Gore welcomes Jonas Andersson to its UK fire team

by Breaking NewsPeople

UK fire team expansion for Gore

Gore has revealed that Jonas Andersson will be taking responsibility for its UK sales in the fire market, replacing Oli Wilson who is moving on after six years with the company.

Jonas is based in Yorkshire and has been with Gore in the UK for 22 years.

Jonas Andersson’s statement

In that time, he has worked with manufacturing partners and end users across the UK and Europe in the defence and industrial workwear sectors.

Supporting the development and provision of high-performance protective garments designed to protect in high hazard working environments. 

According to the announcement, he will bring a ‘head to toe’ approach to firefighter protection in the UK with a portfolio of GORE-TEX Products designed to deliver high performance protection in structural and rescue gear, as well as footwear and gloves.

GORE-TEX Moisture Barriers protect many of the UK’s firefighters and Jonas will continue to work with fire and rescue services and garment manufacturers to provide the highest standard service across the sector.

Jonas Andersson’s statement

Commenting on his new role, Jonas said: “I’m excited to take on this new role and looking forward to continuing our strong relationships with fire and rescue services across the country.

“Our focus is on understanding firefighters needs and designing the best possible protection that allows them to do their job with full confidence in their gear.”

Telgian Fire Safety appoints Ryan Smith as Senior Vice President of Sales

by People

Telgian Fire Safety recently announced the promotion of Ryan Smith to Senior Vice President of Sales. In this position, Smith will align the sales organisation’s objectives with business strategy through strategic planning, sales strategy development, forecasting, resource planning and budgeting. Smith will also develop sales strategies with operations and account executives to ensure successful onboarding of new accounts, implement marketing programs to increase brand awareness, and improve the customer’s experience.

Smith’s career spans more than 25 years as an effective corporate executive. His extensive knowledge of management, business development and operations includes forecasting, market intelligence, data analysis, operations and team management.

In his 17-year career at Telgian, he has been a vital contributor to the company’s strategic planning and corporate initiatives. This includes developing fire protection and life safety solutions for a wide range of business sectors such as commercial real estate, retail and grocery, warehousing and distribution, government, healthcare facilities, and education, among others.

Smith’s professional accreditations include a Certified Fire Protection Specialist (CFPS) designation from National Fire Protection Association, a Facility Management Professional (FMP) designation from International Facility Management Association and a Certified Product Owner (CPO) certification from the Scrum Alliance, as well as licenses for Property and Casualty Insurance and Life and Health Insurance License, both from the State of California.

In addition, he plays an integral role in international codes and standards training programs and is a member of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), as well as the International Facility Management Association (IFMA).

Smith conducted his Fire Sprinkler Inspector Training at Oklahoma State University. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Economics from the University of California, Santa Barbara, as well as an MBA from Arizona State University’s W.P. Carey School of Business.

www.telgian.com/

REV Group announces new Vice President of Sales

by People

REV Group has announced the appointment of George Petropoulos as Vice President, Sales for REV Ambulance Group. Overseeing the sales teams for Horton, American Emergency Vehicles (AEV), Leader, Wheeled Coach, Road Rescue, Frontline and McCoy-Miller, George reports into Anoop Prakash, Ambulance Division President, REV Group.

Prior to joining REV Group, George spent nearly 20 years at Harley-Davidson Motor Company where most recently he was the Manager, Police & Fleet Sales, increasing the company’s municipal market share from 40% to 75% over an 11-year period. George is a retired Major and Transportation / Logistics officer in the U.S. Army and serves as a part-time police officer for the Town of Mukwonago Police Department in Wisconsin.

“We are integrating our sales organisation to optimise our sales process and commercial execution,” said Anoop Prakash, Ambulance Division President, REV Group. “George’s extensive municipal sales experience will allow us to continue to advance our service and support to our dealers, partners and customers across the REV ambulance brands.”

George has received the distinguished service award from the National Law Enforcement Memorial Fund and is on the Board of Directors for the USO in Wisconsin.

www.revgroup.com/

Perimeter Solutions gains presence in Middle East

by Middle East - Projects

Perimeter Solutions, producers of fire retardants, foams, and water enhancing gels for managing wildland, industrial, and municipal fires, has announced the appointment of industry veteran Tamer Gaber as Regional Sales Representative for the Middle East and Sandeep GR as Regional Sales Representative for India.

Mr. Gaber brings more than twenty years’ experience to Perimeter Solutions having worked for Gamewell, FCI and Notifier – Honeywell Fire Safety MEA. In his new role Tamer will be responsible for sales and business development of AUXQUIMIA® and SOLBERG® brand foam concentrates and SOLBERG foam suppression systems.

Mr. Gaber will lead the company’s sales efforts in the Middle East as it pertains to channel segmentation and management, client management and retention strategies and sales planning.

Sandeep Gulur joins Perimeter Solutions from NAFFCO where he held the position of Research Engineer and Head of Foam Equipment. NAFFCO FZCO is among the world’s leading producers and suppliers of top-tier firefighting equipment, fire protection systems, fire alarms, security and safety engineering systems.

Mr. Gulur previously worked for Newage Company where he liaised with consulting and design engineers and Intertek and Underwriters Laboratories India Pvt Ltd as a Project Engineer where he led approval certification projects in support of fire suppression and containment products.

Sandeep will now be responsible for sales and technical services of AUXQUIMIA® and SOLBERG® brand foam concentrates and SOLBERG foam suppression systems in India and Pakistan.

The expansion to establish a factory sales office in the Middle East and India was a natural next step for Perimeter Solutions to support the company’s growing fire safety business,” stated Perimeter Solutions EMEA Region, General Manager Javier Castro. “We’re thrilled to have a respected industry veteran like Tamer and a tech savvy engineer like Sandeep join the Perimeter Solutions family.”

Perimeter Solutions holds a major manufacturing position in Class A foam products for municipal and wildland firefighting in North America and is a top innovator with superior technology capabilities in the Class B foam market globally.

perimeter-solutions.com/

US fire departments anticipate busy 4th July as fireworks sales skyrocket

by Americas - Featured News

Fireworks sales are skyrocketing across the US as most public displays are canceled due to the coronavirus, prompting concerns among fire departments that this year’s Fourth of July weekend could lead to record numbers of injuries and blazes.

“Despite the warnings against at-home displays, firefighters across the country will be ready to respond as more people turn to do-it-yourself shows,” said Doug Stern, a spokesman for the International Association of Fire Fighters. “A firework-less Fourth of July may be a disappointment, but it doesn’t make firecrackers and bottle rockets any safer at home, and a severe traumatic injury or burn—or starting a house or vehicle fire—is a lot worse way to spend the holiday.”

This year’s scarcity of professional pyrotechnic displays—which many local leaders have declared a no-go in the age of social distancing—presents a unique challenge for fire safety officials, who usually centre their Independence Day outreach campaigns on encouraging people to attend public fireworks shows instead of attempting to create them at home.

“While fireworks are an emblem of July 4 celebrations, in the absence of public displays this year, we strongly encourage people to find safe and creative alternatives for celebrating the holiday,” Lorraine Carli, vice president of outreach and advocacy at the National Fire Protection Association, said in a statement. “Fireworks are simply too dangerous and unpredictable to be used safely by consumers.”

Fireworks sparked roughly 19,500 fires in 2018, causing five deaths, 46 injuries to civilians and $105 million in direct property damage, according to data from the association. More than 7,000 people reported injuries related to fireworks around the 4th of July holiday last year, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. More than half of those injuries were burns.

But that hasn’t dampened amateur enthusiasm for sparklers and cherry bombs. Sales of consumer fireworks for some retailers have doubled or tripled in the past month compared to last year, according to the American Pyrotechnics Association, which expects record-breaking sales numbers over the holiday weekend.

“The APA predicts an all-time high in backyard consumer fireworks sales and use as families prepare to celebrate Independence Day at home due to the pandemic and cancellation of large public celebrations,” Julie L. Heckman, the association’s executive director, said in a statement. The group recommends that firework users follow safety guidelines, such as reading the directions, not allowing children to handle fireworks and setting them off from a “hard, level surface.”

Cities across the country are already reporting higher-than-normal numbers of calls about illegal fireworks, including noise complaints. Police in Raleigh, N.C. received 105 reports of fireworks between June 12 and June 25, up from just 16 in the same time period last year. Officials in New York City fielded more than 13,000 complaints about fireworks between June 1 and June 22, compared to 32 calls in the same time period in 2019. Boston Mayor Marty Walsh told reporters in early June that calls to police about illegal fireworks in May increased by 2,300% compared to last year.

“This is a serious issue,” he said. “People are frightened. People are losing sleep. Babies and kids are woken up. Pets are terrified. Our veterans and others with PTSD are experiencing real harm, and it’s a real fire hazard in our city.”

In addition to the nuisance, Carli said, an increase in at-home fireworks mishaps could overwhelm a public health system that’s already taxed from responding to Covid-19. Emergency rooms treated an estimated 9,100 fireworks injuries last year, according to federal data.

“Fireworks cause thousands of needless fires and injuries each year,” Carli said. “By simply choosing not to use consumer fireworks, these types of incidents can be easily prevented, lessening the strain on already overtaxed first responders and emergency room workers.”