Public Education - News

On Sept. 23, Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry, City Council Members Danny Becton, and Randy White, and IAFF Local 122's Randy Wyse joined JFRD Director/Fire Chief Keith Powers in the groundbreaking ceremony for Fire Station 63 on Gate Parkway. Fire Station 63's permanent facility is JFRD's third new station project in as many years, continuing a trend of growth and strategic allocation of fire suppression and emergency medical services. Neighborhood Around Station 63 Squad 63 and Rescue 63 have...

Motorola Solutions has announced the launch of the APX NEXT XE, its next-generation Project 25 (P25) radio with broadband capabilities, specifically built for firefighters. APX NEXT XE The APX NEXT XE combines mission-critical voice communications with data applications that bring together radio voice control, messaging, mapping, and vital new collaboration applications that can help improve situational awareness of those in the field. APX NEXT XE, and its predecessor, APX NEXT for law enforc...

Since 1922, the NFPA has sponsored Fire Prevention Week (FPW). FPW was proclaimed a national observance in 1925, making it the longest-running public health observance in the United States. Fire Prevention Week is recognized every year on the week of October 9th to commemorate the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. The Great Chicago Fire killed more than 250 people, left 100,000 homeless, destroyed more than 17,400 structures, and burned more than 2,000 acres of land. This year, Fire Prevention Week (...

ImageTrend, Inc. is proud to announce that the state of South Carolina has selected ImageTrend to provide multiple solutions for the state’s health information technology. ImageTrend’s interconnected software will provide easy-to-use documentation through an industry-leading ePCR, active data monitoring for high-end analysis and reporting, streamlined licensure of EMS care providers and healthcare data interoperability. EMS License Management and Data Repository system "After an e...

Branchville Volunteer Fire Company has announced sending their Engine 111 (E811) pumper engine to Patriot Fire for rehab modifications work. Engine 111 is a Pierce Arrow XT engine with a 1,500 GPM Hale 2-stage pump and 500 gal booster tank. The Engine 111 (E811) was built and delivered in 2010, and has served the company well, since then. Engine 111 will be returning in a couple of months with a pull-out 400’ tray, new drafting hard sleeves, new interior hooks, and integrated A/C, among o...

West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Authority (WYFRS) have given the go ahead to relocate the fire station in Hightown Road, in Cleckheaton, to WYFRS Headquarters in Birkenshaw, United Kingdom. The decision was made at the Full Authority meeting held on September 18, 2020 and will see an investment of £1.3 million to build a new facility, which will be closer to the more high risk areas, where fires and other emergencies tend to occur often. New Fire station The new station will also provide...

Nicki Vaca has been promoted to the position of Business Optimization Manager for HURST Jaws of Life, a unit of IDEX Fire & Safety, drawing on her two decades of experience and senior leadership roles with the industry’s major global manufacturer of rescue tools. Most recently, she held the position of Manager of Operations at HURST Jaws of Life’s Shelby, North Carolina headquarters. Nicki Vaca has also held key roles in operations, IT, facilities and planning, and customer care...

Johnson Controls, the global renowned solutions provider for smart and sustainable buildings, has announced an enhanced listing for its LFP Antifreeze. The industry’s first UL listed antifreeze is now listed for system volumes of up to 500 gallons. LFP Antifreeze LFP Antifreeze complements the full line of Tyco fire suppression products. Those offerings, along with other Johnson Controls products and solutions, help make buildings more safe, secure and sustainable. “With over 150...

Apollo Fire Detectors, has launched a new market insight program to help them continue to deliver innovative fire safety products and high standards of customer service. The Apollo Advisor Network encourages customers, installers and partners to share their experiences within the industry and the challenges they face. Registration is online and captures background on their company and individual responsibilities. Exclusive training access After signing up, Advisors have access to exclusive tr...

Global Fire Equipment (GFE) appoints Vikrant Patil as Regional Director for India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, in order to help drive further growth in this key market. Fire detection equipment manufacturer, Global Fire Equipment (GFE), has set its sights on further growth in India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka with the appointment of Vikrant Patil as Regional Director to help deliver the company’s ambitious growth plans for this key market. Long-term commercial partnerships In this newly cre...

Global Fire Group, which includes Global Fire Equipment (GFE), a global manufacturer of fire detection equipment, and Createch, specialists in emergency lighting equipment, have announced the appointment of Paul Pope as Group Business Development Director Worldwide. Paul will be responsible for overseeing the group’s international growth strategy, marketing and product management. International growth strategy Founded in Denmark in 1994 by João Paulo Ajami, Global Fire already ha...

In the COVID-19 era, where digital tools and virtual platforms have become more important than ever before, global safety equipment manufacturer, MSA Safety Incorporated has announced that they will host free, online safety seminars from September 14 to September 18, 2020. Free, online safety seminars The sessions are being conducted by MSA Safety to support National Safety Stand-Down week, an annual week-long event, organized by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), t...

A reminder to Schools that fire safety provisions and systems should be reviewed and maintained on a regular basis. IFSEC Global has reported that “according to new research from insurer, Zurich Municipal, schools in England are “nearly twice as likely” to suffer from a fire as other types of commercial buildings.” Life safety systems The data, from 28,800 schools in England alone, noted reasons including poor fire detection and the regular presence of cooking equipmen...

Abbot Fire Group is delighted to once again be supporting Fire Door Safety Week, running from 21st to 27th September. The aim of Fire Door Safety Week is to raise awareness of the importance of fire doors. Checking that they are properly maintained and therefore ensuring they can work effectively in the event of a fire, helping to protect lives and property.

EEAST is joining their blue light colleagues in the police, fire and rescue service, and wider NHS to celebrate the National Emergency Services Day 2020. This annual event takes place to thank the heroic men and women who work or volunteer in the NHS and emergency services while promoting the wide range of career opportunities that are available. national Emergency Services Day The National Emergency Services Day event begins at 9 am on the ninth day of the ninth month with two minutes’...

Incident Response Technologies, Inc. (IRT), makers of the Rhodium Incident Management Suite, have partnered with Rave Mobile Safety (Rave), developers of the critical communication and collaboration platform that customers count on when it matters most, to incorporate integration of the Rave Panic Button app into Rhodium Incident Management suite of solutions. Rave Panic Button app The Rave Panic Button app provides instant communications and situational awareness for emergencies to 9-1-1, on-...

Erickson Inc. and Bell Textron Inc. have announced the signed agreements to initiate the transfer of type certificates for the model 214ST and B/B1 helicopters to Erickson Incorporated. The transfer will be processed through the FAA and is expected to be completed near the end of the year. The agreements replace the previous license and product support agreement signed between the companies in 2015. As one of the largest operators of 214STs, Erickson is poised to take the next step in supportin...

Retention has long been a challenge for many volunteer and combination fire and EMS departments, yet little research has been done on the subject. volunteer fire service retention Thanks to support from a Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant, the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) has conducted a study to identify institutional drivers that cause volunteers to leave, the differing perceptions between leadership, current volunteers and former volunteers and what c...

Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government has published new guidance regarding “the end of recognition of the CE mark in GB and affix the UK marking using a UK-recognized ‘approved body’ by 1 January 2022.” Impact of BAFE Schemes  The guidance states “Businesses are being encouraged now to be ready for the full implementation of the new UK regime, as soon as possible after 1 January 2021. Businesses will be able to use the UK mark from 1 Ja...

Chief Robert Valentine is pleased to announce that the Groveland Fire Department was awarded a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grant to hire two full-time firefighters, who will be the first full-time members in the department’s history. Groveland Fire, which has historically been a call department, received a FEMA Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant in the amount of $464,490 to cover the salaries and benefits of two new full-time firefighters. Fund...

BAFE and FireQual Ltd are pleased to announce that they have appointed Nic Preston as the FireQual Qualifications Manager from 1st September 2020. Nic Preston Nic Preston has over 14 years of experience in the training and development sector with a proven ability in quality assurance demonstrated in several roles influencing training environments within the UK. His most recent roles have been developing and implementing growth strategies as Chief Executive of SFEDI Awards, the Awarding Organi...

On 7th September 2020 fire protection solutions manufacturer, Advanced, is presenting a webinar on the versatile features and benefits of its EN54-approved range of fire system products.  Axis EN: The high-performing fire system approved to EN54 will be presented by Vladimir Zrnic, Advanced’s Regional Sales Manager for Southern Europe in conjunction with media partners MDM Publishing. Robust Fire Protection During the 30-minute session, Vlad will explain how features of Axis EN, in...

Predicting when a fire will happen is a difficult and complex task. Emerging artificial intelligence and machine learning tools could help predict the path and severity of fires maybe even the occurrence. But before these technologies emerge, can the statistics on house fires in the US and UK help us understand when most fires happen? UK Fire Statistics The good news is that, on the whole, fires in the UK are in decline. This is due to continuous improvement in fire safety education and buildi...

As part of a continuing campaign, the British Automatic Fire Sprinkler Association (BAFSA), Business Sprinkler Alliance, the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) and European Fire Sprinkler Network (EFSN) have been involved in to influence the Review of BB100 Sprinklers in Schools in England. Zurich Municipal analysis of data on over 26,800 schools in England shows the average fire risk in schools is almost double when compared to that of non-residential buildings. Schools in England are nearly...

As of 1 September 2020, Eva Klinger is taking over at the helm of Messe Frankfurt’s Sales Guest Events department. A BA graduate, she has held various positions, at Messe Frankfurt, since 2007, most recently as a Project Manager at Business Process Management. Sales Guest Events head In this position, she was responsible above all for optimizing company processes, in which connection she was instrumental in restructuring Sales Guest Events. She is replacing Silke Calder, who is leaving t...

BAFSA, the British Automatic Fire Sprinkler Association Ltd is delighted to report that the London Assembly has launched a powerful and comprehensive report calling for the mandatory installation sprinklers in all new homes in England. London Assembly Report In the opening statement of this proposal, Navin Shah, Chair of the London Assembly, stated “We pay our respects to all those who have died in fires in their place of residency and those who’ve been affected. Our thoughts are p...

Dräger, a pioneer in medical and safety technology, is launching its ‘Health for the Firefighter’ campaign to support fire services in driving the cultural changes that are required to protect firefighter health. Impact of exposure The launch follows a survey of UK firefighters that found considerable concern over the impact of exposure to contaminants on long-term health. Some 84% admitted they were concerned about the risk of cancer – a disease highlighted in some scie...

BAFE and the FIA announced the acquisition of the FIA AO by BAFE FireQual Ltd. BAFE strongly believe this will be a significant opportunity for the fire industry to develop an exciting range of accredited qualifications to meet the demand for quality assurance of individual skill and expertise required by the industry. This necessity was heightened by the Grenfell tragedy and its subsequent reports outlined by Dame Judith Hackitt and the Competency Steering Group. Dame Judith Hackitt stated: &l...

In October 1993, the American Heart Association appointed the Task Force on Automatic External Defibrillation. The task force was charged with conducting a conference on automatic external defibrillation, evaluating research needed for broader community use of automatic external defibrillators, and overseeing evaluation of the feasibility and desirability of their use by healthcare professionals and the lay public. In December 1994, a conference on public access defibrillation was held in Washi...

As historically large wildfires continue to burn across California, Oregon and Colorado, Morneau Shepell has opened its 24/7 crisis support hotline for anyone affected by the ongoing devastation. "During this time, we offer our deepest sympathies to all who've lost loved ones, been displaced by or are battling, the hundreds of wildfires across the states," said Stephen Liptrap, president and chief executive officer. "The resiliency shown by all communities, families, and firefighters is truly h...