Wildfire breaks out in Somalia’s Sanaag region

by ActiveFeatured News

A wildfire in the Gaacidh forest in the eastern Sanaag region of Somaliland in Somalia has broken out from an undetermined cause, according to official reports. The fire in the forest which is home to unique trees and dozens of fauna started two days ago near the Daalo mountain and has not been contained. No casualties have been reported, according to officials.

Special Presidential Envoy for Drought Response for Somalia, Abdirahman Abdishakur, wrote on Twitter that the fire “is deadly both to the environment and the animals. Sanaag mountains are known for their variety and rare trees that are not found (anywhere else in) the rest of the country. Somalia is currently under serious threat from global climate change and deforestation. We must all, the administration and the public take action to control and extinguish fires to save the environment, animals and people.”

Gaacidh village chairman Salad Salah Mohamed told state-run television that the fire started on Sunday at 5:00 pm, and that the village has been on high alert since Sunday. He said: “Storms are present in the summer. A fire alarm has been transmitted to the government authorities but the fire still exists.”

Somali environmentalist, botanist and author Ahmed Ibrahim Awale said the forest: “Is the best preserved Juniperus procera-Dracaena schizantha mixed woodland in the Horn of Africa and it well deserves to be declared a World Heritage Natural Site.”

The spread of the fire is accelerated by strong winds and dry vegetation. The cause is yet to be determined but climatic conditions are said to play a major role in the spread of the blaze that is growing daily.

Discarded battery identified as cause of Kirkdale scrap yard fire

by ActiveFeatured News

The cause of a large fire at a Kirkdale scrap yard in September last year is thought to have been a discarded lithium-ion battery according to a new report to Liverpool Council’s neighbourhoods committee.

The blaze impacted an area of 50m x 20m at Norton Scrap and Co and firefighters warned residents to close doors and windows owing to poor air quality. The report said: “The subsequent fire investigation found that the fire originated in the Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) pile and the likely ignition source had been a discarded Lithium-Ion battery.”

The Environment Agency shared details of a plan compiled by Merseyside Fire and Rescue (MFRS) including a move to process waste at the site daily to: “Limit the growth and size of a fire, reduce fire spread from pile to pile, and it would decrease the impact on MFRS resources, local community and the environment.”

The report added that although there is thermal imaging installed at the scrap yard to identify hot spots in the Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment stockpile, this had not been fully in use and blind spots on the site meant that management were not always aware of possible incidents, preventing them from being addressed more urgently.

The report added: “It was agreed that clear lines of communication between the operators of waste metal facilities and the various agencies such as the MFRS were needed when incidents such as the Norton’s fire occurred, as it was clear this hadn’t been the case in the September 2021 incident. This was evidenced by the fact that notification of the fire to the MFRS came from a member of public dialling 999.”

Nörvenich volunteer fire department orders electric fire engine from Rosenbauer

by Featured NewsProductsVehicles

The municipality of Nörvenich in North Rhine-Westphalia has ordered a Rosenbauer RT (Revolutionary Technology) for its volunteer fire department, joining the ranks of customers such as the Berlin Fire Department, the Los Angeles Fire Department, and the Dubai Civil Defence.

The purchase contract was signed on June 20 at the world’s leading trade fair, INTERSCHUTZ, and the vehicle will be delivered by the end of June 2023.

“The RT is leading fire departments into the age of electric mobility in a sustainable way,” said Andreas Zeller, Sales Director of Rosenbauer International AG, “and we are seeing more and more emergency response organizations around the world expressing an interest in this vehicle.

“We are particularly pleased that Nörvenich as a volunteer fire department in Germany to opt for an RT, and this confirms the trend. We estimate that by 2025, there will already be 700 to 800 vehicles with alternative drives operational in Europe. The RT is setting the technological benchmark, as it is certainly the most mature and well-conceived solution and much more than just an electrified fire-fighting vehicle.”

Oliver Hartlieb, chief of the Nörvenich volunteer fire department, said he is particularly delighted with the RT’s cab concept: “The conference seating arrangement makes it much easier for the emergency crews to communicate.”

He was also won over by the functionality of the air-suspended chassis, which allows the RT to be lowered at the operational site: “This makes it much easier to access the equipment stored in the superstructure.”

“With the RT, our volunteer fire department, which is divided into nine firefighting units and covers 14 towns over an area of 66 km2, is getting much more than a fire truck with an alternative form of propulsion,” added Timo Czech, mayor of the municipality of Nörvenich.

“We are getting state-of-the-art technology that is ahead of its time in many ways. This helps us to build up our own experience at an early stage, both with regard to the drive and the many new solutions on the vehicle, which will be helpful to us in future purchases and concepts.

“I am also pleased that our fire department appreciates the fact that they are now trailblazers as well. I thank our municipal council and the fire chief, who have supported my proposal for the purchase of this vehicle from the very beginning. Thanks to public subsidies, the procurement has also become financially viable for the municipality of Nörvenich.”

C-TEC sheds light on the new evacuation systems in high rise buildings

by Breaking NewsBuilding ManagementIndustry Sectors

In June 2017, a fire broke out in a fourth floor flat in the 24 storey Grenfell Tower block of flats that spread quickly and claimed the lives of 72 people, injuring 70 others. Following this, the Scottish government formed an expert review panel to consider whether the Scottish Building Regulations or the Technical Handbooks supporting the building regulations required change.

The expert review panel recommended that for all new blocks of flats of more than 18 metres above ground, facilities should be provided for the use of the fire and rescue service to initiate an evacuate alert signal within flats. It was considered necessary that a standard be produced to allow the technical handbooks to refer to a specific document and this led to the publication of BS 8629 in 2019.

Andy Scott, Projects Director at C-TEC, a leading UK manufacturer of life-safety systems, discusses the recent changes to legislation and what it means for fire safety professionals.

In November 2019, BS 8629, a new British Standard, was published for evacuation alert systems in the UK. Can you explain how it came about?

After the Grenfell Tower fire, the Scottish government quickly brought in a law requiring manual evacuation systems to be installed in new residential buildings taller than 18 metres. This meant a standard was needed to ensure these systems would be effective, so BS 8629 was written quickly so it would be available when the law came into effect.

Following this, the Grenfell Tower Inquiry phase 1 report was published, and it recommended that evacuation systems should be installed in all new and existing high-rise residential buildings, which has led to much more interest than was originally expected.

What is an evacuation alert system?

An evacuation alert system is a manually controlled alarm that allows the fire service to set off evacuation alert sounders in groups of flats, usually a floor at a time.

Currently, the only way the fire service can evacuate a building that does not have a communal fire alarm is to knock on the door of each flat, which puts firefighters at risk and, in a serious fire, may not even be possible, leaving residents unsure of whether it is safer to stay put or leave.

The fire and rescue service will only use the evacuation alert system if they do not have enough resources to fight a fire effectively or if a fire is getting out of control, so it is a last resort that may be used hours after a fire first starts. This is in contrast to a normal fire alarm system, which incorporates automatic fire detectors and operates shortly after a fire starts.

Are fire alarms currently installed in purpose-built blocks of flats?

Many people think that fire alarms are installed because they can see smoke detectors in corridors. However, these are not normally linked to a fire alarm; rather they control ventilation systems that are used to clear smoke from corridors.

When modern high-rise blocks were first built, the BSI’s CP3 guidance said that, provided fire-resistant construction was used, people would be safe in their flats, but they should be able to leave safely if they wished. Later, automatic fire detection and fire alarms were installed in common areas of some blocks of flats, but problems occurred such as false alarms and vandalism.

After this, domestic smoke alarms were introduced, which warn occupants and give them the opportunity to leave their flat and call the fire service, which will normally extinguish the fire before it breaches compartmentation, although these alarms do not help people who are unable to call for help or self-evacuate.

Domestic fire alarms definitely save lives, but they do not warn anyone outside a flat that is on fire, or which flat it is, which they could if they were connected to a communal fire alarm. However, there are still concerns that false alarms from automatic fire alarms will cause unnecessary evacuations, which may be more dangerous than staying put, hence the introduction of the evacuation alert system.

What are the main benefits of having an evacuation alert system installed for landlords and their tenants?

It gives peace of mind that there is a Plan B if everything else goes wrong, not just for occupants, but also for the fire service. We have all heard about the problems with cladding, but other problems are being identified, mainly to do with poor fire compartmentation, and it may not be possible to fix all of them so there will be a continuing risk, which an evacuation alert system can help mitigate.

How will this system tie in with other active fire precautions? For example, can it be integrated with domestic fire alarms or with communal fire alarms?

The fire service is concerned that the fire alarm industry will not understand how an evacuation alert system differs from a normal fire alarm and may install systems that don’t work properly when needed, so BS 8629 says the evacuation alert system should be standalone.

From C-TEC’s perspective, the type of integration that would improve safety is important. For instance, certain types of domestic fire alarms could be connected to the evacuation alert system and their status could be monitored offsite and analysed, so that any potential risks can be identified.

Also, heat detectors in flats, which only trigger in a real fire, could be connected to the system, which could then signal to an alarm receiving centre, resulting in the fire service being called out sooner.

Andy Scott is Projects Director at C-TEC and sits on several BSI, CEN and ETSI committees and is currently working on projects to improve safety in high-rise residential buildings.

This article was originally published in the June edition of IFSJ. To read your FREE digital copy, click here

Brazilian fire service welcomes Magirus FireBull to its fleet

by Americas - Featured NewsFeatured NewsProductsVehicles

The Brazilian state of Ceará has received its first FireBull from Magirus. A delegation with high-ranking representatives of the Governor, the fire brigades and partners were guests at the Magirus Experience Center in Ulm for the technical acceptance and handover of the world’s first tracked fire engine as well as a MultiStar combination vehicle and several portable fire pumps.

The FireBull tracked fire engine from Magirus combines the AirCore extinguishing technology, flexible set-up options and the extremely all-terrain PowerBully chassis from Kässbohrer Geländefahrzeug AG to form a globally unique, versatile special fire-fighting vehicle. The AirCore water mist technology enables efficient fire-fighting with high penetration depths and throwing distances of up to 80 metres, but also an excellent cooling effect with minimal water consumption.

The FireBull can transport high volumes of extinguishing agent (9,000 litres of water, 2,000 litres of foam) with a minimum ground pressure of 0.300 kilograms per square centimetre at a permissible total weight of 30 tonnes, an central advantage in impassable and difficult-to-access terrain.

In the future, the FireBull will be used in the region around Porto do Pecém. In addition to being called out for use in vegetation fires or operations in the nearby reserve and protected area, the region has a large port, beaches and numerous large industrial operations ranging from recycling plants to steel production, some of which have difficult-to-access terrain.

Carlos Décimo de Souza from the Secretariat for Research, Technology and Education of the Governor of Ceará expressed his thanks for the very good, trusting and cooperative partnership: “We are thrilled to be able to take delivery of these state-of-the-art Magirus vehicles here in Ulm.

“With the consistent renewal and constant expansion with innovative, unique deployment technology such as extinguishing robots and powerful special vehicles such as the Magirus FireBull, we want to ensure that our emergency forces can make a sustainable contribution to the protection of people, material and companies in our region and are themselves always protected in the best possible way.”

Firefighters’ pensions case to be reviewed by the High Court

by Featured News

The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) has won permission for a major Judicial Review case to be heard by the High Court. The case relates to who pays for costs arising from the 2015 pensions scheme debacle, with the government trying to force firefighters to pay.

New public sector pension schemes were introduced by the coalition government in 2015, which the FBU said in most cases were significantly worse than the pension schemes that preceded them. The way the new schemes were introduced was found to be discriminatory on age grounds in proceedings brought by firefighters and judges which concluded in 2019, and the changes have been instructed to be reversed between 2015 and 2022. The government estimates the cost of this to be £17bn in total.

The government’s reaction has been to try and shift this cost to the members of the new, post-2015 public sector pension schemes, resulting in the cost of remedying the government’s discrimination against members of the pre-2015 schemes, being met by younger scheme members.

The government’s plan is being challenged on the grounds that it breaches commitments made in legislation and to unions in 2015, that it contravenes the purpose of the cost control mechanism and that it discriminates against younger scheme members.

Mark Rowe, Fire Brigades Union national officer, said: “Firefighters and other public sector workers shouldn’t be forced to pay for discrimination against their own workforces. It’s a disgusting attempt to heap the burden for these dreadful pension mistakes on workers. We’ve been challenging the government on these pension reforms since 2015 and winning time and time again. It is high time the government finally got its act together and sorted this out once and for all, which is entirely within their gift. However if they don’t, we will pursue this case for as long as it takes to win firefighters what they deserve.”

The FBU said that the government is attempting to use the benefits from the 2015 Pension Scheme that should be passed on to the members of that scheme to pay for the government’s own discrimination and that firefighters did not introduce the discrimination into their pension scheme, the government did.

The FBU, and two named members, are the claimants. The trade unions named as interested parties to the case are the GMB, PCS, POA, RCN and Unite.

The other trade unions with public sector memberships are named as “interested parties” due to the implications for the wider public sector. Additionally a claim by the BMA has been held to overlap with this case and so will be heard together with it.

Bird’s eye view: why thermal imaging is mission critical

by Breaking NewsProductsThermal Imaging

When it comes to emergencies, minutes matter and so when critical information is received at the right time it can make all the difference. This is where rapid aerial situational awareness such as that provided by Fotokite can be invaluable in aiding fire services to make informed decisions.

Fotokite is a Swiss company with locations in Zurich, Switzerland, Syracuse NY, and Boulder CO. Founded in 2014, it designs, develops, and manufactures fully autonomous, persistent, and reliable tools designed from the ground up to help public safety teams manage complex, safety-critical situations.

When it arrives on scene, Fotokite can be immediately deployed up to the height of 45 metres and within a minute, full live thermal and a low-light enhanced colour imaging can be viewed without the need for any drone piloting experience, allowing critical decisions to be made quickly and effectively. The scale of the mission can be evaluated immediately and an informed decision on the amount of support needed can be made in real time as live video is remotely streamed directly to the control centre.

For fire brigades with active drone programmes, Fotokite is used as a complementary tool. It provides a first-hand and continuous overview of the scene before the drones are set up and ready to go or when adverse weather conditions prohibit traditional drones to fly.  It remains vigilant on overwatch while drone teams can explore in and out of the scene on limited battery life.

For fire brigades without drones, Fotokite Sigma systems are able to save team resources by launching, flying, and landing with the single push of a button with 24 hour continuous in-air time and requiring no active piloting, allowing teams to focus on their mission while providing live thermal and low-light imaging from the height of up to 45 meters.

Reliability, durability and safety are key aspects of Fotokite’s system. Fotokite Sigma systems are regularly deployed in harsh weather conditions such as high winds, snow or rain (IP55 rated) and first responders can rely on Fotokite’s safety and reliability. The reinforced load rated ultra-thin tether that connects the kite to the ground station acts as an interference free connection and a power source allowing the system to fly for over 24 continuous hours, or as long as the mission requires.

Live video streamed onto the tablet can be shared with team members for control hand-off and mutual aid responses. Optional remote video streaming via integrated cellular data 4G LTE modem enables off-site collaborators is also available to review and provide remote incident support from anywhere.

The Fotokite Sigma is an industrial grade, IP55 rated system that consists of the Ground Station and the Kite. A ruggedised tablet runs the Fotokite Live Application and displays the thermal and low light video streams simultaneously, giving teams actionable information throughout their mission. The system is offered in three configurations: vehicle rooftop mount, transport case, and vehicle-integrated tray mount.

This article was originally published in the June edition of IFSJ. To read your FREE digital copy, click here.

Have your say: NFCC launches Competence Frameworks Survey

by Featured News

Members of NFCC’s Enabling Development of Competence Project (formerly Review of NOS), which is led by CFO Ann Millington and forms part of the People programme, have launched a sector-wide survey to inform the national arrangements required for managing competencies across roles.  

The survey will inform the next stage of work within the project as it begins to develop draft competency frameworks, supported by the expected delivery of a functional analysis of fire and rescue service functions.  

The project team is looking for information and examples from services of competence frameworks that are currently in use, or in development. Gaining an understanding of the frameworks that have been or are being developed by services will play a key role in steering the development of future frameworks.  

The team hopes to receive as much information as possible. Responses are important to ensure a resulting fit for purpose product, reflective of and endorsed by fire and rescue services.

The survey will close on Friday 26 August 2022 and can be taken here. 

Major gas explosion at block of flats in Bedford

by ActiveFeatured News

Firefighters have been called out to attend what has been dubbed a ‘major gas explosion’ at a block of flats in Bedford resulting in two people being taken to hospital, one with serious injuries.

A statement from Bedfordshire Police said: “Emergency services have responded to an explosion at Redwood Grove, Bedford this morning.

“This resulted in a significant fire at a three storey block of 20 flats, which has engulfed the whole building and caused a large portion of the roof to collapse.

“There are two people who have been taken to hospital, one with serious injuries to Addenbrooke’s.

“Police, fire and the ambulance service all remain in attendance.”

A spokesperson for Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service said: “We are currently in attendance at a major gas explosion on Redwood Grove, Bedford.

“There are currently six appliances, two water carriers, an incident command unit at the scene. Please avoid the area and keep windows and doors closed.”

Adrian Marz, who lives in a third floor flat in a block adjoining the residence where the explosion happened, said he saw two people jump from windows to escape the blaze.

He said: “I saw a couple of people jump out of the building and started helping them out… bringing them away from the fire, away from the danger, but it was a very, very serious and very big explosion.”

He added: “The walls [of the building] have just been completely cracked like a walnut – there’s been so much debris flying out of everywhere – ashes, smoke, dust, fire – just instantly everywhere – blazing out of the windows – and that’s why people started to jump out.”

President Biden pledges support to Wildland Firefighters

by Featured News

Marking the first annual National Wildland Firefighter Day (2 June 2022) US President Joe Biden issued an official statement expressing ‘deep gratitude’ for the country’s wildland firefighters for heroically protecting communities and natural resources from wildfires. 

President Biden’s statement said: “Recognizing their service and sacrifice on this day is especially important because we continue to ask more of them year after year. In the past year and a half, I’ve met firefighters in Idaho, California, Colorado, and New Mexico who work night and day to keep people safe, all while fires are getting larger, more intense, and more difficult to control because of climate change, the accumulation of hazardous fuels in our forests, and evolving land development patterns. 

“Firefighters can spend months away from their loved ones, courageously working to save lives, homes, schools, businesses, natural resources, and wilderness areas.  Beyond fighting fires, these dedicated women and men also work year-round to protect us from wildfires before they start by doing the important fuels management work needed to reduce the likelihood of catastrophic fire. This work is tough and extremely dangerous. 

“That’s why my Administration continues to make supporting this workforce a top priority.  Building on what I initiated last year, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law authorized historic new initiatives and resources for wildland firefighters that we are implementing now. This includes a substantial pay increase, new programs to support wildland firefighter mental and physical health, and the creation of a wildland firefighter job series that will improve recruitment, retention, and opportunities for professional growth. 

“We are also building our firefighting workforce, including converting more temporary firefighting positions to permanent jobs.  And we’re further supporting our brave firefighters by doing everything we can to help reduce the risk of catastrophic fires, including proposing a nearly 60 percent increase in hazardous fuels management funds in my Fiscal Year 2023 Budget Request, and investing another $2.5 billion in this work over the next five years through my Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

“National Wildland Firefighter Day will occur annually during the previously established wildland firefighter Week of Remembrance.  I’ve attended too many memorial services for the fallen, including almost nine years to the day, honoring 19 Granite Mountain Hotshot firefighters who died fighting the Yarnell Hill Fire in Arizona.  They were some of the strongest, most disciplined, tenacious, physically fit firefighters in the world.  So, this week we will also reflect on those firefighters who have fallen in the line of duty and renew our commitment to wildland firefighter safety.  We pause to remember them, commemorate their selfless service, and thank their loved ones for their service and many sacrifices.

“May God bless firefighters and their families across our Nation.”