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NHS reassess car wreck rescue techniques

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Plans are in motion for an overhaul of how fire services rescue trapped passengers from wrecked vehicles amidst growing evidence suggesting that the previous measures of refraining from moving victims could be detrimental to survival rates. In the past year there have been 127967 recorded casualties and 1560 deaths as a direct result of motor vehicle collisions. Of this number, 7000 cases required wrecked vehicles to be opened with rescue crews’ ‘Jaws of Life’ equipment in order to free any trapped individuals, in a process emergency services call extrication.  While a small number of cases require the utmost delicacy in handled victims who have limbs trapped in the wreckage or are outright so injured that they are incapacitated, many victims are able to vacate the vehicle safely and unaided but refrain from doing so in fear that any further movement would exacerbate injuries, especially pertaining to injuries involving the spine. Dr Tim Nutbeam, NHS emergency medicine consultant and medical lead for Devon air ambulance said: “Since at least the 1980s, firefighters have been trained with movement minimisation as the absolute paradigm. They’ve been told that one millimetre of movement could turn someone into a wheelchair user, so will often disassemble the car around the patient, to avoid movement of the neck.” Recent studies conducted by Tim Nutbeam have suggested a change in these fundamentals in rescue may be needed. This investigation came around after suspicion by Nutbeam that the link between injuries and spinal movement in crash victims was inconsistent: his findings concluded that trapped patients were twice as likely to die as those who were swiftly freed from the wreckage. The prevalence in spinal injuries remained as low as 0.7% and half of these patients required primary care for more urgent injuries. Nutbeam continued: “Our absolute focus on movement minimisation works for maybe 0.3% of patients, but it extends the entrapment time for 99.7% of them. Potentially hundreds of people in this country have died as a result of extended entrapment times, and if you multiply that worldwide, it’s many, many people”. To read more exclusive features and latest news please see our June issue here. Media contact Rebecca Morpeth Spayne, Editor, International Fire Buyer Tel: +44 (0) 1622 823 922 Email: editor@firebuyer.com

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Magirus’ FireBull comes to Brazil

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The Brazilian state of Ceará receives the first FireBull from Magirus. A delegation with high-ranking representatives of the governor, the fire brigades and partners were guests at the Magirus Experience Centre in Ulm last week for the technical acceptance and handover of the world’s first tracked fire engine as well as a MultiStar combination vehicle and several portable fire pumps. Carlos Décimo de Souza from the Secretariat for Research, Technology and Education of the Governor of Ceará expressed his thanks for the very good, trusting and cooperative partnership: “We are thrilled to be able to take delivery of these state-of-the-art Magirus vehicles here in Ulm. With the consistent renewal and constant expansion with innovative, unique deployment technology such as extinguishing robots and powerful special vehicles such as the Magirus FireBull, we want to ensure that our emergency forces can make a sustainable contribution to the protection of people, material and companies in our region and are themselves always protected in the best possible way.”  The FireBull tracked fire engine from Magirus combines the highly efficient AirCore extinguishing technology, flexible set-up options and the extremely all-terrain PowerBully chassis from Kässbohrer Geländefahrzeug AG to form a globally unique, versatile special fire-fighting vehicle. The proven AirCore water mist technology enables efficient fire-fighting with high penetration depths and throwing distances of up to 80 metres, but also an excellent cooling effect with minimal water consumption. The transport of high volumes of extinguishing agent (9,000 litres of water, 2,000 litres of foam) with a minimum ground pressure of 0.300 kilograms per square centimetre at a permissible total weight of 30 tons is one of the central advantages in impassable and difficult-to-access terrain. In future, the FireBull will be used in the region around Porto do Pecém. In addition to being called out for use in vegetation fires or operations in the nearby reserve and protected area, the region has a large port, beaches and numerous large industrial operations ranging from recycling plants to steel production, some of which have difficult to-access terrain.  With the Magirus MultiStar, the state of Ceará receives a unique combination vehicle consisting of a telescopic boom with rescue cage and a tank pumper. The aluminium telescopic boom allows an operating range of -12 m to +30.5 m as well as an outreach of 16.5 m (3 persons). The Magirus TeamCab crew cabin offers space for 1 + 5 persons. The MultiStar is equipped with a fire-fighting centrifugal pump FPN 10-3000 and FPH 40-250 with high pressure in bronze as well as an extinguishing agent or foam tank with 1,500 litres of water and 300 litres of foam. Thanks to its versatile equipment and fittings, the Magirus MultiStar offers smaller fire brigades in particular the possibility of handling a wide range of different operations – from transporting water, crew and equipment to rescuing people and providing technical assistance – with one vehicle. More than 10 of these vehicles are already in use in Brazil. In addition to the MultiStar and the FireBull, three new Magirus FIRE 1000 portable fire pumps complete the current delivery.  To read more exclusive features and latest news please see our June issue here. Media contact Rebecca Morpeth Spayne, Editor, International Fire Buyer Tel: +44 (0) 1622 823 922 Email: editor@firebuyer.com

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Siemens to host Transform 2022 in Manchester

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Siemens is presenting a two day conference and exhibition entitled ‘Transform 2022’ which will see the largest cross-section of the company’s UK and Ireland customers gather to address some of the most challenging issues currently facing business. Staged at the Manchester Central Convention Complex from 12-13 July, the focus will be on how Siemens and its customers can tackle the different pressures that are being brought to bear on business, with discussions, ideas and technologies that can help to provide the transformation required to shape a sustainable future. Amongst the topics under discussion will be fire safety and the role it can play in that process. ‘Digital Fire Safety: The tools you need to transform your fire protection’ will be the focus for a presentation on 12 July led by Rob Yates, Head of Fire Products, Siemens UK&I. Rob comments: “we, like our customers, are very aware of the economic, environmental and societal pressures and the accelerated rate at which businesses are having to adjust to such challenges. This event will provide an important collaborative forum to address them. Digitalisation is one of the key drivers in ensuring a business is future-ready and fire safety is no exception. We’ll be looking at the significant benefits that cloud-enabled devices can bring to a fire safety system in terms of the availability of data and how it can be used to track compliance, enhance system records and ensure more efficient maintenance.” Registration for the event can be made at their website. To read more exclusive features and latest news please see our June issue here. Media contact Rebecca Morpeth Spayne, Editor, International Fire Buyer Tel: +44 (0) 1622 823 922 Email: editor@firebuyer.com

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Magirus’ new Head of Customer Service

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Customer service and quality areas at Magirus are under new management: Marc Kuntz took over in June, bringing his many years of experience in the commercial vehicle sector to continue the company’s success story in this area as well. With Marc Kuntz, Magirus gains a proven and experienced aftermarket and sales expert. “We are pleased that Marc Kuntz will comprehensively strengthen our team. He has the needs of our customers and our trade partners firmly in focus and will play a decisive role in shaping the further development of the company through his extensive experience and proven expertise,” said Thomas Hilse, President of Magirus GmbH. Marc Kuntz brings with him an 18-year track record in the international commercial vehicle industry. After holding positions in German sales, he took on various management positions in Asia, where he helped build up the international business for Daimler Truck. He can look back on valuable experience in international sales management as well as in the areas of customer services, sales and dealer network development. In addition to Customer Service, he is responsible for quality assurance at Magirus.  “I am delighted to be taking on such an important role at a company as rich in tradition and innovation as Magirus. It is my goal that Magirus, especially in the area of Customer Services and Quality, remains an absolutely reliable partner for the fire departments, in order to support their requirements in fire and disaster protection in the best possible way,” says Marc Kuntz. It is also particularly important to him to continue to work successfully and in a spirit of trust with trade partners internationally. To read more exclusive features and latest news please see our June issue here. Media contact Rebecca Morpeth Spayne, Editor, International Fire Buyer Tel: +44 (0) 1622 823 922 Email: editor@firebuyer.com

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Hochiki chosen for Italian hospital

Event News /

Celebrating its centenary, the IRCCS Sacro Cuore Don Calabria Hospital is in Negrar, Verona, and thanks to the expert team and technology in place, it is considered one of Italy’s top medical facilities, and in fact at European level it is recognised as a leader in the healthcare sector.  The hospital is made up of eight buildings with more than 30 medical departments, operating theatres, offices, canteens, and conference rooms.  In recent years, the hospital has undergone considerable renovation and expansion and along with this the improvement and adaption of the life safety system. The update to the fire detection system is to ensure the best possible protection for the thousands of people who visit the facility every day as well as the preservation of property, patient data and vital medical equipment. The healthcare sector has a duty of care for its patients, staff and visitors as well as having to provide constant protection of its property and assets from the threat of fire. After extensive assessments and a rigorous qualifying stage by the Hospital technical team and Amperia srl, the installation company, Hochiki fire detection systems and equipment were found to offer the best solution and offered the highest quality standards for the hospital. Hochiki is a well-respected name in healthcare across Europe and famed for its reliability in Italy, particularly when it comes to reduction in false alarms. Minimising this risk was critical to the hospital who wanted to avoid unnecessary and hugely problematic evacuation situations, especially where some patients may find moving around independently difficult and, in some cases, impossible, especially for patients in critical care departments. Following consultation, 26 fire detection panels, including Syncro and Hochiki’s Latitude system, and two Vision remote panels were installed in the hospital, all of which were networked. The project brief stated that it was important the systems and any devices used must be installed with minimum impact on the day to day running of the hospital. Hochiki ESP range was recommended because these devices have been specifically designed to be quick and easy to install and therefore ensured minimal disruption was achieved by the team at Amperia srl. Another priority for the project was that any fire detection system needed to be able to alert every person in the building to an emergency, including visually and hearing-impaired visitors. Hochiki’s range of VADs (visual alarm devices) were used to provide a visual indication of an alarm condition to those people who would not normally be alerted to a fire by standard audible-only devices such as sounders and bells. To read more exclusive features and latest news please see our June issue here. Media contact Rebecca Morpeth Spayne, Editor, International Fire Buyer Tel: +44 (0) 1622 823 922 Email: editor@firebuyer.com

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Itnl. Water Mist Conference comes to Madrid

Event News /

The 21st International Water Mist Conference will take place in Madrid, Spain, on 9th and 10th November 2022. The conference will be at the Elba Madrid Alcalá Hotel. An exhibition will run alongside the conference. As of today, the programme, which features a manifoldness of topics, can be viewed on the IWMA webpage as well as on the official conference web page (which is accessible via the IWMA webpage). The presentations that deal with systems in practice will be held on day one. The second day of the conference will mainly be dedicated to research and testing. In all, the programme includes 22 presentations. The speakers come from countries such as Spain, Germany, Israel, the USA and the UK. The abstracts are available on the IWMA webpage. The early bird period will end on 15th September. The registration period will end on 4th November. Special prices for residents of Spain are available throughout the registration period. The International Water Mist Association is the first association of its kind dedicated exclusively to water mist firefighting and related technologies. The IWMA was founded on 4th April 1998 and began maintaining a permanent office at the beginning of 2000. From the IWMA’s international headquarters in Hamburg, Germany, it supports the continued development, research and applications engineering of generic water mist systems. Manufacturers, distributors, insurance companies, scientific institutes, approval bodies, fire departments as well as private persons are members of the IWMA.  To read more exclusive features and latest news please see our June issue here. Media contact Rebecca Morpeth Spayne, Editor, International Fire Buyer Tel: +44 (0) 1622 823 922 Email: editor@firebuyer.com

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London Fire electrifies fleet

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London Fire Brigade is investing in the development of an electric-hybrid fire engine as part of its commitment to significantly reduce carbon emissions, supporting the Mayor of London’s ambition for London to be net zero carbon by 2030 and build a greener and safer city for everyone. The Brigade is currently working with Emergency One, a UK manufacturer of specialist fire and rescue service appliances, to build a Zero Emission Capable Pumping Appliance (ZEPA1). The Brigade will be the first fire and rescue service to use an electric-hybrid fire engine when it is due to start being trialled later this year. The Brigade is a leading voice in calls for innovation to help fire and rescue services and other organisations decarbonise their heavy fleets and it is hoped the project will help grow the market for zero emission specialist vehicles in the UK’s emergency services. Developing zero emission solutions for fire engines is particularly challenging as they have demanding performance requirements – not only do these heavy vehicles have to attend incidents as soon as possible, but they also have to be able to pump water for long periods of time and transport equipment and machinery to deal with fires, flooding and other incidents. This announcement comes during London Climate Action Week where there is a huge focus on finding new ways to create a sustainable Net Zero London. It follows years of work to reduce the emissions from the Brigade’s fleet and support electric and hybrid vehicles. A total of 96% of all the Brigade’s buildings have electric vehicle charge points, with 242 charging sockets. A further three fire stations have publicly accessible rapid charging. There are more projects to further reduce emissions from the Brigade’s vehicle fleet. A project is underway to assess the use of Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil in existing fire engines that are fuelled from the Brigade’s bulk fuel tanks. It is expected that this could contribute a carbon emission saving of 24% from fleet fuel consumption. This work is also being supported by a project on-going to replace the fleet of electric-hybrid cars with 50 fully electric vehicles. London Fire Commissioner Andy Roe said: “Our first priority is always to ensure the Brigade provides a first-class prevention, protection and emergency response service for London. “But for some time we have been looking towards a more sustainable future and working to identify the challenges and solutions to ensure that we as a fire service can move to a zero emission fleet. “ZEPA1 is a very big and exciting step for us and the whole of the UK fire service and we are incredibly proud to be part of the innovation that will lead to the UK’s first electric-hybrid fire engines at one of our fire stations. “It is hoped that in leading the way on developing an electric-hybrid fire engine, the project will help drive and grow the market for zero emission specialist vehicles in the UK’s emergency services and particularly in the fire service.” The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan said: “It’s fantastic to see London Fire Brigade driving innovation among fire services across the country by supporting the UK’s first electric-hybrid fire engine. “I am passionate about tackling the climate crisis, which is why London is leading the world in taking bold action to reduce carbon emissions, with a commitment to make our capital zero-carbon by 2030. I am determined to build a greener and safer city for everyone.” To read more exclusive features and latest news please see our June issue here. Media contact Rebecca Morpeth Spayne, Editor, International Fire Buyer Tel: +44 (0) 1622 823 922 Email: editor@firebuyer.com

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Trotwood, Ohio Pursues Digital Transformation

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A transition from paper to digital processes is underway in Trotwood, Ohio where local officials have sought greater efficiency in municipal operations and constituent services. To do so, the city recently partnered with GovPilot, a New Jersey based provider of cloud-based local government management software. Officials from Trotwood have worked with GovPilot to implement a number of digital capabilities and public facing forms that aim to make operations more efficient and services more convenient for constituents. Officials are initially utilizing GovPilot for planning and zoning including for digital zoning permits, and will look to add several more digital services.  Additionally, Trotwood has deployed GovPilot’s Report-a-Concern feature which enables residents to report non-emergency concerns such as potholes or general code violations directly via a digital form on the city website, or through an app on their phone, called GovAlert. The app, available on Android and iOS devices is easy to use, and routes citizen concerns directly to the relevant municipal department so that the issue can be resolved quickly. The city has already received 5,500 non-emergency constituent concerns through the GovPilot feature which the city has now resolved or has assigned relevant crews to fix.  “We are excited to work with GovPilot to enable more efficient operations and provide convenient constituent services. For years many of our operations and services – particularly around land use and development were conducted using paper or obsolete software programs”. Said Debbie McDonnell, Trotwood’s Planning & Development Director. “As we continue to recover from 2019 tornadoes, continued reliance on paper processes and outdated computer programs proved inefficient and costly. As a government we also learned first hand the importance of business continuity which GovPilot’s cloud-based platform will ensure.” McDonnell added, “Our residents deserve to be able to interact with their government in a convenient, efficient way no matter the circumstances. Moving forward, we feel that GovPilot is the best partner suited to meet our objectives and we encourage our residents to help us improve our city by sharing any non-emergency concerns that they encounter through the Report-a-Concern button on our website or via the GovAlert mobile app.” Michael Bonner, the founder and CEO of GovPilot said, “We are excited to work with the City of Trotwood on its early stages of digital transformation. Federal funding from the American Rescue Plan Act has spurred local governments to implement digital services and operations. In partnering with local governments across the country we have found that digital processes generate significant increases in efficiency and productivity that have a positive impact on local budgets, services, and constituent experience. We expect to see similar results in Trotwood.”  To read more exclusive features and latest news please see our June issue here. Media contact Rebecca Morpeth Spayne, Editor, International Fire Buyer Tel: +44 (0) 1622 823 922 Email: editor@firebuyer.com

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Beam Global awarded California contract

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Beam Global, (Nasdaq: BEEM, BEEMW), a provider of innovative sustainable products and technologies for electric vehicle (EV) charging, energy storage, energy security and outdoor media, announced that the State of California has awarded contract #1-22-61-16 to supply EV ARC sustainable EV charging systems through the Department of General Services (DGS) to Beam Global. California state, local and municipal government entities and government entities in other U.S. states, can purchase Beam products at the California negotiated price, without having to go through a lengthy procurement or technology review process. The award is effective June 24, 2022 through June 23, 2025 and is eligible for renewal through June 23, 2027. Use of the DGS contract is mandatory for all State of California Departments and is available for use by local California governmental agencies. The state has opened this purchasing vehicle to government entities in all 50 states that elect to use the California contract to buy Beam’s rapidly deployed solar-powered EV charging systems at the same volume price offered to the State of California. The contract includes several configurations of the EV ARC 2020, EV ARC DC Fast Charging system, the ARC Mobility trailer and emergency preparedness accessories. This represents an expansion over previous California contracts to include more Beam Global products than were available on previously awarded contracts. Off-grid and solar-powered, each EV ARC™ 2020 generates and stores its own electricity, then delivers that energy to power any quality brand level 2 EV charger. Transportable yet permanent, it fits in a standard parking spot without reducing available parking and can charge up to 6 vehicles simultaneously. The ARC Mobility™ trailer is a specialized hydraulic transportation system which enables a single operator to easily relocate EV ARC™ 2020 systems. The EV ARC™ DC Fast Charging system enables DC fast charging in locations with insufficient circuity, no grid connection or excessive upgrade or power costs. The contract includes Beam’s emergency power solutions which provide a secure and reliable source of electricity for EV charging and first responders during natural disasters or other periods of utility grid interruption. “This new contract with California is at once a powerful validation of our products which the state has been using for many years and also a strong indication of California’s commitment to electrifying transportation and using rapidly deployed, sustainable and robust charging infrastructure products that are made in the U.S. to fuel this new generation of vehicles,” said Beam Global CEO Desmond Wheatley. “Consumers, companies and governments are adopting EVs at a faster rate than ever and yet we are still just at the beginning of this massive shift. The need for EV charging infrastructure is becoming greater and more urgent every day. Our ability to rapidly scale and deploy EV chargers without construction or electrical work and without utility bills, grid capacity constraints or vulnerability to black-outs, is becoming increasingly recognised as vital to the success of this evolution. We are busier than ever but we’re planning on getting a lot more busy.” California Governor Gavin Newsom presented a $286.4 billion budget proposal, dubbed the “California Blueprint,” in January. The plan suggests spending $22.5 billion to address the burgeoning climate crisis in the state, allocating $6.1 billion to electric vehicle related initiatives. California also became the first state to commit to effectively banning sales of new, internal combustion engine or gas-powered vehicles by 2035. President Biden signed Executive Order 14008 and subsequent Executive Order 14057 with its accompanying Federal Sustainability Plan which calls for 100% Zero-Emission Vehicle Acquisitions by 2035, including 100% light-duty acquisitions by 2027. The bipartisan Infrastructure Investments and Jobs Act (IIJA) authorised $7.5 billion to build out a national EV charging network of 500,000 chargers. To read more exclusive features and latest news please see our June issue here. Media contact Rebecca Morpeth Spayne, Editor, International Fire Buyer Tel: +44 (0) 1622 823 922 Email: editor@firebuyer.com

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Cover Story – W.S. Darley

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Fire Buyer Editor, Rebecca Spayne sits down with Ryan Darley, International Sales Manager, W.S Darley to find out about their latest partnership  As a family run business, what sets W.S Darley apart from its competitors?    Care for our customers, a love of the industries we serve and ultimately, the quality of our products. We build pumps and products designed to last for a long time. We genuinely care about the products we make and the people they serve. Many of our competitors are profit-centric and build obsolescence into their pumps. We have a 100-year approach and aim to build customers for life.   How do you ensure innovation in your products?   Every strategic meeting or discussion we have is centred around the future and what’s next. If you focus on today and what’s working now you won’t see or be part of paradigm shifts that are the future. We aim to implement smart technology, robotics, new materials and a better “mouse trap” with everything we sell or manufacture.   You have recently partnered with an EN pump manufacturer, could you tell us more about this?  We are teaming up with another family-owned business who shares a lot of our core values. They make a complete line up of CE-compliant and EN-certified pumps and fluid handling products which fill a gap in Darley’s portfolio. Most of the time our products are superior in performance and functionality to EN/CE products but lack the design characteristics to meet specifications. This partnership provides our sales team with a strong additional offering for the thousands of customers in our portfolio. Over time we aim to refine products, implement partnered designs and have the capability to manufacture more of our own components that support pump business around the world. Together we will form new partnerships, create new products and deliver the highest quality pumps in the world.   How does the ability to sell EN regulated pumps into Europe impact the future landscape of the W.S Darley brand?  Many of the European OEMs manufacture their own pumps so Europe is a difficult market for us. We aim to create new partnerships and would like to work with European OEMs but understand the desire to support their own business lines. For those fire truck manufacturers who are willing to leave the manufacturing of the pump (The HEART of the fire truck) to the experts at Darley, we look forward to developing new business in Europe and around the world.   Interschutz hasn’t been held for 7 years, what themes are you expecting to see present at the show?   Smart technology, self-monitoring systems, products designed for electric vehicle fires, robotics, drones… The future of firefighting will be showcased; whether the products are market ready is the question. The fire industry is slow to adopt new technology and it often takes a long time for customers to accept new products and ways of doing business.  To read more exclusive features and latest news please see our June issue here. Media contact Rebecca Morpeth Spayne, Editor, International Fire Buyer Tel: +44 (0) 1622 823 922 Email: editor@firebuyer.com

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