TracPlus launches new technology for aerial firefighting

by Projects

TracPlus has unveiled a “world-first” new product for aerial firefighters that will automate the time-consuming collecting and reporting of data now required to satisfy new industry standards.

National Aerial Firefighting Centre of Australia’s (NAFC) OPS-14 Standards now state that operators must accurately collect and report volume collected and dropped, engine starts and stops, and take-offs and landings.

For rotary aircraft, TracPlus said its AFDAU-T1 product removes the need for manual calibration of a bucket, meaning that no pilot interaction is required, even when swapping buckets in a slung load configuration.

For fixed-wing operators, the organisation said the device automatically detects operational data for reporting – including proof of substantive flow from a hopper.

The new tech was produced in collaboration with Sydney-based engineers Aircraft Maintenance Solutions.

“Our goal was to bring a dedicated aerial firefighting data acquisition unit to the market that had been designed to meet the NAFC event reporting contract requirements,” said AFDAU-T1’s lead engineer, Zane Vohland.

“With AFDAU-T1, operators don’t need to worry about data accuracy. They will have peace of mind that their data is reliable, automatic and accurate.”

TracPlus was founded in 2007 and its varied client list worldwide also includes Californian forest fire protection department CalFire and San Diego Gas & Electric.

Previously, Australian Aviation reported that TracPlus secured $5 million of funding from Kiwi tech fund Movac.

As part of the deal, the firm will acquire Cambridge-based v2track, which already supplies it with tracking devices.

Chief executive Trevor McIntyre said, “We had a number of funding options, and we chose Movac due to their investment style and ‘hands-on’ experience in growing successful tech companies.

“It was also really important to us that there was a strong personality fit between the two teams.”

TracPlus staff have already switched to working from home during the coronavirus crisis to allow clients such as aeromedical charity RACQ LifeFlight Air Ambulance to continue flying.

McIntyre said, “We have implemented measures to do what we can to support our operators who are at the face of COVID-19, keeping their teams safe, continuing to provide tracking, 24-hour distress and emergency monitoring to ensure operators can stay in touch with their people.”

www.tracplus.com/

Combustible cladding to be removed from Aylesbury flats

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The Friars House block in Aylesbury town will see combustible cladding removed ‘after over three years’ since it was first discovered.

The planning application lodged is set to ‘replace the materials on the front’ of the block, which sits above the Friars Square Shopping Centre in the town, and which was ‘found to have’ combustible cladding in 2017 after the Grenfell Tower fire. With it now being ‘over three years since it was revealed the building had potentially dangerous materials on its facade’, the application means that the cladding ‘looks set to be removed’.

The news outlet noted that at the time, a representative of the block’s management company Moreland Estate Management said that it ‘completely understood’ concerns ‘on this matter’, adding that ‘we have worked closely with Buckinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service to review the entire fire safety of the property, including the structure, management and facilities provided for the fire safety of the residents. We regularly check all fire systems at all of our properties’.

In turn, it was pointed out that ‘there is no work planned inside’ the building, with the planning application ‘focused on’ replacing the combustible materials on the outside of the building’. The news outlet added that the plans ‘show very similar elevations for the flats once the work is done’, including that ‘colour and appearance won’t change much at all’. Buckinghamshire County Council has a deadline of 21 September to make a decision on the application.

www.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/

NFU Mutual urges commercial property owners and tenants to maintain fire safety

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Property insurance specialist NFU Mutual is urging commercial property owners and their tenants not to neglect Fire Risk Assessments during the pandemic.

The warning comes as NFU Mutual claims statistics reveal a 46% spike in the number of commercial property fires during lockdown. *

Trevor Palmer, Property Insurance Specialist at NFU Mutual, said: “The ongoing global crisis has put pressure on commercial property owners and their tenants as they adopt new measures to ensure working environments are COVID-secure, often involving changes to the premises.

“Having seen a spike in our commercial fire claims statistics, we’re concerned that the added focus on Coronavirus may be causing some premises to put other safety matters to one side.

“While following Coronavirus guidance is imperative, it should not be at the expense of other health and safety activity. Fire Risk Assessments (FRAs) are a legal requirement for all non-domestic premises, allowing identification of specific areas of fire risk and providing recommended corrective actions to safeguard occupants.

“FRAs should also be reviewed if your building undergoes significant change. Where changes impact on any common areas within a property, the owner should consider the implications on fire safety and whether the current assessment will need to be re-visited.

“Owners should also encourage tenants to assess if any changes they are making, such as introducing partitioning, changing desk layouts and exit pathways or altering fire meeting points, will have an effect on fire safety and require updates to the FRA.”

“As Coronavirus poses new challenges, it is important to give pre-existing dangers equal consideration. The risk of fire remains, and property owners should maintain efforts to protect occupants, properties and themselves from fire incidents.

“Robust owner to tenant communications are essential, and while the current focus is likely related to lease agreements, rent and service charge payments, every effort should be made to keep fire safety at the forefront of all communications.  All parties should be fully aware of where the responsibility lies for updating the FRA and making necessary changes at the property.”

NFU Mutual top tips on fire safety vigilance

  • Communication is key – keep all stakeholders up to date with Fire Risk Assessment progress and changes
  • Ensure all records of contact details are kept up to date in case they are needed in an emergency
  • Regularly review the Fire Risk Assessment, particularly if there have been any changes on the premises
  • Stay up to date with all relevant fire safety legislation
  • Consider consulting fire safety and risk management professionals for technical information on fire safety
  • While it is not a requirement for Fire Risk Assessments to be documented if there are fewer than five occupants, keeping a written record is still advisable
  • While your insurer may not ask for your Fire Risk Assessment, providing it upfront can aid clarity during any subsequent claims

For further information on Fire Risk Assessments, you can download NFU Mutual’s guidance document here: https://www.nfumutual.co.uk/news-and-stories/maintaining-fire-safety-during-lockdown

New document published on portable aerosol dispensers for fire extinguishing purposes

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New British standard, BS EN 16856:2020 – “Portable aerosol dispensers for fire extinguishing purposes” has been published.

This document specifies the requirements for non-refillable portable aerosol dispensers for fire extinguishing purposes.

It supplements the characteristics, performance and test methods for extinguishing aerosol dispensers for fire extinguishing purposes, in addition to the requirements of the Directive 75/324/EEC. Requirements in this document are specified for products containing less than 1 kg or 1 l of extinguishing media, which can be expelled by the action of internal pressure and are intended to extinguish test fires of type A + B, or type A + F, or type A + B + F classes of EN 2. These extinguishing aerosol dispensers are intended to be used by untrained persons for domestic applications. They are not intended to be used on gas fires (class C) and metal fires (class D).

Requirements are specified for minimum performance in Annex I for extinguishing test fires of type A, type B and type F classes of EN 2, as appropriate.

Annex A gives the conditioning to be applied to extinguishing aerosol dispensers prior to testing as described in Annex B to Annex K.

http://standardsdevelopment.bsigroup.com

SELECT helps blaze a trail as industry unites to promote fire sector skills

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SELECT has helped shape a new Occupational Qualification Structure by the Fire, Emergency and Security Systems (FESS) industry that will lead to Electrotechnical Certification Scheme (ECS) Card recognition.

Aimed at promoting high standards and skills, the new structure has been developed by an industry-wide working group formed by SELECT and other leading trade associations and employer representatives including:

  • British Security Industry Association (BSIA)
  • FESS Employer Group
  • Fire Industry Association (FIA)
  • Fire & Security Association (FSA)
  • Security Systems and Alarm Inspection Board (SSAIB)
  • Joint Industry Board (JIB).

Uniquely recognising the introduction of the FESS Trailblazer, the new structure sets the standard for new entrants to the market at Level 3 while also addressing the need to recognise the training, experience and qualifications of the current workforce.

This new pathway recognises the differences in training, experience and qualifications for those already in the industry, which critically identifies a minimum standard for those who install and maintain fire, emergency and security systems.

Fiona Harper, director of employment and skills at SELECT, said: “This new development is a significant step forward as it recognises existing professionalism and also blends upskilling and training with formal and structured assessment.

“SELECT particularly welcomes its introduction as it dovetails perfectly with our own ongoing contribution towards modernisation of the ECS in Scotland. Ensuring the FESS workforce of tomorrow has the correct qualifications with meaningful assessments also reinforces the importance of our campaign for protection of title, to ensure only properly qualified individuals build an electric future for us all.”

Jay Parmar, chief executive of the JIB, said: “I’m delighted to have worked alongside the Fire, Emergency and Security Systems industry who collectively represent over 3,000 companies with over 80,000 employees who will benefit from the introduction of the new Occupational Qualification Structure and the new suite of ECS cards which recognise the skills of the entire FESS workforce.

“A key strength of ECS and its partnership with CSCS is that it provides assurance that cardholders working across sites in the UK have a high level of skills and experience.”

There are now four sector disciplines recognised by the Electrotechnical Certification Scheme (ECS) in the Fire, Emergency and Security Systems (FESS) industry which include:

  • Fire
  • Fire and emergency lighting
  • Security (Including access control, intruder and CCTV systems)
  • Fire and security.

Each sector recognises three disciplines which include Systems Operative, Systems Technician and Technical Manager. In addition, the occupations of Labourer, Trainee and Apprentice are recognised by ECS.

These FESS ECS occupations replace the existing Fire Detection & Alarm Systems and the Emergency & Security Systems cards. The FESS requirements will become compulsory in early 2021 for all new (initial) card applications meaning that all new applicants will be required to hold a pathway specific FESS assessment for the ECS occupation being applied for. From summer 2021, all card renewals will also need to meet the FESS requirements and hold a pathway specific FESS assessment.

Mr Parmar added: “This historical change has been introduced as a result of the desire by the FESS industry to professionalise and enhance standards in the sector. This key development ensures all ECS cards will be issued against an industry recognised qualification standard by the end of 2020 in keeping with the target set by the Construction Leadership Council.

“We look forward to building on this positive development and continuing to work with the Fire, Emergency and Security Systems industry in helping them to meet their aspirations whilst at the same time upskilling the industry in which they operate.”

Pat Allen, chair of the FESS Employer Group, said: “The Employer Group welcomes the introduction of the new Occupational Qualification Structure which will recognise and promote an increased level of professionalism in the industry.

“The Structure, together with the new suite of ECS cards which are linked to clear occupational requirements, recognise both the Level 3 apprenticeship requirements for new entrants to the market as well as the training, experience and qualifications of the current workforce. This is clearly a positive development and one which will benefit the entire industry going forward.”

https://selectfire.co.uk/

Government failures over cladding lead to extra hours for firefighters

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London firefighters are spending over 4,000 hours per month visiting high rise blocks where fire safety failings have resulted in ‘Stay Put’ advice being suspended.

Labour’s London Assembly Fire and Resilience Spokesperson, Andrew Dismore AM, who obtained these figures from a series of written questions to the Mayor, said that the Government’s “dither and delay” over removing dangerous cladding from tower blocks is leading to the London Fire Brigade (LFB) becoming a “free building safety service for tower block owners”.

High rise blocks of flats are designed to stop the spread of fire between apartments, which is the basis of the “Stay Put” advice. In March, the LFB identified that in 120 tower blocks, Stay Put was suspended because each building was still wrapped in Aluminium Composite Material (ACM) cladding, like that used on the Grenfell Tower.

In March, another 166 towers had the Stay Put policy revoked due to other factors such as compartmentation failures or the presence of other types of dangerous cladding, such as high-pressure laminates.

As of June, the advice in 274 tower blocks in the capital is now for all households to simultaneously evacuate in the event of a fire instead.

The LFB is currently dispatching a fire engine and a crew of between four and six firefighters to check these buildings twice a month while Stay Put advice is suspended.

The building checks, including the follow-up work for both visits, take two to four hours to complete on average.

This comes despite the Government’s previous pledge to strip ACM from tower blocks by June 2020, in the wake of the Grenfell tragedy three years ago.

The Mayor of London’s Budget guidance for 2020/2021 shows that in the absence of additional Government funding, the LFB will need to make £25 million of savings over the coming years due to the impact of the Covid-19 outbreak.

Labour’s London Assembly Fire and Resilience Spokesperson, Andrew Dismore AM, said:

“The Government’s dither and delay in stripping dangerous cladding from high rises is contributing to the London Fire Brigade becoming a free building safety service for tower block owners.

“Keeping Londoners safe will always be the top priority, but providing this service takes time that could be used for other important duties such as training exercises and conducting smoke alarm checks.

“If the Government is going to require the Brigade to pick up the slack from its stalling building safety programme, it should allocate the necessary extra funding and resources.

“Firefighters have stepped up during the Covid-19 outbreak, from driving ambulances and fitting masks to delivering supplies in the community. However, the fallout from the pandemic is also due to have a huge impact on the Brigade’s finances.

“The Government must get its act together over cladding remediation and properly invest in our emergency services”

Kochek and AWG Fittings partner up on delivering valves to equipment dealers

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Kochek Company, LLC has announced its new alliance with AWG Fittings GmbH. The two companies have partnered to provide Kochek loose equipment dealers with the superior performance and reliability, for which AWG valves are known throughout the industry.

AWG Valves For Kochek Dealers

As Kochek’s primary supplier of several sizes of gate, ball, intake, hydrassist, manifold, siamese, and pressure relief valves, AWG plays an important role in Kochek’s efforts to ensure the continued satisfaction of its dealers and customers. With every order, Kochek custom fits each valve to exacting specifications.

Kochek President and CEO, George J. Wessner, said of the relationship with AWG, “We’re thrilled to work with AWG to make this quality possible for our customers. They rely on their Kochek equipment when it matters most, and our valve performance is something they can always count on in the field.”

www.kochek.com/

DuPont provides nearly five million coveralls to COVID-19 frontline workers

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DuPont has signed a contract with the European Commission and EU countries, opening the door for countries to place orders for the delivery of millions of Tyvek® hooded coveralls to COVID-19 frontline workers across Europe. The contract allows for over 4.9 million coveralls over the next 12 months to be delivered to key workers.

One of the products offered is Tyvek® 500 Xpert, category III, Type 5-B and 6-B coverall, which is designed to protect wearers against biohazards as well as liquid and particulate threats. Featuring stitched external seams, elasticated wrists, ankles, and face, it is ideally suited to protect workers in healthcare and other frontline occupations from contamination by droplets, while also providing optimal ease of movement and comfortable wear.

Alternatively, if the delivery of the products is time-critical, instead of Tyvek® 500 Xpert, member states can also opt to receive another type of DuPont™ Tyvek® garment that offers similar performance and may be more readily available.

In total, the contract entitles the participating countries to order more than 8 million garments over a period of 12 months from DuPont, if demand persists and production processes allow. Since being signed in early May, the contract currently allows procurement from Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Germany, Estonia, Greece, Croatia, Hungary, Latvia, Malta, Romania, Sweden, Slovenia, and Slovakia.

Since March, DuPont has increased its production volume and shortened its supply chain to optimize the manufacturing capacity in response to the global crisis. It has also donated 50,000 Tyvek® coveralls to help protect healthcare workers in some of the worst affected countries in Europe. The company has many years of experience in supplying protective garments during viral outbreaks, and some of its Tyvek® and Tychem® hooded coveralls have been successfully used by frontline workers during past epidemics, including Ebola and Bird Flu.

“It is vital that healthcare workers have access to PPE that they can rely on so that they can turn their full attention to the task in hand,” said Albrecht Gerland, Product Manager for DuPont Personal Protection in Europe.

”We are proud to play a part in the ongoing battle against COVID-19. As we manufacture both the fabric as well as the actual coveralls, we are well-placed to quickly respond to the current demand without disrupting the supply to our existing customers.

“This contract will bring our proven DuPont™ Tyvek® technology to those most in need, and we will continue to work tirelessly to meet the European Commission’s requirements in this evolving situation.”

For more information on DuPont, visit dpp.dupont.com.

Johnson Controls’ solutions for Naval and Marine applications

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Johnson Controls has over 100 years of specialised marine experience – protecting vessels at sea and safeguarding life and assets. Their range of solutions are critical in helping to protect vessels and crew from the risk of fire and flooding to the Naval and Commercial sectors within the marine industry.

For over 120 years, Johnson Controls have been working in partnership with the leading companies in these sectors to safeguard vessels and personnel from the threat of fire. As a result, they offer the complete service and support of integrated solutions for marine applications.

Johnson Controls has considerable resources and are staffed by qualified and experienced personnel with a keen focus on customer care, ensuring consistent delivery of high quality service. They have design, engineering and manufacturing expertise in both mechanical and electronic disciplines, together with project management skills and their installation, service and commissioning staff are all in-house trained to provide the best possible service to our clients.

Johnson Controls Marine Services operates through selected business entities located around the world, ensuring a global reach with local partners—essential for marine customers who need on-the-spot assistance while their vessels are in service. With an installed base consisting of about 10,000 vessels, Johnson Controls’ customer base includes more than 20% of all larger ocean-going vessels.

www.johnsoncontrols.com/industries/global-marine-and-navy

Globalstar deploys 550 SPOT Gen3TM satellite-enabled safety devices in Andalusia, Spain

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Globalstar Europe Satellite Services Ltd announces that 550 SPOT Gen3TM satellite-enabled safety devices have been deployed to safeguard and track firefighters across the vast expanse of Andalusia in southern Spain.

For this rapidly-delivered project, SPOT Gen3 satellite messengers are the backbone of an advanced fire management technology platform from wildfire solutions specialist Technosylva to monitor and protect the region’s fire response teams and vehicles.

This was a particularly urgent requirement by INFOCA, the administrative authority for forest and wildfire management, a department of the Junta de Andalucia, the local government for this region. INFOCA needed a fast deployment of a far-reaching, reliable tracking system to monitor and protect firefighters as Spain deals with the many complications and risks created by the global Covid-19 pandemic.

INFOCA is one of the largest fire authorities in Europe with 5,000 response personnel. Andalusia is Spain’s most populous region with eight million inhabitants and several million tourists throughout the year. Fire is a major problem in Andalusia, its climate always subject to the extreme influences of the Sahara Desert. With its rugged and mountainous terrain, human exposure to fire risk is very high.

Along with the need to provide 24/7 operational safety to firefighters in this potentially volatile environment, Spain has been dramatically affected by this year’s Covid-19 crisis. Since the outbreak began, INFOCA has been collaborating with other emergency services to deploy measures intended to limit the virus’ spread, and it has engaged in extensive prevention activities to protect the public. For instance, INFOCA’s fire equipment has been deployed to help with disinfection operations.

Joaquin Ramirez Cisneros, Principal Consultant at Technosylva, explains: “INFOCA was very clear – this requirement was very urgent because of Covid-19.”

Technosylva provides sophisticated fire behaviour analysis and management software. Fire authority operations teams can precisely track firefighters’ locations, via a user-friendly display of GPS positions in near real-time via the Technosylva fiResponse™ platform, a wildfire decision support system.

Thanks to the pre-integration and smooth inter-operation between fiResponse and SPOT Gen3, the deployment for INFOCA was able to be completed in record time, in a matter of weeks. INFOCA already had confidence in the capabilities of Technosylva and SPOT because in July 2015, Junta de Castilla La Mancha fire authority selected Technosylva and SPOT Gen3 devices to safeguard its fire response teams in the neighbouring region.

“To keep crews safe, it is critical to accurately and reliably monitor where the firefighters are at all times, in relation to the engines, pumps and other equipment,” says Ramirez Cisneros. If a firefighter needs help urgently, with the single press of SPOT Gen3’s SOS button, INFOCA operations co-ordinators are alerted, the user’s GPS coordinates are instantly transmitted, and rescue or support procedures can be initiated.

“When there is a fire, it is also important to know how far away firefighters and resources are from the heart of it: The ability to track personnel, and the resources they use, all in real-time, is the Holy Grail in fire management,” he added.

Gary King, SPOT Regional Sales Manager at Globalstar, commented: “We’ve seen a dramatic uptake of SPOT devices among first responders, and we are proud that our technology is helping to safeguard and support Andalusia’s firefighters.”

The new agreement with the Junta de Andalusia builds on Technosylva’s earlier adoption by other firefighting organisations around the world. Technosylva has extensive and growing reach in the US, having numerous state-level fire authorities as customers, as well as supporting fire agencies in Spain, Canada and Latin America.

SPOT Gen3 is a rugged, pocket-sized low-priced personal GPS messenger that helps users stay connected via satellite even where there is poor or no GSM signal. SPOT devices have been used in over 7,000 rescues worldwide since Globalstar launched the technology in 2007.

www.globalstar.com/