Swiss Air Force teams up with Rosenbauer for aircraft firefighting training

by AviationFeatured NewsIndustry SectorsProjects

The Swiss Air Force has teamed up with fire service vehicle and equipment manufacturer Rosenbauer to implement its PANTHER training system to enable training for the tactical handling of ARFF vehicles as well as handling the extinguishing and control panels.

The PANTHER training system will be installed in the fire training center of CFR Campus PHÈNIX at Payerne Airport.

The simulator landscape consists of two PANTHER tactical simulators – 8×8 and 6×6 S, as well as two simulators that can be configured bot as ARFF vehicles and command or logistics vehicles.

The two PANTHER simulators are equipped with identical PANTHER cockpits, while the other two have generic cockpits on which all functions can be operated the same way as in the respective original vehicle.

Everything that happens outside the vehicles is displayed on large LED screens in Ultra-HD (4 times HDTV) resolution. Each screen is controlled by its own computer; a total of 18 computers with powerful graphics cards are installed in the training system.

The system also includes a control panel on which the virtual training sessions are planned, programmed, and documented. There are five airport layouts and numerous aircraft types to choose from, the time of day or night, and the weather and runway conditions can be modified in order to make the operational action as realistic as possible.

All firefighting operations from leaking jet fuel to an undercarriage catching fire or burning jet engines can be trained on, whereby the control of the firefighting equipment is just as sensitive as in the real-life counterparts.

“The Swiss Air Force is building a competence center for aircraft firefighting here, where the members of the aircraft incident squads will receive their complete training in future and be able to complete regular drills under real conditions,” saod Hans Schmid, Head of Crash and Fire Rescue Swiss Air Force.

“In the future, each and every member will train on the simulators for at least two days a year. Their integration into an overall system allows us to systematically and efficiently structure the training. In addition, three liquid gas-fired fire simulators (dummy aircraft) are available for “hot” drills on the approximately 26,000 m2 site.”

Markus Zellinger, Managing Director of Rosenbauer Switzerland added: “The Swiss Air Force’s aircraft incident squads can train for every operational scenario imaginable in a resource-saving, safe, and controlled manner. That’s the great advantage of simulator training.”

Hochiki wireless fire detectors installed in London apartment blocks

by Featured NewsPassiveProductsProjects

Ekho, the newest hybrid wireless fire detection solution from global life safety manufacturer Hochiki, has been installed in six blocks of apartment buildings for North London borough to help improve fire detection.

EN54-25 approved and RED compliant, Ekho uses radio networking technology and provides a robust ‘always on’ network of devices which automatically adapt to changing environmental conditions.

Commenting on the project Fire Alarms Fabrication Services, Kevin Dodge, sales Account Manager at FAFS said: “The technology used in the Ekho devices helps residents feel safer compared to relying on a team of people prone to human error. The building owners are reassured due to the self-configuring mesh network which keeps the devices connected and communicating with the fire panel 24/7”

“This was an incredibly complex and highly involved project, we worked closely with the team at Hochiki who consulted on best devices for this project. The Ekho range offered a wireless solution which allowed us to work around issues such as cabling inside private spaces. Ekho allowed for early detection and most importantly detection outside of the building on cladding by installing heat sensor devices adjacent to every single window, including the windows for individual dwellings. The Ekho range is ultra-dependable, and much more cost effective than the Waking Watch scheme that was in place in these buildings.”

Following the successful completion of the project, Hochiki Regional Sales Manager, Tony Obadipe said: “We are pleased that our Ekho product range is making such an enormous difference in keeping people safe. The fact that our technology is also helping to drive huge cost efficiencies for our partners and their end users is a bonus. In the current economic climate this cost saving is essential, especially for local authorities. We are incredibly proud of our teams that have been involved in this project, it really is protecting people’s lives”.

Two join Society of Fire Protection Engineers board of directors

by Featured NewsPeople

The Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE), the professional society for fire protection and fire safety engineering, has announced that Robert McNamee, PhD [right], and Wojciech Węgrzyński, PhD [left], have joined the SFPE Europe Board of Directors.

McNamee and Węgrzyński were elected at the SFPE Europe General Assembly Meeting in London, UK, on 16 May 2022. They join David Grossmann, Chair; Kees Both, Immediate Past Chair; and Beth Tubbs, SFPE 2022 President, on the SFPE Europe Board of Directors.

Under the expanded leadership, SFPE Europe plans to increase its collaboration with SFPE chapters, to represent the voice of the fire safety engineer on European technical committees, to explore additional programs and partnerships, and to better meet the needs of engineers throughout Europe.

Headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, members of SFPE Europe include the Society’s 20 European chapters in Albania, Austria, Benelux, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Israel, Italy, Malta, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and United Kingdom, plus five student chapters at the Main School of Fire Service, Coimbra University, International Master of Science in Fire Safety Engineering, Imperial College/Greater London, and the University of Edinburgh.

West Sussex Fire Chief named NFCC international lead

by Featured NewsPeople

West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service’s (WSFRS) Chief Fire Officer, Sabrina Cohen-Hatton, has been announced as the National Fire Chief’s Council (NFCC) International Lead.

The role with the NFCC will be carried out alongside Sabrina’s position of Chief Fire Officer in West Sussex and will see her work with fire services across the world to share best practice and improve firefighter safety to ensure fire services benefit from shared knowledge and the latest developments within the fire service sector.

Speaking of her recent appointment, Sabrina said: “I am delighted to have been appointed as the NFCC International Lead and I am looking forward to embarking on this new journey and being able to share international best practice with colleagues around the world, as well as here in West Sussex.

“Over the last decade I have been researching decision-making psychology to help keep firefighters, and therefore the public, safer. Through this work I have had the privilege of sharing findings with others around the world and I have seen first-hand just how valuable the exchange of knowledge can be between fire service colleagues, both in terms of what we can share to help keep other firefighters safe, but also what we here in West Sussex can learn from other services.

“We already work very closely with all of our neighbouring services here in the UK to share best practice, but this position allows us to take that learning to a whole other level, and puts our fire and rescue service here in West Sussex in a fantastic position at the forefront of international best practice.

“I feel it’s really important that we learn from other people’s experiences in order to adopt new best practices, and this is something I am incredibly passionate about.”

The role will also support when aid is needed from fire services in other countries, such as the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Ukraine.

In March the NFCC, FIRE AID and Fire Industry Association coordinated a national response to support firefighters, emergency services and volunteers battling together on the frontline following the Russian invasion.

A team of 12 firefighters from WSFRS were among the biggest UK fire service convoy and delivered 22 vehicles, including four fire engines donated by WSFRS, and more than 5,000 items of vitally needed equipment.

Since then, a further two convoys of equipment have departed for Ukraine. Going forward Sabrina’s role as NFCC Lead will be instrumental in driving forward similar projects.

Fire Brigade Union asks McCall to withdraw PFCC proposal

by Featured NewsPeople

The Fire Brigade Union (FBU) has written to Cumbria Police and Crime Commissioner Peter McCall to ask him to drop plans to become Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner (PFCC) after the public rejected the proposal in a consultation as ‘bundling fire and police helps no one”.

Ed Burrows, Fire Brigades Union North West regional secretary, said: “The consultation response was clear: Cumbria fire and rescue service should not be run by a PFCC. We fully expect McCall that will follow through on this consultation by taking the next step and withdrawing the plan.

“Bundling fire in with the police helps no one. It could lead to cuts that affect the fire and rescue service disproportionality, and lead to three fire station closures.”

Of the 363 public and stakeholder responses to the consultation less than half (46%) of respondents said they would like to to see a PFCC in Cumbria, whilst 54% preferred the option of a Combined Fire and Rescue Authority.

The Fire Brigades Union has criticised McCall’s plan to become PFCC on various grounds, including the fact it could lead to three fire station closures, putting 18 jobs at risk.

The station closures have been predcited as stations in Frizington, Arnside and Stavely have previously been threatened with closure, and the FBU said there are financial concerns over a future PFCC having the latitude to implement cuts that impact fire disproportionately relative to the police, and requiring funds to bulk up his office to administer the fire and rescue service, which could come out of the fire and rescue budget.

The letter also said “We also note that the financial issues surrounding any takeover of governance have still not been provided, we request that this information is shared with us when produced”.

To date, no financial assessment for viability of a change to a PFCC has been produced.

The letter can be read in full on the Fire Brigades Union website.

Fire safety startups to present at INTERSCHUTZ

by EventsFeatured NewsProducts

At INTERSCHUTZ 2022 in Hannover, Germany, startups will be presenting their new, interesting services and products in the area of emergency response at a large joint booth (hall 16/F48) from 20-25 June.

Among the 20 companies presenting is Brand Punkt, a startup founded by Hermann Zengeler, which offers a professional e-learning program to prepare them for emotionally stressful missions.

Zengeler, among other things, was the chief of a fire department for 25 years before giving up his job in the civil service. Together with his partner Carina Ott, he founded Brand Eins to prepare people mentally-emotionally for emergency service. 

Brand Punkt will present Fireproof360°, an e-learning program designed to prepare firefighters for stressful situations, stabilize their motivation and make them strong for mentally demanding service. 

Firedrill is also represented at the joint stand, hoping to bring the topic of fire prevention into the digital age. Jens Thiemann, one of the two managing directors. launched the startup two years ago and so far numerous companies have already used his app, which enables employees to independently complete the safety exercise regularly prescribed in companies on their smartphones.

“At the same time, this enables them to develop a routine and be better prepared for emergencies – without having to rely on random participation in the group exercises that rarely take place,” explained Thiemann.

Exercises are conducted exclusively in the real environment at the workplace using augmented reality. The exercise shows the main escape route from the starting room to the assembly point and must be completed in full. The application also displays helpful additional information along the route, such as the location of fire extinguishers and fire alarms.

“Firedrill is the new and flexible solution for hands-on evacuation drills in a changing workplace – even or especially because of the Corona pandemic,” Thiemann added. “Thanks to mixed reality technology, the exercise is not simply consumed like a video, but actively experienced on site.”

Hospitals in Karnataka slow to carry out fire safety audit

by Featured NewsSafety

Only 44 out of 166 government hospitals in Karnataka, a state in the south western region of India, have completed a fire safety audit within the two week period set out by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as fire accidents have been on the rise sue to summer heat, according to reports.

Modi spoke at a video conference with Chief Ministers on 27 April suggesting that all states conduct fire safety audits. Over two weeks since the Health Department directed 16 district and 150 taluk hospitals to complete the audit, only 27% have completed the exercise. The May 21 deadline has now been extended until the end of the month.

To aid he process, the Health Department approved ₹82 lakh for the fire audits of 166 hospitals (at ₹50,000 each hospital) under the National Health Mission (NHM), relasing the funds on May 18.

State Health Commissioner Randeep D. attributed the slow action to procedural delays: “Funds have been released to the 166 hospitals and the DHOs have been asked to facilitate the audit of hospitals in their districts by the end of this month. So far, 44 hospitals have completed the audits,” he said.

“The recent incidents of fire accidents in hospitals have reinforced the need for compliance with fire safety measures in hospitals across the State,” he added.

Commenting on fire safety in hospitals, C.N. Manjunath, director of the State-run Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research, said: “Hospitals have a multitude of flammable materials, each with different degrees of combustibility, each reacting differently to heat and fire.

“It is mandatory for hospitals to have smoke detectors, fire extinguishers, a fire escape route plan, fire exit LED signages with two hours power backup, fluorescent arrow directions and adequate space for fire tenders to operate.”

UK Government sticks with controversial ‘stay put’ policy

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The UK government has announced it will not be implementing the recommendation for Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (PEEPs) from the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, instead opting to remain with the controversial ‘stay put’ policy.

The Home Office published a consultation document which outlined their reasoning, stating that they believe it is not ‘proportionate’ to follow the recommendations and will continue to place its faith in ‘stay put’ advice in most buildings.

The response government’s response stated that there were “significant issues” with the “practicality, proportionality and safety” of PEEPS, and that “we are currently unable to mandate PEEPs in high-rise residential buildings.” The Home Office also said it intends to replace the proposal to require evacuation plans and PEEPs with “an alternative package of initiatives.”

It is now facing criticism from across the fire safety sector, as well as from campaign groups and bereaved relatives of the Grenfell Tower residents, having previously promised to implement the inquiry’s recommendations in full. 

Th decision against a recommendation from Phase 1 of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry – published in October 2019 – which advises the government to place a legal obligation on building owners to outline Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (PEEPs) for residents in the event of a fire.

Grenfell United, a campaign group for people affected by the fire, said: “We are enraged at the government, whose sole focus continues to be profit and not public safety. We’ve fought for years to create a legacy for our 72 loved ones, and to prevent another Grenfell. But five years on, the government has reverted back to the same policy in place before Grenfell.

“This policy resulted in 41% of those living with disabilities dying at Grenfell. It left them with no personal evacuation plan and no means of escape. They didn’t stand a chance. This report is a disgrace.

“Disabled people have the right to leave their homes safely. The government must implement the recommendation from the Phase 1 report of the Grenfell Inquiry and ensure personal evacuation plans for disabled residents.”

In responding to the government’s PEEPs consultation, the Commissioner of London Fire Brigade, Andy Roe said: “It’s vitally important that people feel safe in their own homes and have certainty about how to leave their building in the event of a fire or other emergency.

“PEEPs were a key recommendation from the Grenfell Tower Inquiry and we want to work with government, communities, and other partners to make progress on evacuation plans. We will be responding to this consultation.”

Liverpool council warns of fire service cuts

by Featured News

Following a mistake resulting in a large increase in the city’s energy bill, Liverpool City Council has warned that the error could result in fire safety cuts.

Lib Dem councillor Andrew Makinson said Merseyside Fire and Rescue Servic’s (MFRS) energy bill would be £1 million extra due to the council’s incompetence, noting that that the energy deal coverts the Labour-run council’s properties, maintained schools and MFRS.

A spokesperson for Liverpool City Council (LCC) said: “The new tariff will begin from July, and LCC are working to establish the costs of the city’s electricity – and will be able to calculate that exactly once the bills for this quarter are in.”

Mr Makinson, who is an opposition leader on Merseyside Fire and Rescue Authority, told the BBC: “The council now needs to do the right thing and give a guarantee that schools and the fire service will not have to pay for their mistakes.”

He added: “It is not acceptable that this Labour council imposes cuts on firefighters and in our classrooms because of their incompetence.”

An MFRS spokesperson said it had been “in discussion with Liverpool City Council with regards to the situation, and at this time we await the outcome of the independent review, actual costs and suggested remedy before considering our next steps.”

EarthSafe launches cleanup solution for first responders

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EarthSafe Chemical Alternatives, known for developing the EvaClean Infection Prevention Solution which firefighters use to mitigate pathogens in their fire stations and emergency vehicles, has launched a safer, more sustainable line of industrial-strength products to address hazardous spills and inhibit harmful moulds. 

FlashDry is EarthSafe’s new absorbent solution for hazardous and non-hazardous leaks and spills made from 100% organic coir, a coconut fiber that is non-carcinogenic and safe to handle.

It contains clay absorbents with granular crystalline Silica generate highly carcinogenic Silica dust and create excessive amounts of toxic waste and is not only lighter, with seven times the absorbency, but it also costs less.

FlashDry is designed to be a more sustainable way to clean up oil and chemical spills without putting first responders at risk.

EarthSafe’s line of industrial-strength cleaning solutions includes a more effective way to mitigate water damage and sick building syndrome at a lower cost per square foot. Its XMold Pro is designed to inhibit the growth of harmful moulds and protects indoor and outdoor surfaces whilst remaining harmless to personnel and the environment.

Joe Finn, former Boston Fire Commissioner, Chief of the Department, and current First Responder Safety Advisor for EvaClean said of chemical cleaning products: “Firefighters and EMS personnel handle all kinds of emergencies, including hazardous spill clean-ups and mould remediation.

“To ensure the health and welfare of our first responders, the chemicals they use to mitigate these issues in the field must be as safe and effective as the disinfectants they use in the firehouse.”

Steve Wilson, EarthSafe CEO added: “With Joe’s guidance, our team is developing safer cleaning technologies to better protect first responders both in the firehouse and on the job.”