New partnership sees Rhino Doors focus on the nuclear industry

by Featured NewsFire DoorsProducts

Rhino Doors has signed an agency contract with UniTech Services Group Ltd, based in Crumlin, South Wales. UniTech will now act as Rhino’s agent and represent the company’s comprehensive range of doors, including those designed for radiation protection, to customers working in the nuclear power and military nuclear sectors.

Rhino’s new partner is the UK subsidiary of the worldwide UniTech Services Group Inc., based in Massachusetts, which generates over $100m in turnover and has operations throughout Europe and the US.

UniTech specialises in the decontamination of PPE, tools, equipment and other consumables used in the nuclear industry, as well as offering an as-new reconditioning service, temporary on-site decontamination structures, and ancillary products to assist with decontamination routines.

The new relationship was formed through negotiations between Jon Walter, Managing Director of Rhino Doors, and Paul Chesters, UniTech’s UK Business Manager, which brought into focus the potential of a partnership.

Commenting on the deal, Walter said: “Rhino has supplied doors to the nuclear industry for several years, but we have been looking for the right partner to enable us to grow our presence in the sector.

“UniTech is well known and respected in the industry, with almost 100% coverage of all UK nuclear sites and a high-quality service and product offering.

“In particular, its radiological expertise and its breadth of contacts will be a significant resource for us in developing our business in this sector.”

Chesters added: “UniTech has always been interested in developing the scope of the products it can offer to the nuclear sector, and we’re delighted to have Rhino as a partner.

“With high-quality products, a professional approach to design and manufacture, and a strong customer service culture, Rhino Doors is ideally suited to the nuclear sector.

“As well as offering the required radiological protection, the company’s doors are extremely secure and can be supplied in an anti-terrorist format, which is highly relevant in these uncertain times. We are confident of a very fruitful partnership with Rhino.”

Wagner to present holistic fire protection solutions

by Featured NewsFire DetectionProducts

WAGNER, based in Langenhagen near Hanover, will be showing its holistic solutions for individual fire protection at Security 2022 in Essen from September 20 to 23, with a particular focus on the TITANUS aspirating smoke detection systems for early fire detection and the WinGuard system for organization/hazard management.

TITANUS aspirating smoke detectors detect fires at a very early stage so that appropriate countermeasures and protective measures can be initiated quickly.

Markus Kock, Managing Director of WAGNER Deutschland GmbH, explained the current market situation: “Delivery problems due to disrupted supply chains and material shortages are challenges currently facing many manufacturing companies. Thanks to forward planning and stable supplier relationships, we have been able to meet customer requests in this important fire protection segment in recent months. We are also well positioned for the future here with our partners.

“At our booth, we will therefore show a large selection of our aspirating smoke detection systems in various designs with a wide range of accessories. They are particularly suitable for use in warehouses/logistics, data centres, production, archives/museums, hotels and numerous others,” adds Kock. 

The fire protection solution provider will be presenting its technologies in the Fire/Intrusion/Systems section in Hall 7, Booth 7F28 at this year’s leading trade fair for security.

In addition, trade fair visitors will have the opportunity to find out about WAGNER solutions for active fire prevention with the OxyReduct oxygen reduction system and effective firefighting with the FirExting gas extinguishing system. The VdS-certified systems minimize fire risks or fight fires early and without residues. Numerous references show how the implementation of these systems looks in practice.

Kent Fire and Rescue Service selects FireWatch workforce management platform

by Featured NewsFirefighting EquipmentProducts

Kent Fire and Rescue Service (KFRS) has selected FireWatch as its new platform for integrated workforce management in a deal that includes the delivery of the FireWatch platform via Microsoft Azure Cloud – with SaaS (Software as a Service) – and Mobile App access for FRS users.

The contract worth circa £1 million covers the replacement of Kent’s existing rostering and availability systems and includes:

  • Resource availability planning and real-time monitoring
  • Resource and skills-based crewing
  • Flexible/self-rostering planning, workflow and fulfilment
  • Overtime resource request and fulfilment workflows
  • General time management, leave and absence workflows and recording
  • Payments and integration with payroll
  • Integration of absence data
  • Mobile App and Web UX access for end-users and managers
  • Mobilisation system integration

The FireWatch deployment will provide ‘anytime, anywhere’ access for KFRS staff including wholetime and on-call firefighters, managers, officers and corporate support staff which will increase real-time visibility of availability and resources, and integrating live data with the control room.

Karen Irvine, Assistant Director of People and Learning at KFRS, said: “At KFRS, we’re always looking for ways we can evolve to continuously deliver a high standard to the people we serve, but we’re also really committed to being an innovative place to work, so we’re really looking forward to working with FireWatch and introducing its benefits.

“Overall, FireWatch will enable us to manage our resources and availability more effectively, including better time management options and a live picture of our service resources and personnel, which will help to match crews, skills and equipment to operational need.”

FireWatch Mobile will allow users to directly manage data and tasks for time/availability, leave and other areas via smart devices. Supervisors and team members will also be empowered to clearly understand the impact of resource changes and to manage and act on any issues or deadlines highlighted within their personalised Key Performance Indicators displayed ‘on-screen’. This includes workflow-driven resource requests and fulfilment processes to address gaps in cover.

Russell Wood, Commercial Manager at FireWatch developer Infographics, said: “We are extremely pleased to have been selected by Kent Fire and Rescue as a part of a competitive tendering process. We are looking forward to working with the team to modernise their user experience around the management of resources and availability, deliver flexible self-service capabilities and provide live integrated resource information to their control room.”

Dräger launches closed-circuit breathing apparatus BG ProAir

by Featured NewsProducts

Dräger has launched the Dräger BG ProAir, a closed-circuit breathing apparatus with innovative features to protect emergency responders during longer deployments such as in tunnelling and mining rescue operations.

The breathing appartus’ positive pressure breathing closed circuit prevents toxic substances from entering the breathing system. Both inhalation and exhalation are optimised by cooling and enriching the air with oxygen before inhaling, and CO2 being absorbed when exhaling. It also gives even distribution of the breathing apparatus’ weight enhances comfort and ergonomics.

Oxygen is supplied according to the wearer’s personal workload, allowing more than four hours duration at low breathing rates, and the new cooling concept also makes breathing easier and more natural, allowing the emergency responder to manage the incident at a lower work rate.

It is further enhanced by smart onboard electronics, which include a low-pressure sensor. The integrated low-pressure sensor warns when there is a lack of oxygen to ensure safe breathing. The sensor also provides a low-pressure leak test of the breathing system.

The BG ProAir’s housing features highly visible reflectors and a buddy light system that alerts other emergency responders to their team members’ vital information, such as cylinder pressure, and operating time.

User data is visible on the high-contrast, full colour display even in the difficult environments such as darkness, bright sunlight or smoke. An integrated Bluetooth module also provides a short-range connection to work with external devices such as gas detectors as well as a PC connection to download data and perform configuration.

The BG ProAir’s integrated data telemetry and RFID assists the user in multiple scenarios such as entry control management and absorber status tracking. In addition to time calculations such as time to whistle, Dräger has also integrated recognised features such as PASS, ADSU and temperature readings.

Liz Millward, Marketing Manager at Dräger Safety UK, said the BG ProAir is the culmination of proven manufacturing and design experience: “Dräger’s BG ProAir is evidence of our commitment to continual improvement. It delivers new functionality that has the potential to save lives and will improve wearer comfort, especially important when attending the most challenging, longer-duration incidents where heat, high-humidity, tight spaces and poor visibility are typical.”

DuPont announces Nomex Innovation award winners

by Featured NewsPPEProducts

DuPont Personal Protection has recognised the latest in Nomex design ingenuity during the 2022 Nomex Innovation Awards at Interschutz.

The seventh annual award ceremony was held in Hannover, Germany on 21 June and highlighted collaboration between European Nomex partners and DuPont in developing solutions made with Nomex in applications.

The 2022 Nomex Innovation Awards included four main categories, including a new category, Nomex Xtreme Performance; in addition to Sustainability; Comfort; and Other Innovations. This year’s category applications included structural firefighting and wildland firefighting.

Winners in the structural firefighting category included:

SCANTEX Crossfire, Outer layer built with DuPont Nomex 3DP Plus and DuPont Kevlar. This new outershell solution in the Nomex Xtreme Performance category provides superior durability and comfort; built-in heat and flame resistance; and unmatched mechanical strength.

S-GARD, SWISSGARD 2.0, Outer layer built with DuPont Nomex RSK, Inner layer built with DuPont Nomex Comfort. This garment is optimized for greater mobility and enhanced comfort.

Winners in the wildland firefighting category included:

SIOEN, Oxylus NYO wildland firefighting gear, garment made of a three-layer laminate, built with DuPont Nomex Comfort Ripstop, particulate barrier built with DuPont Nomex Nano, Inner layer built with DuPont Nomex Knit. This solution in the Nomex Xtreme Performance category is the first wildland gear with a particulate barrier to be introduced to the wildland firefighting market.

Heinrich Vorndamme O.H.G., Fire Fox Twin, Outer layer built with DuPont Nomex VRW. This gear is an innovative combination of layers designed to meet the requirements of both wildland firefighting and technical rescue. One layer of this solution can be worn by itself for wildland firefighting; the other layer can be worn by itself for technical rescue; and when both layers are worn together, it is a dual-purpose garment.

Alfons Held, Global Marketing Manager for Emergency Response, DuPont, announced the winners during a recognition ceremony. He said: “The Nomex Innovation Awards spotlight product developments that help make a positive impact on worker safety.

These awards recognize the ongoing commitment to technology, leadership and innovation of our Nomex partners, the power of our joint collaboration and underscores the proven performance of Nomex across a range of applications.”

Read more about the technical aspects of DuPont’s Nomex Xtreme Performance in the latest issue of International Fire and Safety Journal.

Bosch Safety Systems Designer update enables easy import of fire alarm system devices

by Featured NewsFire DetectionProducts

Bosch has released a new software version of Safety Systems Designer enabling Architects, planners and system integrators to easily import fire alarm system devices from floor plans into the Safety Systems Designer software.

In addition, Bosch has launched a new, free plugin that enables automatic data transfer between AutoCAD software and Bosch Safety Systems Designer. The free Bosch SSD Plugin is the only tool of its type offered by any fire alarm system manufacturer.

AutoCAD software is the most frequently used platform for building- and fire alarm systems design covering all planning phases. The Bosch SSD Plugin changes a time-consuming process from the users’ daily work routine into a stream-lined experience.

With the new plugin, the process is now fast, reliable and simple, enabling better project design and synchronization at any scale so fire alarm systems can be imported no matter the size of the floor plan or building project.

The Bosch SSD Plugin includes an extensive SSD CAD blocks library allowing designers to pick icons from more than 150 of EN 54 fire alarm system devices. These can then be placed comfortably onto floor plans through the AutoCAD blocks palette. The plugin can also be used with any customer specific CAD block, so that these can be amended and then transferred to Safety System Designer.

To improve the efficiency even further, every fire alarm system device can be assigned to a panel as well as to a loop in the context menu of the AutoCAD application and Safety Systems Designer automatically keeps these assignments to panel or loop after the import.

After import to Safety Systems Designer, users can continue further in-depth planning such as preparing a bill of material, a tender text, the battery calculation, or a system viability check.

The new version of Safety Systems Designer and the Bosch SSD Plugin for AutoCAD software are available immediately now.

MOBOTIX M16 thermal cameras granted VdS certification

by Featured NewsFire DetectionProducts

Konica Minolta’s Video Solution Services (VSS) and powerful MOBOTIX M16 TR (Thermal Radiometry) cameras have been certified by the VdS Fire Protection Institute.

The certification recognises the ability to accurately detect a fire, or the increased risk even before it starts, from a distance of up to 5km

Based in Germany, VdS Schadenverhütung GmbH is Europe’s largest institution for corporate security and safety, specialising in fire protection, security, and natural disaster prevention.

Konica Minolta’s thermal TR technology delivers fast and low-cost installation. In addition, the system also reacts more quickly, with heat being detected before it even reaches the ceiling. Additionally, unlike aspirating smoke detectors, the MOBOTIX M16 TR is not dependent on the development of smoke, enabling detection much sooner in the timeline of the developing event.

The Konica Minolta VSS and MOBOTIX M16 TR solution has a range of applications within a variety of environments such as monitoring of outside areas (including large and cluttered areas, material and bulk goods storage, warehouses, and hard-to-reach areas with low light or visibility), and indoor areas (such as large rooms and buildings and public areas such as schools, airports, and workplaces).

The solution is also designed for monitoring power-sensitive areas such as server rooms and charging stations for electric vehicles, where overheating can be particularly dangerous.

Gary Fletcher-Moore, Head of Sales for Intelligent Video Solutions at Konica Minolta Business Solutions (UK) Ltd commented: “VdS Certification gives an important third-party verification of the considerable abilities and reliability of our VSS and thermal cameras in detecting the early signs of a fire. Whilst many detection systems alert as soon as a fire breaks out, considerable damage and danger to life will already be present. Our powerful thermal detection solution enables emergency teams to investigate a potential problem even before it starts, enabling it to be effectively fought if not prevented entirely.”

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.

Rhino brings high-performance fire door to market

by Featured NewsPassive

UK manufacturer of engineered doors, Rhino Doors has completed all necessary fire tests on its high-performance integrity and insulation-rated fire door, following recent successful tests conducted on its single leaf variants.

The doors, which are available in both single and double leaf variants, with or without vision panels, are rated at 90 minutes duration for both insulation and integrity when tested in accordance with EN1634-1.

At only 63mm thick, the doors are designed to be architecturally attractive and technically proficient for use in high-visibility commercial environments.

The results of Rhino’s recent tests saw the radiated heat level (measured at 1,000mm), being 50% lower than the results achieved by the current market leading El door.

As a result, with the launch of Rhino’s new El rated fire door to market, it will offer the best possible protection against radiated heat than any other fire door available whilst still maintaining a useful, traditional integrity rating of 90 minutes.

Commenting on the results of the tests, and the potential industry-wide implications, Group Engineering Director, Dr Chris Norris, said: “It is relatively easy to design and produce an integrity and insulation resisting fire door at 90 minutes or more, if the client is unconcerned with the appearance of the final product.

“For example, the appearance of cross passage escape fire doors along the length of an active rail or road tunnel is often relatively unimportant (because they are not on view) and hence easier to engineer when you are not restricted by how the final door looks.

“Designing a high-performance, insulated fire door to provide >90 minutes protection, whilst still maintaining the appearance and profile of a traditional commercial steel door, is a far greater challenge.

“We’re delighted to have completed this development project, which has allowed us to launch this product to market and, as a result, significantly improve the protection offered to users, compared to traditional, integrity-only fire doors.”

Rhino’s new El-rated insulated steel fire door is expected to go into production this summer.

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.