SWFRS launches Women’s Network Cymru

South Wales Fire and Rescue Service is continuing to strengthen its commitment to fairness, inclusion, and organisational culture with the launch of the Women’s Network Cymru.

The network has been established to create a dedicated space for open and honest conversation. At its core, the network provides a psychologically safe space where peers from across the Service, including operational, corporate, and fire control roles, can come together to connect, share experiences, and learn from one another.

Crew Manager and Chair of the Women’s Network Cymru, Clare Amor said “This is an opportunity to leave a lasting legacy by helping to create a more inclusive, supportive and equitable fire service. If one person feels more confident, more supported or more inspired it will have achieved exactly what it’s meant to do. I’m hoping our first event in October will create connections that inspire confidence, courage and change.”

The initiative plays an important role in supporting both personal and professional growth. By encouraging collaboration and shared learning, the network will help build confidence, increase visibility, and create opportunities. It also provides a platform to share insights that can inform decision-making and contribute to the continuous improvement of workplace culture.

Importantly, the Women’s Network Cymru complements existing structures and processes within the Service, enhancing, rather than replacing, formal mechanisms. This new network adds to those already hosted by the Service, including Neurodiversity, Armed Forces, Inclusive Workforce Group and DICE Champions, with more to follow.

Group Manager, Lauren O’Sullivan-Jones said “We’re proud to launch the Women’s Network Cymru a space where women from across our organisation can come together to connect, inspire, and empower one another. Built on collaboration, trust, and inclusion, the network provides a safe and supportive environment to share experiences, learn new skills, and celebrate each other’s successes. Together, we can build meaningful connections, champion personal and professional growth, and create a lasting impact for our colleagues, our organisation, and the future.”

A range of activities will form part of the work, including informal and structured discussions, guest speakers, development sessions, and the sharing of resources and learning. These opportunities will not only support individuals, but also contribute to wider organisational conversations where appropriate, helping to shape how the Service continues to evolve.

Ultimately, the Women’s Network Cymru represents a proactive step forward in building a workplace where people feel valued, supported, and empowered to succeed. By creating space for connection and understanding, the initiative helps to strengthen the Service as a whole, benefiting colleagues and communities.

Fire Protection Association joins Certek Group to strengthen UK fire safety services

The Fire Protection Association (FPA) has joined Certek Group in a move the organisation says will support future investment in fire safety research, training and testing across the UK.

Certek, an international provider of testing, inspection, certification and compliance services, will support the FPA as it develops its fire safety research, training and testing services for clients across the UK.

The FPA said the partnership will help secure the organisation’s future while preserving its independence, technical expertise and public benefit role.

FPA says Certek partnership will support growth

Announcing the development, Gavin Dunn, CEO of the Fire Protection Association, described the move as a “transformational moment” for the organisation.

He said: “Our partnership with Certek secures the organisation’s future while preserving everything that makes the FPA unique. It provides the investment and scale to accelerate innovation, expand our services, and strengthen our role as the UK’s leading fire safety organisation.

“Most importantly, it enables us to continue delivering independent expertise, research, and professional development that supports a safer built environment for generations to come.”

RISCAuthority research programme to continue

The FPA said Certek is committed to protecting the future of RISCAuthority, the annually funded research programme administered by the FPA on behalf of UK insurers.

RISCAuthority aims to raise resilience standards within the business community by providing research, guidance and best practice recommendations for managing fire and security risks.

The programme will continue to develop relationships with insurance partners while supporting the FPA’s wider work on risk management and resilience.

Collaboration with PartB to expand testing capabilities

Joining Certek Group will also enable the FPA to work more closely with other businesses in the group, including PartB, with which it already has a relationship through joint fire resistance testing activities.

The FPA and PartB said they will build on their existing work to create closer collaboration across the businesses, with the aim of developing a more comprehensive fire testing operation and strengthened laboratory capabilities.

Jamie Davis, Group Chief Technical Officer at PartB, said: “The FPA has spent decades leading the industry through research, testing, training, and publication of guidance, and together, our strengths complement one another perfectly.

“By working alongside the FPA, we can help drive higher standards, improve competence across the sector and ultimately have greater impact on public safety than either of us could on our own.

“We’re building something that has the potential to transform the fire safety landscape. We’ll do it carefully, thoughtfully and with a clear focus on maintaining the values, integrity and technical excellence that have made both organisations successful.”

Certek welcomes Fire Protection Association

David Harrison, Chief Executive Officer of Certek, said the group was “delighted” to welcome the FPA.

He said: “For over 75 years, the FPA has been the trusted voice of fire safety in the UK, and its reputation for independence, technical excellence, and market-leading research is second to none.

“Our partnership with the FPA will deliver investment into new research and educational projects and also enhanced testing services to better serve client and assessor requirements, all whilst safeguarding the FPA’s vital research into fire safety and the independence, rigour, and commitment to the highest standards that have defined the organisation throughout its history.”

The FPA will continue to provide training and technical services for members and clients from its head office and Training and Education Centre in Oxfordshire, and its Fire Testing Laboratory in Gloucestershire.

Dunn added: “We have secured our future and protected everything that makes this organisation special by maintaining the independence, integrity, and public benefit role that has always defined the FPA.

“With the ability to create opportunities that simply were not available to us before, I genuinely believe today marks the beginning of a very exciting new chapter for the FPA.”

NFCC calls for stronger Approved Document B reforms to improve building fire safety

Building safety reforms must go further to deliver safer and more inclusive buildings, the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) has said in response to the latest consultation on Approved Document B.

The organisation has urged the Government to continue modernising the statutory guidance that supports fire safety requirements within the Building Regulations in England, warning that current guidance has not fully kept pace with modern construction methods, changing building use or the needs of a diverse and ageing population.

NFCC welcomes progress on evacuation lifts

The NFCC said the consultation from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) includes several measures that would improve clarity and strengthen fire safety standards.

Among the proposals welcomed by the council is the introduction of guidance on evacuation lifts, a measure it said it has called for over many years.

However, the NFCC said the proposed changes do not yet amount to the wider reforms needed to ensure buildings are designed around occupants’ needs and support the Government’s ambition for everyone to reach a place of safety in an emergency without external assistance.

Calls for wider reform of fire safety guidance

  • Wider provision of evacuation lifts to support residents who are unable to use stairs, with safe evacuation based on people’s needs rather than building height.
  • Increased use of sprinklers in specialised housing, both with and without care provision.
  • Further review of fire safety requirements for car parks, including consideration of sprinkler systems and risks linked to modern vehicles and electric vehicle infrastructure.
  • Greater clarity, research and testing around modern methods of construction and combustible structural materials.
  • Completion of the wider Approved Document B review programme announced after Dame Judith Hackitt’s Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety.

‘Buildings should be suitable for the people who live in them’

Dave Russel, NFCC Protection Lead, said: “It is encouraging to see progress in a number of areas, particularly the introduction of guidance on evacuation lifts, something NFCC has been calling for over many years.

“But this is about more than individual changes to guidance. Last year, we set out a vision for a building safety system that reflects how people live today, supports those who may need help to evacuate, and keeps pace with modern buildings and modern risks.

“At its heart, this is about people. Buildings should be suitable for the people who live in them, rather than people having to be suitable for buildings. When someone needs to escape a fire, their safety should not depend on whether a building was designed with their needs in mind.

“The Grenfell Tower fire showed why we must put residents at the centre of every decision. We welcome the progress being made and look forward to working with Government and industry to ensure the wider programme of reform delivers safer, more inclusive buildings for everyone.”

SFPE releases 6th Edition Fire Protection Engineering Handbook

The Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE) has released the 6th Edition of the ‘SFPE Handbook of Fire Protection Engineering‘, with new sections and updated chapters addressing current developments in fire protection engineering, science and technology.

First published in 1988, the handbook is widely used by fire protection engineers, researchers, code officials and students. SFPE said the sixth edition includes significant revisions and expanded content to reflect issues now facing the profession.

The latest edition introduces two new sections: Fire Test Data for Engineering Methods, which includes four new chapters, and Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) Fires and Environmental Impacts, which includes seven new chapters.

It also includes new and updated chapters on fire walls, fire investigations, flame extinction by active suppression, structural fire engineering, lithium-ion batteries and energy storage, refrigerants, warehouse storage challenges, and fire and life safety during modifications, additions and demolition.

According to SFPE, the handbook also covers emerging topics such as wildland-urban interface fire dynamics and evacuation, lithium-ion battery storage risks, engineering methods using fire test data, sustainable and resilient fire protection strategies, and risk analysis in the healthcare, nuclear and mass transportation sectors.

Chris Jelenewicz, CEO of SFPE, said: “The 6th Edition of the SFPE Handbook reflects the evolution of fire protection engineering and addresses the critical challenges facing our industry today.”

SFPE said the new edition will serve as the primary reference for its Fire Protection Professional Engineer (PE) Exam Review Course from this year. It will also be incorporated into the organisation’s forthcoming Introduction to Principles of Fire Protection Engineering eLearning course.

The publication was developed with input from more than 130 contributors from academia, research institutions, consulting firms and industry organisations worldwide, supported by section editors across 11 technical subject areas.

The handbook remains one of the leading global technical references for fire protection engineering and is likely to be familiar to many fire engineers working on major projects across the Gulf.

Global Fire Equipment launches FALCON fire detection and extinguishing panels

Global Fire Equipment (GFE) has expanded its fire protection portfolio with the launch of two new control panels, FALCON and FALCON Ex, designed for commercial, industrial and critical infrastructure applications.

The new range brings together certified fire detection and extinguishing control technology, with GFE saying the panels have been developed to support vigilance, reliability and precision across a range of fire safety environments.

FALCON is an intelligent conventional fire detection control panel intended to meet a wide range of building requirements, while FALCON Ex is a dedicated extinguishing control panel certified to EN12094-1 for fire suppression management.

According to GFE, the FALCON panel offers a scalable conventional fire detection solution with Double-Knock logic to help reduce unwanted alarms, cause-and-effect programming and EN54-certified reliability supported by comprehensive power supply monitoring.

FALCON Ex has been developed for applications where fire suppression performance is critical. The panel includes advanced discharge management, integrated Hold and Abort functions, and full monitoring of valves, pressure, release circuits and extinguishing status to support operational control.

Both panels are certified to EN54 and EN12094-1 requirements. GFE said the range has been created to meet the evolving needs of fire safety professionals by combining certified performance with ease of use.

José A. Azevedo, Business and Innovation Manager of the GSS Group, said: “Innovation remains a pillar of our international growth strategy. The FALCON range reinforces our commitment to delivering Portuguese-developed technology capable of meeting the fire safety challenges faced by customers around the world.”

Part of the GSS Group, Global Fire Equipment develops and manufactures fire detection, alarm and control systems for customers in more than 90 countries. The company said the launch of FALCON and FALCON Ex strengthens its strategy of delivering certified fire protection technologies to international markets.

Bridger Aerospace and TracPlus integrate aerial firefighting data into IGNIS wildfire platform

Bridger Aerospace has partnered with TracPlus to bring real-time aerial firefighting data into its IGNIS wildfire intelligence platform, giving incident teams a unified view of aircraft activity and suppression efforts on the fireline.

Bridger Aerospace Group Holdings, Inc., one of the United States’ leading aerial firefighting companies, said the integration will combine TracPlus’ aircraft and mission data with Bridger’s wildfire intelligence software to support wildland firefighting operations.

TracPlus’ real-time aircraft position, aviation intelligence, and drop event data will be integrated directly into Bridger’s IGNIS platform. The companies said the collaboration is expected to give firefighters, aviation teams, and incident managers a single live operating picture, helping them see where aircraft are working, where suppression activity has taken place, and how those actions affect the wider incident environment.

“We are thrilled to partner with a tried-and-true data provider in the wildfire industry,” said Sam Davis, CEO of Bridger Aerospace. “As we bring together TracPlus and their data integration with IGNIS, we believe this combined solution will enhance tangible situational awareness for our own aerial firefighting operations as well as incident management teams across the nation. Technology is the new frontier in our mission to protect lives, property, and the environment and we just got stronger with TracPlus as a strategic partner.”

The integration aligns with calls for more connected and interoperable wildfire technology as response operations become increasingly data driven. Bridger Aerospace and TracPlus said linking the two platforms is intended to reduce information silos and help ground crews and air assets work from the same picture of resources, aircraft activity, and suppression progress.

“Trying to do everything yourself isn’t the best way in modern wildfire response,” said Todd O’Hara, CEO of TracPlus. “Our industry moves forward when specialists each perform what they do best and connect their work. By delivering our expertise in bringing aviation data together from every source and streaming it directly into the IGNIS platform, we are empowering the people on the frontline with a more complete operational picture to do their jobs better and help keep their communities safe.”

Hellenic Fire System captures first image less than a month after launch

OroraTech has announced that its Hellenic Fire System has captured its first thermal image over Greece less than one month after satellite launch, marking a major milestone toward the country’s future national wildfire monitoring capability.

The first image is said to demonstrate the rapid deployment and operational readiness of OroraTech’s thermal sensing technology. The image, preceded by two weeks of imaging calibration, reveals the thermal signature of the Athens metropolitan area, as well as the islands of Andros, Tinos, Skyros, Chios, Kea, and Kythnos, and visible thermal patterns created by swirling currents across the Aegean Sea.

The sensors are designed to provide highly accurate land surface temperature measurements and wildfire detection capabilities while operating from low Earth orbit with low latency and frequent revisit rates.

Martin Langer, CEO of OroraTech, said: ” This milestone shows our ability to rapidly bring sophisticated space assets into service while providing the high-quality thermal data needed for wildfire detection, environmental monitoring, and scientific research.”

The Hellenic Fire System is being developed as part of Greece’s national investment in space-based wildfire resilience. Once fully operational, the constellation will scan the entirety of Greece twice per day, providing continuous thermal monitoring to support wildfire detection, emergency response, and climate research activities. The system will also generate land surface temperature data for scientists and researchers studying environmental change across the Mediterranean region.

The first-light image confirms that the sensors can observe both terrestrial and maritime thermal phenomena, demonstrating the versatility of the system for a wide range of operational and scientific applications.

The project is being carried out under an ESA Contract in the framework of the Greek National Satellite Space Project. The Project: Small-Satellites (Measure ID 16855) is implemented by the Hellenic Ministry of Digital Governance and Artificial Intelligence with the European Space Agency (ESA) Assistance in the Management and Implementation. The project is part of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan ‘Greece 2.0’, which is funded by the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF), core programme of the European Union-NextGenerationEU.

Bridger Aerospace selects TracPlus to support aerial firefighting fleet performance

Bridger Aerospace has selected FireFlyte, powered by TracPlus, to provide automated mission recording and fleet-wide operational insight as wildfire risks continue to rise.

The aerial firefighting operator will use the platform to build a detailed operational picture of each mission, capturing aircraft position, timing, firefighting mode and drop-line data from take-off to landing.

The system is designed to help Bridger assess how each aircraft performs on every deployment, including where drops are made in relation to the fire perimeter and how suppression activity develops as conditions change.

According to TracPlus, the data is captured once at source rather than reconstructed afterwards, with an Aerial Firefighting Report generated for each mission.

Sam Davis, CEO of Bridger Aerospace, said: “For Bridger, the goal is not just operational awareness, but also continuous improvement. Mission data from FireFlyte allows us to make sure every aircraft, on every fire, is performing at the highest possible level.

“FireFlyte also enhances our situational awareness so we can increase our focus on safe operations by using data to highlight trends and maintain our high tempo in the field. This visibility gives us the best possible data to perform our mission to protect what matters – lives, property and the environment.”

The agreement covers Bridger’s fleet, including six CL-415EAF Super Scoopers, which can draw up to 1,412 gallons of water per pass, as well as Air Attack and Multi-Mission aircraft, Pilatus PC-12s, King Air 350s and Daher Kodiaks fitted with imaging and infrared systems.

Todd O’Hara, CEO of TracPlus Global, said: “The industry is shifting towards automated, complete mission records. Agencies like CAL FIRE and Australia’s national programme are already there. What’s changing now is that operators are making the same move. Bridger is leading that from the front. By capturing every mission automatically, the same way the major agencies do, they can focus on what they do best: flying the mission and keeping communities safe. That’s what we built TracPlus to do. We’re glad to be part of it.”

Ranger’s accelerated growth strategy enters ‘new phase’ with UK and Ireland acquisitions

Ranger Fire and Security has acquired two high-performing businesses across the UK and Ireland.

Scion Communications Limited is a fire safety and security solutions provider covering the South of England. Its core offering spans fire alarms, security systems and access control. This acquisition is said to build on Ranger’s earlier acquisitions of Universal, Fidelity and Partnership.

Emerald Fire Technology is a Cork-based fire and gas detection specialist, supplying, commissioning, servicing and repairing equipment for commercial and Government-funded customers across the Munster region. Located near existing Ranger business B-Safe, this acquisition builds out Ranger’s coverage in the region and adds gas detection to its product offering.

Mark Bridges, CEO of Ranger Fire and Security, said: “Scion and Emerald each bring strong reputations and complementary expertise to the Group, and we’re delighted to welcome their teams on board as we continue to build the leading fire and security platform in the UK and Ireland.”

Both businesses’ leadership teams are staying in place, preserving their customer-centric focus while creating cross-selling opportunities with other Ranger businesses nearby.

The acquisitions are the first announced since Inflexion, a European mid-market investment firm, secured a majority investment in Ranger to accelerate its growth and acquisition strategy across the UK and Ireland. The investment will support further acquisitions of high-performing local businesses and the integration of back-office functions across the Group, helping advance Ranger’s ambition to build a national fire and security platform.

Fire and Emergency New Zealand: If you light a fire, you are responsible for it

Landowners whose unattended burn piles caused a string of vegetation fires across the district of Canterbury in New Zealand last Saturday are being visited by Fire and Emergency New Zealand to ensure they understand their responsibilities for land management fires.

District Commander Dave Stackhouse said that 11 fires escaped and spread quickly in the severe nor-westerly winds. As a result, almost all the district’s firefighters were stretched to levels normally only seen in mid-summer.

“I am very disappointed at the number of fires that had been left unattended,” Stackhouse said. “If it hadn’t rained later on Saturday, we would have been calling on brigades from other districts to assist.”

While Canterbury is currently in an open fire season, meaning permits are not required for outdoor fires, landowners are always responsible for the fires that they light on their properties. The same applies to forestry managers.

Under Section 60 of the Fire and Emergency New Zealand Act, it is an offence to cause or allow a fire to get out of control and to spread to vegetation or property. The penalties for individuals include a fine of up to $300,000 and up to two years imprisonment.

The message was very simple, Commander Stackhouse said: if you light a fire, you are responsible for it.

Fire and Emergency New Zealand says that fires must not be left unattended and must be completely extinguished, not left to smoulder. When strong winds are forecast, anyone who has lit a fire should be checking for hotspots that could be reignited.

There is extensive advice at www.checkitsalright.nz.

Fire and Emergency New Zealand adds that vegetation across Canterbury is already unusually dry for this time of year, and the outlook suggests a very high risk of wildfire in spring and summer because of the predicted El Nino weather pattern.