Firefighter Health and Safety - Case Studies

On 21st July, 2020, a call was received by BAFSA (British Automatic Fire Sprinkler Association) member, Triangle Fire Systems advising the company of a fire break out in a flat, on the 4th floor at 1-133 Garnet Road, Thornton Heath, in London, United Kingdom. The call was a result of the sprinkler alarm signaling the call center. BS9251 sprinkler system This building is a sheltered housing and Triangle Fire Systems had, retrospectively, installed a BS9251 sprinkler system supplied by a tank an...

Malta International Airport (MIA) has resumed commercial operations as of 1st July, 2020, post the disruption in flight operations caused due to the ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic. Thermal imaging cameras at MIA Naturally, the society will undergo a revolutionary change in the way everyone lives and travels, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Preventive measures have been implemented to lessen the risk of COVID-19 virus spread with temperature screening becoming an important part of daily lives a...

Not only is Nepal home to the world's highest peaks, but it will also soon host some of the world's most powerful and modern ARFF (Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting) vehicles. ARFF vehicles Globally renowned rescue and firefighting vehicles manufacturer, Rosenbauer will deliver four new PANTHER 6x6 ARFF vehicles to keep the new ‘Gautam Buddha’ International Airport on the border with India, safe and protected against any untoward incidents. Four new PANTHER 6x6 ARFF vehicles provi...

Motorola Solutions has announced that Bedfordshire Fire & Rescue Service is the first fire service in the United Kingdom to utilize the combined Motorola Solutions cloud-based control room solution, CommandCentral CRS, the data storage solution, CommandCentral Vault, as well as the integrated CAD solution, delivered by Motorola Solutions. CommandCentral Vault By upgrading its operations into one platform, the new solution helps the fire and rescue service in Bedfordshire to manage their en...

Rosenbauer announces the delivery of their new environment protection equipment truck (GW-U) for the Henkel plant fire brigade (part of Henkel AG & Co. KgaA), in Düsseldorf, Germany. Florian Henkel 01 GW-U-01 Considered the baby of the fleet of the Henkel plant fire brigade, the new environmental protection equipment truck features radio call name - Florian Henkel 01 GW-U-01. In terms of design, this is a rescue vehicle in according to DIN 14555-3: 2016-12 standard, with an extended...

ZIEGLER has announced handing over its high-tech industrial vehicle with High Reach Extendable Turret (HRET) to the Zeeland Refinery in the Netherlands. The extinguishing vehicle built on a Volvo chassis has a 2,000 liter extinguishing water tank and a 5,000 liter foam tank. The ZIEGLER centrifugel fire pump FPN 10-10000-1H delivers enormous extinguishing power. Z-PF foam admixture system The ZIEGLER Z-PF foam admixture system allows the effective use of the foam compound. In addition to the 2...

A devastating fire raged through a warehouse in Lancashire, United Kingdom, requiring eight fire engines and an aerial platform to tackle the blaze, at its height. Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service confirmed the fire, which took place on April 1, 2020, completely destroyed the warehouse, located at the Pincroft factory site. The facility is used to store fabrics for Chorley-based manufacturer, Carrington Textiles, which manufactures much-needed fabrics for NHS and healthcare workwear. Carring...

Comelit Group’s fire detection solution has been installed at Gleavewood Care Home by KJ Fire Safety, for the ongoing safety and security of staff, residents and visitors. Cheshire-based, Gleavewood Care Home, part of the Minster Care Group, is a two storey care home, with 30 single rooms and a variety of communal areas, alongside an enclosed garden area and multiple facilities and visitor activities on site for residents to benefit. Risk assessment on fire detection systems KJ Fire Saf...

The Dyersburg Fire Department in Tennessee is a full-paid agency with 50 sworn firefighters and three stations, providing EMS/Rescue coverage as well as primary fire response to a population of approximately 15,000 residents, with a 15.1 square mile service area which also encompasses part of an interstate, a regional airport, and a hospital. It is additionally an ISO Class 3 agency. As with many agencies across the country, Captain Rusty Hilliard says Dyersburg’s stations share common sp...

Diesel exhaust emissions can spread toxic gases and soot particles throughout a firehouse anytime a diesel-fueled engine is operated. When diesel fuel is burned, it produces polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and diesel soot. Both of these substances are classified as carcinogens. Ultrafine particulate can penetrate deep into the lung and is absorbed through the skin, carrying toxins into the bloodstream. Exposure to this type of pollution can increase the risk of developing cancer, and respirato...

Monroe Fire Department in Monroe, Ohio has taken a proactive approach towards cancer prevention and ensuring the health and safety of their firefighters. A top priority in achieving that goal was the installation of a MagneGrip Exhaust Removal System, at the fire department’s facility. Working with Monroe Fire Department’s Assistant Chief, Dave Leverage, MagneGrip installed an exhaust removal system. The MagneGrip Exhaust Removal System removes diesel exhaust emissions in firehouses...

The UK site of one of the world’s renowned producers of petroleum has selected Linear Heat Detection Cable (LHDC) from Patol Fire Detection Solutions (Patol) to protect its floating roof tanks. The site in the south of England is the latest in a long line of worldwide petroleum production facilities to opt for the Patol fire detection solution. With atmospheric storage tanks used to store highly flammable products, finding an effective way to prevent what could be the catastrophic consequ...

Ambulance workers, paramedics, nurses and doctors who respond to emergency medical incidents are at the front line of emergency medical care. Ambulance workers too, must not be exposed to any greater risk from personal injury than other emergency workers. Since 2008, UK ambulance services have adopted the view that the use of professional safety helmets rather than hard-hat style products mitigate the risk of injury to workers operating in potentially dangerous environments. Whereas plastic har...

A fire which appeared to have broken out in a CAD laser cutter (still under fire investigation) in a design classroom at the Bede Academy North in Blyth caused smoke detectors and break glass call points to activate, prior to the sprinkler system operating and containing the fire to the room of origin. Following the redirection of the sprinkler head access to the ground floor corridor was restricted to FRS and staff who were instigating clean-up operation. Approximately one hour after the fire,...

Dante Group has announced that they are proud to maintain all fire detection and security systems at The University of Glasgow, situated in Glasgow, Scotland. Dante engineers and staff are available round the clock, in order to facilitate and support the clients’ needs.

E-ONE, a subsidiary of REV Group and a manufacturer of fire apparatus, has made the delivery of the first Bronto F135RLX for the Manchester Fire Department in New Hampshire, United States of America. This aerial ladder platform represents the newest configuration by Bronto Skylift and E-ONE in North America. Bronto F135RLX aerial platform The Bronto F135RLX aerial platform features an industry leading 135 ft (41 m) vertical reach and includes an all new platform design that is larger with walk...

Following a competitive tender process, globally renowned safety product manufacturer and service provider, VIKING Life-Saving Equipment (VIKING) has won a three-year contract to supply personal protective equipment (PPE) to Serica Energy plc, one of the UK’s renowned Oil & Gas company. The deal with the UK-based Oil and Gas Company, Serica Energy plc, is the second of its kind for VIKING, in consecutive years. VIKING secures Serica Energy’s PPE contract VIKING will work with...

The Polish state professional fire brigade, State Fire Service (Państwowa Straż Pożarna) ordered 20 Rosenbauer aerial rescue devices at the beginning of March, which will be produced and delivered this year. The vehicles are seven L32A-XS 3.0 turntable ladders and thirteen L42A-XS 3.0 turntable ladders. The procurement is co-financed by the European Union with funds from the Cohesion Fund, the vehicles are stationed at fire brigades in 14 of the 16 voivodeships, the political administrative dis...

So much planning has gone into the new office block for G2 Fire and just as they are doing the final touches, someone points out there is no fire detection! Now what? Luckily for the new office block in Walmer Main Road, Port Elizabeth, South Africa, they called upon Jean-Paul (JP) Germishuizen and Jacques De Beer of DynaFire (Pty) Ltd to come to the rescue. At the point where they were called in, the building was 99% completed and installing wiring and conduits would have been very difficult,...

Jacksonville’s Argyle/Oakleaf community has a new and welcome neighbor, the JFRD Fire Station 61. Located at 7965 Old Middleburg Road South, next to the Argyle Branch Library, Station 61 will protect the rapidly growing region on Jacksonville’s Westside. JFRD Fire Station 61 will serve more than 200 businesses, approximately 14,300 residences and four schools. The Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department officially opened the station on March 6, 2020. JFRD Fire Station 61 The addit...

In the coming months, the fire brigade at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport will gradually put 13 new Rosenbauer PANTHER 8x8 firefighting vehicles into service. These new firefighting vehicles represent the largest and fastest category of Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting (ARFF) vehicles and are used in aircraft fire protection. Dubbed Crash Tenders, these firefighting vehicles will replace the current FLF fleet at the Schiphol Airport, in Amsterdam, Netherlands, which has reached the end of its useful...

Pierce Manufacturing Inc., an Oshkosh Corporation company, has announced that it has secured an order for eight custom pumpers from Clayton County Fire and Emergency Services based just south of Atlanta in Riverdale, Georgia. Sold through the exclusive Pierce dealer for Georgia and Florida, Ten-8 Fire Equipment, the order for eight Pierce Enforcer Pumpers is the largest in the department’s history and a continuation of Clayton County Fire & Emergency Services’ 2016 apparatus add...

The office, cultural and commercial building ensemble on the Alter Wall in Hamburg (Germany) has been completely redesigned in recent years with due regard for the listed historical facades. The Kontorhaus, located directly next to the town hall with modern office space, conference rooms, lounge and storage areas, is now equipped with a high pressure water mist (HPWM) system from AQUASYS for protection in the event of fire. The high-quality stainless steel piping of the HPWM system from AQUASYS...

Mumbai-based logistics and safety equipment rental company Assam Bombay Carriers has taken the delivery of another 70-metre aerial work platform, Bronto Skylift S70XDT. “We see a strong potential for bigger aerial platforms in India. We bought our first used Bronto in 2016 after a long and in-depth study and have now bought two new S70XDT’s to strengthen our fleet,” said Praveen Sharma, Managing Director at Assam Bombay Carriers. Bronto S70XDT aerial work platform Mr. Sharma...

Large fires, ammunition finds, rescue operations, and searching for people: The scope of duties for the List Fire Department on the German island of Sylt is extremely broad. They are well prepared for these challenges with the new rescue firefighting group vehicle (HLF) 20 from Rosenbauer. Fire-Fighting Vehicles Almost 1,500 inhabitants live in List on Sylt, the northernmost municipality in Germany. Sand dunes, salt marshes, and the Wadden Sea characterize the unique environment on this island...

In critical moments when every second counts, fire departments need to communicate quickly and easily with their teams. In order to reach their volunteer firefighters in cases of emergency, the fire departments at the German city-state of Hamburg have decided to equip their first responders with 3,000 reliable and easy-to-use TETRA two-way radio pagers from Motorola Solutions.  The ADVISORTM TPG2200 TETRA two-way radio pager provides the fire departments in the northern German Hanseati...

APE Fire & Security were contracted as part of a 63,292 sq. ft. expansion project that allowed Thatchers Cider’s production capacity at their Myrtle Farm facility to double, so as to allow them to more easily meet the growing demand for their nationally renowned cider. Cider manufacturing facility Thatchers Cider’s Managing Director, Martin Thatcher said “This investment was about our confidence in the cider market and in the future of the state-of-the-art cider manufactu...

Bryx, a globally renowned provider of first responder technology, has landed their first station alerting customer in Texas, bringing features such as color-changing lighting, heart-smart ramping tones, text-to-speech readouts, and full station automation. With the installation of the Bryx Station alerting system at West University Place Fire Department, firefighters are alerted faster and with more detailed information, helping them respond quicker and much more efficiently. Bryx platform for...

The National Fire Chiefs’ Council has called for all residential buildings with four floors or more to be installed with sprinkler systems after a huge fire tore through student flats in Bolton, United Kingdom last month. Fire sprinklers in Tall buildings But a Freedom of Information request from The Argus revealed 44 council-owned housing blocks in Brighton and Hove which are four storeys or taller do not have sprinklers installed. This is a worrying discovery as two of the 44 buildings...

Long Island, NY MacArthur Airport Fire-Rescue uses a variety of GearGrid storage systems, in order to keep their turnout gear and equipment organized. The fire rescue service stores their turnout gear with the standard free standing lockers, with bolt-down floor supports, which ensures the lockers stay in place at all times. GearGrid's Storage Solutions  The addition of stainless steel hang bars and hangers allows Long Island, NY MacArthur Airport Fire-Rescue to properly dry and store the...