Fire Safety Policies - News

BAFE is pleased to announce the SP207 Evacuation Alert Systems Scheme Document.  BAFE SP207 Scheme Supporting British Standard 8629 (Evacuation Alert Systems for use by fire and rescue services in buildings containing flats), the BAFE SP207 Scheme document covers demonstrating quality evidence of competency for the design, installation, commissioning, and maintenance of evacuation alert systems. The Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government published the outcome of the cons...

Cool fall weather has arrived, winter is fast approaching, and Big Bear Fire Department encourages everyone to practice safe winter heating. Big Bear Valley residents and tourists alike will soon be lighting pilot lights and finding other ways to keep warm during the chill of the season. When not functioning properly, the heating appliances that are keeping users warm can turn deadly quickly. Carbon monoxide “Carbon monoxide is odorless and colorless and can kill its victims while they&...

On Oct 14, 2020, the women of Branchville serve the community with a full engine and two ambulances. This is the first time in over 10 years that Branchville Volunteer Fire Company (Company 11) has placed in service a wagon that is fully staffed by women. The Officers and members of the Branchville Volunteer Fire Company would like to congratulate the women staff on this massive accomplishment.

The Global Cold Chain Community will meet digitally on a global level from October 14 to November 10, 2020, as part of the Global Cold Chain Alliance (GCCA) Virtual Innovation Program (VIP). As a platinum sponsor and CEBA Track Thought Leader, WAGNER brings its expertise in fire protection and fire detection for high-bay and deep-freeze warehouses. GCCA Virtual Innovation Program This event gives the community of cold chain experts and supporters the chance to network digitally, exchange idea...

CIC is pleased to announce a new partnership with Accredex, e-Learning and accreditation experts, to help provide innovative and timely e-learning for industry professionals. In the coming months, CIC will be working across its membership and network to identify gaps in the training market which they will seek to address. E-Learning can provide a flexible platform for the industry to tackle their training needs whilst also fitting in with work and lifestyle. Virtual learning services Accrede...

Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service is joining forces with local authority partners and emergency services, in order to help keep people safe in the upcoming bonfire and fireworks season. With many organized events canceled across the county, emergency services are preparing for a busier night than usual. There is an emerging concern that more people will plan displays and bonfires to celebrate in their own gardens, which could pose significant risk for the people. Safety measures for Bonfi...

Renowned UK manufacturer of fire safety solutions, Application Solutions (Safety and Security) Ltd (ASL), located in Lewes, East Sussex has been recruiting apprentices since early 2012, via the UK Apprenticeship Service. Working with local training provider Sigta Training (SIGTA Limited), ASL currently employs three apprentices, across engineering and business administration, at ASL’s head office in Lewes. An apprenticeship is a genuine job combining practical training, while working with...

Application Solutions (Safety and Security) Ltd (ASL) has announced that the company will be exhibiting at FIREX International 2019, which opens at Excel London, alongside IFSEC, on Tuesday, 18th June, until Thursday, 20th June 2019. ASL shall be showcasing the latest VIPEDIA, Integra and V2000 public address and voice alarm equipment, alongside their iVENCS Control System for fire, CCTV and security management.

Vimpex Ltd, Europe’s independent manufacturer of fire alarm ancillaries, has added a Fire Door Coordinator - which ensures that a pair of self-closing fire doors will always close in the correct sequence, enabling each door leaf to shut fully, and help to maintain the fire integrity of the doors - to its door holder product range. If double fire doors don’t close in the correct sequence they will not close in the middle and leave a gap for dangerous smoke and gases to pass through....

A global coalition of over 80 fire safety pioneer organizations (including BAFE) on Monday 5 October launched a new internationally consistent approach to the safety and management of buildings, with the aim of saving more lives by reducing risk and preventing devastating fires. The launch of the International Fire Safety Standard – Common Principles (IFSS-CP) follows extensive work to bring public confidence around the regulation and control of fire safety measures. Non-existent require...

Former Kent Fire and Rescue Service (KFRS) Director of Operations - Sean Bone-Knell and current Head of Procurement at KFRS, Tina Butler, have been recognized in the 2020 Queen’s Birthday Honours list. Sean Bone-Knell, who retired from KFRS in March 2020, after 33 years of service, has been awarded the Queen’s Fire Service Medal – a prestigious medal given to members of the fire services in the UK and Commonwealth for distinguished services or gallantry. Steering national pol...

Setting up fire and/or security monitoring services for one’s business provides great peace of mind. But the process can be confusing, especially when multiple parties are involved in providing the services. Koorsen Fire & Security wishes to provide quality monitoring services to our customers, which is why the company works with CMS, who provides excellent service and a valuable end-user experience with their free online portal. To better understand how one’s Koorsen monitorin...

As part of the commitment towards creating a more diverse and inclusive culture at Apollo, it is proud to announce the parent company, Halma’s new Paid Parental Leave initiative to help the employees with their growing families. Paid Parental Leave initiative Effective from 1st October 2020, this new policy allows for 14 weeks of paid leave for births, surrogacy, and adoptions, offering men and women an equal amount of paid parental leave regardless of their gender or their sexual orient...

The competence requirements for the proposed new role of the Building Safety Manager have been set out in a new report ‘safer people, safer homes: Building Safety Management’. Under new legislation being introduced in the draft Building Safety Bill published in July, those deemed responsible in law for the safety of higher-risk building, such as the landlord, will be required to appoint a Building Safety Manager. In the draft Building Safety Bill, homes that fall in the higher ris...

A blueprint to improve competence for those working on higher-risk buildings and drive culture change has been set out by a cross-industry group representing more than 150 organizations in the fire and built environment industries. Setting the Bar is the second and final report of the Competence Steering Group (CSG) and is an update of its Interim Report, Raising the Bar, published in August 2019. The work was initiated by the recommendations in Dame Judith Hackitt’s review Building a Saf...

The competence requirements for the proposed new role of the Building Safety Manager have been set out in a new report Safer People, Safer Homes: Building Safety Management. Under new legislation being introduced in the draft Building Safety Bill published in July, those deemed responsible in law for the safety of higher-risk buildings, such as the landlord, will be required to appoint a Building Safety Manager. In the draft Building Safety Bill, homes that fall in the higher risk category...

A blueprint to improve competence for those working on higher-risk buildings and drive culture change has been set out by a cross-industry group representing more than 150 organizations in the fire and built environment industries. Setting the Bar is the second and final report of the Competence Steering Group (CSG) and is an update of its Interim Report, Raising the Bar, published in August 2019. The work was initiated by the recommendations in Dame Judith Hackitt’s review Building a Saf...

American Fire Protection Group, Inc. (AFPG) is powered by APi Group, a multi-billion dollar company that has been a globally renowned player in the Construction and Life Safety industry, since 1926. APi Group operates over 200 locations in North America and continues to grow. APi Group Being a part of the APi Group family provides confidence to American Fire Protection Group’s customers who want to mitigate risk related to financial stress. Being a part of APi Group also creates opportun...

Firefighters attended a fire at St Mary’s School in Darley Abbey, Derbyshire with six fire engines at the scene being supported by 2 aerial ladder platforms and a control unit. On arrival firefighters were met with a well-developed fire. Sean McClafferty, Chief Executive of the St Ralph Sherwin Catholic Multi Academy Trust, said “The fire has caused extensive damage to the building. As a result, it is not safe for staff and pupils to enter. The school will be closed from Monday. Ima...

Update from Director of Schemes for BAFE, Chris Auger, for all organizations preparing for their BAFE Third Party Certification assessment and temporary certification changes. In June BAFE published a statement clarifying its position regarding remote assessments and how should prepare for Certification Audit. Issue of certificates At that time BAFE took the view that registered companies whose initial audit was due would be allowed an initial concession that would allow the Certification Bod...

The Harris County Fire Marshal's Office (HCFMO) is teaming up with the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) - the official sponsor of Fire Prevention Week for more than 90 years, to promote this year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign, ‘Serve Up Fire Safety in the Kitchen!” Cooking, Key cause of home fires The campaign works to educate everyone about simple but important actions they can take to keep themselves and those around them safe.   According to the NFPA, co...

South Yorkshire’s fire service wants people to have their say on its draft Integrated Risk Management Plan 2021-2024. This is a plan that explains how the fire service will keep local people safe over the next few years. Among the issues, SYFRS wants views on their expected response times for different types of incidents, which have been published in the draft plan. Set of response standards The proposed new response time arrangements take into account whether a person’s life...

South Yorkshire’s fire service is taking its one-of-a-kind Black History Month exhibition online in October, in a bid to attract more people from BAME backgrounds to consider a fire and rescue service career. Family, which was put together to pay homage to the diverse heritage of fire service staff, features portrait photographs of 11 employees past and present. portrait exhibition The portraits were exhibited at various locations across Sheffield in October 2019 including the train sta...

With a career spanning 50 years in firefighting and fire engineering, Paul Grimwood is highly regarded within the fire industry as an expert and pioneer for new operational tactics.  Paul Grimwood, a Principal Fire Engineer at Kent Fire and Rescue Service, has developed a range of revolutionary defenses which have been adopted by fire services across the world while providing support for complex fire engineering consultations, occupancy figures, smoke control calculations, and fire strateg...

As a result of the publication of the on the F Gas Regulation 517-2014 regulation, there has been reductions in the quantity of HFC’s that are allowed into the European Union. FM200 is just one of the many HFC’s in use the UK and EU as well as throughout the rest of the world. It was the main alternative to Halon and has been used for 20 to 30 years as a fire suppressant. What does this actually mean for FM200? The initial reductions from the baseline had no effect on Alberta G...

When their annual stair-climb event was sidelined back in March 2020, due to the global COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic spread concerns, LION and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) didn't let that stop their event. Instead, the LLS went virtual with their annual firefighter star-climb event. The event was renamed, 'Big Virtual Climb’. Big Virtual Climb event On June 13th, 2020 rather than gathering at San Francisco's Salesforce Tower, where the climb was originally scheduled to take...

For obvious health safety reasons owing to the global COVID-19 pandemic spread, the organizers and partners of the world’s renowned trade fair for fire and rescue services, civil protection, safety and security, Interschutz have decided to postpone the appointment made in June 2020 for the event to be held to June 2021. Interschutz Indeed, the health crisis, which directly affects both exhibitors and visitors, forces them to make themselves available at other sites and does not allow gat...

Global fire systems and equipment manufacturer, Advanced, has won an award at the ESX Innovation Awards 2019 for its ground-breaking smoke control solution, DynamixSmoke. The product, launched in 2018, radically simplifies fire alarm and smoke control integration and won its award in the Fire and Life Safety category of the ESX Innovation Awards 2019, which took place on June 6 at the Indianapolis Convention Center, Indianapolis. DynamixSmoke smoke control solution DynamixSmoke is a high-perf...

Advanced's Technical Support Manager, Paul Duffy gives his insight into the diagnostic features of fire panels that can help save time, money and hassle. Fire detection and alarm systems are increasingly complex and sophisticated, benefiting from cutting-edge digital technology. As a fire alarm engineer installing, servicing and/or commissioning such technology, it can be hard to keep on top of electrical skills and the latest regulations/local installation standards, let alone the many differe...

In 2019, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, France and Italy rounded out the top five countries in Europe, in terms of their numbers of data centers. The challenge for facilities managers is to keep the critical infrastructure running, as problems can have serious consequences. On 31st October 2016, a Ford Motor Company data center in Detroit was shut down by an electrical fire. Thankfully, nobody was hurt but the whole Dearborn complex, which houses 30,000 workers, was forced to clo...