Fire Safety Standards - News

The US federal government passed a new legislation called the ‘Tax Cuts & Job Act’. This legislation includes incentives for businesses that install new fire sprinkler systems. As fire sprinklers are the quickest way to extinguish a fire, it’s important to incentivize businesses to install one. Money should never be seen as a deterrent to keeping your employees and patrons safe. ‘Tax Cuts & Job Act’ US Congress has added fire protection as an eligible expe...

The American Fire Sprinkler Association (AFSA) is proud to announce a new online learning platform offering 24/7 access to CEUs and/or CPDs from AFSA educational events, including live webinars. AFSA On-Demand offers fire sprinkler contractors and other professionals the access to the best in specialty education anytime. AFSA On-Demand Featuring the most sought-after thought leaders in fire protection, AFSA On-Demand offers a superior learning experience in a unique and user-friendly format. M...

The Bundeswehr plans to equip its infantry with unmanned ground vehicles for the transport of material and weapons. It has tested various off-the-shelf systems in a variety of operational scenarios as part of two troop exercises. The Fraunhofer FKIE provided technical and scientific support for the tests. The results demonstrate the high potential of unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) and the level of maturity they have already attained. The conclusion among soldiers and experts was unanimous: the...

Explaining the need for fire and building codes to business owners and property managers can sometimes be difficult or even confrontational. Business owners, for example, may be hesitant to make necessary changes that meet code requirements due to financial reasons. Property managers may be forced to balance scheduled maintenance costs against additional costs for code compliance. working of code of compliance  One thing that will help users with their conversations during inspections is...

Despite 2020 bringing unprecedented challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service has continued to deliver vital services to the residents of Cambridgeshire. While maintaining an effective emergency response, staff have been delivering safety advice and supporting the health sector in the battle against COVID-19. Challenges  Even before the COVID-19 pandemic fully began in March, Storms Ciara and Dennis hit the county with high winds reaching between 50...

Firefighting boots need to protect from the inherent hazards that firefighting and rescue personnel encounter on the job. There are minimum NFPA standards that all firefighting boots have to meet, so as to ensure that happens. But, so much more can go into a fire boot that can take it beyond just the minimum. A firefighter has to do their job to the best of their ability and not be hampered by their gear. Not only do firefighters have to protect themselves from the heat and fire, and punctures...

Around noon on January 7th, 2021, E811 was dispatched for a reported fire to the rear of a home in the Hollywood neighborhood of College Park. E811 arrived on scene and found a well-developed fire on the patio with spread to the deck and exterior of the house. Crews quickly filled the box alarm, stretched an attack line, and extinguished the fire before it could extend into the home. C811 arrived shortly after and assumed command of the incident. Thanks to functioning smoke alarms in the home,...

The incentive to switch from fluorescent to LED emergency lighting has never been greater with Advanced’s range of versatile, high-performing, and energy-efficient solutions. Many emergency lighting installations, in place for upwards of ten years, include old technology that can add thousands of pounds of unnecessary expense to buildings’ overall running costs. Traditional fluorescent lighting consumes significantly more electricity than LED technology, while the typical lifespan...

2020 is officially over, and what a tough year it has been for many people, especially those who may have lost someone special. But even just trying to prevent the spread of this nasty virus by socially distancing has been a challenge this year. However, the virus isn’t the only toxin that one wants to keep from spreading. As fire and life safety professionals, LSS Life Safety Services are constantly talking about the importance of maintaining a facility’s fire and life safety syste...

With the ever expanding construction of refrigerated food distribution warehouses, owners are maximizing building heights in order to increase storage rack heights and the amount of product that can be retained. This sets the stage for large high-challenge fires to develop. Traditional fire protection of these refrigerated and freezer type facilities was limited to double interlock pre-action systems with rows of fire sprinklers also being included in the storage racks. In-rack type sprinklers...

Congratulations to Cory Fry from the AFPG Jackson office for achieving his NICET IV Fire Alarm System Certification. The NICET Level IV Fire Alarm certification is a robust credential, based on inter-related elements of fire alarm system designs, installation, maintenance, and inspections. Most AHJ’s have accepted it as evidence of qualification to perform maintenance and periodic inspections of fire alarm systems. Recognized certification programs Each of NICET’s nationally recog...

The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) has announced that they recognize achievement in the volunteer fire and emergency services through its annual awards program. Nominations for the Lifetime Achievement Award, Chief James P. Seavey Sr., Health and Wellness Leadership Award, Junior Firefighter of the Year Award, and Junior Firefighter Program of the Year Award are due by January 29, 2021. The NVFC annual awards program features: NVFC Lifetime Achievement Award: Sponsored by ADT, this a...

The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC), in partnership with the American Psychological Association (APA) and the Firefighter Behavioral Health Alliance, launched the Psychologically Healthy Fire Departments (PHFD) toolkit to support firefighters and EMS providers and create healthy, successful departments. A new implementation toolkit is now available to help fire department leaders promote and foster health and wellbeing among their members. Maintaining a psychologically healthy fire depar...

The final three recipients have been announced in the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC), MSA Security Incorporated and DuPont’s 2020 Globe Gear Giveaway. The White River (ON, Canada) Fire Department, New Baltimore Volunteer Fire and Rescue Company (Warrenton, VA), and the Central Hardin Fire Department (Elizabethtown, KY) will each receive four sets of state-of-the-art turnout gear and four helmets to increase the safety of their members. MSA Safety Incorporated, DuPont, and NVFC tea...

AVIOTEC's front-line technology offers flame and smoke detection for locations with no light. Thanks to separate additional infrared illumination unlit applications can be monitored with video-based fire detection delivering pin-sharp images. During the daytime, the device shows colored pictures and shifts to monochrome night mode when visibility drops below a pre-defined level. When daylight returns it automatically switches back to color mode. The video-based fire detection AVIOTEC IP starli...

Australian bushfires have stunned the world. Nature is at its full fury and humans are to be blamed for it. The flashes have been burning across Australia for months. Nearly 18 million acres of land mostly bushland, forests, and national parks that are home to the country's native wildlife have been turned into ashes.  The two crucial factors behind these disastrous fires are the prolonged dry spell that dried up the forest cover and converted the green reserve into ample fuel for the fire...

Australian bush fire has stunned the world. Nature is at its full fury and we humans are to be blamed for it. The flashes have been burning across Australia for months. Nearly 18 million acres of land mostly bush-land, forests, and national parks that are home to the country's native wildlife have been turned into ashes. The two crucial factors behind these disastrous fires are the prolonged dry spell that dried up the forest cover and converted the green reserve into ample fuel for fire to gro...

Like they say – The best way to tackle a big problem is to unpack it and piece it down to small isolated issues. Resolving the small, building block issues would have a compounding effect and the big problem will be gone like a breeze. The approach to fire suppression has evolved in quite a similar manner. In good old times when the concept of fire suppression meant the commissioning of water based sprinkler systems that worked on the principle of total flooding, the effectiveness of such...

The United Kingdom is one of the most economically developed and technologically advanced nations in the world. The world has seen some state-of-the-art technologies emerging from the UK. Customer satisfaction Being a consumer in a mature market such as the UK has its own privileges; customers here have some of the best choices of products and services at their disposal. The same is true for the fire trade. However, there are some areas that, if addressed can take customer satisfaction levels...

Fire has been the consistent enemy for a long time. History has proved time and again how fires can cause massive destruction. Ironically, the biggest of fires have struck in the most developed and technologically advanced nations. Automatic fire sprinkler system Let’s look at some of the world’s most historic fires: Firecrackers are a dangerous source of fire, more so because they are uncontrollable. Even in an advanced city like Rhode Islands in the United States of America, the...

Smoke is a by-product of fire. It is a dangerous mix of unburnt gases and solid particles. Smoke is formed due to the incomplete combustion of the material. During complete combustion, everything is burned, producing just water and carbon dioxide as the by-products. During incomplete combustion the fuel is not burnt completely leaving behind a lot of residue; smoke being one of them. Smoke is a collection of these tiny unburned particles. Each particle is too small to be seen with the naked eye...

Avon Protection is pleased to announce they have received an order from The Netherlands for FM50 masks and FM61EU filters, under the NATO Support & Procurement Agency (NSPA) contract. The Netherlands joins other NATO Nations and Partners, Norway, Belgium and Finland, in purchasing the FM50 to protect their militaries. FM50 masks ordered by The Netherlands Developed in conjunction with the United States of America’s Department of Defense, in order to counter the multiple CBRN threats...

The FY2021 FEMA Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG) opened on Monday, January 4, 2021 and closes on Friday, February 12th, 2021, at 5 pm ET, so if users haven’t already begun preparing, hurry and head over to FEMA’s Guidance Materials ASAP to take advantage of this tremendous opportunity to fund the department’s health, wellness and safety.

With the announcement from Prime Minister Boris Johnson, a national lockdown is now in effect until further notice. New guidance New coronavirus lockdown guidance has been issued for “people who are fit and well”. It is advised that “you must not leave or be outside of your home except where you have a reasonable excuse”.  The guidance clearly states that a “reasonable excuse” includes working “where it is unreasonable for you...

REV Fire Group, a manufacturer of fire apparatus brands including E-ONE®, KME®, Ferrara®, and Spartan Emergency Response®, Smeal®, and Ladder Tower®, announces that Hendrickson Fire Rescue Equipment is expanding its product portfolio and will represent Ferrara Fire Apparatus and E-ONE. Hendrickson Fire Rescue Equipment has been a longtime, successful Spartan Emergency Response dealer providing its New York Metro area customers with best-in-class sales and service. &ld...

Emergency services from various regions in Germany have been sounding the alarm for months: According to those responsible, the flood of operations can hardly be managed anymore and endangers rapid care in life-threatening cases.  The Association for the Promotion of German Fire Protection (vfdb) as a neutral network for protection, rescue and safety now wants to analyze the problem together with the key players in the rescue service and look for possible solutions. Representatives of AG...

The profession of life-saving is complex and dangerous. Oddly, some often need to remind themselves of this. Many are not only hazmat professionals, but also EMTs, paramedics, firefighters, company commanders, law enforcement officers, EH&S specialists, lab safety specialists, risk managers, confined-space technicians, USAR technicians, WMD specialists, apparatus operators, grief counselors, supervisors, parents, spouses, and the list goes on. And, it is expected to be proficient in most of...

On January 4th, 2021 around 0800 hours, E811B was alerted for a structure fire in the 4700 block of Navahoe Street. First arriving companies found smoke coming from the rear of the home and started the working fire dispatch. E811B stretched a backup line to the structure and checked exposures. The fire was quickly contained and no injuries were reported.

Advanced’s Regional Sales Manager for South East Asia, Tin Le Than, discusses some of the key considerations to take into account when specifying an effective gas suppression system. Data centers, control rooms, power generation facilities, and archives may serve very different purposes, but they all pose the same critical challenge for those charged with their fire protection. Guarding against catastrophic loss whether of data, irreplaceable cultural assets, or essential services creates...

Lightning Fire Systems is pleased to announce the recruitment of Jamie Younie to their Fire Alarm team. Jamie is an experienced engineer with the added skills of commissioning and fits right into their team. Lightning Fire is pleased to announce the appointment of Lawrie David to their Fire Alarm engineering team, Lawrie is based in Cambridge and is an experienced and customer focused engineer who also has the added qualification of being a Fire Marshall. In addition to Lawrie, the company is e...