Patol, working with PWP, is protecting the sites of one of the UK’s largest providers of cold storage, blast freezing and tempering services to the food industry.
Expert: How to protect from kitchen fires?
The threat of residential fires cannot be ignored with the serious risk to lives that they bring and structural damage they can cause. Around 60% of residential fires in the UK start in the kitchen. Cooking at home is the largest cause of fire and injury in residential properties.
NFPA appoints new board member to Standards Council
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Board of Directors appointed a new member to the NFPA Standards Council. Chief Randy J. Krause of Port of Seattle Fire Department was appointed by the Board in November 2021. He began serving a three-year term on January 1, 2022.
In addition, three current council members were reappointed to serve additional terms. Jeffrey Foisel was reappointed for a second three-year term, while Kenneth Bush and James Quiter were each reappointed for one-year extensions. All terms began January 1, 2022.
Krause has been a member of the fire service for 36 years. He began his career in 1985 as a firefighter in the United States Air Force (1985-1989) and continued in the private industry at Boeing Company (1990-2010).
Krause left Boeing as a deputy fire chief and is currently the fire chief of Port of Seattle Fire Department where he has been for nearly 12 years providing service to the Sea-Tac International Airport and the surrounding communities.
He has been involved with NFPA Technical Committees since the mid-1990’s, currently serving as chair of NFPA Emergency Responders Occupational Health (ERH-AAA) and Fire Service Occupational Safety (FIX-AAA). Krause is also a member of Gonzaga University’s School of Leadership Studies Advisory Board. Krause earned his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from University of Washington – Bothell in 1998, and his Master’s in Organizational Leadership from Gonzaga University in 2006.
The NFPA Standards Council, appointed by the NFPA Board of Directors, is comprised of 13 members. The responsibilities of the council include overseeing NFPA standards development activities, ensuring compliance with the NFPA Regulations and Rules, and serving as the appeals body over matters related to standards development.
FIA commends UK’s efforts towards Ukraine fire fighters
The Fire Industry Association (FIA) has lauded the efforts of UK’s fire industry in its efforts to assist firefighters in Ukraine.
The FIA CEO Ian Moore said it has been an “honour and a humbling experience”. As he lauded members for contributing not just equipment but other resources as well.
“The whole of the fire industry has come together to support the UK deployment of aid through Fire Aid, our charity partner,” Moore said in an official statement on the FIA’s website.
“It has been both an honour and humbling experience to be part of a truly collaborative humanitarian response from the UK. We are incredibly proud of our sector for their determined and unified effort to help the fire fighters of Ukraine,” he added.
Fire Aid and International Development (Fire Aid), along with the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) are coordinating donations of more than 5,000 items of fire and rescue equipment and PPE which will be sent in convoy to Ukraine.
Eighteen fire engines, thermal imaging cameras for finding victims, generators, lighting, hoses, rescue equipment, and thousands of sets of PPE are among the items being donated. Every fire service across the UK has stepped in to support these efforts.
Moore said: “Our members have donated time, money, and equipment to supporting the UK Fire Sector Humanitarian response, but most of all they have stood shoulder to shoulder, working alongside all of the great organisations, as a team with a clear objective: to help the fire fighters of Ukraine. We are all united in our desire to do this.”
UK fire services collect kits for Ukraine firefighters
Fire services across the UK are donating thousands of items of kit and equipment to their counterparts in Ukraine.
UK charity, FIRE AID and International Development (FIRE AID), and the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) are coordinating donations of more than 5,000 items of fire and rescue equipment and PPE which will be sent in convoy to Ukraine.
Eighteen fire engines, thermal imaging cameras for finding victims, generators, lighting, hoses, rescue equipment, and thousands of sets of PPE are among the items being donated. Every fire service across the UK has stepped in to support these efforts.
The deployment of these donations is being supported by funding from the Home Office, Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, and the FIA Foundation, as well as through a public appeal via JustGiving – https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/KeepUkraineFireFightersSafe
Following a successful scoping visit to Poland conducted by FIRE AID volunteers this week, an initial convoy of three fire engines and a lorry of PPE and rescue equipment will depart the UK today, led by the Scottish Emergency Rescue Association (SERA).
FIRE AID is then coordinating a subsequent convoy consisting of 15 fire engines and two lorries of equipment, donated by fire services across the UK, which will depart on 19th March. 40 UK firefighters will join FIRE AID volunteers as part of the team driving the vehicles across Europe, where it will be received by the Polish State Fire Service and transferred to Ukraine.
When it reaches Ukraine, the equipment will be used to support firefighters, emergency services and volunteers who are battling together on the front line, often using old or worn equipment. They are dealing daily with fires and other emergencies to protect lives, people and property as the invasion devastates the country.
Claire Hoyland, project manager, FIRE AID said: “FIRE AID and its members have over 25 years of experience responding to requests for aid and support for emergency services in over 50 countries. Following the invasion of Ukraine, our members immediately mobilised to gather equipment and aid to donate to their Ukrainian counterparts. FIRE AID members have been working in partnership with the Ukrainian emergency services since 2012 and we are proud to be coordinating this unprecedented emergency response on behalf of the UK Fire Sector.”
Priti Patel, Home Secretary, said: “The British Government and British people are standing shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine and its citizens during this barbaric invasion.
“I have been speaking regularly to my counterpart at Ukraine’s Interior Ministry and the Ukrainian Ambassador in London to understand what practical help we can offer.
“We are helping to ensure that crucial fire and rescue equipment and PPE donated by Fire and Rescue Services will get to where it can directly provide succour to those brave firefighters, emergency services and volunteers on the front line in Ukraine.”
Mark Hardingham, chair, National Fire Chiefs Council said: “As the terrible scenes unfold in Ukraine, the UK fire and rescue service is once again doing all it can to support those who urgently need help. The response has been incredible and it is testament to the public, private and voluntary sectors combining resources, enthusiasm and skills in response to the crisis. Thousands of items of kit and equipment – along with fire engines – have been donated to help the Ukrainian emergency services, battling together on the front line, as they strive to save lives and protect people and property.
“I cannot express how proud I am of everyone who has come together to support this; from getting the equipment together, the hard work which has gone into ensuring the logistics of one of the largest convoys we have seen, to volunteering to be part of the journey itself. This is our sector at its very best – selflessly working together and supporting one other – ultimately helping and hoping to save lives.”
The wider fire sector – including the MSA Safety, Fire Sector Federation (FSF), the Fire and Rescue Suppliers [FIRESA] Council and the Fire Industry Association (FIA) – are also key partners in supporting and making the deployment.
New US bill proposes budget cuts for two firefighter grants
The bill would cut both the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (also known as the ‘FIRE Grant’) and Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant programme by $10m each from President Biden’s request of $370 million to $360 million for each programme, IAFC’s director of government relations and policy Ken LaSala reported.
Bronto Skylift launches North America’s tallest fire fighting aerial
While the industrial access has been using large truck-mounted aerial platforms for wind turbines and such for a long time, the fire and rescue aerials have been limited to the heights of about 100-135ft.
North America fire services commonly use aerial ladders, that tend to have lower heights than the articulated aerial platforms with a solid steel boom as the main structure. Another limiting factor has perhaps been the size of larger, over 200-foot aerials, that can be bulky and difficult to navigate through ordinary city streets.
Bronto Skylift 230-foot articulated aerial platform, the Bronto F230RPX, is set to shakeup the aerial access market. The 230ft-working height is equivalent to 20 floors, and the aerial is compactly mounted on a Mack chassis. The previous maximum height of North American aerials, 135ft, corresponds to about 11 floors. In other words, the F230RPX enables nine floors more vertical reach for fire departments all over North America.
While there is a big increase to the operational rescue height, the reach can be seen in many different ways. Also the horizontal reach and so called up-and-over are much improved from what has traditionally been offered. Maximum horizontal reach is 105ft, while most of previous models offer less than 90ft. The capability to reach up and over for example the parapet walls and lower roofs is 34ft. Reach below grade from river banks and bridges is about 20ft.
The first unit was developed, designed, built and delivered in collaboration with 1200 Degrees, an experienced Bronto Skylift partner in Canada. 1200 Degrees will be the local service provider making sure the unit remains safe and ready to serve during the years to come
C-TEC launches BS 5839-1 fire detection courses
Life-safety systems manufacturer, C-TEC, has launched a new series of BS 5839-1 fire detection and fire alarm system compliance courses.
Delivered at C-TEC’s training centre in the north west of England, the courses include both theoretical and practical activities. Thoroughly covering BS 5839-1 Foundation, Design, Installation & Commissioning and Maintenance, the courses can culminate in a regulated qualification in BS 5839-1 through FireQual, the specialist awarding body for the fire protection sector in the UK.
Brian Foster, UK sales manager, C-TEC said: “C-TEC is on a mission to lift industry standards and the quality of fire installations across the UK. We’ve always provided free educational CPD-certified seminars and product training to promote best practice and raise awareness, but the launch of our BS 5839-1 ‘Train-to-Gain’ courses signals our intention to take it to a new level.
“We’re confident the courses will attract a high level of interest as they’re reasonably-priced, centrally-located and specifically designed to encourage people working in the fire industry to embark on a journey to boost their competency, expertise and professional performance – and achieve an industry-recognised qualification in the process.”
Each course will be delivered by experienced and qualified trainers in line with the technical requirements of the awarding body. Delegates will undergo hands-on practical assessments to ensure they understand the subject matter and display the necessary competence to attain the regulated qualification. Successful delegates will be issued with CPD certificates for each module and those who pass a final exam will be awarded a regulated qualification certificate from FireQual.
Brian added: “High-quality training is vital in the fire industry. Whether you’re an industry newcomer or an established company looking to educate new personnel, our new BS 5839-1 courses are designed to equip delegates with the knowledge, expertise and confidence they need to be among the best in the business.”
Bookable over multiple weeks or as an intensive week-long cluster, the courses will prepare delegates for the FireQual regulated qualification examination to allow them to design, install, commission, and maintain fire detection and fire alarm systems to BS 5839-1 and confidently sign fire certificates where necessary.
C-TEC is one of the UK’s leading manufacturers of world-class life-safety systems. The company’s latest innovations include its new CAST protocol fire detection and fire alarm systems; Hush, a revolutionary new BS 5839-6 Grade C domestic fire alarm system and Evac-Alert, a new evacuation alert system to BS 8629.
FireQual is the specialist awarding body for qualifications within the fire protection sector within the UK. Established by BAFE, FireQual works through a network of Approved Training Centres to provide competency-based qualifications to support the further development of knowledge and skills within the industry.
New NFPA certification launched for suppression technicians
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has launched a new Water Based Inspection Testing and Maintenance (WBITM) Online Learning Path to help sprinkler technicians, contractors, and others grasp the content in a new Water-Based Fire Protection Systems Inspection Testing and Maintenance (ITM) Certification Program.
Properly maintained water-based fire protection systems are critical for building and life safety and ensure that suppression technology will adequately contain a fire in case of an emergency and allow occupants the precious time needed to escape, if necessary.
The online learning and credentialing opportunities have been developed to help those who are charged with independently managing the full spectrum of inspection, testing, and maintenance (ITM) duties.
The fully digital Water Based Inspection Testing and Maintenance Online Learning Path provides certification candidates with flexible, self-paced studying options so they can better understand the current edition of NFPA 25, Standard for the Inspection, Testing, and Maintenance of Water-Based Fire Protection Systems against the blueprint of the certification exam.
NFPA offers a complete range of NFPA 25 and WBITM certification-related content with the flexibility for practitioners to choose a single training module or put together a variety of modules to suit their skill set or aspirational goals.
Learning Paths feature interactive exercises, case studies, knowledge checks with ITM benchmarks, as well as instructional videos on when and how to test water-based systems. Learners receive one year of access to exclusive online content and lessons developed by NFPA experts who have an intimate understanding of codes and standards and how they work together to support professional credentialing.
Each NFPA Learning Path program has its own set of strategies for helping students understand the subject matter and includes a practice exam component as well as a final Capstone activity to test knowledge and core responsibilities.
“We spoke with a variety of stakeholders, including international facilities management personnel and authorities having jurisdiction, about the difficulty of identifying qualified contractors who can competently perform necessary ITM tasks for water-based fire suppression systems,” said Dan Pickel, NFPA director of certification and accreditation.
“We then worked with a group of subject matter experts to identify the tasks, knowledge, and skills needed for this role so that we could create effective content and context for this new certification offering. The result is a certification program that helps professionals demonstrate their knowledge and skills so that facility managers and code enforcers can feel confident in their capabilities and so that certification achievers can stand out among their peers in the industry.”
ERSI USA finds dangers of emergency warning lights on drivers
A new research study from US body, the Emergency Responder Safety Institute (ERSI), investigated the impact of lighting colour, intensity, modulation, and flash rate on driver behaviour while approaching and passing a traffic incident scene at night.
The report is titled “Effects of Emergency Vehicle Lighting Characteristics on Driver Perception and Behavior: Study Report.” The impact of retroreflective chevron markings in combination with emergency lighting configurations, as well as the measurement of “moth-to-flame” effects of emergency lighting on drivers was also investigated.
The research was conducted by Dr. John D. Bullogh (formerly with Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and currently with the Light and Health Research Center in the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai) and Dr. Scott Parr of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in partnership with ERSI.
Under different emergency lighting setups volunteer civilians drove a closed course traffic incident scene at night consisting of a simulated fire apparatus in center-block position with a cone taper.
Two SAE-compliant, commercially available blue, white, yellow, and red lights were mounted vertically on two tripods spaced apart at a distance approximating the left and right edge of the rear of a fire truck.
A silhouette cutout of a firefighter wearing a high visibility safety vest was positioned adjacent to the lights. For some of the tests, researchers placed a panel of retroreflective red/yellow chevrons constructed with ASTM Type V sheeting materials directly behind each flashing light tripod.
The researchers tested 14 combinations of lamp colour, lamp intensity, pattern, flash rate, and presence of reflective markings next to the lights. Researchers measured vehicle distance to the lights and the distance at which drivers could distinguish the silhouette of a firefighter. They also administered a survey after the driver completed the course. Twenty drivers completed the testing.
Intensity
Study participants consistently judged higher intensity lights as more glaring but only marginally more visible than lights of lower intensity. Lower intensity lights remained highly visible. Using lower intensities at night will reduce discomfort glare without reducing the lights’ visibility. This finding indicates that stationary vehicles in nighttime blocking mode should be sufficiently visible with lower intensity lights.
Color
Drivers’ rated visibility of lights appeared to be related to the perceived saturation of their color. Blue and red lights have the greatest perceived saturation and were judged to be brighter than white and yellow lights of the same intensity. Blue and white lights were rated as most glaring. Yellow and red lights were least glaring. This data suggests that red lights for stationary blocking operations may offer the best combination of better visibility with less glare.
“Moth to Flame”
None of the variables tested caused drivers to move their vehicles either toward or away from the lights. Therefore, the data in this test did not support or disprove the “moth to flame” effect.
High Visibility Markings
This study raises the possibility that combining high intensity lights with high visibility markings may make it more difficult for drivers to see responders on foot at night, even when the responders wear high visibility vests. Further research is planned to determine if lower grade retroreflective markings will help improve the conspicuity of emergency personnel operating near emergency vehicles and traffic.
This study was produced under a contract between the U.S. Fire Administration and the Cumberland Valley Volunteer Firemen’s Association’s Emergency Responder Safety Institute, which subcontracted with the Lighting Research Center at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University to perform the research.