Tall Building Fire Safety - News

Since the launch of the webinars in 2020 Detector Testers welcomed over 1500 attendees to the sessions, they provide a great opportunity to learn about the use of the products and how they can support with simple, compliant functional testing. All webinars are CPD certified by the Fire Industry Association and are led by the technical support and training specialist, Paul Gatens. Testing and Maintenance of Fire Detection Systems Available dates: Tuesday 8th June 10 am – 12pm Tue...

With winter fast approaching and people already beginning to unpack their electric heaters and blankets, what are the fire-risk implications that people need to be aware of? ASP Fire CEO Michael van Niekerk outlines the main areas of concern for homeowners. These are known to be the causes of home fires. Fires caused by heating sources such as heaters and electric blankets are the main contributor to home fires. Always operate electrical equipment and extension cords safely to minimize any fire...

With the release of the HEROS H30, Rosenbauer is launching a new smart protective helmet for fire departments. The three-quarter shell helmet offers maximum safety with minimum weight. It meets the highest protection levels of EN 443 for internal attacks and weighs approx. 1,235 grams (without attachments) significantly less than comparable type A helmets. Especially with longer periods of use, every gram that is not placed on the helmet wearer's head makes a difference. HEROS H30 protective h...

On May 28, 2021, CRFD crews responded to a 2-Alarm fire that ripped through a home on Durham Creek Court, leaving it heavily damaged. Firefighters responded to the scene shortly. The first units arrived to find heavy fire spreading quickly throughout the home and threatening residences that were adjacent to it. This prompted officers on the scene to call for a 2nd Alarm, which sent more resources to the scene. By the time crews got the fire under control the house where the fire started was a...

KME Fire Apparatus., a subsidiary of REV Group® and a foremost manufacturer of fire apparatus, announces that Campbell Supply Company is expanding its portfolio and will represent KME Fire Apparatus in designated counties within Eastern Pennsylvania. “At Campbell Supply, our business philosophy has been based on two guiding principles, honesty and integrity,” said Scott Campbell, President of Campbell Supply Company. “It has always been very important to establish a good r...

On 27/05/2021, the Department for Education opened their consultation on Building Bulletin 100 (BB100). This document is described by the Department as “Non-statutory guidance on fire safety for schools. The guidance covers designing a school building so that pupils and staff will have early warning if a fire breaks out and can evacuate quickly and safely. BB100 advises how to minimize the spread of fire and how to ensure the building structure is adequately resistant to fire. It also inc...

Hempel has acquired a unique technology developed by Das Lack Enertherm (DLE), a German-English company. Combined with internal expertise, the technology will enable Hempel to develop and launch coating products with insulating properties within the next year. The acquisition is part of Hempel’s new double impact strategy that will see the company double its revenue to EUR 3 billion by 2025 and create leadership positions in the energy segment.  The strategy will be realized through...

The Business Sprinkler Alliance (BSA) is delighted to announce its sponsorship, participation and support for FIREX International Connect 2021, Europe’s renowned fire safety event, which is taking place virtually from June 1 - 30, 2021. FIREX International Connect 2021 Attracting a high profile of speakers from across the industry, FIREX International Connect 2021 connects the global fire and security markets, while providing fire and security professionals access to the very latest adva...

Rosenbauer has announced the roll out of their RDL - Rapid Deploy Light tower, an auto-deploying pneumatic LED scene light tower, at its annual dealer meeting, held in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Upon activation, the RDL - Rapid Deploy Light tower deploys to a height of eight feet, with the capability of extending up to 20 feet, under manual control. Two versions of the RDL - Rapid Deploy Light tower will be available from Rosenbauer: RDL-S Rapid Deploy Light tower model: The RDL-S model fea...

Johnson Controls, the pioneer for smart, healthy and sustainable buildings, announces the release of the FireClass FC600 line of addressable fire control panels to the UK and South African markets. The two new panels, FC602S and FC604S, each have a 4.3-inch (109.2-mm) color LCD screen with 32 fire and fault zonal LEDs integrated into a simple interface. These features help users identify and locate potential fire events and system issues quickly. The panels offer easy installation and maintenan...

The Columbia-Richland Fire Department was honored to once again host staff members from Prisma Health Midlands to give them an inside look at how firefighters respond to emergencies. Doctors in residency at the hospital were invited to the CRFD training grounds on May 19 to take part in a session that focused on car accidents and how victims are aided by fire department personnel.

Osage Beach Fire Protection District recently took delivery of two new Rosenbauer Rescue Engines. These new apparatuses are now the frontline apparatus that respond to calls for service allowing older apparatus to be placed into reserve status. Rosenbauer Rescue Engines Engine 11 and Engine 12 are stationed out of fire stations 1 and 2, and respond to all calls for service. These apparatuses are outfitted with a 700-gallon water tank, 30 Gallon Class A Foam Tank, with a 1500 gallons per minut...

The Department for Education has published a revised version of Building Bulletin 100 and is now consulting on updated and expanded guidance that sees school boarding accommodation included for the first time. BB 100 is non-statutory guidance that advises how to minimize the spread of fire within a school and how to ensure the building structure is adequately resistant to the effects of fire. It also sets out the requirements for fire and rescue services to access schools in the event of a fire...

Hammersmith and Fulham Council have appointed Kier Places to carry out remedial fire safety works across its 17,000 housing stock over the next five years. The list of capital works includes upgrades to firefighting equipment in housing blocks as well as work on sprinklers. With continuing concerns across the country about the state of external walls on high-rise residential buildings, the contract includes external façade remediation along with new window installations. deliver a quali...

Just as compact as a conventional fire extinguisher or a bucket syringe, but with a much higher extinguishing performance, the portable CAFS fire extinguisher, RFC POLY Portex from Rosenbauer is also versatile, thanks to its practical accessories. In the event of a fire alarm in a public building, a fire watch at a large event or a smaller fire-fighting operation, with the RFC POLY Portex, fire safety crews are not only quickly on site, but also have the appropriate extinguishing force availabl...

The Columbia-Richland Fire Department is working with the Columbia Police Department to investigate the causes of three fires that occurred in the Booker-Washington Heights neighborhood. No one was injured during the incidents. While investigators acknowledge that the fires all happened in close proximity to each other, they cannot say with certainty if the fires are connected. The investigations are in the infancy stages and investigators continue to gather information to determine if the fir...

For years, the red Solo access poles have been used by engineers to access detectors in order to carry out functional testing. For most this is achieved using the original 4 sections telescopic pole – but could a shorter pole also be useful? As part of some recent research into how the access poles are used and rated, Detector Testers learned that for many engineers the typical height of most detectors they test is up to 5 meters. Pole with Custom-Designed Bag While still a significant...

To understand what is Special Hazard Fire Protection Systems, one must know what a ‘Special Hazard’ is. Special Hazards can be bracketed as: An area or process involving pieces of equipment that are of exceptionally high value. An area containing unique or irreplaceable assets. An area or process where the revenue produced or its function is of greater value than the equipment itself. Standard fire sprinkler systems might not prove to be adequate for putting out a fire in th...

‘Backflow’ is the flow of water in the opposite direction back into the water supply. Backflow preventers hold the pressurized fire sprinkler water line from flowing back into the municipal water line, a probable case if there is a loss of pressure from the municipal water line. Backflow preventers reduce the chances of polluting the municipal water system through cross-contamination. A Backflow Preventer A backflow preventer is a mechanism devised to keep water inside a fire prot...

Portable fire extinguishers play a vital role in preventing a fire from becoming a major conflagration. Indeed, the guidance notes of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order (FSO) references this very point, stating how the safe use of an appropriate fire extinguisher to control a fire in its early stages significantly reduces the risk to people and property. In fact, according to the Fire Industry Association (FIA), almost 90% of workplace fires are successfully fought with a fire extinguishe...

Housing Committee Chair, Clive Betts MP sets out his concerns about the gap between the guidance for external wall surveys and the reaction of mortgage lenders to their implementation, which is leaving leaseholders to face the consequences. Issues with the EWS1 process The Chair of the Housing, Communities, and Local Government Committee, Clive Betts MP, wrote to the government on 21 May to highlight continuing issues with the EWS1 process. This follows the publication of guidance in March by...

Grass, crop, and woodland fires can have a devastating impact, injuring or killing wildlife, destroying property and livelihoods, and even putting people’s lives at risk. As users enter peak season for these types of incidents, residents, workers, and visitors are being urged to do their bit to reduce the number of accidental grass fires across the county. Most grass fires happen between May and September when grassland can get very dry, and many are caused by out-of-control bonfires...

The new Fire Safety Bill (FSB) for England and Wales has been lauded by some in the fire industry, as the answer to many of the challenges faced post the Grenfell tragedy era, but it may not be as far-reaching as many had expected. Stacey Adams, the Market Development Manager at Apollo Fire Detectors Ltd, takes a look at the Fire Safety Bill, what it contains, what it aims to achieve, and its implications for the fire industry. New Fire Safety Bill for England and Wales The new Fire Safety Bi...

In a brand-new episode of Assembly Point, RIBA past president, Jane Duncan OBE, explores why fire safety must be taken seriously, and what action still needs to be taken to ensure tragic events such as Grenfell are never repeated. Jane is the Chair of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Expert Advisory Group on Fire Safety formed shortly after the Grenfell Tower fire in June 2017. Its work is based on two key principles: To be visible and transparent in their discussion and outp...

Notting Hill Genesis is looking for fire experts to help with fire safety and compliance across its 66,000 portfolios of homes across London and the southeast. fire safety services Launched on the government’s procurement portal Tenders Direct on 18 May, the Fire Consultants Framework 2021 is made up of five lots that cover a range of fire safety services related to the design, construction, refurbishment, maintenance, and management of housing stock. The housing association has allocat...

A court in Preston fined the former owner of the Plaza Beach Hotel in Blackpool £15,000 for multiple breaches of the Fire Safety Order that saw it treated as an unofficial HMO. Findings Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service first visited the hotel in September 2017 and prohibited its use after finding: Several members of staff sleeping in the basement with inadequate fire detection, Fire separation throughout the hotel was inadequate, Fire doors would not close, Combustible materials...

With the COVID outbreak making business travel and exhibitions almost impossible over the last 15 months, it was great to see the productts on show at Fire Australia. Whilst scaled down from previous editions of the show, Fire Australia 2021 still featured a comprehensive conference programme which ran alongside the exhibition. The Australian partners, FlameStop, were among the 80 companies exhibiting and took the opportunity to promote products from the Solo and Testifire ranges. Rob Glover,...

Essex Fire Chief pledges £70,000 to the local council to ensure most vulnerable benefit from sprinklers as part of match funding approach to dealing with fire risk across the county. sprinklers Seven housing estates in the Felmores area of Basildon will be retrofitted with sprinklers. Previously, Essex County Fire and Rescue Service provided £50,000 to Basildon Council to fit sprinklers in a high-rise residential block. This announcement coincides with the NFCC’s National Sp...

Apreco continue to lead the way in the fire suppression market with annual testing of their pressure relief vents. The safety of building structures is of paramount importance to Apreco. Subsequently, their pressure relief vents undergo rigorous fire testing to the EWCL5 certification. Apreco were the first manufacturer to obtain the EWCL5 for their pressure relief vents following numerous meetings and discussions with WarringtonFire. Pressure relief vents With no harmonized code available fo...

The discussion covered a wide range of topics all linked to multi-sensor detectors and featured a panel of experts including our own Paul Gatens. With the development and installation of multi-sensors continuing to grow, our training and support teams are experiencing an increasing number of enquiries about how these devices should be tested.  As well as covering this point, the roundtable also provided an opportunity to discuss the importance of false alarm reduction, certification, and t...