Mergers & Acquisitions - News

One of the most important aspects of firefighter post-incident rehabilitation is mitigating heat stress. Firefighters work in high-heat conditions and personal protective equipment (PPE) carries a high-heat burden. Exposure to extreme heat situations usually occurs in limited, short doses for most firefighters but the effects of high heat on personnel are cumulative. Extreme heat from environmental conditions adds significantly to the risk of heat-related health emergencies. Acute risks The l...

The last few years have been challenging for everyone, including the fire industry. It changed everything, except our dedication to overcoming challenges. With everything returning to normal, the countdown to Interschutz 2022 has begun. Interschutz 2022 Exhibitors are looking forward to Interschutz 2022 after a long wait. It will allow them to interact and work collaboratively to sustain, expand, or form new networks. With only a few days till the doors open for the world's leading fire and r...

C-TEC is exhibiting at Housing 2022 exhibition, which is taking place from June 28 to June 30, 2022, in Manchester Central, Manchester, United Kingdom (UK). With over 300 exhibitors and an action-packed program of seminars, networking events and debates, the Chartered Institute of Housing’s annual Housing event is the place to be for a local council, housing association, developer or housing professional. C-TEC’s innovative solutions at Housing 2022 C-TEC will be exhibiting a host...

In May 2022, the Environment Agency’s Waste Industry Regulatory Services and Chemical Compliance Team (EA) advised the Fire Industry Association (FIA) that they are applying a restriction on persistent organic pollutants entering sewerage systems and the water environment. This group of chemicals is known to have adverse long-term effects on the environment and human health, and can be found in some fire extinguishers. Chemicals in fire extinguishers The chemicals, often known as POPs,...

The Optimum Group (Optimum Drywall Systems Ltd) is delighted to share the changes that have been underway, as part of their fire-stopping team restructure. They have recently secured some great projects with clients, both old and new, and are excited to deliver them with a fresh and talented Fire Stopping Team. They have a new leadership structure, promoted from an established and experienced management team, and added some exceptional new talent to create a department that can provide a reliab...

Frontline firefighters in Tyne and Wear are benefitting from a ground-breaking new scheme, which sees them being trained in first aid and trauma support by a leading North East paramedic educator. Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service (TWFRS) have teamed up with the North East Ambulance Service (NEAS), in a scheme believed to be the first of its kind in England. TWFRS – NEAS partnership It has seen Paramedic Educator, Phil Barlow, who has 15-years frontline experience being seconded to...

Angus Fire is pleased to announce that the company has donated a wide range of much needed firefighting hose, branch pipes and other firefighting equipment to firefighters in Ukraine, in order to help them protect buildings, critical assets and help them to save lives.

Fire safety checks will need to be redone on more than 1,600 council homes, because of concerns previous inspections may have been conducted by unqualified officials. The revelation is the latest twist in a long-running saga, which emerged last year when Norwich City Council admitted hundreds of people in its properties were potentially put in danger because crucial safety inspections of fire, water, and electrics had not been done. Overdue gas checks Since then, £1.2 million has been s...

Fire safety checks will need to be redone on more than 1,600 council homes, because of concerns previous inspections may have been conducted by unqualified officials. The revelation is the latest twist in a long-running saga, which emerged last year when Norwich City Council admitted hundreds of people in its properties were potentially put in danger because crucial safety inspections of fire, water, and electrics had not been done. Overdue gas checks Since then, £1.2 million has been s...

Recent research from Duke University involved firefighters wearing silicon wristbands on and off the job. The silicon absorbs any semi-volatile organic compounds the firefighters may have been exposed to. The wristbands worn by firefighters were analyzed for 134 different chemical compounds, including phthalates, brominated flame retardants, organophosphate esters, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), all of which have been linked to increased...

Briggs & Stratton has announced that Kristina Cerniglia has joined the Company as Senior Vice President (SVP) & Chief Financial Officer (CFO). She joins Briggs & Stratton after serving eight years at Hillenbrand, Inc., as Senior Vice President & Chief Financial Officer. Prior to Hillenbrand, Inc., she spent 23 years in the financial organizations at Stanley Black & Decker and United Technologies Corporation. Kristina Cerniglia currently serves on the Board of Directors for L...

The government has published its response to the consultation on the use of cladding in buildings over 11m in England. Combustible materials Combustible materials have been banned for use in external facades of buildings higher than 18m since 2018, following extensive lobbying in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire. In early 2020, the government suggested also banning the use of such materials for buildings above 11m in height, and ran a consultation on this in May 2020, the response to...

The London Fire Brigade (LFB) is in serious need of funding to tackle the building safety crisis, according to Commissioner Andy Roe. A total of 1,100 of London’s buildings above 11 meters are currently listed by the LFB as having serious fire safety issues. While this represents a slight drop from 1,174 in March, the capital has had more than 1,000 unsafe buildings for almost a year, and the real number of unsafe buildings could be much higher. City Hall Plenary meeting At a City Hall...

Harshad Saujani, a Community Educator at Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service, has been awarded an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) for his services to fire safety. The fantastic news was announced on 2 June, where over 1,000 individuals were awarded as part of the Queen’s Birthday Honors list, which recognizes the achievements and service of people across the UK. Targeting vulnerable individuals Harshad joined the service in 2005 as a Community Educator, a role that ha...

Kent Fire and Rescue Service (KFRS) is proud to announce the Queen has recognized Paul Grimwood, a KFRS Senior Principal Fire Engineer, in the 2022 Birthday Honors List. Paul, who has a career spanning over 50 years in firefighting and fire engineering, has been awarded an MBE (Member of the British Empire). High-Rise buildings He is highly regarded within the fire industry as an expert and pioneer for new operational tactics, as well as for his meticulous work when it comes to ensuring resi...

Over 2,300 first responders have taken an online instructor-led live course from the National Fire Academy (NFA), and the number is growing. The NFA suspended its on-campus and field courses in March 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. By June 2020, the NFA and USFA’s partners from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives launched the first online instructor-led live 2-day course, “Fire Investigation: First Responders,” using the Zoom video conferencing app. Ad...

The U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) EMS Safety Practices manual provides information to enhance the health and safety of the emergency medical services (EMS) practitioner and support the reduction of occupational illness and on-duty injuries and fatalities. This 146-page manual outlines how to develop a safety program that covers all aspects of EMS operations to prepare for, prevent, mitigate and respond to all hazards. It covers safety regulations and guidelines while also emphasizing the impo...

CHEMTREC and the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) are teaming up for the fourth year to provide volunteer fire departments with the CHEMTREC HELP (Hazmat Emergencies Local Preparedness) Award to enhance their hazardous materials response capabilities and improve responder safety. CHEMTREC HELP Award The 2022 application period is now open until September 1, 2022. Two U.S. volunteer fire departments will each receive US$ 10,000, through the CHEMTREC HELP Award in 2022. Fire departments m...

Fire safety and protection are more prevalent now than ever before. There is a huge push on competency and compliance for the installation and products in the fire industry in 2022, following tragic recent events such as Grenfell. Just like a plumber would need to showcase that they are competent to service a boiler, the demand for fire protection installers to show they are competent is essential. What is Passive fire protection (PFP)? Passive fire protection (PFP) is a crucial component of...

Alongside the Fire Safety Act, the UK government has now committed to Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 and a raft of new measures that are designed to ensure a full response to the Grenfell Tower inquiry recommendations. The launch, coming at the same time as the commencement of the Fire Safety Act 2021, is described as ‘the most comprehensive plans for fire reform in decades’. The plans will be set out in the UK government’s Fire Reform white paper, in order to strength...

A safety warning on the use of lithium-ion batteries is being issued by Kent Fire and Rescue Service (KFRS) following several battery related fires this month. A safety warning on the use of lithium-ion batteries is being issued by Kent Fire and Rescue Service (KFRS) following several battery related fires this month. Lithium-ion batteries, or li-ion batteries (sometimes called LIBs) are commonly found in many items including mobile phones, laptops, e-bikes, hover boards, vaping devices and sco...

Avon Protection will showcase its full range of integrated personal protection solutions at Eurosatory 2022, including full-face respirators, ballistic helmets, escape hoods, SCBA systems, modular PAPR units, underwater equipment, and CBRN protective equipment. There, the Group will demonstrate its position as a world-renowned company in CBRN protection, with its respiratory technology solutions that are designed to meet the modern threat environment and enhance the capability of the tactical m...

A fire that engulfed six buses at a Hertfordshire town center transport depot has been linked to an electric bus catching fire while charging. Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service (HFRS) arrived in the afternoon on Sunday, 22 May, 2022, where a local resident described the scene, saying: "I just heard an unbelievable noise that sounded like a jet and when I looked out my window, one of the buses exploded in a ball of flames." Causing further damage The smoke from the blaze was so heavy that...

Cumberland Valley Volunteer Firemen’s Association (CVVFA) President, Chief Joe Kroboth has released a message stating - Fellow members, for several years the association and individual members benefited from a relationship with the PA Fireman Magazine. The magazine has covered CVVFA’s events, published their articles, and informed readers about the association’s activities. With the steady long-term growth of the Emergency Responder Safety Institute, there is a need to provide...

The National Fire Chiefs Council’s (NFCC) People Programme has launched four new tools, in order to support fire and rescue services in the selection, recruitment, nurturing and growth of diverse talent. The Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Hub, Recruitment Hub, Talent Management Toolkit and Coaching and Mentoring Portal are the culmination of months of hard work, by National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) project teams and colleagues from across the fire and rescue sector. Each tool champi...

AudioLINK+ is now faster, quieter, and more reliable than ever before. The second iteration of Aico’s award-winning AudioLINK technology makes it easy to access real-time data from alarms via the free AudioLINK+ app. AudioLINK+ AudioLINK+ extracts the same data as AudioLINK, but does this quicker and quieter than before to reduce disturbance and does not affect any other functionality of alarms. With the average time to take a report taking between 4-7 seconds, AudioLINK+ technology make...

Global safety experts, Ardent Group (Ardent Vehicle Fire Protection) have announced significant new investment in machinery and robotics at its site in Roecliffe, York, United Kingdom (UK), as the company expands its portfolio of market-renowned fire suppression and electronic systems, for a wide range of vehicles, as well as static and mobile plant. Investment in machinery and robotics Explaining the investment, Neil Crowther, the Managing Director at the Ardent Group, said “In recent y...

Pierce Manufacturing Inc., an Oshkosh Corporation company, announced that authorized dealer Golden State Fire Apparatus, Inc. will open its second service center, a new 45,000 square-foot facility in Tracy, California, to serve customers in central California, particularly the Bay Area. The project is currently in the design stage with construction expected to be completed in the next 18 to 24 months. The new facility will also serve as Golden State Fire Apparatus’ service hub for the rev...

More than 8,600 people traveled to Long Beach, California, USA, in order to attend the recent Advanced Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo 2022, North America’s largest advanced transportation technology and clean fleet event. Major retailers were in attendance, looking to decarbonize their fleets, gaining insight into the latest developments, policies, and technologies in clean transportation solutions. ACT Expo 2022 ACT Expo 2022 featured the largest collection of clean vehicle and fuel s...

The unique set of stressors encountered on the job by first responders can create mental health challenges for them and their families. To address this reality, first responders must learn how to take care of their mental health and they need a support network tailored to their individual requirements. 3 agencies' programs 3 agencies' programs have recently been updated with new resources to help first responders take care of their mental health and support the mental health of their families...