Safe and secure: ensuring firefighter safety and tool longevity

by Breaking NewsProducts
PAC’S versatile tool mounting solutions are helping departments to ensure firefighter safety and tool longevity

Firefighting rescue tools and hand tools can be large and awkward and if they are unmounted or unrestrained they can fall from a truck. An organised and mounted set of tools can reduce injuries to firefighters. A tool mount can also improve response time by enabling firefighters to find what they need quickly, as well as improving the time it takes to restock the truck and identify what is missing or what has not yet been put back in its spot and reduce the time to do an inventory check.

Properly mounted tools can increase the tool life because an unmounted tool rolling around in a compartment could be subject to extra wear and tear well beyond its normal use. Some of these tools are expensive and critical to have and so improving that tool life and keeping that tool in good working order.

Key considerations for choosing a mount

First and foremost you should know the weight and load rating of what you are trying to secure. A department should always consider the value of the tool they are securing. Performance Advantage Company’s (PAC) brackets are heavy duty and can withstand serious abuse. They are tested with the knowledge that they are going to see heavy use during their lifetime.

Also important is how quickly you can retrieve tools from the mount. You want to look at how well tool mounts can be visible in dark applications, how quickly and easily you can retrieve the product by releasing the straps and whether they are easy to grip in all situations and all weather conditions.

Finally, when you are considering a tool mount system, your department may acquire new tools for different situations and the compartment’s organisation system may need to be reconfigured. The tool mounting system must be able adapt because the tools themselves adapt. Different manufacturers have a different design and so the amount of space tools will take up in the truck will vary.

Unmounted tool problems

Injuries are the most serious issue when it comes to unmounted tools. We have had several customer interactions where there was a tool behind a closed door which fell on an unsuspecting firefighter at the scene of an emergency. These injuries strain the resources of the rescue team at the site.

One of the things tool mounts are designed to do is reduce the time it takes render aid. When a vehicle shows up with the team and with the equipment properly trained, one of the things they should have is their tool mounted because it improves response time as the time it takes to find what you need is reduced drastically. This is critical to get patients the aid that they need quickly and properly. Having unmounted tools can cause increased response time, meaning critical time is lost because firefighting teams cannot find what they are looking for. There could also be damage sustained to the tools from rolling around unfixed whilst in transit.

New to the market

Recent PAC products that have been really well received are our Mini Loks. These are smaller friction locking clamps than have been available before. They accommodate smaller hand tools, such as flashlights and small handle tools, than previously solutions could hold.

We have some new low profile locking brackets called the Super Flex line. They are for extinguishers and struts. We have an extinguisher mount kit that also works with oxygen bottles and two of our newer items are a shallow rectangular pocket kit for non-traditional rescue tools.

PAC has also just introduced a bucket mount. In the US, a 5-gallon bucket is a common item found in all industries from fire to farming. We have found that buckets are a widely used tool used to carry loose equipment such as absorbent material or salt. Buckets are a very useful tool but there were no mounts on the market for them, so we created one for vehicles. This mount can also hold traffic cones.

Regional differences

There are of course different types of vehicles and different types of equipment in different regions, not to mention different budgets. There are a wide variety of factors that go into tool mounting solution that would be selected, but in general PAC’s products are so versatile and adjustable that it really does not matter what industry or area you are in: the tools that you are going to carry are more than likely going to be able to be supported or held and secured by our versatile product line.

We are also mounting tools on a variety of non-traditional fire vehicles including motorcycles and fire boats. We have even worked with some departments in Asian countries that have turned transit vans into rescue vehicles or built their own fire trucks.

Finding solution for every situation

A lot of people think of us as a company that provides products to end users, or to a dealer network, but we actually are becoming more and more a resource to vehicle OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) where they need some type of a mount for the product that they make.

We were also recently approached by a customer who makes unique nozzles who needed to come up with a mount system as his nozzles were all different diameters and had different handles. He used our Jumbo Lock 1070 to hold his tools and developed a platform using our mount.

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

UK wildfire numbers more than triple in 2022 so far

by ActiveFeatured News

The number of wildfires in the UK has more than tripled in the year to date compared to the the number that took place in 2021.

So far in 2022, there have been 745 wildfires in the UK – more than three times the total figure of 247 for all of 2021 – including 150 in the past week alone.

Wildfires are classified as being large enough to cover an area the size of at least two-and-a-half football pitches.

Mark Hardingham, chairman of the National Fire Chiefs Council, told BBC Radio 4 on Sunday that hot and dry weather had combined to create the perfect conditions for wildfires and that hundreds of grass and woodland fires happen in the UK every day.

“They are physically exhausting and demanding incidents to deal with,” said Haddington.

“Not only are you turning up as a firefighter in extreme, high temperatures, [but you’re] wearing your firefighter clothing, you’re chasing these fires across fields, you’re dragging heavy equipment, you’re keeping an eye out all the time for your own welfare and safety and those of your colleagues.

“Once you’ve dealt with that fire, more often than not you’re picking up another call to go to the next fire.”

London Fire Brigade raise concerns over deliberate grass fires

by Breaking NewsSafety

London Fire Brigade has raised concerns that the number of deliberate fires could rise over the summer holidays amid a sustained dry spell and following a significant grass fire in Feltham last week believed to have been started deliberately.

The Brigade has said it is concerned that the number of deliberate grass fires could spike particularly given the period of hot weather London has seen which has made the ground tinder dry and is expected to continue.

Firefighters have already attended more than 425 deliberate grass and open land fires this year, including on Hatton Road in Feltham last week, which saw around six hectares of land damaged by the blaze.

Firefighters have taken action by sharing fire safety advice with young people and their families at community events over the summer. They are now asking parents and carers to help by speaking to their children about the dangers of setting fires in a bid to protect the capital’s parks and green spaces.

Assistant Commissioner for Fire Safety, Charlie Pugsley, said the Brigade are seeing too many fires being started deliberately: “The last few years has certainly shown us how important our parks and green spaces are, with many of us spending more time than ever outdoors with friends and loved ones, so we need Londoners to help look after them.

“Whilst the dry and sunny spells of weather will be great for families looking to spend time outside over the summer holidays, it also means that the risk of grass fires is going to increase as the ground becomes dryer. Talk to your children about how dangerous it is to play with fire, keep matches and lighters out of sight and if you’re worried about a child or young person who has set fires get in touch with our Firesetters Intervention Scheme (FIS).”

Amber alert

The MET office has issued an Amber Alert for extreme heat across southern parts of the UK. The hot spell will develop across parts of England and Wales later this week.

On what to expect the alert said:

  • Adverse health effects are likely to be experienced by those vulnerable to extreme heat
  • The wider population are likely to experience some adverse health effects including sunburn or heat exhaustion (dehydration, nausea, fatigue) and other heat related illnesses
  • Some changes in working practices and daily routines likely to be required
  • An increased chance that some heat-sensitive systems and equipment may fail.
  • More people are likely to visit coastal areas, lakes, rivers and other beauty spots leading to an increased risk of water safety and fire-related incidents.
  • Some delays to road, rail and air travel are possible, with potential for welfare issues for those who experience prolonged delays

Delivered on time: Performance Advantage Company discusses firefighting tool mount systems

by Breaking NewsProducts
Greg Young, Vice President of Performance Advantage Company discusses how the industry has changed and the lessons it has learned in the wake of the pandemic

Performance Advantage Company (known as PAC) has been a key component manufacturer to the fire industry for around 30 years. Dick Young, the founder of PAC, spent his entire career building fire engines of all sizes. When he pivoted toward the tool mounting industry, he brought that knowledge – building fire trucks – which gave PAC the values it still follows today.

Over the last decade manufacturers across all industries moved toward a just-in-time approach to sourcing, purchasing and fabricating. Just-in-time means that goods and raw materials are brought in house only when they are needed. There are many benefits that businesses can reap with this approach such as minimised damage or loss or freeing up more cash available for other business needs. Some manufacturers, like large ship builders, have very stringent requirements regarding delivery dates because they utilise enormous receiving docks.

PAC never followed this approach. We carry large quantities of stock – raw and finished – allowing us to accommodate our customers needs at a moment’s notice. Large or small order sizes and moderate demand fluctuations could all be managed by our stocking methodology. Having a large on hand quantity is an investment few are willing to make. PAC, though, stands with our customers and believes in our line. To serve the critical needs of the emergency services as well as the manufacturing community PAC will not waiver from making the necessary investments.

Historically our products are final components; something to be installed last. In most instances, our products will be received just-in-time by a manufacturer of fire apparatus. And so, our values dictate we must have stock on hand. We are actively investing in stock levels that allows for timely deliveries. We will not hold up our manufacturing partners when it comes to their final dates.

PAC has achieved notoriety and a solid reputation as a tool mounting system manufacturer. Our customers find that our support and shipping is industry-leading. Our OEM (truck builders and other manufacturers) partners have found that our shipping times support their manufacturing deadlines. These are achievements we do not take for granted.

Market pressures

Like other manufacturers, our ability to keep the pipeline full has been impacted by raw material shortages, labour shortages and other supply chain issues. Much effort has been made to keep our materials stocked but nevertheless some delays and shortages out of our control have occurred.

Manufacturers, including PAC, must now operate in a difficult environment whereby delays and availability are causing unprecedented decisions. These issues are forcing us to adapt to maintain full capacity. While the industry is shaken these challenges are making us stronger in certain ways. We are fortunate for those early lessons learned and most of all we are thankful for our original values based in manufacturing fire trucks.

This unprecedented environment has given us new ideas on how to improve our overall performance as a company such as adapting to these new challenges by emphasising on alignment within our internal teams. When we look at our existing product line with a whole team focus, we ask ourselves relevant questions regarding vendor quality, product reliability, sales trends and industry feedback. This ensures our tool mounts provide the utmost value to our customers.

Also, we are going even further. Sometimes the success of an item cannot be measured simply by product costs or profit margins. We must ask ourselves how successfully we may have marketed our tool mount systems. Are we giving out enough information about this mounting bracket? Have our dealers been educated on this tool board system? Can end users understand the value and features of our tool mounts from the information we have provided so far? Has enough investment been made in marketing and training so the public can utilise this tool mount appropriately?

The challenging business environment has also forced us to strengthen our vendor relationships. Long periods of relative stability had led many businesses to remain comfortable, failing to remain innovative or adaptable. We saw, however, that even the demands of our own customers have changed in unexpected ways. For example, some customers are buying in larger quantities to save on freight costs. This relates to our procurement team operating at a higher frequency or at higher volume, with some vendors unable to scale as needed. For reasons like this, manufacturers like ours have had to double-up vendors where necessary. This requires finding and approving new vendors we can rely on. Doing this ensures that we are well poised to launch new items, switch vendors, or to double-up if required.

Time to innovate

Finally, the pandemic related slowdown affecting tradeshows has given us more time to innovate. We have been using our time to look at other tool mounting opportunities we have not traditionally been interested in. These new products cross industry lines from fire to law enforcement to agriculture.

For example, 5 gallon buckets are used in many industries, including the fire industry.  They are commonly used for storing absorbents, de-icer and biohazard material. Our new bucket mount (part number BKM), which can also hold large traffic safety cones, provides a way to hang buckets or cones on a wall instead of taking up floor space.

Another new product is our rectangular pocket kits (part number K5081). This pocket kit can hold non-traditional cutters like the new models available from Holmatro and Hurst. Several new electric cutters are electric with incline blades or with very unique blades. These unique cutter models do not fit into our existing mounting brackets. When added to our existing tool mount kits for spreaders, rams, and cutters these new rectangular pocket kits can now accommodate more rescue tools in use today than ever before.

We’re currently innovating our marketing approach including our literature and web content. Several important changes are being made. We’re focused on helping customers solve challenges with our industry proven tool mounting solutions.

Many well-known OEMs continue to partner with us as a supplier to their product line. PAC is widely known in the industry for making tool mounts but our products can be found on OEM equipment in many industries. Many products including trucks for fire and military, skid units, electric fans and many more include our products as original equipment.

Not just for fire trucks

When we participate in tradeshows, new visitors will ask what our company does. It was always easy to answer by showing the line of products and the examples of how they are used in the field. In later years, we added that we not only manufacture tool mounting systems, but we provide components used as original equipment, mentioned above.

And now, which is more than likely pandemic related, we could also describe ourself with a third facet as an OEM manufacturing partner.

Very robust demand for fire fighting vehicles stands in contrast to pandemic era labour shortages. Our partners that build fire apparatus need to scale their production capacity to meet that demand. While the customers still need quality systems to complement their vehicles, labour shortages mean that these manufacturers must fabricate less and purchase more.

There are two types of situations where we have been approached by OEMs for manufacturing assistance.

The first situation is when a manufacturer no longer has the ability to fabricate their own custom compartment organisation systems per customer demands or specifications. Designing and building custom wall mounted, slide out, and swing out tool boards are not the most important steps needed to build a fire truck. PAC produces custom tool mounting systems – wall mounted tool boards, slide out units and swing out units – as standard kits. These are made to order, shipped assembled within a few days of ordering.

Several manufacturers have begun to pivot toward using our systems as their standard available accessories or upgrades to the basic fire trucks they produce. In doing so they know their costs upfront when they receive a fully assembled, ready to install, unit at the finish line. The customer receives a fully customisable tool mounting system that they can use for the life of the truck and beyond.

The second situation is when a manufacturer is looking for our help with their product, not necessarily with a standard kit of our own. We have been asked to provide sub-components with secondary operations such as machining, anodising and powder coating. In this way, manufacturers can bring in ready-to-install components at a fixed price. They can better focus on the important tasks at hand while reducing overhead, inventory and waste.

Now more than ever OEMs are realising the need to source ready-to-install components and assemblies. Tool mounting systems are becoming more of a procured item – than custom manufactured at the factory – in a similar way pumps, sirens and lights are sourced. More than ever, OEMs know our products as a quality and dependable item. They know that PAC provides components of the highest quality. They know that by sourcing tool mount systems from PAC will free up their engineering teams for more pressing matters. We’re proud to work side by side with these OEMs.

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

Magirus announces ‘Experience The Future’ Roadshow tour

by Featured NewsProductsVehicles

Firefighting vehicle manufacturer Magirus has announced its “Experience The Future” Roadshow tour set to make stops across Europe later this year.

Magirus will be launching its innovative roadshow across Europe from September on. Under the motto “Experience The Future”, firefighters and interested trade visitors will have the opportunity to experience a cross-section of the highly innovative product portfolio.

In the months to follow, the roadshow will be coming to events in four countries. The initial start will be at the jubilee of the Magirus Lohr subsidiary in Premstätten near Graz in Austria from 01 to 03 September 2022. 

In the further course, the roadshow will stop at the following locations, among others:

  • 08. – 09.09.2022: Germany, Münster – Fire Expo
  • 21. – 24.09.2022: France, Nancy – Congrès National des Sapeurs-Pompiers
  • 07. – 09.10.2022: Italy, Montichiari – REAS Salone dell’Emergenza
  • 13. – 15.10.2022: Germany, Dresden – FLORIAN

Magirus said on the motivation behind the roadshow: “The world is in constant flux. In particular, the effects of climate change and trends such as urbanisation present modern societies with ever new challenges. These have a direct impact on fire-fighting and disaster control. Forest and vegetation fires, the growing number of natural disasters as well as constantly more complex situations require new technologies, new approaches and innovative solutions that perfectly adapt to these changing conditions.

“At Magirus, these are at the heart of the “Next Generation Firefighting” philosophy. This is expressed in a product portfolio which, in the interplay of networking, robotics and the continuous further development of the core range, particularly reflects Magirus’ traditional striving for practical, safely deployable and directly available innovations.

“Particularly in conjunction with the unconditional endeavor to offer the ideal solution for every context. For example, Magirus translates the latest developments in the field of mature alternative drive technology into practical vehicles that can be used reliably without compromise. Here, the company is convinced that a sensible and context-dependent interplay of different alternative drive technologies is required in order to meet the challenges adequately, safely and sustainably.

“Engine technology based on Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) is of central importance in this context. In combination with biogas, it enables completely climate-neutral operation of fire-fighting vehicles.”

On the road show, Magirus will present its new innovations an products including the new turntable ladder generation with SmartControl as well as digital systems such as FleetConnect and TacticNet.

Special highlights of the “Experience The Future” Roadshow will be the consistent expansion of robotics with new solutions as well as the presentation of groundbreaking innovations and new products – also in the field of personal protective equipment.

Streamlight launches its new and improved Survivor right-angle torch

by Breaking NewsProducts

Portable safety torches are an essential bit of kit for emergency response teams, and thanks to their consistent use in high risk environments they need to be both powerful and easy to use. Streamlight Inc., a leading manufacturer of high-performance flashlights for fire and rescue and industrial professionals, recently introduced its new Survivor X ATEX at Interschutz 2022.

Based in Eagleville, Pennsylvania, USA, Streamlight has been around for more than 45 years, developing tough, durable, long lasting flashlights designed to serve the specialised needs of fire safety professionals. Since 1973, the company has designed, manufactured and marketed high-performance flashlights, and today offers a broad array of lights, lanterns, weapon light/ laser sighting devices, and scene lighting solutions for professional law enforcement, military, firefighting, industrial, automotive, and outdoor applications.

Its latest product is an updated version of its compact Survivor right-angle torch, now offering 250 lumens, new features for improved operation and multiple power options to suit user needs and budgets. The low-profile light is available as a Rechargeable System or in an economical Alkaline model and is pending approval for use in Zone 0 gas and Zone 20 dust atmospheres. Also from Streamlight is the Survivor X USB, a budget-friendly USB rechargeable option for use in Division 2 conditions.

As a provider of high-performance lighting, Streamlight has a reputation for making tough, ultra-bright flashlights and their advances in lighting technology have resulted in many specialised products for the fire market. Whether fighting fires, investigating fire scenes, signalling others in emergencies, or conducting rescues, Streamlight has been working to meet the needs of the fire industry by developing and manufacturing products built with precision and performance, featuring the latest technology, top tier performance, and durability that can be depended upon.

“The Survivor personal light, known the world over for its toughness, compact size and reliability, just got even better with the new Survivor X ATEX, which not only offers enhanced brightness and added features, but also multiple power options, including the Survivor X ATEX Alkaline model which provides a 25 percent cost savings on batteries, as well as the Survivor X USB which offers an economical USB rechargeable alternative and also accepts alkaline batteries,” says Streamlight Chief Revenue Officer Michael F. Dineen.

“Fire and rescue personnel, industrial firefighters, utility workers and others now have an even more powerful and versatile tool to use when operating in the trying conditions they often face.”

User-friendly design

The new torch features several improvements in response to user feedback, including:

  • An easy-to-operate battery door that provides a tight, dust-resistant seal.
  • A battery status indicator in the switch that turns red when the battery is nearing low voltage, flashes continuously when there is 15 minutes of battery life left and turns green when the battery is fully charged.
  • An improved charge cradle design that locks the light securely in place, while also featuring a quick release latch to permit one-handed “grab and go” removal, even with gloved hands. In addition to energising the new Survivor X ATEX, the new charger also charges all existing Survivor models.

The Survivor X ATEX features the latest power technology for extreme brightness and offers microprocessor-controlled high and low intensity and emergency flash modes. The Rechargeable System model operates on a 2.6Ahr Lithium-Ion battery pack which can be recharged up to 1,000 times. The Survivor X ATEX Alkaline uses three AA alkaline batteries.

On high, all models deliver 250 lumens and 50,000 candela over a beam distance of 447 meters. The torch’s custom optic produces a narrow beam, ideal for cutting through smoke, fog and mist, while also providing optimum peripheral illumination to aid in navigation. Operating run times for all three models range from 3.75 hours on high to 15 hours on low, with 8 hours on the flash setting. 

Rechargeable System models are available with AC and DC chargers. An indicator in the charger turns red when charging and green when the light is fully charged. A bank charger accessory that charges five units simultaneously is also available. An eight-unit SL-B26 Li-Ion USB battery bank charger that charges eight USB batteries simultaneously is available as an accessory for the Survivor X USB model.

The Survivor X ATEX features a low-profile, compact bezel designed to eliminate snagging when putting on equipment or other gear. The torch’s reinforced, built-in attachment D-ring and updated spring-loaded clip offer superior retention, ensuring the torch consistently hangs forward, and conveniently latches to belts and harnesses. Its rubber dome push-button translucent switch is easy to use, even with gloves, and its super-tough nylon housing provides exceptional durability.

All openings are O-ring sealed to resist moisture, including the torch’s unbreakable polycarbonate lens with silicone anti-scratch coating, assembled in a heavy-duty bezel. The torch has an IP67-rated design for dust-tight use and waterproof operation to 1 meter for 30 minutes; it also is impact resistance-tested to 2 meters. In addition to the Division 2 Survivor X USB, Streamlight also offers a Survivor X model that is Class 1, Division 1 rated.

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

Thailand night club fire kills 13

by ActiveFeatured News

At least 13 people were killed and 35 injured after a fire broke out at a night club in Thailand’s eastern Chonburi province early on Friday morning, a police official said. The cause of the fire is still unknown and all victims so far have been identified as Thai nationals.

The fire at the Mountain B night club in Sattahip district of Chonburi province, about 180km southeast of the capital Bangkok, started at about 0100 local time (1800 GMT Thursday), Wuttipong Somjai, a superintendent at a local police station, told Reuters.

Bodies of the dead, four of whom were women and nine of which were men, were mostly found near the entrance and in the bathrooms whilst others were found near the DJ booth, according to a BBC report.

Officials from the Sawang Rojanathammasathan Rescue Foundation said flammable acoustic foam on the clubs’ walls might have accelerated the speed at which the fire engulfed the venue.

Firefighters were able to bring the blaze under control after around three hours.

Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha told families of victims that they will receive help from authorities and urged entertainment venues nationwide to ensure they have proper emergency exits and safety measures in place.

A witness told local TV she was with five friends when the fire broke out at the venue: “I saw flames above the stage, on the right side. I think it was about the same time at the singer on stage saw it too and he shouted ‘fire!’ and threw the mic at it,” she told broadcaster PPTV. “I saw a lot of the pub’s bouncers covered in fire inside.”

Industry responds to HMICFRS report

by Featured News

Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) has reported on 15 fire and rescue services across the country in its second phase of its second round of inspections and identified some encouraging improvements, but also said far more needs to be done to reduce risks to public safety.

HMICFRS found that:

  • The sector generally continues to be well prepared to respond to both routine and major emergency incidents.
  • There has been a positive shift in services prioritising fire protection, but some services (six out of 15) do not prioritise fire prevention activity enough.
  • There were problems relating to values and culture in half of the services inspected (eight out of 15) with some evidence of poor behaviours in parts of the service. In two services, the cultures were found to be toxic.
  • Fire and rescue staff continue to have confidence in their services’ wellbeing and health and safety arrangements.
  • Some services haven’t taken enough steps to promote and improve equality, diversity and inclusion.

The inspectorate issued six new causes of concern, while three causes of concern for services from its first round of inspections in 2018 and 2019 remain in place. These concerns relate to fire prevention, values and culture, and fairness and diversity.

Her Majesty’s Inspector of Fire and Rescue Services Roy Wilsher said: “In 2021, fire and rescue services attended more than half a million incidents. I am in no doubt of the incredible courage firefighters show each and every day and their dedication to keeping the public safe, and I want to thank them and the other emergency staff who worked so hard last week to protect us all during record breaking temperatures.

“It is encouraging to see many services that received causes of concern in our first round of inspections have taken meaningful steps to improve and act on recommendations.

“We have continued to see a general positive shift in services prioritising protection. The sector needs to continue this focus so the public can experience long-term safety benefits. This must include sustained Government funding to make sure the number of competent fire protection staff continues to increase.

“However, our second full assessment of inspections has continued to identify issues that need urgent attention.

“It’s troubling that some services have failed to act on the causes of concern we issued in 2018 and 2019. We have also issued six new causes of concern, making a total of nine across seven of the 15 services inspected in this phase. Whilst this is fewer than our previous tranche of inspections, it is too many.

“Four of these causes of concern relate to values and culture, and we saw some worrying examples of poor behaviour during our inspections. In two services, these cultures were found to be toxic and that is not good enough. We continue to find too many services haven’t taken enough steps to promote and improve equality, diversity and inclusion. Worryingly, too many services don’t prioritise fire prevention activity enough – this is crucial for public safety.

“While I am calling on services to tackle these issues as a matter of urgency, more needs to be done externally too. I welcome the White Paper on fire reform, published earlier this year, which addressed three of our four outstanding national recommendations, including determining the role of services and firefighters, reviewing terms and conditions, and providing operational independence for Chief Fire Officers.

“I hope the way these proposals are implemented will address those three recommendations and match the Government’s original appetite for reforming the fire and rescue service so they can provide an even better service to the public.”

NFCC response

Mark Hardingham, NFCC Chair, responded: “In the last week, the value of FRS has been brought to the forefront with their excellent response to the UK-wide heatwave, often working in gruelling and relentless conditions to keep the public safe.   

“This highly professional and dedicated response undoubtedly saved lives, protected properties and increased public confidence as FRS were pushed to the limit. This comes just months after the FRS co-ordinated fire engine and equipment convoys to Ukraine, and which followed the sustained FRS response to the pandemic, with firefighters and staff taking on additional roles and duties supporting ambulance, local authority and other partners in local communities. ”

Hardingham concluded: “Culture and diversity are issues raised consistently by HMI and are challenges across many sectors. It is disappointing that progress hasn’t always been made at the pace that was intended. NFCC is committed to support FRS to be great places to work for every member of staff, and to be services that better reflect the communities they serve – and we will revisit our work in these areas.  

 “The report shows there is a lot to be proud of balanced with areas for improvement. Our response to the government’s White Paper on Fire Reform, and our partnership work with the national employers (England) and LGA to establish the ‘Fit for the Future’ model – referenced positively by HMI – set out our view on FRS reform and improvement, and the investment needed to realise this.”

London Fire Commissioner response

London Fire Commissioner, Andy Roe said: “I accept that we have a lot more to do and I am committed to driving forward the necessary changes. We are at the start of a long journey and fundamental change in large, complex organisations takes time.

“Change needs to start from within and it is my aim to ensure that staff feel comfortable and safe in their place of work. I will not tolerate any form of bullying or hostility towards anyone, it is my aim to eradicate this kind of behaviour from the Brigade.

“Our staff have been working tirelessly to improve our working practices and adopt new policies so that we can provide a better service to the communities of London.

“We have recently closed consultation on our new plan ‘Your London Fire Brigade’, which will continue to drive forward change and outline the service we aim to provide. It is important to me and my firefighters that we are providing our communities with the service they want from us and we have a clear plan in place to make sure we are trusted to serve and protect London and Londoners.” 

Emergency Aircraft Act introduced to improve response to wildfires

by Americas - Featured NewsFeatured NewsProjects

US Senators Kevin Cramer (R-ND) and Alex Padilla (D-CA) have introduced legislation to make states eligible to receive excess planes from the Department of Defense (DoD) to increase their wildfire suppression and emergency response capabilities.

The Emergency Aircraft Act would also remove the current cap on how many excess planes DoD can transfer to other federal agencies for wildfire suppression purposes.

Currently, the DoD has a program to transfer excess aircraft to federal agencies for wildfire suppression, but this is capped at transferring only seven aircraft total to each agency. As wildfire fire activity has increased in recent years, states have stepped up and greatly increased their own wildfire suppression capacity.

States should now be allowed to utilise excess DoD aircraft to increase suppression capabilities, put fires out faster, and increase search and rescue capabilities.

The bipartisan Emergency Aircraft Act of 2022 would:

  • Remove the arbitrary cap (currently 7) on how many excess aircraft DOD can transfer to federal agencies for wildfire suppression efforts;
  • Allow states to receive excess DoD aircraft;
  • Expand the uses for these transferred aircraft from just “wildfire suppression purposes” to include purposes of “wildfire suppression, search and rescue, or emergency operations pertaining to wildfires;” and
  • Mandate an annual report from DoD to the House and Senate Armed Services Committees on aircraft transferred during the previous fiscal year.

Senator Cramer said: “The Emergency Aircraft Act of 2022 removes arbitrary caps on the transfer of excess military aircraft to the Forest Service, states, and those on the frontline fighting fires. This bill is a no-brainer to aid our wildfire fighting capabilities.”

Senator Padilla said: “After years of increasingly catastrophic wildfires in California, it has become clear that the federal government must do more to support suppression efforts to get fires under control quickly, as well as support search and rescue efforts to keep our communities safe.

Padilla added: “This common sense bill will increase the tools at our disposal, including by allowing states – like California – to secure excess military aircraft to augment our aerial firefighting fleet.”

Rosenbauer America: electric vehicle fires and the BEST way to put them out

by Breaking NewsProducts

As the number of electric vehicles on the roads have risen so too have the number of electric vehicle fire incidents. For many car manufacturers creating electric options has become a priority, but the technology is quite clearly still a work in progress with the likes of GM, Hyundai and Ford all recalling large numbers of electric vehicles because of fire-related faults.

A recent study by AutoInsuranceEZ which used data from the National Transportation Safety Board revealed that electric cars in the US caught fire at a rate of 25.1 per 100,000 sales – significantly lower than compared to internal combustion engine (ICE) and hybrid vehicles which saw a catching fire rate of 1,520 and 3,475 per 100,000 respectively.

Despite the relatively low risk of electric vehicle fires when compared to their ICE counterparts, it stands to reason that being able to extinguish them effectively is something that is going to become more and more important. As the number of electric vehicles on the road is undoubtedly rising so to will the fire service call outs to deal with electric vehicle fire, particularly as key issue that has been identified with a car battery fire is that it is more difficult to extinguish as in some cases the fire has reignited days after initially being put out.

In order to understand just how best to deal with this electric vehicle fires, IFSJ spoke to Rosenbauer America’s Field Demo Specialist Ernie Young – who has 28 years of firefighting experience – and Dealer Development Specialist Joe Caughey, who trains dealers on Rosenbauer America’s latest apparatus and fire service innovations, for some expert insights and to learn about Rosenbauer’s Battery Extinguishing System Technology.

What makes an electric vehicle fire different from a regular vehicle fire? Is one more prone to fire than another?

Both EV and traditional vehicles have a class A fire component to them (plastics, seating materials, carpeting, etc). It is the battery pack that is the differing aspect in the two. With an EV you have both a class A fire to extinguish and an electric battery pack. Statistically what we are seeing is that EV’s are less prone to fire events that their internal combustion (ICE) counter parts. However, the fire events are significantly more severe when a battery pack is involved due to fire intensity and duration.

Are there different things to consider when putting out electric vehicle fires?

Yes, a traditional approach will still be taken by the arriving crew to extinguish the class A vehicle fire. We must then identify if we in fact do have a battery fire as well. It should be noted, you can have a class A EV fire that does not involve the battery pack. However, if you have an EV battery pack fire you will ALWAYS have a class A vehicle fire as well. It is important to extinguish the class A vehicle fire to then deploy a thermal imager to scan the battery pack to identify heat level, while listening for the distinct EV pack noises that occur during a fire, as well as look for jet flames or low-lying white smoke emitting from the pack. If these are found, then we must address the battery pack fire component.

What are the main symptoms to look for when identifying an Electric Vehicle Fire?

Key signs and symptoms that you have a lithium Ion battery fire is: Low lying white smoke emitting from the bottom of the EV; crackling and popping sounds; if there is fire present you may notice jet flames either from the sides or rear of the vehicle where the packs safety blow of ports (burst valves) are located; you may also see the fire activity come and go in waves (also called a pulsating fire effect) as individual cells/modules release their energy. It is easy to assume the fire is out when it is in fact not, so take extreme caution.

Is there any equipment that can help with this process?

There is currently one product on the market in North America to address EV battery fires: the Rosenbauer Battery Extinguishing System Technology (BEST). Rosenbauer BEST is the most extensively tested and deployed system for this purpose worldwide and is trusted by manufacturers and the fire service.

What is BEST and why was it created?

BEST is the first system specifically designed to address the challenge of stopping thermal run-away events in EV battery packs. Conception and development of BEST began in 2016. After reviewing safety data sheets from automotive manufacturers, we found that they suggested a minimum of 8,000 gallons of water applied over the course of several hours. Anecdotal real-world stories, we heard cases using more than 30,000 gallons of water over 6 hours. Looking at the resource drain on the local fire department this would cause, along with significant environmental and safety concerns. We knew we needed to develop a fast, efficient, and safe system to deal with this new challenge.

How exactly does it work in putting out EV battery fires?

The BEST pierces the battery pack powered by a standard SCBA cylinder. Once the BEST has pierced the pack, a valve automatically opens beginning the flow of cooling water filling the pack. The BEST flows at just 8gpm at 100 psi per minute. Flowing just water we see cooling of the cells within the modules/pack come under the 260-degree temperature (the temperature at which thermal runaway begins within 15-50 minutes, dependent on state of charge, extent of thermal runaway event propagation, and the battery pack size/design.

Any other comments on Electric Vehicle Fires?

Electric vehicles are by in large very safe and are undeniably the direction we are heading. It is important to consider that the day your department will be asked to face an EV fire is not a matter of if but when. Consider the traditional “external cooling approach” and then consider where you can’t afford a single vehicle fire event to burn for 4+ hours in your community, i.e. on freeways, under bridges/overpasses, in parking structures, down-town or densely populated areas, or at charging infrastructure located at the main entrance to malls and other local infrastructure. BEST is the tool to meet the challenge in a fast, safe, efficient manner.

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