Public Education - News
The Metropolitan “Metro” Fire Chiefs Association, a Section of the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) and National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) held its 2021 annual meeting virtually on May 10, 2021. More than 85 Metro chiefs attended the meeting and elected the Association’s 2021-2022 officers and board members. The officers are: Chief Don Lombardi, President; West Metro Fire Protection District, Lakewood, Colo. Chief Robert Rocha, Vice Pres...
Often considered the unofficial kick-off to summer, Memorial Day weekend typically includes lots of celebrations and cookouts, often with outdoor grilling as a focal point. As the holiday and summer months near, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) reminds everyone of basic safety tips and precautions to grill and celebrate safely. NFPA data shows that from 2014-2018, fire departments responded to an annual average of 10,600 home fires annually involving grills, hibachis, or barbec...
The UK Government has published draft legislation that will see planners include fire safety information and consult on it with the Health and Safety Executive, as part of a new gateway-based approach to building safety. This development is in response to Dame Judith Hackitt’s Independent Review of Building Safety, where she identified a lack of fire safety considerations at the planning stage for high-rise residential buildings. Gateway review points The government consulted on propose...
During the National Sprinkler Week, Fire Chiefs will be highlighting how different approaches to sprinklers across the United Kingdom (UK) means that not all new schools will be protected. The FPA is supporting the campaign that runs from Monday, 17th - 23rd May. It will raise awareness of the benefits of sprinkler systems in keeping people and buildings safe from fire. sprinklers installation One area the NFCC is concerned about is new build schools. In Scotland and Wales, sprinklers are req...
“Farrow & Ball is an iconic, luxury, decorative paint and wallpaper company. It is used by consumers, designers, and cultural institutions around the world – all of who have a passion for rich colors in eco-friendly paint. I am very proud to welcome our new colleagues to the Hempel family. Together we will ensure that Farrow & Ball continues its strong growth journey,” says Hempel Group President & CEO Lars Petersson. Hempel is taking the next, large step to...
The demand for warehouse space is up due to online shopping, but insurer - Zurich says that warehouse sprinkler laws are outdated and should be changed. Recent research by Zurich reveals that the number of warehouses gutted by fire increased by 42 percent. Using Home Office statistics, Zurich found that in 2019/20 the number of warehouse fires stayed steady but the number gutted by fire rose considerably. insurance claims The cost of insurance claims has increased across the market. Zurich cl...
A new guide provides assistance and recommendations on how to best specify cable containment systems to improve electrical safety in buildings in the event of a fire. Free to download, the new guide explains how to create a cable pathway through a building, while navigating the current standards landscape. electrical installation standards Creating Cable Pathways is published by Legrand UK & Ireland and takes on board changes to IET Wiring Regulations. It is in line with Dame Judith Hacki...
In the dry heat of the high desert, the California and Nevada Air National Guard, the U.S. Forest Service, CAL FIRE, and multiple other fire-fighting agencies across the United States are performing their annual certification training for the aerial fire-fighting mission with MAFFS (Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System), from May 4 – May 7, 2021. The success of this training is built on the trusted partnerships between the fire-fighting agencies, having forged their tactical expertise su...
Following a competitive recruitment process, the East of England Ambulance Service (EEAST) has appointed Tom Abell as its new permanent Chief Executive. Tom Abell, who was earlier serving as the Deputy Chief Executive at Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust, will formally take up his new role as Chief Executive at EEAST in the autumn. Announcing the appointment, East of England Ambulance Service’s Chair Nicola Scrivings, said “Tom brings significant experience in the NHS and jus...
The eDraulic Watertight Extrication Tools offer the usual powerful performance, high speed, and proven safety of LUKAS rescue tools combined with the technological innovations of an axial piston pump, an electromagnetic service valve, and a brushless motor. In addition, there is Lukas’ latest innovation: All eWXTs are liquid-protected rescue tools that enable operations in heavy rain, flood, or even underwater. Every single technical component has been made waterproof on its own. Therefor...
The number of Police Fire and Crime Commissioners could rise after the PCC elections on 6 May, as the UK Government indicates strong support for this type of governance. Currently, there are four Police Fire and Crime Commissioners in England: Staffordshire Essex Northamptonshire North Yorkshire Julia Mulligan is stepping down in North Yorkshire and Mathew Ellis is likewise in Staffordshire. PCC elections Other PCCs have shown interest in taking on governance in the fire but have bee...
Verint Systems (Verint), the globally renowned customer engagement company, announced that global wellness brand, GNC is leveraging Verint Experience Management, as an investment in its omni-channel strategy, in order to provide consumers with the ultimate shopping experience. Spike in health products demand With more than 3,000 locations in the U.S. and Canada, GNC prides itself on meeting the growing and fast-changing needs of its customers. The company experienced a spike in demand for heal...
The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has recently launched its Small Organisations Newsletter - SME Newsletter. The NCSC notes “SMEs cover a huge range of businesses and makeup 99% of all business in the UK." cyber-related issues The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) adds, "Often SMEs do not have the budget of large organizations to spend on cyber security. This Newsletter aims to break down cyber-related issues into bitesize pieces which can be read in a coffee break." The NC...
Owners of a hotel in Leamington Spa have been ordered to pay £350,000 plus costs after a judge at Warwick Crown Court found them guilty of multiple breaches of the Fire Safety Order. 38 breaches of fire safety laws Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service inspectors visited the Falstaff Hotel on multiple occasions between 2017 and 2019, finding smoke alarms covered in plastic bags, fire escapes blocked with laundry, locked fire exits, and faulty alarms. The owners of Talash Ltd and parent f...
Arson costs the country millions of pounds every year and puts lives at risk. It accounts for almost half of all fires attended by the fire and rescue services and can have devastating effects in terms of its cost and consequences. Insurers report that arson costs over £1bn in fire-related claims across the UK each year. Damage to property, business interruption, and other inconvenience caused by arson is significant. Deliberate fires cost a vast amount of money, but also endanger life,...
On the 20th of January, the official presentation of LPCB certificates took place at the Argus Spectrum International stand. At the end of the last year, the company passed the rigorous ISO 9001 audit of the two factories - in Finland and in Russia, and received approvals by LPCB\BRE Group. The certificates were presented to Director General Sergey Levchuk and CEO Mikhail Levchuk by the top managers of BRE Group - the Head of Electronics, Security and Inspection Services Cris Francis an...
Fire Safety Bill receives Royal Assent and is an Act of Parliament, leading to major changes to fire safety in response to the Grenfell Tower fire. The Fire Safety Act 2021 provides the legal basis for meeting some of the recommendations from Sir Martin Moore-Bick’s Grenfell Inquiry Phase 1 report. series of regulations The Act makes changes to the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, known as the Fire Safety Order. It’s not the end of the process, as much of the cont...
£9.5 million fire safety framework contract will see social housing providers accessing suppliers to provide external wall certification and fire engineering services. The Peabody Trust is pioneering a tender exercise to help find suppliers who can provide external wall assessments for their own building stock as well as allow other social housing groups to use the same framework. safe and affordable housing The Peabody Group is responsible for 71,800 homes across London and the southea...
A Cambridgeshire fire officer is taking on a fitness challenge to raise money for The Fire Fighter’s Charity. Group Commander Simon Thompson has taken on the challenge of completing 44,597 press-ups, marking one for each member of staff who works for the fire service in England. Firefighters' Memorial Day He began the ‘44k by the 4th May’ mission on 1 December and will be completing the remaining press-ups on Tuesday 4 May (Firefighters’ Memorial Day) at Cambridge...
Usually, if the application requires acoustic and visual notification, the market offers two separate products. Nevertheless, sometimes for public buildings, hotels, and hospitals, but also for industry and other verticals, it may be necessary to have a combination of visual and acoustic alarms in one device. AVENAR all-in-one 4000 Bosch Security System’s AVENAR all-in-one 4000 is one product that can provide such a solution. This product is able to combine not only a sounder and a strob...
Congratulations to the many pubs, restaurants and cafes that have reopened for outdoor dining and drinking. Once again, we’re all adapting to a new normal – one where we eat, drink and socialize outside. But it’s not just the tables and chairs that make this new arrangement possible. As hospitality businesses know, public safety is vital, but not just in COVID-19 terms. Barriers in outdoor seating areas Many local authorities across the United Kingdom (UK) have accepted that...
Rescu (Rescu Saves Lives), an emergency alert app that connects people directly to certified emergency dispatchers, has launched throughout the United States, in partnership with over 30,000 local emergency agencies. Rescu is the first and only Personal Emergency Response System (PERS) in a non-hardware platform. Rescu emergency alert app Unlike 9-1-1, the Rescu app does not require speaking to a dispatcher. With Rescu, users can communicate non-verbally to an emergency dispatcher. This means...
Delboy was only after a quick win, but there is a lot that can be taken from this scene in terms of recruitment and staff retention. Transparency is absolutely key, from both sides. It’s a fairly tough market in recruitment currently, so now more than ever transparency is key. With widespread redundancy over the last year, there are a lot of candidates who are accepting jobs that they wouldn’t have previously considered. This is likely to cause retention issues within 6-12 mont...
Court hears how a rail worker suffered severe burns as a result of a fire caused by health and safety breaches in an electrical substation in Kent. Recently, Network Rail pleaded guilty at Folkestone Magistrate’s Court to an offense under the Health and Safety at Work Act for failing to protect the safety of staff. failure to maintain dehumidifiers The incident took place on 20 December 2018 after Network Rail failed, over a significant period of time, to prevent water from leaking into...
The UK Government has published its second quarterly update on progress to meet the Grenfell Tower Inquiry recommendations, highlighting the breadth of work taking place. In a useful development, the UK Government is providing thematic updates of the work taking place by the government, the London Fire Brigade, the National Fire Chiefs Council, and other bodies to respond to the 46 recommendations made by Sir Martin Moore-Bick in his Phase 1 report. update Key changes in this quarter include:...
Global fire detection and alarm devices leader, Argus Security (Argus), has appointed Giorgio Koursaris as its new General Manager, with responsibility for both - Argus and its UK sister brand, Hyfire. He joins at a pivotal moment for the well-known brand, which is about to embark on a series of new product launches that promise to revolutionize the fire sector. New General Manager appointed Giorgio Koursaris will oversee both commercial and production operations for Trieste-based Argus Gior...
Fire detection equipment manufacturer, Global Fire Equipment (GFE), has been awarded EN 54-13:2017+A1:2019 system compatibility approval, demonstrating the company’s ongoing commitment to offering its customers best-in-class fire detection and alarm solutions. An international third-party accredited laboratory awarded GFE the EN 54-13:2017+A1:2019 approval for its entry level and high-end addressable fire detection and alarm systems. Various individual components EN 54-13:2017+A1:2019 i...
The decision by Southampton City Council to fit sprinklers in all its high-rise residential blocks proves right with yet another fire quickly extinguished. importance of sprinklers Firefighters from the newly combined Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service were called to a fire in a flat on the 21st floor of a tower block in Southampton this week. The first crew was on the scene within three minutes and found that a cooker fire in the kitchen was already out on arriva...
The Fire Protection Association is among the first UK testing laboratories to become UKAS accredited for BS 8458 water-mist system testing. The Fire Protection Association (FPA) is delighted to announce it has been awarded UKAS accreditation to carry out fire tests on water-mist systems to BS 8458 : 2015 Fixed fire protection systems - residential and domestic water mist systems - code of practice for design and installation. automatic fire suppression systems It is proud to be leading...
In celebration of Sparky the Fire Dog’s® 70th birthday, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has announced the launch of Sparky’s Fire Safety Club and badging system on Sparky.org, the association’s award-winning website for kids. These new online features teach kids basic but critical elements of fire safety while rewarding them for their efforts as they go. “Making fire safety fun is critical to capturing kids’ attention and maintaining their ong...
