Fire Protection - News

The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) has announced hosting a webinar titled ‘Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Preservation and N95 Respirator Decontamination and Reuse’, with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, U. S. Fire Administration and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. PPE Preservation webinar The webinar will focus on the current research and best practices for preserving and decontaminating personal protective equipment and use of the Battelle Decon...

The NVFC recently hosted a Facebook Live discussion on creative fundraising ideas fire and EMS departments can consider to help bridge funding shortfalls caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent social distancing measures. If one has missed the live event, the recording can be watched on NVFC’s social media page.

The NVFC is running an ongoing survey to better understand the needs of volunteer and combination fire, EMS, and rescue departments dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing measures. Data collected helps inform the discussions with policymakers in Congress and federal agencies. NVFC asks volunteers to take the survey, and retake it each week so NVFC can track changes over time.    

NVFC chair Steve Hirsch sat down with Side Alpha podcast host Marc Bashoor in February to discuss volunteerism in the fire service, how to stem declining numbers, strategies for recruitment and retention efforts, and the future of the fire service. The podcast is now available for download. 

Anheuser-Busch and the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) have been named a 2020 Silver Halo Award winner in the Disaster Prevention/Relief category for the Emergency Drinking Water for Wildland Firefighters program. Keeping firefighters hydrated during long incidents or disasters such as wildfires is a critical need for fire departments, yet many volunteer departments struggle with limited budget and resources. To help departments meet this need, Anheuser-Busch teamed up with the NVFC in 2...

The National Fire Protection Association has announced the theme of Fire Prevention Week 2020 is “Serve Up Fire Safety in the Kitchen.” Cooking is the major cause of home fires and home fire injuries in the U.S. NFPA urges to use the week of October 4-10 to educate one’s community on cooking hazards, the dangers of unattended cooking, and precautions one can take to prevent cooking-related fires.

Safety Stand Down is June 14-20, and departments are encouraged to suspend all non-emergency activities to focus on training relating to year 2020’s theme - protecting emergency responders at roadway incidents. Resources are available at the Safety Stand Down website, and webinar details would be posted soon. One can take the Safety Stand Down Quiz by June 17 for a chance to win one of 200 limited-edition challenge coins.

The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC), in partnership with the Firefighter Behavioral Health Alliance (FBHA) and the American Psychological Association (APA), has released a new directory of behavioral health professionals that are equipped and ready to help firefighters, EMS providers, dispatchers, and rescue workers. Emergency responders are at risk of many behavioral health concerns, including anxiety, depression, burnout, post-traumatic and acute stress, addiction, relationship challen...

First Priority Group, LLC, a globally renowned manufacturer, up fitter and service provider of emergency and specialty vehicles, is pleased to announce the introduction of two new product lines for law enforcement and fire vehicle conversions, the BlueTac and RedTac specialized vehicles. The new BlueTac product line will feature pre-configured mission specific vehicles for law enforcement specialty teams. Each BlueTac model is crafted around the core needs of the agencies expanding beyond routi...

Because of the ongoing drought, the Association for the Promotion of German Fire Protection (vfdb) has once again warned of the increasing risk of forest fires.  There are severe precipitation deficits, especially in the west, in the middle, and parts of northern and eastern Germany, said the vfdb Forest Fire Expert, Fire Director - Dr. Ulrich Cimolino.  Meteorological findings “The previous forecasts do not give any reason to give the all-clear,” said Dr. Ulrich Cimolin...

In relation to the fires in the last 6 months including the recent blaze in south east London that was attended by London Fire Brigade. Envirograf would like to remind people about the dangers of naked flames and embers left on balconies from using a BBQ. Especially, during the outbreak of COVID-19, as many people have been have been staying at home which has led to an increase of people spending more time on their balconies. Providing fire protection As the users can see a simple fire caused...

Erickson Incorporated, a foremost operator, maintainer, and manufacturer of utility aircraft has announced that the United States Department of Defense awarded Erickson Inc and other Non-defense agencies, the NAAMTA Global Medical Transport Accreditation. NAAMTA Auditors completed a systematic audit of company policies and procedures, safety and quality management processes, medical personnel and policies, aviation and maintenance personnel and policies, associated equipment, training, and faci...

Global safety equipment manufacturer MSA Safety Incorporated announced plans to expand its Cranberry Township manufacturing footprint to support anticipated future growth and enable productivity improvements within the company’s gas detection product portfolio. The expansion, which includes a new 20,000-square-foot, single-story manufacturing facility adjacent to the company’s existing building in Cranberry Woods Office Park (north of Pittsburgh, Pa.), will be used exclusively for a...

The campaign, Don’t Just Specify, Verify!, launched by the BAFE Fire Safety Register earlier in the year 2020 was established to create greater awareness of Third Party Certification in the fire safety sector. It is important that all premises management (i.e. the Responsible Person/Duty Holder) understand quality regulation is present in the fire safety industry through UKAS Accredited Third Party Certification and specify these appropriate providers. This should always be followed up wi...

This Guidance Note has been prepared by a Special Interest Group(SIG), comprising representatives of FIA member companies, other invited experts in the practice of fire risk assessment in housing premises, and an observer from the National Fire Chiefs Council. Members of the SIG represent companies that carry out, in total, over 40,000 fire risk assessments for multi-occupied residential premises (blocks of flats and maisonettes) per annum. It has been published with the approval of the FIA Boa...

Kentec Electronics, a globally renowned manufacturer of life-critical control systems, has added BACnet (Building Automation and Control Network) protocol support to its Vizulinx alarm management solution, to facilitate smart, coordinated and efficient responses to fire incidents. Smart Building functionality Supporting Smart Building functionality, the protocol provides integration between Kentec fire systems and other BACnet protocol systems. Kentec fire alarm systems send real time status m...

Xtralis has announced the release of its Li-ion Tamer Lithium Ion Battery Rack Monitoring system for efficient gas leak detection in the market. Li-ion Tamer Rack Monitor system The Li-ion Tamer Rack Monitor system can provide an alert to ‘off- gas’ events that occur early in the failure mode of li-ion batteries, well in advance of smoke detection and traditional LFL gas detection. Early warning of off-gas events enable proper mitigation steps to be taken to avoid progression to a...

Since its launch in 2018, the Apollo Test Set has helped to save time on thousands of sites by aiding Engineers in fault finding and loop management. The Research and Development Team has designed some exciting new features for the Loop Tester and the firmware update will be available on the website with a few simple clicks from 18th August. What are the new features? The two new main features of this update are: Drift Management Soft Addressing Drift Management Drift management assi...

A fire caused by a charging electrical appliance has sparked a safety reminder from Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service. On Monday afternoon crews from Dogsthorpe, Whittlesey and Yaxley attended a fire in Fletton, Peterborough. They arrived to find a fire in a first-floor bedroom of a two-story house, which they were able to extinguish wearing breathing apparatus and using a hose reel. The property was evacuated before the crews arrived, but a casualty did require treatment for smoke inhalat...

In the early morning hours of June 3, 2020, the Crescent Springs/ Villa Hills firemen were dispatched to southbound 75 at the 185.2 with Erlanger Fire & EMS for a semi on fire. Engine 503 arrived on the scene and supplied Erlanger Engine 51 with tank water. Engine 503 remained on scene for a very short period of time before being released by command.

In the early evening hours of June 2, 2020, units were dispatched to Woodhill Court for a possible structure fire. Original reports from the 911 call stated smoke in the building and a "popping" noise in the walls. Chief 525 arrived on the scene and reported a working fire in a 2 story multi-family building with smoke showing from 2 roof eves. First arriving units found heavy smoke in the attic with minimal fire. Using two additional engines Due to the location of the actual fire and the cond...

Hotel fires are among the most poignant disasters. Maybe it’s the intimate link between hotels and travel, the connection with places around the world or maybe it’s the sheer scale of loss and the innocence of those affected. When hotel fire safety is poorly controlled and people lose their lives, the sense of tragedy is palpable and it is felt around the world. But tragedy is a teacher. Out of the worst fire events in history, some of the greatest truths have been learned. Hotels b...

TFT is offering a new nozzle to the North American fire service - The Working Fire nozzle. A 150 gpm @75 psi fixed GPM nozzle with TFT’s pressure relief. The new TFT Working Fire nozzle delivers performance when one needs maximum flows for a “working fire.” For everyday use, it is a 150 gpm @75 psi Fixed GPM Nozzle, but when one need even more GPM, the nozzle’s exclusive pressure relief system dramatically limits nozzle reaction. At low flows, just like every other fixe...

When a company invests time, money, and energy into creating a company’s working-alone policy and procedures, it'll want to leverage them to successfully achieve its safety-related aims.  Following are several tips and strategies for optimal creation and implementation of this policy. Create the Right Policy  Templates can be quite helpful when creating policies and procedures, but the company will need to ensure that the result is laser-targeted to its specific situations.&nb...

WYFRS recommends reviewing the fire assessment as soon as possible after returning from lockdown and systems and provisions are maintained to check they are working correctly. Stephen Adams, Chief Executive–BAFE, commented: “We are pleased to see Fire and Rescue Service information mirrors what BAFE has been advising as we begin the process of returning to a ‘new normal’. Many business premises will have changed the way they operate due to new coronavirus safety measures...

Following the guidance released in April 2020 from the U.S. Food & Drug Administration and further updated documentation released on May 13, Seek Scan™ is now one of the most affordable thermal scanning solutions that meets FDA guidelines for initial body temperature assessment during the COVID-19 public health emergency. As U.S. businesses reopen, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has formally released its recommendations to create safe and healthy workplaces to prot...

WYFRS recommends to review the fire assessment as soon as possible after everyone returns from lockdown and systems and provisions are maintained to check they are working correctly. Stephen Adams, Chief Executive – BAFE, commented: “We are pleased to see Fire and Rescue Service information mirrors what BAFE has been advising as we begin the process of returning to a ‘new normal’. Many business premises will have changed the way they operate due to new coronavirus safety...

The LVR-1 monitors analog phone lines for a drop in voltage and activates relay contacts that signal a non-working phone line. “It’s nice to think analog phone lines work all the time, and critical to know when they are down. The LVR-1 integrates with alert systems to minimize response times to a disconnected phone line.” – Bill Heideman, President, Viking Electronics. Alert of a non-working or disconnected phone line When the voltage on an analog phone line monitored...

From door handles to office printers, these high touch-point areas are commonly missed and may have not been cleaned in a while. ARA Fire makes the user think twice about where their hands have been and sparks a real cause for concern.  cleaning and disinfection Think about how much time users spend in the office during the normal working week. On average five days or 38 hours a week, brewing the morning coffee on the coffee machine or scanning documents on the office printer, and by no...

The Construction Industry Council (CIC) is recommending government extends the ban on the use of combustible materials to a wider range of buildings than is currently proposed. It wants the ban to include care homes, halls of residence, and potentially schools. The CIC recommendations are in response to a government consultation first published in January, which proposes changing the Building Regulations to ban the use of combustible materials in and on external walls and in specified attachmen...