Fire Safety Standards - News

Gentoo is investing over £32 million over four years in internal refurbishment works across its housing stock for 60,000 residents. In an early notification published on Contracts Finder last month, Gentoo set out details of its intentions. The contract is divided into three lots with lot 3 focused on high-rise buildings and the installation of sprinkler systems and fire alarms. The value of lot 3 alone is £7 million and will be awarded on a framework basis for up to six providers...

After spending a large amount of the year 2020 and first half of 2021 confined in homes, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it is safe to say that there are lots of people who are excited to get back out into the world. As lockdown restrictions are easing and things begin to open again, it is important that everyone knows how to keep their homes safe, in the return to normality. APE Fire & Security have put together a quick list of things that residents can do to secure their homes: Do not l...

The issue of protecting heritage structures and other buildings containing priceless artefacts or documents from fire risk came into stark focus in mid-April. A blaze originating at Table Mountain eventually swept onto the upper campus of the University of Cape Town (UCT). It caused extensive damage to the African Studies Library reading room, known previously as the JW Jagger Library. Built-in the 1930s, it is home to many international research collections, with an estimated 85 000 items in t...

MSA Safety Incorporated (MSA), DuPont Personal Protection (DuPont), and the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) are helping volunteer fire departments obtain much-needed turnout gear, through MSA and DuPont’s Globe Gear Giveaway. Now in its tenth year, the program has provided over US$ 1 million worth of fire safety gear to assist volunteer fire departments in need. Globe Gear Giveaway In 2021, 13 fire departments will each receive four sets of turnout gear and four helmets, in order...

Globally renowned fire and life-safety systems manufacturer, C-TEC, is exhibiting at The Fire Safety Event 2021. Hosted at Birmingham’s NEC, from September 7 - 9, 2021, the eagerly-awaited event will feature free CPD-accredited educational seminars, 120+ exhibitors and the fire industry’s latest products, technology and solutions. C-TEC’s fire alarm systems C-TEC will be showcasing CAST, its revolutionary new own-protocol fire alarm and detection system, ENVISION, its futuri...

UKAS is pleased to report that the UKAS IAF Multilateral Recognition Arrangement (MLA) scope has recently been extended in the area of management systems certification, with two food/feed schemes being added at Levels 4 and 5: FSSC 22000 is a Food Safety Management System sector scheme that builds upon ISO 22000. UKAS currently accredits 10 Certification Bodies to provide this service. FAMI-QS is a proprietary management system standard in its own right for the specialty feed ingre...

Following the withdrawal of the UK from the EU, the Government introduced the UK Conformity Assessed (UKCA) regime, as part of the domestic legal framework introduced for goods being placed on the GB market. Review of the UKAS publication GEN 5 As the UKCA regime has developed, a review of the UKAS publication GEN 5 has been undertaken, leading to some updates to the latest edition of this document. Changes include updated names and contact details of the Competent Authorities and the expansi...

Responding to an average of nearly 30,000 calls a year to false alarms generated from automated fire alarm activations, unwanted fire alarm signals (UFAS) account for 30% of all incidents by the service. Time for Change Reducing Unwanted Fire Alarm Signals is a new consultation document from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service. It shows that only 2% of automatic fire alarms from non-domestic properties were actual fires, with only a tiny percentage requiring firefighting as the majority were...

AEI Cables has been highlighting the importance of using only approved cabling in signal and control equipment for fire safety. Importance of approved cabling Now, the fire industry is supporting its campaign to raise awareness of the dangers of not using approved cabling, as specified under the revised version of the Code of Practice for Category 3 fire performance cables. The systems, powered by these cables, including smoke and heat extraction systems, assist fire services in firefighting...

For multi-occupied residential buildings, fire safety responsibility is often wrongly shrouded in ambiguity. Only recently, the CEO of Grenfell Tower’s management body passed blame to staff for an outdated building safety plan, of which information on vulnerable residents was 15 years out of date. This baton-pass type approach simply isn’t effective, or even appropriate for a topic as vital as fire safety. After all, the standards associated with fire safety are by obligation, rob...

FEMA authorized the use of federal funds to help with firefighting costs for the Richard Spring Fire burning in Rosebud County, Mont. FEMA Acting Regional Administrator Tammy Littrell approved the state’s request for a federal Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) after receiving the request this afternoon and determining that the fire threatened such destruction that it would constitute a major disaster. Fire threat At the time of the request, the Richard Spring Fire was threa...

Fire Brigades Union general secretary Matt Wrack has responded to the UN’s latest major report on climate change, which was published recently. He said that “Firefighters here and across the world are on the front line of the climate crisis. We see the effects of climate change every time we fight wildfires and save people from floods, and we will fight as hard as we can for politicians to wake up and take notice. As a humanitarian service, we cannot stand by and watch this happen.&...

With less than one month until the showcase, Cummins Inc. is gearing up for the North American Council for Freight Efficiency (NACFE) Run on Less - Electric (RoL-E), an electric truck technology demonstration. The RoL-E is a three-week event beginning Sept. 2 featuring daily performance metrics, and real-world fleet stories documenting the benefits and challenges of deploying electric trucks. Cummins is participating in the event with a class 6 box truck powered by the Cummins PowerDrive&...

Organizations have long understood the many potential business benefits of holding certification to an international management system, such as the widely recognized ISO 9001 quality, ISO 14001 environmental, and ISO 45001 occupational health and safety standards. More than being a certificate to hang on the wall, certification is a powerful business tool, providing a degree of certainty in uncertain times. Externally, certification offers the potential to lower barriers to trade by opening doo...

Airbus Defense and Space, the German prime for the tri-national Future Combat Air System Program (FCAS), has contracted Fraunhofer FKIE and DMI Solutions to develop an Explainable AI (XAI) demonstrator. The project is realized jointly with the FCAS Expert Commission on the responsible use of new technologies. Airbus Defense and Space, the German prime for the tri-national Future Combat Air System Program (FCAS), has contracted Fraunhofer FKIE and DMI Solutions to develop an Explainable AI (XAI)...

Task Force Tips (TFT) was created 50 years ago by a firefighter to provide tools to help first responders to do their job more safely and effectively. Currently, TFT is helping to keep firefighters healthier as well. TFT has partnered with Purafil, part of the largest air filtration company in the world to integrate proven and patented filtration technology into a new TFT product: CrewProtect™. filtration technologies Put simply, CrewProtect cleans the apparatus air that firefighte...

They are delighted to announce the addition of Rosse Systems Ltd into the Checkmate Fire Group. Together they are creating an unparalleled portfolio of solutions for the active and passive fire protection industry. Established in 1989, Checkmate Fire is the UK’s passive fire protection specialist, supplying a comprehensive range of third-party accredited survey, installation and compliance services to public and private sector organizations across the country. Life safety solutions With...

Verint Systems (Verint), the globally renowned customer engagement company, has announced the expansion of the digital-first capabilities of its cloud platform through the acquisition of Conversocial. With this expansion, Verint’s market-renowned conversational AI provides brands the ability to orchestrate customer journeys with a connected experience across their channels of choice. Robust support for digital customer engagement The acquisition will expand Verint’s robust support...

Gorman-Rupp has designed a line of high efficiency, limited solids handling Super T Series® pumps that are available in standard materials of construction or fitted in Gorman-Rupp Hard Iron for abrasive environments. The 2”, 3”, and 4” Super T Series pumps are now available with a new impeller and wear plate designed to boost efficiency as much as 19% with a shutoff head increased 37% more than the previous standard models. The 2” Super T Series pumps will pass a 0.7...

Oshkosh Airport Products, LLC, an Oshkosh Corporation Company, announced that its upcoming ‘Road Rally’ will offer aircraft rescue and firefighting crews at airports throughout North America a hands-on and immersive experience to learn about the revolutionary new Striker® Volterra™ performance Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) hybrid electric vehicle (HEV). Oshkosh Airport Products’ Road Rally will provide airport fire department representatives an opportunity...

Mecklenburg County, NC Local 5326 is one of the newest IAFF affiliates to organize in the southeastern United States. Mecklenburg County is in the southwestern part of the state and is the second-most populated county in the state. Several Mecklenburg County fire departments are beginning to shift from combination fire departments to career departments. To ensure they would have a seat at the table as decisions are being made about the future of these departments, 33...

AT&T Foundation is awarding $30,000 in grants to three non-profit organizations that are assisting victims of the Dixie Fire. AT&T Foundation is granting $10,000 each to the Almanor Foundation Wildfire Relief Fund, the American Red Cross Gold Country Region, and the Plumas Crisis Intervention and Resource Center. "AT&T Foundation has an ongoing commitment to serving the people and communities of California," said Rhonda Johnson, President- AT&T California. "We are proud to supp...

On 8th and 9th December 2021, the next VdS-FireSafety Cologne 2021 event will be held at Koelnmesse, with expert conferences, an expert trade fair, free themed forums and the new format VdS-FireSafetyTalk. Fire protection professionals can look forward to 8th and 9th December 2021, with VdS Training Center (VdS) looking optimistically towards the end of the year and expecting to be able to hold VdS-FireSafety Cologne 2021 event on these dates, featuring an expert trade fair, themed forums and e...

G3 Systems handed over its Fire Protection Service (FPS) function to DEU (German Armed Forces) Air Operations Group firefighters, marking the conclusion of a continuous working relationship at the Mazar e Sharif (MeS) airbase which began on 21st November 2014. During the last 6 and a half years, G3 Systems Limited, working through the NATO Supply & Procurement Agency (NSPA), has successfully provided the DEU at MeS with continuous aviation and structural fire cover, ensuring all airfield em...

Cummins Inc. announced that its 6.7 and 9-liter engines will power CLAAS’s new TRION family of combines. With a capability of 190-320 kW (255-430 HP) they have high power density and excellent fuel efficiency. These engines will be supplied at Stage IIIA and Stage V emissions levels for applicability in a wide range of territories. Ann Schmelzer, General Manager of Cummins Global Agriculture Business said: “Cummins has had a strong presence in the agriculture industry for many...

Danone is a global pioneer in dairy, water and baby nutrition products, with well-known brands including Actimel, Evian and Cow & Gate. They are delighted to have completed a number of Sprinkler and Fire Alarm & Detection installations for Danone over the last ten years in their various Manufacturing Facilities. In Macroom, where they produce infant and follow-on formula, they designed, supplied and retro-fitted a Sprinkler System to FM Global standards into an existing Powder Milk Prod...

Automatic has installed a number of Sprinkler Systems into Glanbia Manufacturing Facilities around the country, both in green field new build projects and in existing buildings. In Belview, for Glanbia Ingredients, they designed, installed and commissioned an NFPA Fire Protection System for the new green field Dairy Facility. The works also included water supplies (Sprinkler, Tank and Fire Pumps) along with underground Hydrants and Fire Main. There was also a Gas Suppression system installed....

Firefighters across the Yorkshire and Humber region have revealed new, advanced fire kits following a joint procurement deal. As part of a tri-service agreement, all firefighters in South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, and the Humberside region will begin wearing new fire tunics and trousers. For crews in South Yorkshire and Humberside, the personal protective equipment (PPE) revamp will also feature a pioneering, multi-function rescue jacket to reflect the changing role of the modern firefighter....

The newly created not-for-profit organization, the Building Safety Alliance will deliver a publicly accessible register of certified Building Safety Managers in a move that will increase confidence in the competence of these new duty holders prescribed in the Building Safety Bill. Emerging from the working group activity of the Competence Steering Group, the Building Safety Alliance marks a significant step forward for establishing the role of a Building Safety Manager in higher risk buildings....

Derby Crown Court sentenced Thirunavukkaradu Kuladaisamy to suspended prison time, as well as a large fine and court costs for fire safety breaches, after a fire in a converted house two years ago. Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service attended a fire at 1057 London Road, Derby on the night of 23 November 2019. According to local newspaper reports at the time, the police and fire service officers remained at the scene of the fire all night investigating the blaze. Fire safety regulations Respond...