Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) - News

The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) regional administrator authorized the use of federal funds on August. 9 to assist the state of Hawaii to combat the Pulehu Fire burning in Maui County. On August. 9, the state of Hawaii submitted a request for a Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG). At the time of the request, the fire threatened approximately 375 homes in and around Kihei, with mandatory evacuations in place for approximately 750 people. The fire also threatened local b...

The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) regional administrator authorized the use of federal funds on Aug. 9 to assist the US state of Hawaii to combat the Mauna Kea Beach Fire burning in Hawaii County. On Aug. 9, 2023, the US state of Hawaii submitted a request for a Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG). At the time of the request, the fire threatened approximately 100 homes in and around Mauna Kea Beach, with mandatory evacuations for approximately 100 people. The fire also...

British Automatic Fire Sprinkler Association’s (BAFSA) Chief Executive - Ali Perry has been appointed by the Health & Safety Executive to the Building Safety Regulator’s (BSR) new Industry Competence Committee (ICC). Industry Competence Committee The Industry Competence Committee (ICC) has been set up to support the work of the Building Safety Regulator. Its aim is to provide insights and guidance from industry stakeholders, in order to help improve competence levels across the...

The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) joins with other national fire service organizations to strongly oppose proposed cuts to the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) and Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grants. The Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) and Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grants programs provide critical funding to help fire departments secure needed equipment, training, and staffing to adequately protect their communi...

RealWear, the pioneer of industrial extended reality (XR) wearables, is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Chris Parkinson as RealWear’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO). HMT-1® flagship headset Dr. Parkinson, Co-Founder, and former CTO of RealWear®, is the visionary mind behind the HMT-1® flagship headset that started the RealWear story in 2016. The HMT-1 was RealWear’s first industrial head-mounted tablet computer on the market and catapulted RealWear into the s...

Following a robust selection process, a new Deputy Chief Fire Officer has been announced at the North East’s largest fire and rescue service - Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service (TWFRS). Stewart Nicholson has been announced as the new Deputy Chief Fire Officer at Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service and will take up his post by November 2023. Stewart joins Tyne and Wear from Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, where he has served as Deputy Assistant Chief Officer. He is the first s...

Amthal has announced the appointment of Reece Paprotny to Commercial Director, having initially joined the company as an apprentice. The promotion comes as the company announces a strategic shift in its approach to fire safety and security services. Business development Reece, who joined Amthal as a finance apprentice in 2015, instantly identified a strong drive to succeed and a keen eye for business development opportunities. He quickly established himself as a valuable asset, rising to...

Dräger, an international provider in the fields of medical and safety technology, celebrated its partnership with women in the fire service UK last week, reinforcing its commitment to equality of opportunity, improved representation of women in the industry, and how Dräger is designing equipment fit to meet the challenges of an increasingly diverse workforce in the fire service. Hosted at South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, 46 delegates across 16 Fire and Rescue Services, Hazardo...

Homes and businesses are stuffed full of technology and depend on electricity for the completion of numerous daily tasks. As the 21st century progresses, they are becoming more and more reliant on digital devices to streamline work processes, and provide with entertainment, and keep everyone connected. As such, electrical fires are always a possibility, especially if equipment is outdated or neglected. It is important to look out for potential electrical hazards and rectify them promptl...

Fire is a complex force of nature that can quickly wreak havoc throughout a modern building, putting lives and property at risk. But proper fire prevention and preparation can help to manage this threat and in turn, keep employees safe in an emergency. Proper fire preparation means more than just installing the correct extinguishers and sprinkler systems. It's about giving people the tools to act calmly and practically in a crisis, where this can be taught through a comprehensive fire safety tr...

Johnson Controls, the globally renowned company for smart, healthy, and sustainable buildings, launched the new AquaMist® AM35 Ultra Low Flow (ULF) nozzle, completing the AquaMist ULF low-pressure water mist fire suppression portfolio to offer customers full-building water mist protection. Water mist fire suppression “Water mist fire suppression systems continue to grow in popularity because they effectively suppress fires using less water, which results in reduced water damage so bu...

In the wake of the recent devastating floods that have struck the state of Vermont, Fire-Dex is reaffirming its commitment to supporting communities in times of crisis by donating high-quality firefighting boots and specialized rescue gloves to emergency responders and volunteers on the ground. “These flash floods have caused significant damage to homes, infrastructure and the livelihoods of many residents,” said Jeffrey Koledo, V.P. of Sales for Fire-Dex. “We unders...

Fire-Dex, the country’s fastest-growing manufacturer of PPE for first responders, is growing again with the opening of a new production facility in Old Fort, North Carolina, USA. As the company’s fourth major production center, the 25,000-square-foot Old Fort facility, located at 59 Commerce Street, will play a vital role in ensuring quality craftsmanship, fast shipping, and attentive service to customers for years to come. Position Critical Resources “While our footprint is...

The Association for Specialist Fire Protection (ASFP) has announced several new dates for its Foundation Course in Passive Fire Protection at both level 2 and level 3. The seven-day classroom-based level 3 courses will take place in Manchester, commencing on 15 August; Reading starting on 17 August; and Dublin on 7 September. The four-day level 2 courses will take place in Coventry from 1 September, and Dublin commencing on 7 September. Revision courses to help learners prepare for the Institut...

EMSHelp.org, a non-profit organization committed to advancing suicide prevention among EMS providers, launched its 'Stop Our Stigma' campaign on Wednesday, July 12, 2023, at the AFCA/AFDA Fire and EMS Leadership Conference and Expo 2023. Board members - Rob Brewster and Dale Crogan were in attendance to request all attendees sign the pledge to 'recognize and commit to reducing the stigma associated with mental health and seeking mental health help'. Suicide rates According to a study conducte...

Following a decision of its Board, Euralarm has welcomed ExxFire as a new member.  The company will join the Extinguishing Section of Euralarm whose activities cover automatic extinguishing systems using gas, water, foam, powder, and aerosols, oxygen reduction systems, portable equipment, and other manual means of fire-fighting as well as fire-fighting agents used in either fixed automatic systems or in portable equipment.  ExxFire joins Euralarm as new member ExxFire (Noordwijk, th...

Following the National Fire Chiefs Council’s (NFCC) Culture and Inclusion Conference on 27 and 28 March 2023 and the spotlight report from His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) entitled ‘Values and culture in fire and rescue services’, released on 30 March 2023, the NFCC has developed a Culture Action Plan to address culture and inclusion within the fire and rescue sector. NFCC’s fire and rescue services protect the pub...

Johnson Controls, the globally renowned company for smart, healthy, and sustainable buildings, announced the launch of Autocall Foundation Series fire detection systems for small- to mid-size building protection. The Foundation Series is a complete, off-the-shelf fire detection solution featuring addressable and non-addressable models, and a full range of reliable, proven Autocall devices. economical and effective package “This new, simplified series provides all the benefits and reliab...

MSA Safety, DuPont Personal Protection, and the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) have partnered for the 12th year to help volunteer fire departments obtain much-needed personal protective equipment. Through MSA and DuPont’s Globe Gear Giveaway, 13 fire departments will be awarded four new sets of state-of-the-art turnout gear and helmets in 2023. The first 500 applicants also received a one-year NVFC membership, courtesy of MSA. Outdoor recreation accidents The first two recipien...

Anheuser-Busch, together with its wholesaler partners and the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC), will provide another one million cans of clean drinking water to volunteer fire departments that respond to wildfires. Through the Emergency Drinking Water for Wildland Firefighters program, 1.5 million cans were allocated to over 600 departments during a previous application period in March. This addition means over 1,000 departments will receive 2.5 million cans of water in 2023. Hydration i...

Cameron Carmichael became the milestone number when he donated his stem cells to help save someone’s life. The volunteer on-call firefighter is based at Kilmelford Community Fire Station near Oban, where he’s served for around 11 months. blood cancer charity Cameron Carmichael, 20, who signed up to the blood cancer charity’s stem cell register when he was 16, was surprised to discover he was a match for someone in need, and the 100th donor. He said, “It took a few days...

On Tuesday, July 11, 2023, the National Volunteer Fire Council’s (NVFC) Deputy Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Dr. Candice McDonald, participated as a featured presenter at the International Association of Fire Chiefs’ (IAFC) webinar on ‘Igniting Firefighter Retention’. The webinar provided strategies and tips for volunteer fire departments to utilize to boost retention and create a dynamic team.

Volunteer fire and EMS personnel regularly go from their normal daily routines to a response mode that can expose them to acute, and sometimes traumatic, stress. Unfortunately, this can sometimes lead to serious behavioral health issues, including PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) and substance abuse. NVFC's new course examines PTSD The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) offers a new course that examines PTSD and the various types of substance abuse that is frequently seen in the fire...

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has authorized the use of federal funds to help with firefighting costs for the Golden Fire burning in Klamath County, Oregon, USA. The state of Oregon’s request for a federal Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) was approved by FEMA Region 10 Administrator - Willie G. Nunn on Sunday, July 23, 2023, at 4:34 p.m. PT. He determined that the Golden Fire threatened to cause such destruction as would constitute a major disaster. This is the fir...

The National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) has published its new Member Strategy, setting out its ambitions to continuously improve, and to firmly establish NFCC and the UK Fire and Rescue Service as among the best in the world. The Strategy, which has been shaped by extensive engagement and consultation with NFCC members, demonstrates how NFCC will achieve its mission of working with fire and rescue services over the next three years, to achieve safer communities through collaboration, partnershi...

Helmets are an important safety product used by people around the globe, ranging from the cyclists in the Tour de France to firefighters helping to keep their communities safe. In 2023, the Tour de France is making its first-ever stop in the 'World Capital of Fire Helmets', as MSA Safety’s own Chatillon-sur-Chalaronne, France, manufacturing facility welcomes the world’s best cyclists for Stage 13 of the race. MSA Gallet fire helmet Home to the iconic MSA Gallet fire helmet, Chatil...

The National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) and the British Retail Consortium (BRC) have launched voluntary guidelines for retailers on the sale of disposable barbecues (DBBQs). The guidelines provide retailers with principles to support wildfire risk reduction at both a local and national level. Voluntary guidelines for retailers The guidelines support responsible retailing and outline the steps that retailers can take The guidelines support responsible retailing and outline the steps that reta...

Fire suppression techniques have progressed substantially over time since the birth of Oshkosh® ARFF vehicles. Oshkosh technology has always been a catalyst for continuous improvement and outstanding performance within Oshkosh Airport Products ARFF vehicles. Oshkosh Snozzle® HRET ARFF truck attributes which have evolved most significantly over the years are elements supporting advanced fire suppression. Oshkosh Airport Products’ team members engineer the Oshkosh Striker®...

POC has been the EF Education-EasyPost’s riders’ helmet and eyewear sponsor since 2014. Through their partnership, EF Education-EasyPost and POC have worked together on product development with safety central to every advancement. Because of POC, the team wears the highest levels of head and eye protection available as they race across the globe. Now they can, too. Ventral Air Mips This is the helmet the fans have been asking for for many years. Developed with a focus on...

In response to increased reports of fires caused by batteries and electricals containing batteries in the waste and recycling system. Material Focus is strengthening its work to help address this issue. A new public safety film ‘Stop Battery Fires’ created in partnership with the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC), has been launched and is available for local authorities to share. Material Focus is also calling on local authorities to participate in the 2023 ‘Stop Battery Fi...