Peaky Blinders, Downtown Abbey film set gutted in heavy Yorkshire fire

by ActiveFeatured News

Image: West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service

More than 100 firefighters were involved in tackling a blaze at a mill complex used as a film location for hit shows such as Peaky Blinders and Downton Abbey. Fire crews were drafted in to tackle the inferno at Dalton Mills in Dalton Lane, Keighley, West Yorkshire, the BBC reported.

West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service said 20 pumps were called out just before noon on Thursday. The service said the incident was being scaled back but some crews would remain overnight to damp down the blaze.

People living in the vicinity were told to keep windows and doors closed and to avoid travelling through the area because of the smoke. There is a police cordon in place and some roads have been closed.

Nick Smith from West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service said nobody had been hurt in the fire. He said: “Internally the building has collapsed, the floor and the roof.” Firefighters spent the night damping down the fire neighbouring brigades were also in attendance, along with police, ambulances, Yorkshire Water and the Environment Agency.

UK hospital deploys Titan Lite fire barriers

by Featured NewsFire SuppressionHealthcareIndustry SectorsProducts

A Plymouth-based hospital in the UK has deployed Titan Lite fire barriers in its facility. The 18-month contract being carried out by a leading UK fire contractor involved installing large quantities of the Titan Lite 120:60, manufactured by TBA Firefly, to create fire barriers above ceiling voids throughout many parts of the hospital.

The hospital has 660 beds and provides medical and surgical care to a third of a million people with the building dating back to before the beginning of the Second World War.   

The refurbishment work, concluded at the end of November 2021, was being carried out by Plymouth based Ventro Ltd. whose operatives have had to work in many areas during the evenings and weekends to avoid disruption to the hospital’s everyday activities, including the treatment of patients.

Following early appraisals of the fire protection requirements within the ageing property and considering the large quantities of different mechanical services to be accommodated into the upgrades, the hospital’s estates department decided to raise the specification for the work from 30 minutes integrity rating to a full two hours.  

The Site Agent for Ventro, John Roberts, commented: “As a specialist fire contractor working across the whole of the UK and beyond, we have employed Firefly products on many projects over the years and expect to continue doing so.  In the early stages of this contract, which began on site in May 2020, it was thought Apollo 30 minutes would be appropriate, but the hospital then switched this to Tian Lite 120:60.  We have been installing the Titan Lite in many parts of the hospital, including most recently in the ceiling voids over the kitchens. This has been done by fixing metal angles across the soffits and then using the special tape and staples to secure the fabric to it. Despite the large number of services making the number of penetrations to be deal with quite challenging, our teams find the Firefly relatively easy to install.”

Pegasus Aviación taps up LiveU to improve airborne firefighting services

by Americas - ProjectsAviationFeatured NewsIndustry Sectors

Spanish firm Pegasus Aviación has tied up LiveU to help its firefighting services, using the company’s mission-critical IP bonding solutions to provide live streamed images and internet sourcing coverage from difficult environments where connectivity is scarce.

Pegasus Aviación, also operates in Portugal, Italy, Chile and Uruguay, is the parent company of Pegasus Aero Group, a 100% Spanish-owned aeronautical group with over 50 years of experience in the aeronautical field, providing a wide range of services to public and private clients.

Currently, a key objective within the company’s strategic plan is the technological modernisation of the fleet. José Antonio Rodríguez, head of projects, planning and support at Pegasus said: “Our expertise is founded on the provision of training, maintenance and operation of aircraft in emergency environments – mainly forest fires – and the rescue of people on land and at sea. Today, we face the challenge of optimising these operations using on-board technology, for which we were looking for options that could provide us with greater connectivity in environments with poor coverage. That’s where our journey with LiveU began.”

LiveU’s technology, widely used in the broadcast and video streaming sector for all types of live image capture and transmission, is based on IP bonding, a technology that LiveU pioneered and is a market leader in the industry.

This underlying technology facilitates the bonding of bandwidth from multiple cellular networks, the main examples being mobile and WiFi, to create real-time broadband connectivity. This means that connectivity can be achieved in remote locations, and on the move, where other technologies would normally fail, enabling not only high-quality live video streaming but also internet connectivity for other data services. Individual field units, containing the multiple modems required, can be carried in a backpack, or installed in an aircraft, subject to the approved specifications of the relevant aeronautical authorities.

Pegasus Aviation is currently using many LiveU’s LU300 compact field units in its helicopters to enhance its imaging services in Chile and Spain. These can be controlled by Pegasus Aviación through LiveU’s cloud-based management system, LiveU Central. It also uses LiveU’s DataBridge technology to access high-speed internet while the aircraft are in flight.

Rodríguez added: “This technology greatly enhances the information we can obtain from our operations, allowing us to capture live video images from places where it was previously unfeasible. These real-time images play an important role for our customers, allowing emergency managers to make decisions with fresh information from the field. LiveU is an important technological step forward for us and we are looking to expand its use in the other countries we serve through our fleet of over 130 aircraft.”

Jean-Christophe Albou, Sales Director, France and Southern Europe, LiveU, said: “We have always known that our technology has great potential beyond its use in broadcast and streaming verticals and we’re now seeing its use grow in emergency services and first responder sectors. This is a prime example and we’re very proud to see it helping in such a vital industry.”

Has the semiconductor shortage impacted fire and safety market?

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The coronavirus pandemic has led to a rise in the uptick of digital technologies across different industry. However, the global semiconductor market has been facing an ongoing shortage due to various factors ranging from bottlenecks in the global supply chain and the pandemic itself, IDTechEx reported.

In the fire and safety market, RFID chips are being increasingly used in items such as SBCA firefighter clothing, helmets, regulators, vehicles, and other equipment. The technology works as the reader transmits a signal to unique tags, which respond with product data. This means teams can precisely track and take inventory of valuable assets and equipment.

Impinj, one of the leading UHF chip suppliers, stated in its Q3 2021 earnings call that semiconductor crisis has resulted in cost increases across the entire supply chain, from wafers to components, assembly, packaging, and shipping, and that the cost increases are too large for them to absorb at this time, and that they have no choice but to pass on the costs to their customers to maintain their margin model.

Despite the price hike, the business claims that demand for chips is still high – demand for endpoint ICs for UHF RFID tags exceeded shipments by more than 50% in Q3 alone. According to the company, both 200 mm and 300 mm wafers are in short supply for endpoint ICs, and the Demand will continue to outstrip supply, through 2022.

Major chip manufacturer GlobalWafers has told news outlets that the company won’t be able to meet the wafer demand until 2024. Doris Hsu, CEO, GlobalWafers said: “We have clear order visibility for 2023 and it should be okay into 2024. We do not see any signs of things slowing down in 2023 or 2024.”

This is because the worldwide expansion is moving at a snail’s pace. Over the next two years, the company plans to invest US$800 million in boosting production efficiency at its 12-inch fabs, including those in the United States, to increase production capacity. Last year, the business attempted to buy German wafer supplier Siltronic for $4.98 billion USD, but the deal fell through, and the funds will now be utilized to expand production. The firm announced in February 2022 that “the new manufacturing lines are planned to ramp up in H2 2023 and to be expanded on a quarterly basis.”

If the semiconductor and chip shortage has impacted your company or fire service’s operations, and you have found ways to overcome them, drop our editor an email on nikhil.pereira@intfireandsafetyjournal.com.

Charleston Fire Department orders three new Pierce pumpers

by Americas - Featured NewsAmericas - ProductsFeatured NewsProductsVehicles

Pierce Manufacturing Inc., an Oshkosh Corporation company, will be supplying the Charleston Fire Department in South Carolina. The order includes two Arrow XT pumpers and one Saber pumper. The department purchased the fire apparatus through Pierce’s dealer Spartan Fire and Emergency Apparatus, and delivery is expected in August 2022.

The Pierce Arrow XT pumpers feature a heavy-duty design with a short overall length of 29 feet and will be stationed in Charleston’s historic downtown district. The Saber pumper will support Charleston Fire Department’s suburban and rural service areas.

Joseph Roberts, assistant chief of technical services, Charleston Fire Department said: “The Charleston Fire Department has several fire stations built in the 1880’s and 1910 with height and length restrictions. Working with Pierce and their dealer, Spartan Fire, we were able to develop specifications for apparatus to fit into these older stations and maneuver through Charleston’s narrow historic streets. We purchased our first Pierce fire engine from Spartan Fire and Emergency Apparatus in 1983 and we’re confident in our continued relationship.”

The Pierce Arrow XT Pumpers will feature Arrow XT chassis, 500-gallon water tank, Hale 1500 gpm pump, Cummins L9 450 hp engine, and Side roll and frontal impact protection. Meanwhile the Pierce Saber Pumper will be built on the Saber chassis, and have a 1000-gallon water tank, Hale 1500 gpm pump, Cummins L9 450 hp engine bolted to the Allison 3000 EVS transmission

Robby Fore, president of Spartan Fire and Emergency Apparatus said: “We appreciate the long-standing relationship we have with the department which has a fleet made up almost entirely of Pierce vehicles. We are familiar with the challenges the department faces, including its historic fire stations and narrow city streets, and are proud to be able to provide the customized solutions and ongoing support they need to best serve the City of Charleston.”

The Charleston Fire Department serves a growing, thriving, and historic port city. The department includes four battalions from 17 fire stations with 401 personnel who responded to 21,165 calls for service in 2021 across a 134 square-mile radius. Charleston is known for its historic architecture, cobblestone streets, and oak tree-lined neighborhoods. The community requires fire apparatus with superior maneuverability for easy navigation on narrow residential and city roadways.

Evolution installs fire system at Edinburgh’s JWPS

by Featured NewsFire DetectionProductsProjects

Evolution has installed a customised fire and security solution the at Johnnie Walker Princes Street (JWPS) in the heart of Edinburgh, Scotland.

The Princess Street is frequented by several hundred thousand visitors annually on an immersive journey through the 200-year history. The street is known for its food and beverage, pubs, and bars. The JWPS experience is hosted across eight floors of the transformed landmark building in the Scottish capital. It features the 1820 rooftop bar, with views across the city and The Label Studio, which hosts a number of live events and performances throughout the year.

JWPS is owned by Diageo a global firm in beverage alcohol with more than 200 brands. Diageo appointed FES Group to tender for the fire and security system, and FES in turn recommended and appointed Evolution to manage the bespoke system’s design and installation.

Evolution’s solution comprises a complete fire detection and alarm system, including disabled refuge systems for emergency evacuation. The security system includes access control, CCTV, intrusion detection and an intelligent International Communications (InterComms) system which enables live communications with an infinite number of doors/master stations with no distance limitations, and can be fully integrated with other IP-based systems.

The fire and security systems are fully networked and integrated into a front-end graphics system that enables Diageo’s on-site security staff to monitor and manage all system components in a single platform. The platform has been specifically designed to protect against cyber-threats. This solution has archiving and failover technologies that provide business continuity across a variety of outages.

John Baillie, head of UK sales, Evolution, said: “JWPS is one of Edinburgh’s most popular attractions, located in a prestigious location and its status as a listed building meant we had to be mindful of a number of potential risks and structural restrictions. From the initial drawings and design phase, through to the commissioning of the new systems, we are proud to have been involved in this project, delivering a complete fire and security system tailored to meet the specific needs of the client.”

Climate change to impact extreme wildfires by up to 50%

by Featured NewsFire DetectionIndustry SectorsPeopleProductsSafetyUncategorized

The UN has warned that forest wildfires can increase by almost double by 2100 due to global warming and impacts of climate change.

A report by the UN pointed out that regions that were previously not affected by fires, such as the Artic, are at an elevated risk due to climate change.

UN Environment Programme (UNEP) scientists have evidence that certain fires that burn for weeks are already becoming hotter and burning longer where wildfires are a regular occurrence. However, they are now beginning to flare up in remote northern areas, in drying peatlands and on thawing permafrost.

This study has also revealed that extreme fires could jump up to 14% by 2030, compared to the number recorded in 2010-2020. The increase could reach 30% by 2050 and 50% by the end of the century.

Dr Andrew Sullivan from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) in Canberra, Australia said: “The analysis was based on the definition of a catastrophic fire being one that would occur once every 100 years, so it’s a very low frequency fire event. The result was that the potential for that sort of fire would increase by a factor of 1.3 to 1.5 times, based on global analysis of fire frequency.”

The study calls for a radical reallocation of financial resources from fighting fires to prevention.

Even though these figures are projections on extreme events, scientists believe that lesser incidents of wildfire will increase as land use changes and populations increases across the world. This could have significant implications for climate change as the extra burning will increase the amount of carbon emitted into the atmosphere.

The authors are calling on governments to change their model of spending on large fires. It is estimated that planning and prevention receives less than 1% of funding while firefighting takes over half of the available budget.

Euralarm releases guidance on integrated fire protection for batteries

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The Extinguishing Section of Euralarm has published a guidance document on integrated fire protection solutions for lithium-ion batteries. This new guideline provides information on the issues related to the use of lithium-ion batteries, how fires start in batteries and on how they may be detected, controlled, suppressed, and extinguished. It also provides guidance on post fire management. Excluded from the scope are explosion and ventilation issues.

Lithium-Ion batteries have become the battery technology of choice in a variety of areas, including amongst others, power generation, communications, industrial, vehicles and many other applications. Active control of the energy being stored and extracted from lithium-ion batteries has been the foundation of their increasing popularity. The relatively low frequency of major incidents is testament to the effort and successful design applied to the critical aspect of using such high-density energy products. However, active control of the battery energy is not sufficient to prevent safety-critical situations and multiple levels of defence are needed to minimize the serious consequences of a failure in a lithium-ion battery.

The increasing number of lithium-ion batteries and an increasing amount of stored energy in different energy storage applications present a new type of fire hazard where fire protection is challenging. Key issues in any fire protection system are the selection of the most appropriate agent for the specific hazard, system layout, the correct discharge of the extinguishing agent, as well as correct installation, the use of approved systems and constant maintenance by appropriately trained staff.

The guidance document ‘Integrated fire protection solutions for lithium-ion batteries’ is intended as guidance for all professionals dealing with fire safety, fire protection, extinguishing and fire suppression in connection with the use, storage or transport of lithium-ion batteries and their fire risks. Aspects of consumers products are not covered in this guidance.

The document is intended as general guidance and is not a substitute for detailed advice in specific circumstances. It represents the current understanding of the industry and will be updated as more information becomes available.

Firefighters to engage public on fire safety campaign plan

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Philippines: A ranking official of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) on Tuesday said firefighters will continue to engage the community to make the residents feel safe and secure from fires and any forms of man-made and natural calamities.

In his speech, chief Supt. Felixberto Abrenica, BFP director for operations, said bureau personnel should be visible to the public even beyond March of each year when the entire country is celebrating Fire Prevention Month.

Abrenica is in Cebu, the country’s to lead the Central Visayas version of the simultaneous kick-off ceremony of the Fire Prevention Month 2022 with the theme “Sa Pag-iwas sa Sunog Hindi Ka Nag-iisa”, held at the BFP-Region 7 headquarters on N. Bacalso Avenue here.

“I encourage you to be more visible in your communities. Initiate programmes and activities that would make the public feel safe and secure,” Abrenica said, reading the message of BFP chief, director Louie Puracan, urging firefighters in the region to interact with schools, children, and other civic leaders in initiating fire safety programmes and activities, and train them for emergency response.

Senior Supt. Mary Joy Candelario, BFP-7 deputy regional director for operations, said during the kick-off programme ensuring safety during fires is a responsibility of everyone, not only the personnel of the BFP.

“We are dreaming (that) to fight against fire is no longer a fight of the bureau but the fight of every Filipino, of every Cebuano, Boholano, Negrosanon, and Siquijodnon. Let us altogether work hand in hand to practice fire safety, take part, and be cautious in preventing unwanted fire incidents and always remember that the key to fire prevention is awareness and vigilance,” she said.

As the BFP modernization law mandated innovation and transformation of the agency, Puracan signed Memorandum Circular 2022-003 as guidelines in institutionalizing the bureau-wide Fire Prevention Month campaign.

The BFP’s flagship contingency planning model called community fire protection plan directed every fire station in the region to choose a target barangay under its area of responsibility where they can conduct hazard evaluation, hazard elimination, and tactical defense.

In this programme, the barangay will be guided in creating a community hazard map, a detailed guide for the exit routes, evacuation routes, and predetermined evacuation areas when any form of emergency strikes.

The 2,354-strong BFP-7 reported 1,891 fires in 2019 with damage pegged at PHP257.4 million, with smoking, open flame from rubbish, bonfire to structural fire as main causes.

But the figures dropped during the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic in 2020 and 2021.

In 2020, the agency recorded 918 fires with PHP231.3 million value of the damage, with electrical ignition as the main cause.

It further decreased in 2021 with only 905 fires but pegged a higher value of the damage at PHP335.5 million, with electrical ignition caused by arcing as the main reason.

NVFC and Anheuser-Busch to hydrate US fire volunteers

by Featured NewsPeople

The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) has joined hands with Anheuser-Busch to provide hydration to volunteer fire departments responding to wildfires.

For the fourth year running the initiative, which is held under the name of the Emergency Drinking Water for Wildland Firefighters programme, will help volunteer departments that struggle with limited budget and resources.

The programme is an expansion of Anheuser-Busch’s longstanding tradition of providing emergency drinking water and supplies for disaster relief efforts. Anheuser-Busch is continuing its commitment in 2022 by pledging to donate 1.5 million cans of clean drinking water to help keep wildland firefighters hydrated as they protect and strengthen their communities.

Since the program began in 2019, nearly 4.9 million cans of water have been distributed to more than 960 departments across 49 states.

To apply for the emergency drinking water, departments must be based in the USA, annually respond to wildfires, be over 50% volunteer, and serve a population of 25,000 or less. Departments in declared emergencies due to wildfire will also be able to request water outside of the application period to help with their immediate wildfire response needs. The application period is open through March 15 and can be applied for on www.nvfc.org/water.