New executive leadership announced at Rosenbauer America

by Featured NewsPeople

Rosenbauer America has announced new executive leadership with the appointment of Mark Fusco [left] as President and Randy Brummel [right] as Executive Vice President Operations effective immediately.

The American custom fire truck builder said the new structure will allow it to expand its growth plans and further focus on operational excellence, dealer development, financial discipline, customer satisfaction, and serving first responders.

Fusco joined Rosenbauer as the Vice President of Sales & Marketing in early 2021 from John Deere & Company where he led the agricultural leader’s eastern United States business division.

His direct oversight now includes the organisation as a whole, and essential functions including customer service/aftersales; dealer municipal, airport, government and export sales; marketing; RTX, new product and technology development; finance; IT and systems engineering.

Brummel has extensive expertise in supply chain, manufacturing, and the fire industry. His newly created operation role reports to Fusco and is accountable for Rosenbauer’s four factory units in Minnesota, South Dakota, and Nebraska. This includes operations, supply chain, inside sales, and human resources.

Commenting on his new role as President, Fusco said: “It is truly an honour and privilege to serve as Rosenbauer America’s President.” He added: “Rosenbauer’s family culture and mission are why I joined the company almost two years ago. The new organizational structure is a natural progression for the company and well positions the leadership strengths of Randy Brummel, and many others within the organization.”

Society of Fire Protection Engineers announces newest fellows

by Featured NewsPeople

The Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE), the professional society for fire protection and fire safety engineering, has announced its newest class of Fellows and 2022 award recipients. 

Fellow membership represents the highest professional honor of SFPE and is given to individuals who have amassed significant accomplishments and stature in fire protection engineering.  SFPE members elevated to the status of Fellow in 2022 are:

  • Warren D. Bonisch, PE, FSFPE; Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates
  • Dale C. Hansen, PE, FSFPE; Harrington Group
  • Gavin Horn, PhD, FSFPE; UL Fire Safety Research Institute
  • Peter L. Senez, PEng, FSFPE; Senez Consulting
  • Victoria B. Valentine, PE, FSFPE; American Fire Sprinkler Association
  • Steven D. Wolin, PE, FSFPE; The Reliable Automatic Sprinkler Co.

The SFPE also announced its “5 Under 35” recipients for 2022. Those named represent the industry’s top rising leaders who give back to both the fire protection engineering profession and the community.  The 2022 recipients are:

  • Spence R. Carter, PE; Idaho National Laboratory
  • William A. Clay, PE; Burns & McDonnell
  • Jessica L. Doermann; ARUP
  • Ruggiero Lovreglio, PhD; Massey University
  • Yu Wang, PhD; The State Key Laboratory of Fire Science, China University of Science and Technology

Finally, SFPE is announced nine award recipients:

  • Daniel L. Arnold, PE, FSFPE; Seneca Fire Engineering – recipient of the SFPE John J. Ahern President’s Award
  • Brian W. Ballweg, PE; Hays Company – recipient of the SFPE Hats Off Award
  • Sean S. Donohue, PE, PEng, FSFPE; Jensen Hughes – recipient of the SFPE Harold E. Nelson Service Award
  • Jeffrey L. Harrington, PE, FSFPE; Harrington Group (ret.) – recipient of the SFPE Rolf H. Jensen Award for Outstanding Committee Service
  • Robert Jönsson; Prof. em., FSFPE; SWECO – recipient of the SFPE David A. Lucht Lamp of Knowledge Award
  • Gary Lewis; City of Summit, New Jersey – recipient of the SFPE Fire Protection Person of the Year Award
  • Guo-Qiang Li, PhD; Tongji University – recipient of the SFPE John L. Bryan Mentoring Award
  • Jack Poole, PE, FSFPE; Poole Fire Protection – recipient of the SFPE D. Peter Lund Award
  • Stanis Yu, UL Solutions – recipient of the SFPE Hats Off Award

Commenting on this year’s round of appointments and awards, icole Boston, CAE, Chief Executive Officer, Society of Fire Protection Engineers, said: “Our global community waits in anticipation each year for the announcement of who will be elevated to the status of SFPE Fellow, and – as the most prestigious professional honor bestowed by the Society – Warren, Dale, Gavin, Peter, Victoria, and Steven are most deserving of this highest distinction.

“While our community has many, many talented engineering professionals, these six new Fellows and 14 award recipients represent some of the brightest, most involved, and most impactful engineering professionals.”

The awards will be presented by Beth Tubbs, President, SFPE, during the SFPE Annual Conference & Expo in Detroit, MI, USA, on October 12-14, 2022.

Fire protection company Bull Products appoints new CEO

by Featured NewsPeople

Bull Products has announced the appointment of Sandy Damm as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) whose primary role will be to spearhead the company’s growth plans within the fire protection market.

Damm brings more than 25 years of experience and is an entrepreneurial individual with vast international expertise across several continents, including Europe, Middle East, North America and Asia-Pacific.

Bull Products is recognised in the industry for manufacturing and supplying fire safety equipment, namely wireless fire alarms, extinguishers, first responder trolleys and other associated products primarily to the construction industry.

Damm will lead the next stage of the business’s growth plans, with the intention of increasing the size of the organisation fivefold by 2028. He has previously undertaken roles including Managing Director, CEO and Divisional Managing Director during his career, and in turn has held P&L responsibilities ranging from £5m to £90m revenue on behalf of privately invested, family-owned and multinational firms.

Commenting on his new appointment, he said: “From the very beginning of the recruitment process, I was attracted to the family values of the company and the quality of the people within the organisation. Ultimately, we are making the world a safer place with our products and this is something I’m very proud to be associated with.” 

He continued: “I’m excited to bring my international experience to help deliver the ambitious growth plans including driving the company to be one of the top three players in Europe and the Middle East, whilst also nurturing and developing the expert team at Bull. I ultimately want the company to become an authority within the industry, contributing to educating new talent within the industry.” 

Damm’s role will be linked to Bull Products’ sister company Cygnus where he will also play a pivotal role in developing the UK brand into international markets as well as building a strong team who strive on performance and results.

Hochiki invests in Europe, the Middle East and Africa regions

by Featured NewsPeople

Hochiki has announced plans to make significant investments in their people to support the Middle East, Africa, and European regions in order to develop the expertise they can bring to their customers in 2022 and beyond

Shinsuke Kubo, Hochiki’s Managing Director for the Middle East operation based out of Dubai, will now take up the role of Commercial Director for Hochiki Europe, Middle East, Africa, and India. His new role will be based out of the UK head office in Gillingham, Kent, with regular visits to the Middle East, where Kubo will continue to play a key role in the strategic development of this region and remain as a board Director.

In this new role, Kubo will be focused on leading the product management team to develop the company’s road map to ensure it meets the needs of customers. He has already set up his key team with David Brown as Product Manager and Robert Head as Commercial Product Manager, who between them bring over 40 years’ experience of working with Hochiki and within fire safety.

The team will work closely with teams in Japan and the Research and Development arm of the business. The constant feedback between customers, Japan and R&D teams will enable Kubo to realise his ambition to take Hochiki to the next level for its customers.

Kubo commented: “I have enjoyed a fantastic career with Hochiki for the last 28 years (Japan 17 years, US 7 years and Dubai 4 years) and have gained experience of the industry and our customers across the globe, so I am excited to start here in the UK. My focus will be on learning more about the market here in the UK and across Europe, including exports, in more detail and I’m looking forward to meeting with our customers to learn directly from them on how we can improve our products and services, that customer insight is what drives everything we do here at Hochiki”

Both Graham Lowe, Hochiki Europe’s Managing Director and Kubo’s priority throughout this transition and beyond is to ensure that customers continue to receive the absolute best service and products from Hochiki, and so Shahab Anjum Head of Sales Middle East and his team will continue to support in developing Hochiki’s sales within the region.

In addition to the excellent service that the commercial team deliver and as part of the business’ continued commitment to investment in the region a brand-new role of ‘Country Manager Middle East,’ has been created. With the interviewing process underway, this role will be dedicated to supporting and growing the region.

FireQual appoints Steve Skarratt as its new Qualifications Manager

by Featured NewsPeople

FireQual has announced its latest appointment to the Senior Management Team: Steve Skarratt, in their new position as Qualifications Manager, joins the organisation from his former role as Head of Prevention and Protection Training at The Fire Service College.

Throughout his career, Skarratt has been heavily involved in training and development including acting as Interim Head of Learning and Development at the College, and prior to that, Curriculum and Qualifications Manager at the Fire Protection Association.

The addition of Skarratt will aid in accelerating FireQual’s plans to add to its existing suite of available qualifications and will continue the developments made since its establishment in September 2020.

Nic Preston, Director of Qualifications, said: “We are thrilled to add Steve to the FireQual team. His tenured career up to this point will be invaluable in helping drive forward both FireQual and the future of fire and life safety qualifications.”

“It is essential that where possible the industry has robust yet accessible qualifications available for areas which do not have a current provision, or where new working practices require new forward-thinking qualifications to meet industry needs. The addition of Steve and his experience, especially pertaining to training and development, further strengthens the support FireQual can provide to the fire and wider life safety sector.”

Steve Skarratt commented: “I am excited to join FireQual at this very interesting stage of its growth. I trust my experience within the fire industry will benefit the organisation in helping to develop qualifications that will maintain and raise practitioner skills in what is an important time for the fire protection industry. I am looking forward to the challenges and opportunities this will present.”

Boston Fire Department names new Fire Commissioner

by Featured NewsPeople

Mayor Michelle Wu has officially announced that Boston Fire Department veteran Paul Burke has been appointed as the new Fire Commissioner. Burke, who most recently served as a Deputy Chief, replaces the outgoing Jack Dempsey, who hit the mandatory retirement age of 65 in June.

Burke’s most recent posting as deputy chief of fleet and facilities has involved supervising all. vehicles and buildings. Previously, he managed the team in charge of technical rescues and other emergencies.

“Paul is a trusted leader in this department and has served in many roles leading our fire response,” Mayor Wu said in a statement. “I’m proud to welcome this Roslindale native into leadership as a partner to build a healthy environment for our firefighters and a diverse, connected workforce serving our communities in moments of need.”

“It is a tremendous honour to have the opportunity to lead our Fire Department,” Commissioner Burke said in a statement. “I look forward to working with all of our firefighters to deliver this critical service to our city.”

Winnipeg firefighter shortages creating ‘unsafe situation’

by Americas - Featured NewsFeatured News

The United Firefighters of Winnipeg, the union that represents Winnipeg firefighters, has called out staffing shortages at city fire stations which it said are leading to an “untenable and unsafe situation” putting its members and the public at risk.

United Fire Fighters of Winnipeg president Tom Bilous said that all shifts are being affected and the shortages are causing engines and sometimes entire squads to be unavailable.

“That’s a safety issue for our members … it’s also unsafe for the (public) that’s waiting (while) those valuable seconds are ticking by and machines have to come from further away,” he told Global News Winnipeg Morning

Bilous blamed the city’s hiring practices and “an inadequate and outdated staffing ratio” for the shortages.

The Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service (WFPS) has acknoledged that it is going through a repeated short-staffing issue. Assistant Chief of the WFPS, Jason Shaw, said several factors are at play, including Covid-19, burnout, long-term disability and mental health issues.

Bilous said at least 50 new firefighters are needed to fix the immediate issues, and the union is proposing a hiring blitz.

He said overtime shifts are starting to affect firefighters. “We have a very busy fire department, so we need that time off,” he said. “We’ve stretched the rubber band as far as we can and something’s going to snap.”

Shaw said nine people have recently been hired, and the service is working with the union to further address the shortages.

“We’re working through the processes, we’re communicating with our union partnerships,” he said. “We’re really doing our best to makes sure that we can get everyone back.

“It’s been challenging. We’re talking about very high call volumes and it’s been a busy time and we’re hopefully coming out of this.”

Institution of Fire Engineers launches Caribbean and South America branch

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The Institution of Fire Engineers has announced the launch of a new Caribbean and South America (CASA) branch.

The branch officially launched this week with its inaugural AGM and conference taking place in Port of Spain, the capital of Trinidad and Tobago. The two-day event focused on ‘A regional approach to capacity and capability building’ bringing together stakeholders including fire engineering leaders, first responders and government officials from across the region to establish a unified approach to fire prevention, risk, disaster management and emergency response.

Steve Hamm, IFE Chief Executive, said: “We are thrilled to launch the CASA branch. This development builds on the existing presence that the IFE has had for many years in Trinidad and Tobago and the hard work and dedication of our members in that area.

“There has been a real concerted effort with the IFE headquarters team working with key personnel from the Government of the Virgin Islands and the University of West Indies to get this branch established and I thank everyone involved in this project.

“We are committed to supporting professionalism and competency in fire engineering across the world. CASA will give fire engineers in the region access to greater education and qualifications, as well as the knowledge sharing and networking opportunities that are among the many benefits of being an IFE member.”

“CASA will give fire engineers in the region access to greater education and qualifications, as well as the knowledge sharing and networking opportunities that are among the many benefits of being an IFE member.”

CASA branch president, Professor Clyde Phillip from the University of West Indies, added: “We are looking forward to promoting IFE CASA and encouraging fire and emergency response professionals in the region to learn more about our work and how the Institution can benefit them in their everyday lives.

“Our branch ethos is all about providing the knowledge and expertise required to strengthen the skills and instincts of fire professionals enabling them to identify, develop and sustain the targeted capabilities necessary for continuous improvement and reducing the occurrence of fire and other incidents.

“We will also build on the integration with risk and disaster management personnel in strengthening capability and resilience through standardisation, collaboration and certification within CASA. Our branch will be a supportive network for the region, offering membership, qualifications and events.”

West Yorkshire sees sharp drop in firefighter numbers

by Featured NewsPeople

West Yorkshire has experienced of the sharpest drops in firefighter numbers in England since the Grenfell Tower disaster five years ago according to government figures.

There was a combined total of 1,106 full-time firefighters, on-call firefighters and control staff at West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service at the end of March 2021, the latest available Home Office figures show. That was down by 61 (5.2%) from 1,167 four years earlier, which was the last workforce count before the Grenfell fire on June 14 2017.

It is one of more than 20 areas across England to see the number of firefighters and control room staff dip since the tragic fire at the London tower block on June 14, 2017, which took the lives of 72 people.

It means West Yorkshire saw the joint ninth-biggest drop of any of the 44 fire and rescue services across the country over that time. In comparison, London Fire Brigade saw the figure rise by 45, from 4,799 to 4,844.

The fall was driven by the declining number of full-time firefighters, offset slightly by the rising number of on-call firefighters and control staff, who answer 999 calls.

Three join NFPA board of directors

by Featured NewsPeople

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has completed the election of its Board of Directors at its Annual Meeting on June 6, 2022, which includes three new members: “Butch” Browning, Adrián Gallardo Landeros, and Mark Ghilarducci. Patrick Morrison was re-elected for his second three-year term.

Browning served as the Louisiana State Fire Marshal since 2008 and on the NASFM (National Association of State Fire Marshals) Board of Directors for the last 12 years. With more than 35 years in the fire service, He will assume the role of Executive Director of NASFM July 1st.

Landeros has served as the general director of Servicios de Información Estratégica, S.C. for the last 20 years. During his career, he has provided professional advice and consulting services to 12 Mexican state governors, legislative bodies, and several federal ministries. He has also coordinated or co-authored more than 20 books on Mexican economic and political issues.

Ghilarducci, serves as the Director of the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (OES) within the Office of Governor Gavin Newsom. Prior to his appointments at Cal OES and FEMA, he served as deputy state fire chief at Cal OES. He also has more than 30 years of experience in public safety and government management at the local, state, and federal levels.

Morrison, the Assistant to the General President for Occupational Health, Safety and Medicine at IAFF (International Association of Fire Fighters), was elected to his second three-year term.

Previously, the Board elected a slate of officers that includes Russell Leavitt as chair, R. David Paulison as first vice chair, John Bonney as second vice chair, Roger Montembeault as secretary, Donald Cook as assistant secretary, Michael Wallace as treasurer, Stacy Welch as assistant treasurer, and Amy Acton as immediate past chair.