The global public are defying lockdown rules and continuing to venture outdoors and in extreme weather, causing further challenge for Search and Rescue operations Covid-19 has posed many challenges to the industry and society. Search and Rescue operations are no exception. Despite lockdown restrictions globally, many people are trying to escape their current environments and taking excursions to dangerous places, whether this be hiking, camping, rock climbing or other outdoor activities. This is adding extra strain and pressures onto Search and Rescue teams who are already attempting to tirelessly save lives, but also fight Covid.  Members of search and rescue organisations in British Columbia are being called out on a regular basis despite stay-at-home recommendations from officials. “The number of rescues has not gone down at all,”  said Dwight Yochim, Senior Manager with the BC Search and Rescue Association. “That is our concern.” The streets may be virtually empty these days, but when it comes to the backcountry, it’s a different story, as locals and visitors escape the confines of their homes and cities and venture to the outdoors. SAR crews are now telling people to go outside only if you need to, but consider who else you put in danger if you get hurt or lost. “Every time our crews are called out that brings 20 to 30 of the members together,” Tochim said. This dramatically increases infection risk as well as the typical risks associated with search and rescue.  He said this will force members into a vulnerable position by having to work in a large group to carry out a rescue. “This definitely isn’t a time to push your recreation limits,” said Sandra Riches, Executive Director of Adventure Smart BC. Riches urges people not to use extra time off from work to tackle a big climb or hike. “We want everyone to come back down into first gear and not continue to go further, go bigger, or go faster,” she said. SAR groups have a limited amount of masks and other personal protective equipment available to them to use if they are put into a position where they need to help a subject who has COVID-19 symptoms. Like many organisations around the world, SAR teams are now short on N-95 respirator masks, the mask that is most effective in filtering out airborne particles. Yochim said they will ask every subject questions about fever, cough, or whether they were exposed to someone with the virus when addressing an urgent call. “If the answer is yes, our teams will suit up and put on proper protective equipment,” he said. “They will treat the subject as if they are infected — but that puts our members at risk.” B.C. search-and-rescue volunteers say they are experiencing a spike in calls while also grappling with increased risk due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. The B.C. Search and Rescue Association says volunteers responded to 23 calls on average in one week, an increase of 35% over the same period last year. The association warns that as the province works to reopen recreation sites, now is not the time for hikers to take risks as crews have to worry about not only the terrain, but also the dangers of COVID-19 and the potential spread to other members in the association. North Shore Rescue was recently called to Mosquito Creek in North Vancouver after two men were unable to make their way out of a ravine. Rescuers had to don personal protective equipment before pulling them up. “Six months ago, we would rush in, equipment was not required, we could touch the subjects, no problem at all,” Peter Haigh of North Shore Rescue said. “Today it could be a death sentence if we touch them. So we can’t take enough precautions with volunteers who have families and work to do and so on. We just can’t take the risk.” The BCSARA urges the public to heed the advice of provincial health officials and stay close to home, practice physical distance and keep social circles small. Lake District Similarly to British Columbia, other areas of the world are also receiving a similar challenge in search and rescue teams. In the Lake District, fines were issued to Covid-19 rule breakers after a rescuer fell 500ft trying to reach illegal campers during the height of the pandemic. Two campers each landed £200 fines after a call out that left their rescuer seriously injured in hospital.  The mountain rescuer fell 500ft down a slope in the Lake District trying to reach a stranded camper at Red Screes. Breaching Covid-19 lockdown rules, the pair had travelled from Leicester and Liverpool to the camping spot. Not only were travel restrictions breached, as well as social distancing measures and recreational exercise rules, but they endangered the lives of themselves and the search and rescue team that came to their aid, with environment and infection potential. Similarly, Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team had been called out to help a man camping above the Kirkstone Pass who was suffering chest pains. While the team of rescuers was making their way to the camper, the victim fell roughly 150 metres (nearly 500ft) down steep ground, a statement from the rescuers said. He was airlifted to hospital by an HM Coastguard Helicopter and remained there in a serious condition for the next few days. Luckily, all made a recovery, however it is another example of poor judgement during a global crisis. Mike Blakey, Operational Lead and Patterdale rescue team-member, said: “I cannot stress enough the message to stay at home during lockdown.This rescue, and the subsequent life-changing injuries incurred by our team member, were avoidable. Rescue team members are volunteers who train extensively to rescue others in the most atrocious weather and in inhospitable places. “However the risks are always there and the impact of an incident like this is far-reaching across the rescue and emergency services family. On behalf of the casualty’s family I would like to formally thank everyone involved in the rescue of

Fire suppression systems are joining the trend of smart technology and innovations in the industry, so what does the future look like for this sector?   A fire suppression system is designed to extinguish, contain and prevent fires. The fire prevention system can be easily managed, ensuring that fire ignition or re-ignition is prevented, helping to preserve and protect the environment. Fire suppression systems can be installed in a range of building types. There are many variables that need to be taken into account before choosing the right fire suppression system for a property. Finding one depends upon factors such as, the nature of the risk to be protected, the location of the risk, the space available for the storage of fire suppression cylinders, as well as consideration of the environment and of course the financial cost. The future is smart Smart technology is finding its applications in every avenue. By employing smart technology, any electronic device can collect data and communicate with other similar connected devices or systems when connected to the internet. A smart device typically has an operating system that will connect with other information services or apps. As fire safety is integral for industries, residential, school and commercial, investing in fire protection systems can earn significant benefits for businesses and is a necessity. Existing fire protection systems include fire suppression systems, smoke detectors and sprinkler systems assisting fire detection and protection.  The need to sweep away the ineffective practices for inspecting, testing and maintaining fire protection equipment is growing with the emergence of smart technologies. By incorporating smart devices, the fire protection system can monitor the temperature and immediately send an alert for the facility manager. The system is more accurate and reliable. Smart devices drastically reduce the workload of inspectors of fire and life safety building systems enabling them to monitor remotely from a laptop in more than two job sites simultaneously.  Sensors are the most potent and pervasive components installed in buildings that provide opportunities for smare fire fighting. These sensors can track both the environmental condition and the occupants status. Similarly, these sensors in conjunction with firefighters personal protective equipment, as well as in equipment and apparatus, detect and characterise exposure hazards while monitoring the firefighter and civilian hydration and other health parameters to minimise associated risk. Smart fire protection systems can be created using cyber-physical technologies that require collecting vast quantities of data, processing, analysing and predicting utilising that information, allowing fire departments and building managers to make appropriate decisions when entering a fire risk environment.  Depending on the business needs and considering the facility requirements, choose the appropriate fire protection system. Thus, when selecting and installing a system, hire a provider with a brief understanding of the organisation’s needs to customise the fire protection options.  All fire protection systems have a common goal, to detect fire and protect occupants and save lives. The integration of smart technology to fire and life safety building systems will present many benefits with minimal risk. The system is activated when smoke is detected, causing the sprinkler system to operate. The water prevents the spread of fire. Although it is an effective method, automatic fire suppression systems employing clean agents can be a preferred choice as they leave no residue. Some types of fire protection systems enable the automatic dispatching of emergency services that in turn will immediately suppress the fire while notifying the authorities to send emergency professionals to specific locations. The water sprinklers can also be monitored to ensure fire control. When the above mentioned systems can be used for commercial applications, there are many technologies developed for use in homes. Smart home technology, incase of fire, connects to the internet, alerting homeowners of an alarm sounding via their smartphones. Evben when a fire starts and nobody is home, the fire department can get a call and take the necessary steps, potentially preventing a total property loss. The device also provides homeowners with real time information about the battery life in a smoke alarm and carbon monoxide device.  Recently a developed smart smoke alarm ascends speedy alerts of smoke or carbon monoxide to the phone. They can detect both the low and fast burning fires and differentiate between the two. It uses voice alerts to warn before it triggers the siren and when the siren has been triggered, it informs about the specific location of the fire and danger. This type of alarm is typically available both in hardwired and battery powered versions and is versatile for any home.  Any industry will be regarded as a safer place to work in if they integrate advanced fire protection systems in their buildings.  Smart sprinkler systems Johnson Controls, provider of smart and sustainable buildings, was the first to launch a smart sprinkler system with its Smart Connected Fire Sprinkler Monitoring solution. As part of Johnson Controls OpenBlue suite of digital solutions, this industry-first solution delivers real-time insights into fire sprinkler system health to enable swift preventative action. The solution empowers building managers to transform their maintenance strategies from reactive to proactive, helping to prevent costly and dangerous equipment failures before they occur. Leveraging the latest in monitoring, sensor and data transfer technology, the Smart Connected Fire Sprinkler Monitoring solution continuously gathers information, such as pressure, temperature and water presence, to measure the overall health of the sprinkler system. This information is relayed to the customer dashboard via the cloud. When collected data indicates a potential adverse system condition, such as freezing pipes, pressure imbalances or pipe leaks, a proactive notification is automatically sent to the building manager who can then quickly address the issue. Scott Lapcewich, Vice President of Service Operations, Fire Protection Solutions at Johnson Controls said, “Many buildings left minimally occupied and perhaps minimally monitored, systems are more susceptible to damage. Our customers deserve access to intelligent, round-the-clock monitoring to not only avoid system downtime, but also ensure their systems are ready to deliver optimal fire and life safety. We’re proud to deliver

With the continued spread of the Coronavirus, firefighters have had to tackle fire as well as a highly infectious virus. How can the risk in PPE contamination be reduced?     The Coronavirus pandemic has plagued the world for over a year with thousands of deaths and hospitalisations. The lifestyle of society has changed to remote working, social distancing and lockdown measures. However, there are some industries that are a necessity and cannot stand down. Healthcare is primarily talked about in this area, but the fire service is also another crucial industry.  PPE is already used to protect firefighters against chemicals in the line of duty, but what are the best ways to protect firefighters from the Coronavirus when they are saving lives? Jeffrey and Grace Stull, President and Vice President, International Personnel Protection, explores whether disposable or reusable PPE is best practice within the fire industry during a global pandemic.  Disinfection, sanitisation and decontamination for PPE reuse as departments and organisations attempt to maintain uniform protection capabilities while their PPE supplies diminish or change during the crisis is a big topic. Disposable Vs reusable PPE Ordinarily, firefighters wear turnout gear and other types of protective apparel that is relatively rugged for variable response environments. This gear is often intended to last for years when properly cleaned and maintained. During the COVID-19 pandemic, some firefighters are using single-use or disposable items because it is generally considered safer to simply remove and throw away the items than decontaminate them for reuse. Unfortunately, most organisations are attempting to conserve their disposable PPE, given the uncertainty over supply levels. Further, for many EMS calls, firefighters can’t immediately know a patient’s COVID-19 status, so they have to assume that any individual could be infectious. Most reusable gear is intended to be cleaned, and for many products, there are well-established procedures for their decontamination. For example, in the most recent revision of NFPA 1851: Standard on Selection, Care and Maintenance of Protective Ensembles for Structural Fire Fighting and Proximity Fire Fighting, clear distinctions are made for how different elements of the structural firefighting protective ensemble can be either sanitised or disinfected for neutralising microbial contamination. In contrast, much disposable clothing has never been intended to be reused because it doesn’t have the physical integrity for repeated use. In those cases where organizations are attempting to decontaminate and reused disposable respirators and clothing, this practice is only as a last resort when no other PPE of the needed type is available. It should come as no surprise that the escalated demand for PPE is paralleled by a surging demand for sanitising and disinfection products. Disinfection is the near complete inactivation (death) of microbial contamination, while sanitisation only achieves a 99.9% effectiveness in reducing bacterial or viral levels on a surface. The use of disinfectants and sanitisers is now a very important part of the strategies for minimising cross-contamination that can occur through handling PPE that has been exposed to contaminated aerosols. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulates antimicrobial claims and requires that disinfectants (and sanitisers) be registered in that the supplier must demonstrate the effectiveness of its products in reducing specific forms of microbial contamination using specified test methods and particular microorganisms. These qualifications are particularly pertinent now because the EPA has identified several products that are positioned to be effective against SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19. Nevertheless, it is important to understand several aspects about these products: Disinfectants are considered effective for COVID-19, primarily by showing the ability to work against other hard-to-kill viruses as deemed by the EPA. Most disinfectants are for use on hard (non-porous) surfaces, which means that they may not work well on porous materials, such as textiles used in clothing and other forms of PPE. Only those disinfectants that include instructions for use as a laundry additive or pre soaking agent should be applied to textile items, and only after it has been determined that those disinfectants will not cause long-term damage to the clothing or other PPE. Each EPA-registered disinfectant comes with specific instructions that indicates its use in different applications, be it on a hard surface or other type of product. These instructions include the minimum contact time for disinfection to occur and must be explicitly followed. (Do not follow the practice that “more is better.”) There are a range of different active ingredients, some of which are unsuitable for different types of PPE. For example, some disinfectants use bleach or bleach-like chemicals that can potentially damage turnout clothing and other PPE materials. Choose only those disinfectants that can be used as laundry additives or for presoaking. Ensure with the PPE manufacturer that they are safe to use with their product. In selecting disinfectants, departments obtain a copy of instructions that the supplier used for their EPA registration, which provides the most detailed information. If not provided by the supplier, these can be obtained on the EPA’s Pesticide Product and Label System by searching the product name, supplier name or EPA registration number. Note: When searching using the registration number, use only the first two parts of that number. EPA registration numbers usually have three parts separated by hyphens. The third part references the supplier. However, disinfectants that have the first two parts as identical are indeed the same product. Many disinfectants are actually the same products that are branded differently or provided by various suppliers with different product names. Best practices Firefighters who are deploying reusable PPE, particularly respirators, need to follow appropriate cleaning and disinfection procedures to adequately remove contamination threats and maintain the product’s performance for its intended service life. Many departments have chosen to use elastomeric half facepiece respirators or use adapters for their SCBA full face pieces to couple with P100 cartridges. The CDC recently released detailed guidance for the disinfection of these products. Many respirator manufacturers provide detailed recommendations for their products that often specify disinfection approaches that work, and those that don’t or that destroy their product. In all cases,

Following the successful delivery of more than 5,000 sets of high-quality structural firefighting PPE from specialist manufacturer MSA Bristol and its Australian distributor Pac Fire, Fire & Rescue New South Wales (FRNSW) continue with their roll out and expect to have an additional 5,000 sets delivered by June this year. The expectation is that FRNSW will compete the rollout to all of its 6,500 firefighters by December 2021. FRNSW is one of the world’s largest urban fire and rescue services and the busiest in Australia with more than 6,500 firefighters spread across 335 stations, attending around 120,000 call outs per year. An extensive evaluation and wearer trial in 2019 led to FRNSW selecting MSA Bristol’s popular XFlex ensemble for its PPE upgrade. MSA Bristol is a leading designer and manufacturer of protective clothing and equipment for emergency services across the globe, formed by the recent acquisition of Bristol Uniforms by MSA Safety. Its XFlex range has been ergonomically designed with sports styling and lightweight fabrics, providing advanced comfort and protection. The unique fabric combination consists of Safety Components Nomex® 360™, combined with a GORE® PARALLON™ liner system which provides unparalleled levels of breathability while preventing drops in thermal protection. On taking delivery of the new kit, FRNSW Commissioner, Paul Baxter commented: “These new uniforms are heavy-duty but lightweight, allowing for enhanced manoeuvrability and coverage, and will be supplied in a wider range of male and female sizes, so all firefighters will have better fitting garments.  They also feature a customized moisture barrier, which helps prevent steam burns and keeps firefighters dry while on the job.” Pac Fire is one of Australasia’s leading suppliers of PPE to the fire and emergency industry. Its specialised roll-out of the XFlex ensembles to FRNSW has included the allocation of each item to a specific firefighter. Service information, such as garment specifics, date of issue and firefighter information is assigned to a unique UHF-RFID chip fitted within the item. This process allows garments to interact with inventory management and laundry systems, tracking physical location and the condition of the item throughout its service life. Paul Clark from Pac Fire Australia comments: “The XFlex design with its distinctive sports styling has proved particularly popular with the firefighters, offering greater flexibility and reduced resistance when carrying out physical tasks, as well as providing optimum protection thanks to the advanced fabric technology.” Roger Startin, Joint Managing Director at MSA Bristol, added: “The roll-out of the first order went very smoothly, despite the challenges of the global pandemic, and all garments were delivered to schedule.  It’s great to see the NSW firefighters in action in their new PPE, and we’re delighted to be following this up by providing a further 4,500 sets this year.”     To stay up to date on the latest, trends, innovations, people news and company updates within the global fire market please register to receive our newsletter here. Media contact Rebecca Morpeth Spayne, Editor, International Fire Buyer Tel: +44 (0) 1622 823 922 Email: editor@firebuyer.com