Smart Home - News

Verint Systems (Verint), the globally renowned customer engagement company, has announced that Quadrant Knowledge Solutions has named Verint’s Experience Management a top performer and technology leader, in the 2021 SPARK Matrix Analysis of the Global Voice of the Customer (VoC) Platforms Market. Quadrant Knowledge Solutions conducted an in-depth analysis and evaluated the products, market presence, and value proposition for the major VoC platform vendors. Verint’s comprehensive te...

New Orleans, LA Local 632 has spearheaded a successful effort to secure a $15 per hour minimum wage for firefighters and paramedics, as well as all other city employees. The New Orleans Civil Service Commission, which is responsible for city personnel, approved the raise pushed by Local 632 and other labor advocacy groups and approved by the city council, for a living wage for all city employees. Next municipal budget The plan, which will cost the city approximately $11 million, will raise ba...

The London Fire Brigade successfully prosecuted a West London building owner, after major breaches of fire safety law were discovered, following a major blaze three years ago. On 9 August 2018, firefighters were called to a fire at a flat above a shop on Queensway in Bayswater, West London. It took 70 firefighters and ten fire engines to control the blaze that ravaged half of the four-story building. Two women were rescued from the building and treated for smoke inhalation at the scene. Absenc...

Go is the new-generation, single-loop fire alarm control panel from Advanced. Versatile and packed with premium features, Go provides cost-effective access to MxPro 5 range performance, quality and ease of use, in a simpler, non-networkable format, for complete fire protection peace of mind. Available to order from October 2021, Go is the ideal solution for a wide range of single-panel sites, including restaurants, bars and guesthouses to small offices, shops, salons and surgeries. Go fire ala...

Kent Fire and Rescue Service (KFRS) has been awarded ServiceMark accreditation by the Institute of Customer Service (ICS), following record feedback from customers and colleagues. It’s the first time a fire and rescue service has achieved this recognition, and it’s a national standard, independently recognizing an organization’s customer service excellence. ServiceMark assessment report The ServiceMark assessment report noted that, KFRS has "turned customer culture completel...

HSE is becoming the new regulator for high-risk residential buildings, as per the provisions in the draft Building Safety Bill. This is a major component of the government’s actions towards meeting Dame Judith Hackitts 53 recommendations from “Building a Safer Future”. HSE recently published the attached document introducing the principles of what they want to see in a safety case, TCOM N328. The document suggests a number of things that building owners and building safety man...

With the New Year underway, Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service (RBFRS) is supporting this month’s Fire Kills smoke alarm purchasing campaign, urging households across the County to make sure they fit smoke alarms on every level of their home. Many people see January as an opportunity for a fresh start, making it the perfect time to ensure prioritizing fire safety in 2021.  The latest fire statistics reveal that one smoke alarm may not be enough to provide the best chance of esca...

Inflexion is pleased to announce it has made a majority investment in Detectortesters (No Climb Products Ltd.), the foremost global manufacturer of fire detector testing equipment. The investment is being made by Inflexion Buyout Fund V. Founded in 1965, Detectortesters designs and produces solutions that enable testing of smoke, heat, and carbon monoxide fire detectors. With a worldwide customer base, consisting mainly of field service engineers, the business exports its products to over 130 c...

Johnson Controls, the globally renowned company in smart, healthy and sustainable buildings solutions, has introduced Tyco Kantech KT-2, adaptable two-door controllers, which is cost-effective, easy-to-install and operate, for small-to-medium sized businesses. Tyco Kantech KT-2 door controller This new door controller expands Johnson Controls line of multi-door control solutions, purposely designed for retailers, medical offices, warehouses and businesses, with needs ranging from one door to t...

Johnson Controls, the globally renowned company in smart, healthy, and sustainable buildings solutions, has announced the release of the Zettler Profile Lite range of addressable fire alarm control panels, to the Asia Pacific markets. The two new addressable panel models, Pro215 Lite and Pro415 Lite have color LCD screens with 32 zonal LEDs integrated into a simple interface, which helps reduce operator errors. Both Profile Lite panel models feature red housing options, ideal for facilities tha...

A new qualification is now available for delivery by FireQual Approved Training Centers. This new qualification provides individuals with knowledge of the hazards and risks associated with fire in the workplace, how fire risk is controlled in the workplace, the principles and practice of fire safety management at work and the role of the nominated fire marshal. Basic fire fighting equipment This new qualification also requires individuals to demonstrate their ability to safely use portable fi...

Brother Mobile Solutions, a globally renowned provider of mobile, desktop, and industrial printing and labeling solutions, has announced the release of an agile, on-demand printing solution for the quick creation of safety signage and labels, which are required in modern workplaces and public spaces. Safety Labeling Solution The new on-demand Safety Labeling Solution pairs a Brother thermal transfer 4-inch printer with highly-intuitive safety signage design software, as well as a wide variety...

Fully compliant with IEC TR 63079:2017 and the field strength requirements stipulated in BS 5839-9, the PDA103i is a self-contained hearing loop system specifically designed to integrate with disabled refuge, door entry, and intercom help points. Brian Foster, C-TEC’s UK Sales Manager, said: “We’ve created the new PDA103i to comply with the accessibility and integrated loop requirements in the Equality Act and the latest version of BS 8300. The system connects easily to outsta...

Fire Door Safety Week research reveals more than one in ten renters fear that raising fire safety concerns will affect their tenancy. There is cause to complain: a third of all renters have experienced fire doors being damaged or propped open and a quarter noticed a broken fire alarm in the last 12 months alone. With renters also concerned about whether reporting issues will even lead to them being fixed, the Fire Door Safety Week campaign is calling for fire safety to be urgently prioritized a...

Ardent is proud to announce that they have now obtained the latest version of P-Mark SPCR 199 certification for the Ardent Dual Agent Fire Suppression Systems. The P-Mark SPCR 199:2021 certification assesses the performance of fire suppression systems against realistic fire conditions and vehicle environmental aspects in engine compartments with combustion engines. The 2021 certification standard presents a new rating classification system over the previous 2017 version. SPCR 199:2021 certific...

A necessity in most places, fire extinguishers are designed to be recognizable and practical. In case of an emergency, people need to be able to spot fire extinguishers quickly and know what extinguisher to use and how to use it. That being said, Anglia Fire Protection understands that fire extinguishers are not the prettiest of things and people often want them to be discrete, or even worse, completely out of sight. This is a complete health and safety no no! extinguisher engineers offer expe...

Module 5 of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry focuses on firefighting, with opening statements setting out a detailed analysis of operational, cultural, and leadership shortcomings of the London Fire Brigade. The Inquiry is interested in how the London Fire Brigade trained and prepared its staff for responding to fires in all buildings as construction methods have changed over the decades. Different legal firms Module 5 began with opening statements from three different legal firms, representing the...

To help support the Fire Door Safety Week 2021 campaign, ASSA ABLOY Opening Solutions UK & Ireland has announced the launch of a new best practice guide - ‘Fire Doorsets’ guide, on how to specify, install, maintain and inspect fire-certified doorsets in residential and commercial buildings. ‘Fire Doorsets’ guide The ‘Fire Doorsets’ best practice guide has been compiled, based on the knowledge and expertise of ASSA ABLOY’s FDIS-trained inspectors, a...

FireQual is developing a qualification that will look to provide the underpinning knowledge and the skills required by those who work within the area of fire door installation. In addition, reflecting on the core messages of the reports, Building a Safer Future – Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety (May 2018) and Setting the Bar (2020), FireQual will be looking at how core practical competencies of individuals can be accurately and consistently assessed. FireQual t...

Global safety equipment manufacturer, MSA Safety Incorporated (MSA safety) has opened the doors of a new 20,000 square-foot manufacturing facility in Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania, USA. Celebrated this morning with a formal ribbon-cutting event, the building opening establishes MSA Safety’s Cranberry Township campus as global center of excellence for gas detection technology. Cranberry Township Manufacturing Facility The single-story manufacturing facility, which is located next to M...

East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust (EEAST) and West Suffolk College are working together to broaden the scope of the Health and Social Care course, with the aim of attracting more students.   A six-week taster module has been designed by EEAST staff for the Health and Social Care course, which starts on the 23rd September, 2021, in order to offer both skills and an insight into career development opportunities in the ambulance service. EEAST course covering ambulance service...

While studies show that it is likely that a second burglary can occur after an initial break-in, many people are slow to act in securing their home, after a burglary. This leaves opportunities open for the intruder to return with much more knowledge about the property. The intruder will already know easy entrance and exit points, the floor plan and if they are smart enough, they will wait until all the things that have originally been taken are replaced. The replacement of these stolen items wi...

Fire safety doesn’t happen by accident, it requires universal attention. With that, Karen Trigg of Allegion UK explores why the importance of working fire doors is often overlooked and why now is an opportune time to bridge the gap between fire safety education and action. Improving fire safety within UK buildings is a challenge we are all continuously facing. Irrelevant of the sector, it’s of the highest importance for any building type - from schools and hospitals to high-rise res...

As the industry welcomed back The Security Event, founding partner - Comelit UK successfully inspired customers, presenting the latest smart solutions in stylish door entry, intruder, home automation, fire, and CCTV. On stand 3a/B10, Comelit introduced its new Logifire addressable panel, which has been designed to offer a simple to install, richly featured fire safety solution that is compliant to the latest standards. Comelit’s alarm management software, Horus Well received was Comelit...

Fire Rescue Services (FRSs) respond to thousands of fire incidents every year, with a large number of incidents not being directly linked to fires. Fire incidents will often lead to casualties and in worst-case scenarios, fatalities, where occupants are unable to escape ravaging smoke and fire. UK Building Regulations compliance Envirograf urges all building structures to be in compliance with UK Building Regulations, which ensures the structures are built to a high standard, complete with ade...

The American Fire Sprinkler Association is pleased to announce that Jason Williams, C.E.T., manager of ITM technical training, and Tom Noble, C.E.T., technical programs specialist, has been appointed to several 2017 National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) technical committees. Jason Williams Jason Williams has been appointed to serve on the technical committee for NFPA 25, Standard for the Inspection, Testing, and Maintenance of Water-Based Fire Protection Systems. He has nearly 20 yea...

The Fire Standards Board for England has released a new Fire Standard to help fire and rescue services address capacity and skills when it comes to inspecting fire safety in non-residential buildings. The announcement at the National Fire Chiefs Council conference in Warwick comes after an extensive consultation process. eighth Fire Standard This is the eighth Fire Standard to be published and it is an overarching standard for Fire Protection with further standards relating to more specific a...

The Welsh Government has published new guidance on water mist systems aimed at local authority building control and installers to assist compliance with building regulations. Automatic water mist systems for domestic and residential premises was published on 27 August. This new guidance sets out how installers of water mist systems can satisfy the requirements of Regulation 37a of the Building Regulations 2010. Automatic fire suppression is mandatory in new residential premises in Wales....

Verint Systems (Verint), the globally renowned customer engagement company, has announced the completion of the previously announced transaction to acquire Conversocial, a renowned company in conversational customer experience services, delivered over messaging channels. Conversocial acquisition On August 10, 2020, Verint issued a release, ‘Verint Expands its Cloud Platform Capabilities to Help Brands Accelerate Digital-First Customer Engagement’, stating its intent to acquire the...

RESCUE Intellitech AB is excited to announce the launch of their new product, the DeconFilter Pro S. When the company first developed the Solo Rescue Decon Washer, its goal was to develop a decontamination solution that could help reduce firefighter’s exposure to carcinogens and other hazardous substances, in a quick, easy and safe way. RESCUE Intellitech AB ended up doing a great job and their machines have now been shipped throughout the world to countries on four different continents....