Fire Safety Testing - News

FireQual is proud to support the WorldSkills UK Fire Detection and Alarm Systems Competition. WorldSkills UK is delighted to launch the new Fire Detection and Alarm Systems Competition, run in partnership with Skills for Security. As well as offering apprentices the chance to boost their skills, they also have the unique possibility of competing at the ‘international skills Olympics’ in France in 2024. Undergoing intensive training The competition, which kicked off in May at the I...

West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service (WYFRS) is strengthening moorland firefighting resources thanks to a generous contribution from Yorkshire Water. The utility company has given £50,000 towards the procurement of new all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), which will enhance the current wildfire fleet allowing our firefighters to access hard-to-reach areas such as moorland. WYFR’s ‘Be Moor Aware’ campaign Yorkshire Water has been a key supporter of WYFR’s ‘Be Moor...

Firefighters and West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service (WYFRS) staff will be out in force at the Calderdale Pride event, as it makes a triumphant return this year. It will be part of the celebrations complete with fire engines and even a stilt walker, as the experience returns to Halifax for the first time after two years. Calderdale Pride The last Calderdale Pride was in 2019, but the previous two years were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 2022's static, free event, which cele...

Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service will be recruiting for Wholetime Firefighters this autumn. Ahead of the portal opening for applications, the Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service is encouraging members of the public to consider a career in the Fire and Rescue Service, by joining them for a Firefighter ‘Have a Go’ day. ‘Have a Go’ events give an insight into the life as a firefighter, the opportunity to speak to current firefighters to find out more, and the chanc...

Preparing for all fire exposures, not picking and choosing only one, is vital for improving the home and building survival chances. What the community needs to know Wildfires spread primarily by: Ember generation and deposition. Burning or smoldering pieces of material generated during a wildfire event can land on combustible material. Radiant heat. The heat from the fire raises the temperature of a combustible material until that material reaches ignition temperature and burns....

The London Fire Brigade has issued another e-bike safety warning after five people were rescued from a flat fire in St John’s Wood. Four fire engines and around 25 firefighters attended the scene at around 2am, which was under control by 02:56. Around half of the flat on the second floor of a block on Frampton Street was damaged by the fire. One resident was taken to hospital as a result. Correct safety standards The fire is believed to have been accidental and caused by a lithium-ion b...

FireQual are proud to support the WorldSkills UK Fire Detection and Alarm Systems Competition. WorldSkills UK is delighted to launch the new Fire Detection and Alarm Systems Competition, run in partnership with Skills for Security. As well offering apprentices the chance to boost their skills, they also have the unique possibility of competing at the ‘international skills Olympics’ in France in 2024. Undergoing intensive training The competition, which kicked off in May at the IFS...

A development for three new blocks of flats near Totterdown, Bristol, United Kingdom (UK) has been approved despite serious fire safety concerns. Housing developers - Donard have been granted permission to construct 221 flats over three blocks between York Street and Mead Street, two of which will be 11 storeys tall. The third tower, however, has only one escape route, and is at the centre of calls for a design overhaul. Council planning officers The apartments form a part of the wider Mead S...

Semiconductors are the main application scenarios for specialty gases. According to "Global Electronic Specialty Gases Market Research 2022", the global electronic specialty gases market size will be USD 4.423 billion in 2021. However, rising inflation, soaring energy prices, the impact of COVID-19, and other reasons have caused the semiconductor industry to enter a downward cycle and weaken consumer electronics demand. Chip and Science Act On August 9, the United States signed the "Chip and...

WAGNER, based in Langenhagen, near Hanover, Germany, will be showing its holistic solutions for individual fire protection at Security Essen 2022, taking place in Essen, Germany, from September 20 to September 23, 2022. Particular focus will be on the TITANUS aspirating smoke detection systems for early fire detection and the WinGuard system for organization/hazard management. The fire protection solution provider will be presenting its innovative technologies in the Fire/Intrusion/Systems sect...

Contra Costa County Fire Protection District (Con Fire) announced its annexation of the East Contra Costa Fire Protection District (ECCFPD). The annexation’s goal is to improve fire and emergency medical services delivery across the County, particularly in underserved east county communities, while taking advantage of efficiencies and economies of scale to do more as a result of the new organization. annexation process The move comes through an annexation process, years in the making, w...

The combination of working smoke alarms and retro-fitted sprinklers has prevented a potentially fatal fire in a Doncaster flat. Firefighters were mobilized to Shaftesbury House, Doncaster, at 1.05 am on Thursday 25 August, following a call from a resident. This resident reports leaving their chip pan on the hob before falling asleep. While asleep, the chip pan overheated and set light. Working smoke alarms alerted the residents to the fire, prompting them to call 999 for help. At the...

Coatings company, Hempel A/S, announces the promotion of Steen Niemann Madsen to Executive Vice President, Energy & Infrastructure. Steen will succeed Michael Hansen in the position from 15 October 2022, when Michael Hansen steps into the position of Group President and CEO of Hempel A/S. With the appointment, Steen Niemann will become part of the Executive Group Management. Vast Industry experience  Steen Niemann comes from his current position at Hempel as Vice President, of Infras...

Michael Hansen announced to succeed Lars Petersson as Group President and CEO of coatings company, Hempel A/S. Michael will step into his new position on 15 October 2022. Michael Hansen joined Hempel in May 2017 as Chief Commercial Officer and has delivered remarkable results as a central driver of the global transformation in Hempel. Michael is part of the Executive Group Management as Executive Vice President, Energy & Infrastructure. Strong social engagement Michael Hansen has extensiv...

Paul, Chris, and Tim Galvin are announcing that they have made the decision to let go of the sand-casting section of its factory. Its last pour is currently scheduled for the middle of December 2022. Although this has been a tough decision, it has been made to better focus on the core, which is the design and manufacture of safe, green, and smart water solutions for high-risk and high-care environments. Customer service It is important to note that while Galvin will no longer be doing casting...

The Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) has detailed a potential safety weakness in a large number of building ventilation systems. BESA have issued the warning, alongside a revised edition of their technical bulletin VH001 Fire and Smoke Damper Maintenance V3, following the revelation that annual inspections found ‘a huge number of dampers’ had been incorrectly installed. Building ventilation systems Graeme Fox, Head of Technical for BESA, said: “We have been a...

The American Wood Council (AWC) is an independent organization that offers information about wood products to builders. Working in association with the National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA), the International Code Council (ICC), and other knowledgeable stakeholders, the AWC has created a set of guidelines to help reduce life and property loss from fire in buildings under construction based upon pre-existing codes and standards. Keeping construction site safe Let’s examine why these gui...

FieldEquip is pleased to announce the successful implementation of its cloud-based data-driven inventory management solution for Flo-Rite Fluids Inc., a global Oilfield Tool Rental Company in Texas, USA. FieldEquip’s advanced solution helped the company centralize all the workflows onto one platform and streamlined managing field and back-office transactions and processes. Flo-Rite Fluids Inc. needed a single-platform software solution that would give them complete visibility and history...

At AMB 2022, the International Exhibition for Metalworking, which is taking place from September 13 to 17, 2022, in Stuttgart, Germany, the international fire protection solutions provider - WAGNER, based in Langenhagen near Hanover, will be presenting its technologies and systems in firefighting using gas extinguishing technology for the production and machine tool sectors. Another highlight at the trade fair will be the aspirating smoke detection systems of the TITANUS® product family for...

The Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) has issued an urgent warning after annual inspections carried out by maintenance contractors found a potential safety weakness in a large number of building ventilation systems due to the incorrect installation of fire dampers. BESA Head of Technical - Graeme Fox said that many did not comply with manufacturers’ instructions and needed remedial action 'without delay'. fire damper inspections Graeme Fox said: "We have been alerted to t...

Peroxides play a significant role in industrial production and people's lives, they are widely used as curing agents, catalysts, bleaching agents, deodorants, antiseptics, and disinfectants in the fields of polymer chemistry, fine chemicals, textile printing and dyeing, food processing, furniture manufacturing, etc. However, peroxides are very unstable substances with high fire and explosion hazards. In recent years, major fire and explosion accidents caused by them have occurred continuously....

Landing a medical helicopter is a delicate operation that requires skilled flight crews and trained personnel on the ground following well-rehearsed, pre-planned procedures for the safety of all involved. Fire and emergency medical services agencies can access free resources to review their procedures for establishing a safe air medical transport landing zone: A June 2022 FirefighterCloseCalls.com article provides tips and links to training videos on landing zone safety. Responder Safety Le...

Fearless firefighters have been praised for intervening and preventing fire at a farm from spreading and destroying more land. Shortly after 10.30 pm on Tuesday emergency services were called to a fire at a famer’s field in Burradon, North Tyneside. Fire Control staff at Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service (TWFRS) immediately deployed crews to the scene. They arrived on the scene and quickly began to battle the flames that were engulfing the farmer’s livelihood. Fire under contro...

The International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC), in partnership with Pierce Manufacturing Inc., announced the 2022 IAFC Fire Chief of the Year honorees. Volunteer Fire Chief, Marshall Turbeville, of the Northern Sonoma FPD in Sonoma County, California, and career Fire Chief, Gary Ludwig, of the Champaign Fire Department in Champaign, Illinois, have been named this year’s honorees. The IAFC began recognizing one volunteer and one career Fire Chief of the Year in 1996. A selection commi...

Helmets are essential and required on practically all construction, mining, and industrial sites. They are the most frequent and fundamental type of PPE. What is the composition of a safety helmet? A safety helmet is made up of three parts: The cover (outer section): It protects the head from impact. The harness: It provides shock absorption. The chinstrap: The helmet is held firmly on the head by the chinstrap, which is an adjustable strap beneath the chin. Jasper – A lightweight s...

The International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC), in partnership with Pierce Manufacturing Inc., announced the 2022 IAFC Fire Chief of the Year honorees. Volunteer Fire Chief, Marshall Turbeville, of the Northern Sonoma FPD in Sonoma County, California, and career Fire Chief, Gary Ludwig, of the Champaign Fire Department in Champaign, Illinois, have been named this year’s honorees. The IAFC began recognizing one volunteer and one career Fire Chief of the Year in 1996. A selec...

Technology and change do not need to be dirty words in the fire service. There are limitless applications of using technology, like virtual reality, to address the most pressing and potentially catastrophic challenges facing the fire service. From recruiting the next generation of firefighters to dealing with the unknowns of mental health, the National Volunteer Fire Council’s (NVFC) Recruitment, Training, And Mental Health: How To Embrace Immersive Learning Technology webinar, which is...

MSA Safety, DuPont Personal Protection, and the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) are helping volunteer fire departments obtain much-needed gear through MSA and DuPont’s Globe Gear Giveaway. This annual program, which began in 2012, has to date provided 611 sets of turnout gear to 134 departments. turnout gear and helmets In 2022, 13 departments will receive four new sets of turnout gear and four new helmets each to help enhance the safety of their firefighters. The first 500 applic...

In April 2013, an explosion at a fertilizer plant in West, TX, just north of Waco, killed 12 firefighters and three residents of the West community. The firefighters who lost their lives were all volunteer first responders. According to federal officials and investigators from the Texas State Fire Marshal’s Office, the source of the blast was ammonium nitrate, which detonated with the force of 15,000 to 20,000 pounds of TNT. (It’s believed a small fire initially triggered the disast...

Mike Cottam has been appointed as Sales Director at the globally renowned fire protection solutions company, Advanced. He joins Advanced from global science-based technology company, 3M, where, over the past 19 years, he has held a variety of roles covering sales and marketing, integration and Lean Six Sigma. In his latest position as EMEA Segment and Channel Leader within 3M’s Abrasive Systems Division, based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Mike Cottam successfully headed up the sa...