal for both countries was to further develop cooperation and enhance the linkages. COVID-19 pandemic became a great challenge for global cooperation, and today it was the time to increase the joint effor...
UKAS is pleased to publish the Annual Report for the financial year of 2020/2021. In line with the new logo, symbols of accreditation and website, that were unveiled at the start of 2021, the Annual Report has also been updated to reflect the refreshed branding. Importance of accreditation The content of the report has also been expanded, containing a range of articles that highlight the importance of accreditation in its role of delivering confidence in the products and services t...
While most U.S. emergency communications centers (ECCs) use a CAD system to dispatch 911 calls and facilitate records management, few CAD system components are uniform across vendors. This can create problems transferring emergency calls and associated data, such as caller location information. It can also create problems with the transfer of call information to first responders in the field via public safety broadband networks. These transfer functions are important capabilities for enhancing...
Kent Fire and Rescue Service (KFRS) is at the center of a new initiative to support homeless people and rough sleepers to live safely in temporary accommodations before moving into permanent homes. With government direction, charities have been working to provide people living on the streets with shelter in hotels and bed and breakfasts during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the fire service recognized the need to offer support and safety advice to those living in new and unfamiliar accommodat...
West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service announced that the fire service has issued three top safety tricks, in order to help prevent unnecessary Halloween hazards during the festive period. Working with West Yorkshire Police and other partners, the West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service is campaigning for people to be mindful about keeping themselves and others safe, in the build up to Halloween, Sunday, October 31, 2021. Safety tips to prevent Halloween hazards The West Yorkshire Fire and Res...
The East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust (EEAST) has been awarded Freedom of Entry to the Borough by Basildon Council in recognition of the heroic efforts serving the community during the coronavirus pandemic. Freedom of the Borough is the highest honor awarded in exceptional circumstances, where the recipient has provided outstanding services which have brought significant pride and satisfaction to the borough. outstanding services Four NHS organizations were granted Freed...
In the latest episode of Assembly Point, FPA Director of Operations - Howard Passey talks to Lewis Ramsey, Caretaker Manager at BAFE to examine the key issues and areas to consider when looking at fire risk management in buildings that are occupied by vulnerable persons. Howard and Lewis also explore the criticality of active and passive fire systems being suitable for the purpose, installed correctly, and that their subsequent maintenance and testing is undertaken by an accredited third party....
The event organizers for A+A Congress 2021 (A+A Dusseldorf 2021) have announced that this year’s trade fair, scheduled to take place in Dusseldorf, Germany (from October 26-29, 2021), will take place in-person. A+A Congress 2021 In typical circumstances, MSA Safety Incorporated is a regular attendee and exhibitor at the event, as A + A has proven to be one of the world’s foremost safety events. After careful consideration, however, MSA Safety Incorporated has decided not to exhibit...
The Business Model workstream of the Construction Leadership Council publishes a refreshed suite of guidance on managing COVID-19 within construction contracts. The updated documents now include revised information on future-proofing JCT / NEC amendments for new contracts to ensure that if circumstances change parties take a collaborative approach. The suite also provides templates to allow parties to formally record how they can avoid disputes. Provides additional templates The COVID-19 pand...
