Training & Education - News

West Yorkshire emergency services tested their joint incident response plans and procedures during a simulated training exercise in Leeds city center last week. On Thursday 17 August, a live exercise simulating a terrorist attack was carried out by the three regional emergency services: West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service (WYFRS), West Yorkshire Police (WYP), and Yorkshire Ambulance Service (YAS).  Hosted by the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP), the scenario saw first responders f...

Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service has been assessed as 'Outstanding' in one of eleven categories inspected earlier this year by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS). They also received six Goods, three Adequates and one Requires Improvement. The inspection team, who visited the Service in April, gave the highest score possible for how CFRS manages its resources, highlighting innovative practices for its ‘comprehensive financial and r...

The Fleur Lombard Bursary aims to advance the education of junior members of the fire and rescue service, by the grant of bursaries to enable them to travel and study fire and rescue service-related issues at other fire and rescue services elsewhere in the UK, Europe, or worldwide. If interested in finding out more about an issue affecting fire and rescue service or want to improve the understanding of fire and rescue service issues, may be interested in applying for the bursary. Members o...

Johnson Controls, the pioneer of smart, healthy, and sustainable buildings, announces the launch of Simplex 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 both addressable and non-addressable models and a full range of reliable, proven Simplex devices. Complete fire detection solution “Today’s installers are busier than ever and don’t always have time to...

Just before schools broke up for the summer holidays, Safety Zone made its welcomed return after being put on hold following the COVID-19 pandemic. The scheme first returned to St. Neots Fire Station, where more than 300 pupils from St Marys, Little Paxton, Middlefield, Buckden, Bushmead, Priory, Great Paxton, Eynesbury CoE, and Whinhills took part. road safety, CPR, fire safety Various partners attended the day, including, Cambridgeshire Constabulary, Cambridgeshire County Council, Woodgreen...

Zenitel, the globally renowned supplier of intelligent and interoperable communication solutions, announced the hiring of a key relationship executive in its Americas Onshore Business Unit. Allan Barinque has been named Southwest Regional Sales Leader.   Extensive industry experience Allan Barinque is an experienced Sales Executive and Account Manager with a demonstrated history of working in the security integration and fire life safety industry. He is a seasoned professional who...

Pierce Manufacturing Inc., an Oshkosh Corporation company, in partnership with the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC), announced the 2023 IAFC Fire Chief of the Year honorees. Volunteer Fire Chief Thomas Bell of the Greensburg Volunteer Fire Department in Pennsylvania, and Career Fire Chief Brian Fennessy of the Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA) in California, have been named 2023’s recipients. IAFC Fire Chief of the Year Annually since 1996, the IAFC has honored both a v...

Fire emergencies are critical situations that can pose significant risks to the safety and well-being of occupants in buildings, and having a fire evacuation strategy is crucial. Understanding human behavior in such emergencies is crucial for Coopers Fire, as it enables the team to design and install effective fire protection measures. Cooper highlights factors that influence human behavior during fire incidents and the importance of tailored fire protection solutions. The Psychology Of Panic...

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...

When choosing a technology provider for a safety program, there's so much more to think about than just the equipment.  Comprehensive services are equally essential otherwise the costs can be high. A lack of customer support can contribute to a poor user experience and adoption challenges. Limited scalability might hamper the growth. change management The right partner besides the user, offering change management and best practices expertise, can set the safety technology program up for...

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...

Hochiki’s Enhanced System Protocol Range (ESP) and Latitude system are already EN54 pt13 certified, however with this additional certification in place it provides greater choice of fire detection products and systems to choose from for customers based in the Belgium region as well as bordering countries Luxemburg, the Netherlands and Germany. The Hochiki ESP range is one of the most robust platforms on the market, offering a wide selection of features and benefits for some of the most co...

Carrier Corporation is pleased to announce the brand-new version 9.2 of TruVision Navigator video management. More open, more secure: everything that has been asked for! TruVision Navigator It offers a long list of features to monitor the video system, free of charge! It is a solution that is easy to install, to configure and it even includes a system set-up wizard, in case of doubt. It is not only a feature-rich and intuitive video management system, it truly is an integrated security sys...

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...

At the Kissimmee Fire Department in Florida, 105 paid operations personnel train regularly for garden apartment and taxpayer fire scenarios on The Fire Chief training model. Customized to handle the specific training demands of the department, the impressive structure was opened in 2019. “We chose this Fire Facilities structure as opposed to any other type of training unit because of the different options we had to choose from for the price,” says Battalion Chief Eric Gentry, a 22-y...

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...

Fire safety and security specialist Amthal is excited to mark a new chapter in the company’s evolution with a refreshed brand identity and vision for future growth in the industry. The rebranding initiative represents a strategic move to align the company's visual identity with its growth targets, core values, commercial expertise, and commitment to excellence in the fire and security industry. Brand transformation Amthal has undergone a comprehensive brand transformation, including a r...

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...