Firechief celebrate 25 years of carrying the BSI Kitemark certification

by Featured NewsPeople

Firechief Global, the UK based fire safety brand, has announced that they have reached the milestone of having 25 years of continuous BSI Kitemark certification.

For a quarter of a century, Firechief has carried the BSI Kitemark, a symbol of excellence that assures customers of rigorous independent testing and compliance with the highest industry standards.

The BSI Kitemark is one of the most recognised symbols of quality and safety in the UK and beyond.

Awarded only to products that meet stringent testing requirements, it provides end-users, fire safety professionals and businesses with the confidence that they are using equipment built to perform when it matters most.

Importance of the BSI Kitemark cerification

Reaching 25 years of BSI Kitemark certification is an achievement in the fire safety sector. It represents decades of investment in product innovation, compliance, and customer safety.

It also highlights Firechief’s proactive approach to exceeding regulatory requirements and continuously evolving to meet the demands of modern fire risks.

Managing Director, Firechief Global, Laurie Pollard’s statement

Laurie Pollard, Managing Director at Firechief Global, said of the achievement: “25 years of continuous Kitemark certification is something that cannot be understated in its importance.

“This is tangible proof that, for a quarter of a century, we’ve never given up on our commitment to supplying high-performance, approved fire safety products.”

As Firechief Global celebrates this achievement, the company remains focused on the future. With ongoing investment in research and development, Firechief want to reinstate their commitment to pioneering new fire safety technologies that address emerging risks, including lithium-ion battery fires and eco-friendly suppression solutions.

The BSI Kitemark certification has been carried by Firechief for 25 years: Summary

For a quarter of a century, Firechief has carried the BSI Kitemark, an accreditation awarded only to products that meet stringent testing requirements.

Laurie Pollard, Managing Director at Firechief Global said 25 years of continuous Kitemark certification is something that cannot be understated in its importance.

Austria Fire Services release 2024 firefighter statistics

by Featured News

The newly released 2024 firefighter statistics highlight a record-breaking year for Austria’s Fire Services. Despite an increase in emergency calls, the country’s firefighters have proven to be more capable than ever, according to a recent press release from the Austrian Fire Service Association. 

Austria Fire Services have released their 2024 firefighter statistics, highlighting a record-breaking year.

According to a recent press release from the Austrian Fire Service Association, that despite an increase in emergency calls, the country’s firefighters have proven to be more capable than ever.

In 2024, Austrian firefighters responded to approximately 36,000 more incidents than the previous year, with a total of 339,516 emergency calls.

Among these, 246,999 were technical operations (such as traffic accidents, storm damage, floods and hazardous material incidents) and 65,233 were fire-related emergencies.

Increase in emergency calls, particularly due to floods

The report found that one of the biggest challenges came in September 2024, when floods hit eastern Austria.

Thanks to a steady increase in firefighter membership, Austria’s emergency services were able to mobilize thousands of personnel from across the country to assist in Lower Austria without compromising local readiness in their home regions.

Record number of flood responses

Severe weather incidents accounted for much of the increase in technical calls, as per the report.

In 2023, Austrian fire departments handled 57,527 weather-related emergencies—but in 2024, this number surged to 70,310 due to extreme flooding, storm damage, and snow-related incidents.

President, Austrian Fire Service Association, Robert Mayer’s statement

Austrian Fire Service Association’s President Robert Mayer praised the firefighters’ efficiency and teamwork, noting that for the first time, all nine Austrian federal states worked together on a single flood disaster response in Lower Austria. 

Mayer shared: “Our system, organization, equipment, training and coordination have once again proven their effectiveness.”

Looking ahead, Mayer added: “”Our fire services are stronger than ever and well-prepared for the future.”

“As Austria’s no. 1 disaster response force, we’ve once again proven that we can deliver fast, professional, and sustainable emergency assistance—even under the most challenging conditions.”

Fire Chief, Lower Austria, Dietmar Fahrafellner’s statement

Lower Austria’s Fire Chief Dietmar Fahrafellner emphasized that the 2024 floods were a major challenge, but Austria’s Fire Services had the necessary resources, personnel, and experience to respond effectively. 

Fahrafellner said, crediting strategic investments in disaster response for their success: “We proved once again that we can be relied upon in any situation.”

Over 10,000 people and nearly 7,000 animals rescued

One of the most striking statistics from 2024 is the 10,467 people and 6,965 animals rescued by Austria’s firefighters. These numbers do not include rescues from Vienna and Vorarlberg, meaning the true total is even higher.

Growing membership & increasing female participation

The report also found that the Austrian Fire Services continued to grow in 2024, with 355,379 total members, an increase of 1,581 from 2023.

The number of active firefighters rose slightly to 258,074, while youth firefighter membership saw a more significant increase of 1,418, bringing the total to 37,720 young members aged 10 to 16.

Notably, the percentage of female firefighters surpassed 10% for the first time. With 36,003 women and girls now serving, female participation has increased by 189% since 2008.

Austria currently has 4,767 fire departments, including 4,450 volunteer fire stations, 311 industrial fire brigades and six professional fire departments.

2024 firefighter statistics shared by Austria Fire Services: Summary

The newly announced 2024 firefighter statistics highlight a record-breaking year for Austria’s Fire Services, showcasing their growing membership, increased female participation and increased emergency response.

CATALYST announces launch of INSIGHTS Vegetation Management

by Featured NewsProjectsWildland Fire

CATALYST has launched INSIGHTS Vegetation Management, aimed to update Electric Utilities’ biggest operational challenges.

INSIGHTS Vegetation Management is a satellite-based monitoring service that helps reduce outages and enhance reliability by identifying where networks are at greatest risk.

CATALYST has announced how vegetation is a major cause of power outages and contributes to infrastructure damage and wildfires.

Weather events

As extreme weather events become more frequent, Electric Utilities face increasing challenges in maintaining grid stability. Managing vegetation is costly with major U.S. Utilities spending over $100 million annually.

CATALYST have spoken about how spending can be inefficient – without insights into current vegetation conditions, traditional inspection and pruning programs which are forced to revisit areas on fixed cycles rather than prioritizing areas at highest risk.

CATALYST’s INSIGHTS Vegetation Management replaces fixed maintenance schedules with condition-based working informed by regular network-wide intelligence. Its insights enable arborists to optimize operations by focusing inspection and maintenance crews on areas.

President and CEO, PCI Geomatics, June McAlarey’s statement

June McAlarey, President and CEO OF PCI Geomatics shared: “INSIGHTS Vegetation Management expands CATALYST’s suite of risk monitoring solutions, equipping Utilities with essential intelligence to improve resilience and operational efficiency.

“By leveraging advanced satellite technology, Utilities can actively target vegetation risks, reducing outages and ensuring safer, more reliable service for their customers.”

Features of INSIGHTS

INSIGHTS combines high-resolution satellite imagery with Utilities’ and environmental data to identify high-risk trees and quantify threats. Unlike black-box AI models, it offers transparent, science-based risk assessments that can be customized to utility needs.

As a data-as-a-service (DaaS) solution, INSIGHTS integrates with Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) platforms and field management tools, providing Utilities with accessible actionable intelligence.

Developed through CATALYST’s experience in Earth observation analytics and library of processing algorithms, INSIGHTS Vegetation Management is designed to deliver reliable and precise risk assessments tailored to Utility operations.

Launch of INSIGHTS Vegetation Management announced by CATALYST: Summary

INSIGHTS Vegetation Management has been announced by CATALYST, aimed to update Electric Utilities’ biggest operational challenges.

C-TEC launch fire alarm mains isolator switches

by Featured News

Life-safety systems manufacturer, C-TEC, has launched a range of fire alarm mains isolator key switches. Designed for use on all types and makes of fire alarm system, the BF326 series allows the mains to a fire panel to be switched on/off as per the requirements of BS 5839-1.

Available in red or white in flush or surface and with or without an LED Indicator, they are ideal to keep your engineers safe during routine test and maintenance.

Supplied with a plastic key and plastic key switch mechanism to reduce the risk of electric shocks, they have no exposed metal or conductive parts so no earthing is required.

Fitted with a 5A high rupture capacity fast blow fuse, they feature a mechanically linked double pole switch to prevent the risk of contacts welding together and false isolated readings on LED variants. 

UK Sales Manager, C-TEC, Brain Foster’s statement

Brian Foster, C-TEC’s UK Sales Manager, said: “Our new fire alarm mains isolator key switches are robust, reliable and very versatile. As with all our products, they are manufactured here in the UK at our multiple third-party certified facility to the highest quality standards.

For additional assurance, all variants have been independently tested to the prime insulation and isolation requirements of IEC/EN 60669. They also have an optional branding label that allows them to be used on evacuation alert and emergency voice communication systems too.”

Fire alarm mains isolator switches launched by C-TEC: Summary

C-TEC has launched a range of fire alarm mains isolator key switches, designed to be used on all types and makes of fire alarm system.

UK Sales Manager of C-TEC said the new fire alarms mains isolator key switches are robust, reliable and very versatile.

Arlo announce partnership with Origin AI

by Featured NewsPeople

Arlo Technologies a smart home security brand, has announced a partnership agreement with Origin AI. Sharing a common mission to protect customers through advanced AI-powered solutions, both Arlo and Origin AI has developed technologies that have been recognised by industry experts.

Under the agreement, Arlo will have exclusive worldwide rights to market and sell Origin AI’s AI products, TruShield™ and Allos, which deliver Verified Human Presence detection through radio frequency (RF) signals emitted by existing WiFi devices in homes or businesses.

This capability enables internet service and other solution providers a simple yet powerful path to bring home security to their customers while increasing accuracy and reducing false alarms.

Additionally, Arlo plans to integrate Origin AI Sensing technologies into future offerings, complementing Arlo’s suite of advanced security solutions powered by Arlo Intelligence — from AI-assisted motion detection to indoor/outdoor video monitoring and professional monitoring with video verification.

CEO of Arlo Technologies, Matthew McRae’s statement

Matthew McRae, CEO of Arlo Technologies said: “Arlo has been continuously investing for over 10 years in AI- and CV-powered security technologies that enable customers to feel safer, react faster and enjoy greater peace of mind with 24/7 protection from Arlo Secure,

“With today’s announcement, we are excited to add Origin’s AI Sensing capabilities to create a new integrated AI-powered security offering that will be unmatched in its intelligence and performance.”

CEO of Origin AI, Spencer Maid’s statement

Spencer Maid, CEO of Origin AI spoke about the announcement: “Origin AI is excited to collaborate with Arlo in this strategic partnership,

“By combining Arlo’s leadership in smart home security with Origin’s cutting-edge AI Sensing technologies, we are delivering unparalleled solutions to redefine how people protect their homes and businesses. This partnership underscores our shared commitment to innovation and customer security.”

Arlo and Origin AI announce new partnership: Summary

Arlo has announced a new partnership with Origin AI, which means that Arlo has exclusive rights to market and sell Origin AI’s products. The CEO of Origin AI stated how this partnership underscores both companies commitment to innovation and customer security.

Euralarm welcomes new member Vanderbilt

by Passive

Following a decision of its Board, Euralarm has welcomed its newest member Vanderbilt. The company will join the Security Section of Euralarm. The Security Section represents the intrusion, access and video sector and is key stakeholder in organisations such as CertAlarm, CEN-CENELEC, IEC and the European Commission. Together with a diverse number of stakeholders in Europe, the section collaborates on finding solutions for today’s as well as tomorrow’s challenges for security in a digitised world.

The Security Section meetings gathers experts presenting on actual topics such as the standardisation landscape on video surveillance. The section liaises towards key standardisation groups in the security field and closely follows technological developments to guide regulation and standardisation. Concerning standards, the section continues informing members of changes and advocacy activities at both national and EU level.

Being a member of Euralarm Vanderbilt will benefit from Euralarm’s representation towards European institutions and standardisation organisations. This includes the monitoring of legislative and standardisation issues relevant to the industry. Vanderbilt will have access to the extended network of national associations and major companies in the electronic fire safety and security sectors, which form Euralarm’s members. The new membership will create opportunities for both sides, as it also strengthens the association.

Vanderbilt

Vanderbilt is a global provider of high-performance security systems across access control and intrusion detection. Vanderbilt is recognised for its future-proof, innovative, and easy-to-use portfolio that contains award-winning products such as access control solutions ACT365 and ACT Enterprise and intrusion solutions SPC and SPC Connect. An advocate of open platforms and integrations, Vanderbilt understands the issues customers face and provides multiple solutions that are designed to meet these needs.

European expertise on markets and opportunities

Companies joining Euralarm get a unique insight into what is happening in European markets and the opportunities that they might offer. They not only tap into the political expertise and understanding of the EU policy but can also make personal connections with technical and political experts and potential business partners.

Being a member of Euralarm enables companies and associations to gain expertise on standardisation. Members have their voice heard in Brussels and can support and direct standardisation and legislative processes.

euralarm.org/

www.vanderbiltindustries.com