The national football stadium of Andorra has caught fire, just one day before the country were due to play England in a World Cup Qualifier. The scenes were caught live on camera by news outlet Sky Sports News, who were due to cover the game tomorrow.
So far the cause of the fire is unknown, and there has been no confirmation as to whether the game will go ahead.
One person had died and four people are missing following an explosion at a chemical complex in the German city of Leverkusen. Early reports have suggested that at least several employees have been injured and at least five are missing.
Responders received calls regarding the explosion shortly after the incident happened at around 9:40a.m. on Tuesday in a part of the site where waste is incinerated, a statement from the operators of the Chempark site said.
In a statement released on Twitter, Chempark, an industrial park for chemicals companies stated: “For a previously unknown cause, there was an explosion in the Chempark Leverkusen. Plant fire brigade and air test vehicle in action. Residents please go to closed rooms and keep doors and windows closed.”
More to follow
With 22 years experience in recognising the best people, projects and processes of the security and fire sectors, the Security & Fire Excellence Awards have expanded its categories to open up new opportunities for attendees.
The event, due to take place in November at the London Hilton will feature special recognition of 21 years of the Security & Fire Excellence Awards with the new award category, the S&FEA Champion of Champions.
This latest introduction will be open to all previous company winners since the inaugural event 21 years ago. So, if you’ve picked up a trophy as a winner in any company category over the previous 21 events, you will be eligible to enter to see if you will be judged to be the best of the best and the Champion of Champions.
All categories are Split into company, people and vendors which ensures that the awards have something for everyone across the different disciplines. The full 2021 category list and details on how to enter for FREE are available here.
The in-person event, which historically attracts around 1,000 security and fire professionals has a limited number of VIP tables. To book your place at this year’s awards visit www.securityandfireawards.com/attend/
Boson Radiometric Cameras Bring Absolute Temperature Measurement Capabilities for Quantitative Assessment and Analysis Across Commercial and Industrial Uses
The Boson® camera core represents the best in FLIR high-performance uncooled thermal imaging technology within a small, lightweight, and low-power package, and now FLIR partners and customers will have the option to purchase radiometric versions that can capture the temperature data of every pixel in the scene.
The new Boson radiometric camera core comes in two versions, 640 x 512 or 320 x 256 resolutions with multiple lens configurations and the ability to capture temperature data for quantitative assessment. The camera core is meant for use in systems across a variety of applications including firefighting, surveillance, security, unmanned systems, industrial inspection, and fixed-asset monitoring.
Featuring radiometric accuracy provides ±5 °C (±8 °F) or ±5% temperature measurement accuracy, the Boson Radiometric cameras include a Spot Meter Accuracy software feature that provides an assessment of how accurate a given temperature measurement appears in the scene.
Available as telemetry data accessed through the Boson SDK or the Boson graphical user interface (GUI), this feature provides guidance across
five confidence grades offering in-the-moment assessment to help improve temperature measurement confidence.
In addition, the Spot Meter Accuracy software feature gives operators the ability to account for dynamic ambient temperatures, along with the ability to configure measurements prior to operation, including adjusting emissivity and thermal gain settings.
These functions are crucial for outdoor environments and the swift movements of unmanned aerial drones and automated ground vehicles. The software also offers inspection and assessment features, including spot meters and windows that pinpoint temperature measurement in the scene that the camera is focused on, and atmospheric correction capabilities during post-processing analysis.
The Boson family of thermal imaging cores are an important part of the 40 plus years of thermal imaging expertise that FLIR offers. As a result of this expertise, the Boson thermal imaging cores utilize a high sensitivity 12-micron pixel pitch detector that provides high-resolution thermal imaging in a small, low power lightweight, and turnkey package.
All Boson cores feature FLIR infrared video processing architecture, noise reduction filters, and local-area contrast. The imaging processing capabilities accommodate industry-standard communication interfaces,
including visible CMOS and USB.
FLIR Boson Radiometric cores are available globally today through FLIR and preferred distributors. For more information about Boson Radiometric cores, visit https://www.flir.com/products/boson/.
San Francisco has been left under an eerie orange glow as a result of the smoke from the fires blazing across the western United States.
Wildfires raged unchecked across large parts of the western United States on Wednesday in blazes unprecedented in their scale and ferocity, as Oregon warned of many deaths after blazes destroyed at least five small towns.
Winds gusting as high as 80km/h (50mph) fanned dozens of catastrophic fires across a large swathe of Oregon and neighbouring Washington state – places that rarely experience such intense fire activity because of the Pacific Northwest’s cool and wet climate.
Flames ravaged the towns of Detroit, Blue River, Vida, Phoenix and Talent, Oregon Governor Kate Brown said Wednesday.
The blazes, which also forced the evacuation of much of Medford in southern Oregon, could bring “the greatest loss in human lives and property due to wildfire in our state’s history”, Brown said at a news briefing.
In Washington state, a one year old boy was killed and his parents badly burned as tried to flee a fire, police said.
Nearly 100 fires are raging across the west of the US, with 28 in California, where nearly 930,800 hectares (2.3 million acres) have been burned and three people were on Wednesday confirmed dead. A massive cloud of smoke has enveloped much of the state leaving San Francisco beneath an eerie orange glow.
A 12-year-old boy and his grandmother died in a wildfire about 50 miles south of Portland, KOIN News reported. In Washington state a 1-year-old boy was killed and his parents severely burned as they tried to flee a fire in Okanogan County, police said.
Firefighters retreated from uncontrollable blazes in Oregon as officials gave residents “go now” orders to evacuate, meaning they had only minutes to leave their homes.
“It was like driving through hell,” Jody Evans told local television station NewsChannel21 after a midnight evacuation from Detroit, southwest of Portland.
Officials in the Pacific Northwest said they did not recall ever having to deal with so many destructive fires at once in the areas where they were burning.
In suburban Clackamas County, home to about 420,000 people who mostly work in nearby Oregon, four major fires were burning, with sheriff’s deputies travelling with chainsaws in patrol cars to remove fallen trees blocking roads.
“These winds are so incredible and are spreading so fast, we don’t have a lot of time,” said Clackamas County Sheriff Craig Roberts.
Fires were burning in seven Oregon counties, and rural and suburban homes miles away from Portland, Oregon’s largest city, were under preliminary orders to prepare for possible evacuations. Three prisons were evacuated late on Tuesday.
Brown saw no respite to the hot, windy weather and requested a federal emergency declaration for the state.
“Absolutely no area in the state is free from fire,” said Doug Graf, chief of fire protection for the Oregon Department of Forestry.
The Pacific Northwest is no stranger to wildfires, but most of the biggest ones until now have been in the eastern or southern parts of the region – where the weather is considerably hotter and drier and the vegetation more fire-prone than it is on the western side of the region.
With the growing importance of Fire Protection in the construction industry, Encon Insulation & Nevill Long has welcomed Neville White into the business. Neville White is taking on a newly created role, Business Development Manager – Fire Protection
White is taking on a newly created role, Business Development Manager – Fire Protection, with the aim to build and grow the team’s knowledge and expertise in the supply of fire protection products across all sectors.
White began his career working for the manufacturer Cape Boards in 1980 as a trainee. He progressed into a number of different job roles including Customer Services Manager, ASM, Regional Manager, National Projects Manager and Marine Manager.
In 2002 Cape Boards were purchased by Promat where he continued his roles in Regional and National Sales Manager positions. In 2016 Promat was amalgamated into the Etex Group and White helped the transition as the Business Development Director – Promat, before leaving at the beginning of 2019.
Prior to joining Encon in April 2020 he worked at Fire Protection on the development of its fire rated ducting systems.
White said: “I feel very excited about the opportunity of growing the Fire Protection business with all my colleagues up and down the country. Having provided sales and technical advice for over 37 years into this industry as a manufacturer, I am really looking forward to helping and supporting our customers, as well as working with and assisting my colleagues on fire protection opportunities.”
The Fire Industry Association’s all-new Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Certification Centre is an exclusive member-focused benefit affording the organisation’s members’ CPD sessions the FIA ‘stamp of approval’, in turn saving them thousands of pounds.
Members will now be able to have their CPD certified by the FIA as part of the cost of their membership. The FIA can host, market and manage all bookings for any sessions which have been certified by the FIA CPD Certification Centre. The FIA will then issue CPD certificates on behalf of its members to the delegates involved (the only proviso being that the CPD session must be hosted by the FIA). Importantly, data on attendees will only be shared with the member company delivering the CPD session.
The organisation is readily able to assess the technical content of CPD sessions and give them its stamp of approval or otherwise assist with bringing it up to standard. This enables the Trade Association to be able to assess any presentations which are submitted and also give the stamp of approval on its educational quality.
The FIA strives to do all it can to champion, represent and help improve the excellent advice given by its members to their customers and, indeed, the wider industry. By checking and certifying members’ CPD, the FIA feels that this will be of massive benefit to all parties involved and also serves as a practical way in which to improve standards right across the entire fire industry.
By having the weight of the FIA’s technical and educational backing behind them, CPD sessions gain a level of credibility specific to the industry at which they are aimed. It also benefits end users (ie the target audience of FIA members) as they know that the CPD they are receiving has been checked and certified by the leading industry body, thereby giving it more value and credibility.
FIA members using its CPD service no longer have to pay fees to external generic CPD certification bodies who are not experts in the fire industry. This can potentially save companies thousands of pounds in unnecessary expenditure.
By making use of the FIA’s marketing ability and its extensive database of fire industry and related contacts, members can rest assured that their CPD sessions are being marketed directly to the right people and companies.
Crucially, the wider fire industry can also benefit from the FIA’s CPD Certification Centre as they become familiar with the online CPD process itself.
The certification process is a simple one. Members submit their presentation via e-mail to the FIA’s Technical Department for assessment. The presentation will be assessed against various criteria including (but not limited to) technical correctness, impartiality (there must be nothing product or company-specific) and educational quality, etc.
Once a session passes the assessment process and is certified, the FIA will enable usage of the FIA CPD Certified logo which can be applied to all certificates for that session.
The event is then booked in with the FIA’s training team and this will be added to the events calendar on the Trade Association’s website. Sessions will also be included in the FIA’s marketing releases and social media.
Bristol Uniforms, a specialist in the design, manufacture and supply of protective clothing for the emergency services, has launched its first ever selection of stock styles for structural firefighting.
Immediately available, the stock styles offer a more cost-effective solution than bespoke alternatives. Although ready-made, the PPE can be personalised by adding a heat-sealed patch to the back of each coat, a name to the front, and a name to each trouser. A choice of two styles are currently available, both conforming to the European CEN standard EN469 Level 2, and featuring the most popular elements of the company’s existing top-quality ranges.
The Ergotech Action stock design includes an anti-wicking barrier on the cuffs and hems, underarm gussets and pleated back panel for improved ergonomics, knee reinforcement, and numerous pockets, loops, and rings for equipment. The kit is made up of a navy TITAN1220 outer, Gore Crosstech Fireblocker moisture barrier and a quilted aramid felt and viscose inner lining.
The XFlex stock design features elbow reinforcement, ergonomic 3D knee pads with reinforcement to make kneeling more comfortable, plus an adjustable waist band, a removable braces system and a knife pouch in the trouser. It is made up of a gold PBI Max outer, Gore Crosstech Airlock moisture barrier and an aramid viscose inner lining. Bristol will soon be unveiling an additional Ergotech Action stock style which conforms to the NFPA standard 1971:2018 for Protective Ensembles for Page 2 of 3 Structural Fire Fighting and Proximity Fire Fighting.
The new style will be on display for the first time at the Intersec trade exhibition in Dubai in January. Similar to the CEN certified version, it features a Gore Crosstech moisture barrier and Hainsworth TITAN outer layer, but this time in Desert Tan.
Roger Startin, joint managing director at Bristol Uniforms, commented: “We always listen to feedback from our customers, and although many have specific requirements and value our bespoke manufacturing service, there are others, particularly those with smaller crews, that would prefer to be able to buy top quality styles off-the-peg. These new styles provide our customers with the option to purchase kit that is cost-effective and immediately available without compromising on quality.”
The London Fire Brigade has shared a range of tips to keep safe this Christmas.
Fires in London’s homes in December have reduced by 21 per cent over the past five years. In 2014 there were 529 fires in homes while last year this had reduced to 416. To keep on Santa’s nice list the brigade has issued some top safety tips to help everyone step into Christmas safely.
Dan Daly, assistant commissioner for fire safety at the London Fire Brigade, commented: “Fire is devastating at any time of year but this is heightened more at Christmas time with wrapped presents destroyed and families displaced. While some may wish for a white Christmas, we want everyone to enjoy a safe Christmas.
“There are many fire hazards in the home over Christmas – candles, fairy lights, overloaded plug sockets, cooking left unattended – or carried out after a festive tipple. I don’t want to be Mr. Grinch and tell you not to decorate your homes or to take part in the festive cheer – but I do want you to be safe over Christmas and take steps to prevent fires from occurring and spoiling the holiday.
“So make sure you have a look at our safety tips, check your smoke alarms and be aware of some of the potential fire hazards. And from everyone at London Fire Brigade, we wish you a merry Christmas.”
The Fire Industry Association (FIA) has announced that it is now offering training to a Level 3 qualification for the fire detection and alarm (FD&A) sector – Fundamentals of FD&A in Non-Domestic Premises.
Designed to provide a “concise and focused” introduction to the FD&A sector, the course is suited to individuals that are starting out in the fire detection industry and are looking for training leading to a qualification within this area. The FIA reviewed its current training and Level 3 qualifications available following the Grenfell Tower fire and the subsequent Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety, and identified the need for a “more succinct” Level 3 qualification focusing on the fundamentals of fire detection and alarm management.
The FIA have been running advanced qualifications since the beginning of 2018 which will continues to run alongside the new qualifications. The new training comprises two two-day training units with an open-book exam at the end of the second unit. Those who pass will gain a Level 3 qualification based on BS 5839-1.
As well as the two standard units, there is a ‘Conversion to Fundamentals’ unit – this is available to delegates who have previously taken the FIA’s Foundation to FD&A course. Delegates successfully completing the conversion unit and exam will gain the Level 3 Fundamentals of Fire Detection and Alarm Systems in Non-Domestic Premises qualification.
Ian Moore, CEO of FIA, commented: “We have been running our Level 3 qualifications for over a year now and it is clear from the feedback a different style of exam is needed. Modern exam techniques focus more on where to find the information that is readily available (i.e. through the internet, manuals or standards) and not a memory test as I was used to ‘back in the day’. The new Fundamentals qualification will have an open book (BS 5839-1 or the FIA training manual) exam and having completed, what we consider to be world-class, training the learners will be able to approach the exam with confidence.”