COVID-19 - News

FireRite now offer a virtual fire risk assessment tool for care homes and other businesses who need one. In these unprecedented times, access to premises can be heavily restricted to protect staff and residents/occupants. Although it does not replace a full fire risk assessment, their virtual interim fire risk assessment tool will help users keep pace with the changing circumstances inside their care home which may impact fire safety. Virtual fire risk assessment Users will also get the adde...

At FireRite they have always offered a range of fire safety training in different formats. They’ve offered a range of standard training packages as well as bespoke and tailored training to meet their specific needs. The way that they approach training delivery needs to adapt and change as the world moves into ‘the new normal’. The requirements and legislation relating to fire safety for businesses have not gone away or been relaxed during the lockdown. Fire safety training is...

21st-27th of September marks Fire Door Safety Week, a week to raise awareness around a critical element of passive fire safety. Fire doors a part of the furniture in public buildings, their homes and other residential buildings. Most members of the public see fire doors all the time, but don't truly appreciate how much thought and strategic planning goes into fire doors, and how vitally important they are to their safety. Fire Door Safety Week aims to highlight the importance of fire doors to t...

Since the onset of the pandemic, most companies have become familiar with issuing alcohol gel in the form of hand sanitizer for staff, customers and visitors. This is understandable because it’s a good way of ensuring no germs, viruses and bacteria are passed on when surfaces are touched. But, as a manager or procurement officer, just how au fait are users with storing these highly-flammable liquids? It’s important to do so carefully because of the high alcohol content in the gel &n...

Marine Evacuation Systems (MES), served by liferafts, is an efficient and widely used method for mass evacuation at sea. With passenger ship capacities increasing, the ability of MES to evacuate hundreds of people in a matter of has been tested exhaustively in Beaufort Sea State 6 conditions. MES and liferafts–five things To be compliant, liferafts must be designed in accordance with SOLAS Chapter lll and the LSA Code. All VIKING liferafts are compliant with these standards and are ful...

FDSOA’s Annual Fire Apparatus Conference looked a little different this year given it was held on Zoom rather than in person like the previous years, but that did not stop the organization from striving towards their mission to ‘educate and bring safety to the streets.’ The Fire Department Safety Officers Association (FDSOA)’s Chairman of the Board Eric Valliere – current Assistant Fire Chief in Scottsdale, Arizona who has been a part of the association for eight...

One of the industries hit hardest during the global COVID-19 pandemic was the leisure sector, with many gyms & health clubs closing, and only re-opening a fraction of their facility. Social distancing made taking a sauna impossible, so many of these facilities have been left sitting unused, and some still are. While this is not ideal for either the facility owners or those looking to avail of the services, it is an ideal time to ensure the sauna is as safe as it can be in all aspects,...

Pierce Manufacturing Inc., an Oshkosh Corporation business, in partnership with the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC), is pleased to announce the 2024 IAFC Fire Chief of the Year honorees. Volunteer Fire Chief C. Reid Vaughan of the Cuba Fire Department in Alabama and Career Fire Chief Randy Royal of the Colorado Springs Fire Department in Colorado have been named this year’s recipients. Since 1996, the IAFC has annually recognized one volunteer and one career fire chief for...

For nearly three decades, Graham Lowe has been a guiding force in fire safety, serving as Managing Director of Hochiki Europe. Now, as he steps into retirement, Lowe offers a unique perspective on the remarkable transformations within the fire detection industry and how Hochiki Europe has strategically adapted to stay at the forefront. In this interview, Lowe shares his insights and thoughts for the future not only for the team at Hochiki but also for the broader industry. Over your tenure at H...

Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) is set to come out ‘all guns blazing’ in just over a week when the ‘fireys’ take on the Royal Australian Navy in their traditional “Ship to Shore’ Cup Rugby League match. It’s set to be a fiery encounter on Sunday, 21 April at North Sydney Oval, a curtain raiser to the NSW Cup game between Norths and Canberra. Last time the FRNSW Phoenix played the RAN Tridents, both captains were sent from the field, with the firefighters c...

Trustee Fire & Security (TFS) recently visited the head office of their main security supplier, Orisec, extending their gratitude for their unwavering service. TFS and Orisec partnership In a remarkable display of reliability, Orisec, a UK-based company, seamlessly navigated the supply & distribution challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns, ensuring uninterrupted support for Trustee Fire & Security (TFS). Orisec play a critical role in maintaining th...

Informa PLC, the world’s largest exhibition organizer, has announced that the co-located exhibitions; Facilities Show, FIREX, IFSEC, and Safety & Health Expo will become part of the newly launched Anticipate London, taking place from the 2nd to the 4th December 2024, at ExCeL London, in London, United Kingdom (UK). Anticipate London Anticipate London emerged as a result of insightful conversations with members of a future-focused advisory board that includes pioneers in security, saf...

The festive season is a time for generosity, and in this year’s Hanukkah celebration, members of the FDNY’s Ner Tamid Society, the Uniformed Fire Fighters Association (UFA) Local 94, and the Uniformed Fire Officers Association (UFOA) Local 854 are serving members inside the firehouse and remembering those lost.  “For Hanukkah this year, we’re holding an event at FDNY headquarters,” said Deputy Chief Yonatan Klein. “We’ll have donuts, latkes, and...

The Association for the Promotion of German Fire Protection (vfdb) will present itself with a colorful mix of topics at its joint stand during INTERSCHUTZ (20 to 25 June 2022) in Hall 13/D50 together with the Association of Heads of Professional Fire Departments (AGBF Bund). The stand motto: "comprehensive, networked, proven".  The vfdb is considered the "inventor" of INTERSCHUTZ. In 1953, the association organized the industry's first major trade exhibition - at that time still called "De...

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...

Recruitment and retention are vital elements for the success of any volunteer fire or emergency medical services (EMS) department. Volunteer departments play a critical role in safeguarding communities, but without enough dedicated volunteers, these departments struggle to fulfill their mission. Volunteer fire and EMS departments across the country are struggling to attract and retain qualified members. Recognizing this challenge, the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), in partnership with the Nat...

Residents and business owners are being encouraged to give their views to help shape Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service’s plan for the next five years. The Service is looking ahead and starting to draft its plan, known as the Community Risk Management Plan (CRMP), which covers its key focus areas until 2029. The plan will identify the fire and rescue related risks in the county and how the Service will mitigate them, as well as the opportunities that exist to continue improving its se...

Coopers Fire is proud to announce that they have achieved FIA approval for CPD material for active curtain barriers. Continuous Professional Development (CPD) plays a vital role within the fire safety industry, keeping industry professionals updated with the latest knowledge and advancements. Coopers Fire recently received approval from the Fire Industry Association (FIA) for their CPD material. This achievement reinforces Coopers Fire’s commitment to educating fire safety professionals a...

Streamlight®, Inc., a globally renowned provider of high-performance lighting for first responders, announced that it donated $21,000 to the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF), which included $11,000 in proceeds from sales of the company's specially marked NFFF Red Nano Light®, Red Vantage® helmet light, and Red Siege® AA lantern. Supporting NFFF via donations Streamlight earmarks $1.00, $3.00, and $2.00, respectively, from the sale of each light for the NFFF. The d...

On May 11, 2023, the House of Representatives Committee on Science, Space, and Technology’s Subcommittee on Research and Technology held a hearing regarding ‘Reauthorizing the U.S. Fire Administration and Fire Grant Programs: Evaluating Effectiveness and Preparedness for Modern Challenges’. The National Volunteer Fire Council’s (NVFC) Georgia Director, David Bullard, testified at the hearing on the behalf of the NVFC. The hearing provided a great opportunity for the NVFC...

Firefighters pledged to never forget the football fans who died 38 years ago in a devastating fire at Valley Parade.  West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service (WYFRS) laid a wreath this morning at Bradford City Football Club to remember the 54 Bradford City supporters and two traveling Lincoln fans who died in the fire on May 11, 1985. Firefighters then joined dignitaries and the families of those who had lost their lives to lay wreaths at a service in Bradford’s Centenary Square. mem...

Homeland Security Secretary, Alejandro N. Mayorkas and U.S. Fire Administrator, Dr. Lori Moore-Merrell delivered remarks during the 42nd National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF) Memorial Weekend on May 7, 2023, in Emmitsburg, Maryland, USA. The Homeland Security Secretary and the U.S. Fire Administrator paid tribute to the 79 firefighters who died in the line of duty in 2022 and 65 firefighters who died in previous years.  Paying tribute to fallen firefighters The emergencies to wh...

Research which surveyed more than 3,000 UK fire and rescue service (FRS) personnel has found that mental well-being across the service is being impacted by issues such as sleep disruption, occupational stress, burnout, anxiety, and depression. Carried out by Nottingham Trent University (NTU) and commissioned by the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) and The Fire Fighters Charity, findings also suggest that increased length of career – not related to age - is associated with experiencing...

Responding to the inspectorate spotlight report on culture in the fire and rescue service, the Chair of the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) has stated his commitment and determination to work with all fire and rescue services to deliver an open, inclusive, and welcoming culture for all. He is clear that this is his number one priority. Following His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) report into values and culture, NFCC Chair - Mark Harding...

RealWear, the pioneer of assisted reality wearable solutions for frontline industrial professionals, has launched three new products to advance its drive to become the de facto productivity platform for frontline professionals and its partners. Products  The new products include:  RealWear App Marketplace  RealWear App Marketplace is the new destination to discover powerful applications for frontline professionals using RealWear devices. Customers can quickly discover pur...

As the rising number of COVID admissions pushes patient capacity limits, ensuring compliant fire safety has never been more important. As hospitals battle through the second major wave of the virus, concerns have been raised around the NHS’ on-going maintenance backlog and the impact on safety and infrastructure. In January 2021, figures suggested that the total backlog was the equivalent of the annual running cost of the entire NHS estate, which was around £9.7bn in 2019/2020. Em...

Over 12 months, the COVID-19 pandemic has dominated the world with the necessary, but disruptive nature of lockdowns and restrictions impacting day-to-day business across the UK. Despite the turbulent year, the risk a fire poses to life and property remains unchanged and it is essential that businesses continue to ensure precautionary and preventative measures are taken. Survey among fire safety professionals In order to gain an insight into how COVID-19 has impacted the fire safety industry,...

VIKING Life-Saving Equipment A/S overcame geopolitical and inflationary turbulence in the global market to deliver historically high results on the top and bottom lines in 2022. The annual accounts show that VIKING surpassed two financial milestones, as net sales value surpassed DKK 3 billion and profit before tax exceeded DKK 300 million. business Growth in 2022 Net sales value totaled DKK 3.14 billion against 2.74 billion in the previous year, representing a growth of 14.6%. Profit before t...

The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC), in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), is offering a new Hazmat Train-The-Trainer program: Partners in Training (PIT) Crew. This project will help first responders gain the knowledge and skills they need to train others in their communities on hazmat safety and response. NVFC’s Hazmat train-the-trainer program The NVFC will provide 15 in-person tra...

Our 2023 training schedule continued recently as we supported engineers participating in the Accelerated Development Programme by Chubb Fire & Security. The session, led by DT’s Paul Gatens and Simon Flavell, covered products from across the DT portfolio with a focus on Testifire – a system of choice for Chubb due to the ease at which it offers compliant testing. The training covered; the set-up and use of the product and ensured each engineer was able to deliver compliant te...