Will the Building Safety Bill help deliver competence?
Over the coming months we will see the much-anticipated new building-safety regime become law as the Building Safety Bill receives royal assent. A major change of this kind to the current regime…
Hainsworth Protective Fabrics – Returning to Interschutz 2022
After a longer-than-planned break, Hainsworth Protective Fabrics are excited to be returning to Interschutz in 2022. Interschutz provides a forum for firefighters worldwide to come together, share their experiences and explore the…
Envirograf – A leading force in passive fire products
Established in 1983 by managing director Derek Ward, the Envirograf brand quickly evolved to become a leading force in passive fire products. Having developed fire-retardant and firestopping products for numerous scenarios, the…
Advanced’s MxPro 5 selected for £485m hospital redevelopment project
A fault-tolerant network of fire alarm control panels from Advanced has been selected to protect the 3Ts Redevelopment programme at the Royal Sussex County Hospital. Thirty-six four-loop MxPro 5 fire panels, 46…
Developing non-technical skills in emergency response
BAFE and NAPIT highlight disturbing failure rates and absence of domestic smoke alarms
In research presented by BAFE and NAPIT, data collated over the last decade (2010/11–2020/21) in England, Wales and Scotland record an unsettling 424,464 dwelling fires. These fires resulted in almost 82,000 non-fatal…
Insuring against rising fire risk
In recent years, insurers have seen fire risks and resulting insurance claims for commercial premises grow significantly. Various factors have influenced risks, including unusually hot and dry weather, demanding work schedules with…
Electric vehicle battery fires – stay in control
As firefighters continue to adapt and evolve to meet the ever-changing challenges placed upon them, at Rosenbauer we’re constantly looking at ways to help them stay ahead. One of our latest innovations…
Principle and application of aspirating smoke detectors (ASDs) with an innovative method for very early fire alarms – Part 1
From the earliest laser to particle-counting methods, air-sampling aspirating smoke detectors (ASDs) for very early fire warning has made an essential contribution to property protection. Part One of the article introduces the…
Operational concerns involving electric and hybrid vehicles at vehicle-related incidents – Part 2
The true concern with these vehicles is not extrication but fire. We already have vehicles with a significant fire load without adding in a drivetrain that adds hundreds of power cells of…
Streamlight – Turn to a higher power
Leading provider of high-performance lighting devices Streamlight Inc. explains the importance of professional lighting devices for firefighters. Any firefighting mission can be fraught with danger. The potential for a hazardous environment or…
Office refurbishment specialist using TBA FIREFLY range
A high-specification office building close to Manchester Airport has been subject to a series of planned refurbishment contracts carried out by a sister company to the property developer which owns it, with…
Antarctic Fire Angels: let’s get training!
Even though we’ve been preparing for the Antarctic the last few years, unfortunately we’ve had many plans scuppered by Covid, which included moving back the expedition to the next year. However, with…
Warehouse fires – a new era in risk mitigation
As demand for warehouse space continues to soar, thanks to increased e-commerce demand, Paul Waldeck, Head of Risk & Compliance for Ambrey Baker Industrial Solutions, discusses the additional fire-safety factors that need…
Manufacturing for diversity
A lack of diversity within the fire services has been a topic of growing importance for many years now, and our industry is working hard to investigate the specific causes at play,…
Equal or better?
A bit more than three decades ago, watermist technology started to gain awareness in the world of fire safety. In the 1980s, the Montreal Protocol stipulated the phasing-out of halon. Watermist filled…
Rescue-Sim – Implementing and adopting digital learning
Over the past 18 months and with the challenges Covid has brought, we have seen a marked increase in online digital learning at Rescue-Sim (www.rescue-sim.com). We knew an online interactive training tool…
Starting the year strong with GESA’s Equipment Exchange
We all know that Emergency Services departments and communities across the Global South struggle to get the equipment they need. Budgets are tight, procurements can be slow and inefficient, and the process…
Profab Access – Setting the standard for certification and compliance
Profab Access, a leading UK manufacturer of riser doors and access panel solutions for ceilings, walls and partitions, is supporting construction professionals in achieving a new standard of compliance throughout each stage…
Trench rescue: low-frequency but high-hazard incidents
Trench rescue incidents thankfully do not occur on a regular basis, but when they do occur, how prepared are our emergency responders in dealing with them? Trench rescues by their nature are…
Beware the imposters!
Several years ago, whilst on holiday, I went to see a Four Tops tribute act. When they took to the stage, there were five of them and they opened with ‘Eye of…
Favourable fire prevention for historic buildings
This feature explores the complexities of specifying fire-safety solutions for heritage buildings that offer the highest levels of protection whilst preserving the character of these historic landmarks. Fireproofing a historic building is…
The Fire Standards Board launches the Fire Investigation Fire Standard
The Fire Investigation Fire Standard (FIFS) is the 10th professional fire standard produced by the Fire Standards Board (FSB) and focuses on ensuring fire and rescue services (FRS) deliver effective, efficient and…
Electric vehicle fires on ships
The Felicity Ace and her cargo of thousands of burnt vehicles – some of them electric – built by the Volkswagen Group is now several kilometres beneath the Atlantic. What do we…
Electric detection technology provides intelligent fire protection for commercial kitchens
The latest fire-protection systems provide real-time monitoring capabilities, streamline maintenance and evolve with kitchens as they change. The global pandemic has created economic challenges in the hospitality sector, with many restaurant teams…
Expect building failure – firefighters must always expect and plan for worst-case scenarios
Fires in residential high-rise buildings present tremendous challenges to firefighters, where inappropriate structural design, construction omissions and poor maintenance lead to widespread systemic failure. However, firefighters are now facing even greater challenges…
Managing risk and designing with non-combustible materials
Over the past few years, questions have been raised about the risk of fires in tall buildings. Following the Grenfell Tower fire, a decision was taken to ban combustible materials in the…
Thermal imaging: breaking down the scan – Part 3
Thus far, we have learned how to properly interpret thermal data during a scan, we have learned how to conduct a scan during size-up, and now we will complete this series by…
How the pandemic redefined UK expectations for public safety
The Covid-19 pandemic irrevocably changed the way that we think and feel about safety. Recent research led by Goldsmiths, University of London, reveals new expectations across the British public. At the time…
Who sets the standard?
In my last editorial I spoke of the need for those in authority to set the standard and to remember that we promote what we permit. That sentiment seems particularly relevant over…