Posts in category: Projects

Orbit, one of the UK’s leading housing providers, has officially launched its RoSPA approved Safer by Design framework at its Mill View development in Dereham.

Helen Moore, Group Director of Orbit Homes, was joined by Errol Taylor, Chief Executive Officer of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), to showcase the first development where the homes which have been designed to RoSPA approved Safer by Design standards are being built.

The RoSPA Safer by Design framework aims to reduce serious accidental injury in new-build homes.

In January, Orbit Homes became the first affordable housing provider to adopt the framework for all of its future new-build homes. The framework offers housebuilders and architects easy-to-implement, economically-viable solutions that “design out” potential serous accidental injury in new-  build homes, by concentrating on the most common hazards including, falls, burns, carbon monoxide poisoning, entrapment and poisoning from access to household chemicals.

Helen Moore, Group Director of Orbit Homes, said: “RoSPA’s Safer by Design standards go above and beyond building regulations, and as the first affordable housing provider to adopt this framework, we are proud that Orbit is leading the sector on building safety. Many accidents can be avoided through simple and low-cost design changes, which make the home physically safer by eradicating risks.

“I am delighted to say that the Safer by Design framework has already been embedded within our design standards at Mill View in Dereham, and I am pleased to be able to showcase our strong commitment to the safety of our customers.

“From next year, all of our new-build homes will be built to Safer by Design Gold Standard, ensuring that our homes are amongst the safest on the market and meet the current and future needs of our residents.”

In July, Orbit scooped two gold health and safety awards from RoSPA for the third consecutive year. The outstanding accolades endorse Orbit’s ongoing commitment to customer safety and best practice in compliance to deliver customers with a quality service.

Errol Taylor, Chief Executive Officer at RoSPA, added: “RoSPA and Orbit share a vision for the homes of the future- they should be safer places to live, work and play in. Here in the heart of Norfolk, at Orbit’s Mill View development, you can see that vision take shape in bricks and mortar.

“Every year more than 6,000 people are killed as a result of a home accident- many of which, such as falls on stairs, are preventable. I hope to see more housing providers, follow Orbit’s lead and adopt the recommendations of RoSPA’s Safer by Design framework to make new build homes safer.”

Mill View is a collection of two, three, four- and five-bedroom homes, located in the market town of Dereham, often labelled as the “Heart of Norfolk” due to the its central location. The new development can be found opposite the East Dereham Windmill at the end of the popular Greenfields Road.

Homes are available to purchase outright, with the Government-backed Help to Buy scheme also  being offered to assist or through Shared Ownership on selected plots.

E-ONE have announced the delivery of four (4) TITAN^® 4×4 Air Transportable (AT) ARFF vehicles for Public Works and Government Services Canada on behalf of the Department of National Defense Canada (DND).

The TITAN AT meets all the performance requirements of NFPA 414 and is specifically designed to fit on a C-130 Hercules aircraft, allowing the vehicles to be deployed by air throughout Canada and around the world. As the latest configuration of the E-ONE TITAN product line, the AT is about two-thirds the size with a transport weight of less than 26,000 pounds and GVWR (gross vehicle weight rating) of approximately 42,000 pounds, compared to 62,000 pounds of the full-size TITAN.

The vehicles feature the E-ONE ECOLOGIC™ foam test port which allows the vehicles to be tested without the environmental impact of dispersing foam.

The TITAN AT rigs also include the following features:

• Cummins 500 horsepower engine and Allison 4000 EVS^™ transmission
• Cushman power divider
• Darley PSP 1500 GPM water pump
• 1060-gallon (4013 liter) water / 80-gallon (303 liter) Class “B” foam concentrate tank
• 250-lb dry chemical system
• 100-foot twinned dual agent hose reel
• Winterization package for plumbing system
• A structural pump panel
• Akron dual flow bumper turret and Akron dual flow roof turret
• 5 kw diesel generator

In adding these four ARFF vehicles to its fleet which will be placed in service at military bases throughout Canada, DND worked with E-ONE’s dealer 1200 Degrees/Techno Feu.

“Our dedicated team at E-ONE came together to design and produce an amazing vehicle,” said RJ Jones, Director of Government and Airport Products, E-ONE. “The ingenuity and quality built into this product is remarkable. To provide such a capable emergency vehicle, meeting the strict specifications of DND to this scale was truly an accomplishment.”

For the second year, DripDrop Hydration, a leading rehydration therapy company, and the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC), the leading association representing the volunteer fire, EMS, and rescue services, have teamed up to provide dehydration relief to volunteer firefighters. DripDrop is providing 200,000 sticks of their oral rehydration solution (ORS) to volunteer fire departments across the U.S. The donation comes as fire departments continue to battle severe wildfires, summer heat, and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Through the donation, volunteer firefighters can request one 80-count multi-flavor package of DripDrop ORS to use in their department during wildfire response, long incidents, intense training, or other strenuous work. Dehydration affects up to 75 percent of the U.S. population at any given time, and firefighters are at great risk of dehydration due to the extreme work conditions they face. DripDrop ORS improves on the World Health Organization standard for an ORS with medical-grade electrolytes, making it both the ideal rehydration therapy for the general population and a mission-critical tool for firefighters and other public safety and emergency workers.

“No one is immune to dehydration and the effects it can have on our bodies, particularly those who work in extreme conditions like firefighters,” said Eduardo Dolhun, MD and founder of DripDrop Hydration. “We are proud to partner with the NVFC and provide these brave heroes with DripDrop’s ORS to help them stay healthy and maintain proper hydration levels.”

“Dehydration is a very serious health concern for firefighters,” said NVFC chair Steve Hirsch. “Dehydration can lead to negative consequences such as decreased performance, weakness and muscle fatigue, dizziness, confusion, and even heat stroke or heart attack. These impacts are especially risky for firefighters as lives are on the line. We are grateful to DripDrop for this donation to provide a much-needed safety measure to keep our firefighters performing safely and effectively.”

Volunteer firefighters can request a product donation, while supplies last, at dripdrop.com/pages/firefighter-relief. To help the most firefighters, only one order per department will be processed. In addition, firefighters can receive a 20% discount on their DripDrop ORS order at any time. Use code NVFC20 at checkout on dripdrop.com.

Telgian Engineering & Consulting, LLC President Leonard Ramo was recently appointed to Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE) Foundation Board of Governors. The SFPE Foundation was established in 1979 with a mission to expand the science of fire protection engineering, protecting against fire events. Strategic goals for the Board include the creation of a long-term and sustainable research program, the establishment of sustainable funding sources to support research, the proactive communication of the Foundation’s vision, and engaging student participation in research and outreach.

“I am honored to serve on the SFPE Foundation Board of Governors,” says Ramo. “I look forward to supporting this organization and its essential mission, which is to identify and promote fire research. The knowledge gained by the SFPE Foundation will help safeguard not only people and property, but also mission, heritage and the environment from the negative impacts of fire for years to come.”  

 A globally recognized professional, Ramo has had a distinguished career spanning more than 25 years as a fire protection engineer and consultant to international organizations. His professional accreditations include registration as a Professional Engineer (PE) in all 50 U.S. States, District of Columbia, and select Territories, as well as a P. Eng. in select Canadian Provinces. In addition, Ramo is a Certified Fire Protection Specialist (CFPS) and holds a U.S. Department of Homeland Security CVI certification.

He plays an integral role in international codes and standards development by serving on select National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) committees. In addition to the SFPE Foundation Board of Governors, Ramo is a member of both the SFPE Standards Making Committee on Performance-Based Fire Safety Design and the SFPE Committee on Outreach and Advocacy (COA). He is the past president of the Central Gulf Coast Chapter of SPFE as well, and a member of the Society of American Military Engineers (SAME).

To learn more about the Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE) Foundation Board of Governors, please visit the SFPE Foundation.

Global fire protection maintenance software provider FireMate has merged with LAN Control Systems (Nottingham, UK). The two Halma sister companies have been collaborating for more than a year and will now be known globally as FireMate.

“FireMate’s asset management software enables compliance with British fire standards and is a real game-changer for the British fire protection industry.”, says Brett Emery, General Manager FireMate UK. “The solution is available and supported in the UK. Fire System Integrators using the system see immediate productivity enhancements and customer service benefits.”

FireMate’s fire protection maintenance software package includes an admin console for service managers, a mobile app for fire protection specialists in the field and a portal that enables customers to access all relevant property information. The system offers scheduling, compliance reporting, quoting and invoicing, and defect management. This provides valuable business insights and increases efficiencies for fire engineers, service managers and business owners.

“Combining the Nimbus family of remote fire systems monitoring solutions with FireMate’s software enhances transparency and compliance for Facility Managers and Fire System Integrators.”, says Rob Thomas, Managing Director at FireMate.

Nimbus fire alarm management solutions support remote monitoring of fire panels from all major manufacturers. With the Nimbus Gateway deployed on-site the Nimbus portal and mobile app provide anywhere, anytime visibility. This reduces false fire brigade call-outs and enables single engineer testing, significantly decreasing maintenance costs

Ferrara Fire Apparatus have announced the addition of Patriot Fire USA to its nationwide dealer network. Patriot Fire USA is now the Ferrara dealer for Maryland, serving customers throughout the state. Located in Grasonville, Maryland, Patriot Fire USA recently opened a new facility that will provide quality service from a highly experienced team. Additionally, the facility offers custom metal fabrication, refurbishing, pump overhauls, body/collision repairs, and more.

“We’re incredibly excited to continue growing our dealer network to better serve our customers around the country,” said Jason Louque, Director of Sales, Ferrara. “We’ve worked with Patriot, a solid family-owned business, for many years on the service side, and now we look forward to expanding that relationship to include sales.”

“We’ve worked with Patriot, a solid family-owned business, for many years on the service side.”

In addition to Ferrara, Patriot Fire USA is a dealer of E-ONE, also part of REV Group.

Comelit’s Atena fire detection panels have been installed at an award-winning new eight-form entry secondary school and sixth form academy, designed as part of a £100m development in Broxbourne, Hertfordshire.

Designed by architects Bond Bryan and built by Chase Homes, Broxbourne School offers multiple educational buildings, including a new indoor sports hall, 3G football pitch, a multi-use games area for sports such as netball and tennis, together with The Broxbourne Music Centre.

Winner of the School Building Awards, presented by the Education Business Awards, the new campus, completed five months ahead of schedule, will cater to the 1,500 students aged 11 to 18, as well as the wider community.

Says Headteacher of Broxbourne School, Paula Humphreys: “This impressive new school with its extensive facilities and resources replaces our existing school buildings, some of which were over 50 years old. Maintenance and upkeep were uneconomical and the buildings did not meet modern standards or student requirements. 

“We’re all so excited to be in our new buildings which enhance not only the learning experience of our students but also provide a fantastic resource for local groups and the wider community in and around Broxbourne.  Of course, within this, a significant part of the delivery was ensuring the buildings were fire safe, and compliant to latest standards, as a duty of care to all who use our truly impressive new school.”

An ambitious and aspirational space, the fire safety essential equipment needed to measure up to the scale of the development. Here, Matrix Fire & Security, working alongside Greenside Integrated Services and main contractor, Mid Group Ltd, relied on Comelit’s fire safety portfolio.

Knowing Comelit as a trusted supplier, Matrix Fire & Security installed the Atena two-panel network system, which operates on up to 4 loops per panel to service up to 250 devices per loop.  Together with the combined detectors and sounders, Atena’s capability matched the size and scope requirements of the new campus.

Says Ben Lewis, of Matrix Fire & Security: “Having been a Comelit installer for a number of years, we knew instantly that Atena would accommodate the requirements of the school and blend seamlessly with the fabulous teaching and learning environment that has been created.  Being so user-friendly, we could install Atena quickly and work with Responsible Persons on site to ensure competent use, all with the backing of Comelit’s dedicated sales and technical support.”

With its networked two-staged alarm procedure, combined with Class Change and a Lock Down facility, the Atena system also encompasses panic alarms and Fire Brigade notifications programming. It can manage potential nuisance alarms effectively, to minimise disruption to learning, whilst also safely evacuating students and staff in the event of a genuine fire. 

Being as easy to install as it is to operate, the Atena control panels contributed to an efficient delivery programme that resulted in project handover five months ahead of schedule.

Mandy Bowden, Comelit Fire BDM, added: “It’s fantastic to have Atena integrated by our trusted partners Matrix Fire & Security into this impressive educational building. Designed for efficient installation, clever product specification certainly contributed to the efficient build process that saw the project being delivered on budget and so far ahead of schedule.

“To create school buildings fit for 21^st Century learning and to the highest standards, holistic design principles must be adopted. While the Atena addressable panels represent just one component of this amazing new build, by being so easy to use, they provide an effective way to keep the school community, and the broader range of buildings’ users, safe and protected.”

For more information on Comelit’s fire safety portfolio, please visit https://www.comelitgroup.com/en-gb/systems/fire-protection/introduction-to-fire-protection/

Hampshire & Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service have announced the decision to use electric vehicles by 2023 as part of a drive to be carbon neutral by 2050. Charging points will be installed at key sites – including their Eastleigh headquarters and strategic fire stations across both counties – by 2023.

The move will pave the way for Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service’s (HIWFRS) fleet of light vehicles to be electrified, improving air quality across our communities and reducing our carbon emissions.

The scheme is part of a Carbon Reduction Pathway approved by the Fire Authority to meet the UK’s net zero target and build on carbon reduction work already carried out.

All 61 of their fire stations, plus their headquarters, will also be surveyed to identify environmentally friendly improvements that can be made, such as insulation and heating upgrades.

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Authority (HIWFRA) approved the Carbon Reduction Pathway and the £1.1m needed to fund the package of work at its meeting on 27 July.

Chairman of HIWFRA, Councillor Rhydian Vaughan MBE, said: “We all have a responsibility to play our part in reducing harmful carbon emissions.

“These plans will allow our Fire and Rescue Service to set the wheels in motion as it carries on the vital work needed to drive down its carbon footprint.”

The Carbon Reduction Pathway builds on the success of a series of previous carbon reduction initiatives, such as the 2012 Carbon Management Programme which achieved a 30 per cent reduction in carbon emissions.

A study carried out by the Carbon Trust showed that 57 per cent of our carbon emissions are from their estate, with most of their buildings now more than 50 years old.

The remaining 43 per cent of their carbon footprint is from the vehicle fleet, with the installation of up to 104 electric vehicle charging points (ECVPs) providing an opportunity to begin the electrification of our light vehicles. The Service already has four electric vehicles for staff use.

Money will also be invested in upgrades to the Fleet Maintenance Centre to ensure that the team have the skills and specialist tools needed to maintain an increasing electric fleet.

Planned new fire stations at Bishop’s Waltham, Cosham and Redbridge will be built using sustainable design principles and carbon neutral technologies.

Chief Fire Officer Neil Odin said:“It is vital that we invest now in our carbon reduction strategy if we are to meet the government’s target of reaching net zero by 2050.

“This is an important first step and a really significant opportunity to make a difference that will benefit our colleagues and the communities we serve both now and in the future.”

The Fire Brigades Union has joined the chorus of alarm at the UN’s latest climate report. Published yesterday, the report is the world’s largest ever report into climate change. It concludes that within the next two decades, temperatures are likely to rise by more than the vital 1.5C limit, bringing widespread devastation and extreme weather. According to the report only “immediate, rapid and large-scale reductions in emissions” can prevent such breakdown.

Fire Brigades Union general secretary Matt Wrack said: “Firefighters here and across the world are on the front line of the climate crisis. We see the effects of climate change every time we fight wildfires and save people from floods, and we will fight as hard as we can for politicians to wake up and take notice. As a humanitarian service we cannot stand by and watch this happen.

”This report confirms that human activity is responsible for climate change and we are running out of time to save ourselves. But this requires fundamental political, social and economic change across the world, and those in power have, so far, failed in the face of this immense challenge.

“It also tallies closely with what firefighters across the world experience on a daily basis: a planet rapidly breaking down. Now, we have a view of the bigger picture – that humanity has a final chance to act before huge devastation occurs.”

The report states that we have already caused 1C of heating, close to the 1.5C danger limit agreed in the Paris climate deal and emphasised as a red line in a 2018 UN report. If emissions don’t fall in the next couple of decades then according to the report temperatures will rise by 3C, and if they don’t fall at all temperatures will rise by 4-5C. The latter has been described as “apocalypse territory”.

It states that every corner of the planet is already being affected and it could get far worse if the remaining slim chance to stop heating over 1.5C is not immediately grasped.

As well as making clear the damage that climate change is doing and will do to the planet, the report makes it clear that the climate crisis is unequivocally caused by human activities.

The 42 page summary of the report has been agreed, line-by-line, by every government on the planet.