Pierce Manufacturing Inc., has secured an order from the Providence Fire Department in Rhode Island. Sold through Pierce dealer, Allegiance Fire and Rescue, the order includes four Pierce Saber Pumpers, four 100’ Heavy-Duty Aerial Ladders on Arrow XT chassis, and an Ascendant 100’ Heavy-Duty Aerial Tower on an Arrow XT chassis. The custom low overall height of the 100’ Heavy-Duty Aerial Ladders is the first-ever of this configuration and will support the department’s manoeuvrability requirements within the city’s historic firehouses. Additionally, the new apparatus will provide critical fleet updates to ensure the community’s fire and emergency service needs are met for years to come. “As the process of selecting new fire apparatus began, we knew we needed and wanted heavy-duty ladders that would be manoeuvrable in our historic firehouses and on city streets,” said Michael Bates, assistant chief of the Providence Fire Department. “We were pleased with Pierce’s ability to reengineer a fire truck to meet all of our requirements. Our department has been fortunate to work with Pierce and the Allegiance Fire and Rescue team, who didn’t take a typical sales approach but rather suggested features that they knew would be best for us.” Chief Bates added, “We chose the mid-mount tower because it best suits the Providence Fire Department’s needs. It’s shorter than any other tower, has excellent set-up speed, is manoeuvrable in tight downtown and residential streets, and the below-grade extension is remarkable.” All of the nine new fire apparatus will include the added safety attributes of Pierce’s Carcinogen Awareness and Reduction to Exposure (CARE) cab customisation, including removable and washable seat covers, diamond plate floors, and Line-X coverage on metal surfaces within the cabs for enhanced durability and cleanability.  

Bristol Uniforms has launched a brand new, state-of-the-art PPE design for structural firefighting, offering advanced protection to combat the new and emerging risks faced by modern day firefighters. EOS, named after the Greek goddess of the dawn, builds on the success of Bristol’s XFlex and UK Collaborative Framework ranges, retaining the popular ergonomic sports styling and advanced protection provided by high-quality specialist fabrics. The new style is sleek, modern and ultra-flexible, enabling even better manoeuvrability.  This is partly due to the introduction of HEX-TT, a distinctive, supple reflective taping. The precise cube-pattern of the new taping features tiny gaps, resulting in an outer layer that is significantly more supple and flexible, and easier to repair. EOS also has specific design features to avoid the build-up of toxic smoke particles in vulnerable areas. Reflective tape is attached to garments using heat, which results in a smoother finish. The front of the jacket and sleeves have a simpler style, free from pockets or unnecessary features where particles can accumulate. Instead, storm pockets are situated at the back of the jacket which typically receives less smoke exposure. The new range comes with particle-blocking wrist cuffs, and optional particle-blocking skirt around the torso and wind cuffs around the ankles, for superior particulate protection. EOS is also hard-wearing and even longer-lasting, crucially able to withstand frequent washing and tumble drying, which has become increasingly important in protecting firefighters against carcinogens. Roger Startin, Joint Managing Director at Bristol Uniforms comments: “We’re very excited to be bringing EOS to market after many months of perfecting the new range.  EOS has been developed in direct response to the changing risks faced by today’s firefighters and the new precautions required to keep them safe. “By listening to our customers throughout the process from concept through to thorough wearer trials, and by taking advantage of the very latest fabric technology on the market, we have created a new design that is bright, modern and stylish, with outstanding protective qualities. It is also very versatile and can meet the specific needs of our customers operating in all corners of the world.”

The MSA G1 SCBA was developed with the promise to provide continuous product support, most importantly enhancements to product performance, further elevating the overall G1 SCBA experience. Fulfilling that promise, MSA is pleased to announce the release of the G1 SCBA Firmware 3.05. This firmware update provides several product enhancements related to Bluetooth audio clarity and hardware alarm diagnostics. MSA kindly requests that you perform the steps outlined in the G1 SCBA Firmware 3.05 document at your earliest opportunity. To ensure updates are executed as swiftly and easily as possible, MSA incorporated Bluetooth technology into every G1 SCBA. The Bluetooth link will allow every G1 SCBA to be updated wirelessly with new firmware. If you have any questions, please contact your local First Responder Sales Manager. At MSA, their business is very much safety. The company claim to have been the world’s leading manufacturer of high-quality fire/rescue and safety products since 1914, providing sophisticated, life saving devices and protective gear — the result of countless R&D hours, relentless testing and an unwavering commitment to quality that saves lives and protects those men and women who protect us each and every day. MSA’s core product focus emphasises Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA), including the revolutionary MSA G1 SCBA and respiratory protective equipment, Cairns head, eye, face, hearing and communications protection, fall protection and rescue products, Altair portable gas detection instruments and Galaxy Test Systems, and Evolution Thermal Imaging Cameras (TIC).

Innovators in fire technology, Geofire, have launched the Deaf Alert, a safety device for the deaf and hard of hearing. The Deaf Alert is a digital, vibrating pillow alarm that uses ‘listening’ technology to activate on the specific sound of a home smoke alarm. Geofire has manufactured fire safety products in the UK since 1972. The Deaf Alert will join the Agrippa acoustic product line which includes the battery powered fire door holder and closer. The acoustic technology used among Agrippa’s wire-free products allows the unit to learn the specific sound of the smoke alarm ensuring activation upon hearing only the specific sound rather than any loud noise. In the event of the smoke alarm sounding, the Deaf Alert unit wakes the user by displaying a visual ‘FIRE’ warning, flashing high intensity LED lights and vibrating the pad under the user’s pillow. A shocking statistic from the Home Office reported that house fires without a working smoke alarm are around eight times more likely to result in a fatality. As one in six people in the UK are living with hearing loss, a staggering amount of the population is vulnerable in the event of a house fire. Andy Collinson, CEO at Geofire, said: “We are proud to launch the Deaf Alert and extend our innovative fire safety product offering into the home. Since the launch of the original Agrippa Pillow Alarm into hotels and commercial buildings in 2015, the demand for a product that could offer the same peace of mind in the home was staggering. “During a time where more people are at home than ever before, it is an honour to be able to provide a solution that both protects, as well as, solves a problem for the deaf and hard of hearing community. “Thanks to our distributors and online retailers, we have been able to ensure our products are available and accessible to all online during the pandemic”. Powered by mains, with a backup battery supply, the Deaf Alert ensures fail-safe operation should power be lost and requires next to no installation. The compact and unimposing unit includes a LED time display and alarm clock function. The Deaf Alert is available to buy online and through a network of approved distributors, visit www.geofire.co.uk to find out more.

Perimeter Solutions has introduced PHOS-CHEK LCE20-Fx, the next-generation of its industry-leading flagship PHOS-CHEK Fire Retardant line. PHOS-CHEK LCE20-Fx combines the ease of mixing and handling a liquid with the aerial drop advantages of a gum-thickened retardant. The elastic nature of the thickener in PHOS-CHEK LCE20-Fx reduces drift, dispersion and evaporation, while increasing coverage, wrap around, and canopy and ladder fuel penetration, making it more effective in targeting ground vegetation. An innovative, 100 percent phosphate product, PHOS-CHEK LCE20-Fx fire retardant utilizes an environmentally friendly formula to offer superior performance, product safety, and enhanced stability, resulting in easier handling. PHOS-CHEK LCE20-Fx fire retardant is qualified by the USDA Forest Service under the recently updated specification for Long Term Retardant, Wildland Firefighting: 5100-304d (published January 7, 2020), for use in fixed-wing and single-engine air tankers, helicopter buckets and ground engines. After an operational field evaluation conducted earlier this year, the product is currently included on the USDA Forest Service Qualified Product List (QPL) for use on Federal and State land. This next-generation fire retardant is the result of the company’s continuing commitment to R&D for the fire safety market in developing solutions that save lives, according to Edward Goldberg, Chief Executive Officer of Perimeter Solutions. “PHOS-CHEK LCE20-Fx is another big step toward delivering superior firefighting performance with the low environmental footprint our Agency customers are asking us for. It is the culmination of two years of work by the Perimeter Solutions R&D team in Rancho Cucamonga, CA. This 100 percent-phosphate formulation is an improvement in virtually every aspect of environmental and operational performance over previous technologies,” Goldberg said. “As we continue to see the growing impact of wildfires on communities in the United States and around the world, we’re gratified that we can help firefighters by providing them with technologies that help them do their jobs more effectively and with greater safety.” An improved tool to fight wildland fires PHOS-CHEK fire retardants are used for wildland fire control in forest, brush or grassland. Perimeter Solutions’ PHOS-CHEK LC95 product has been the global standard fire retardant for more than a decade. Once applied, PHOS-CHEK LCE20-Fx reacts with and alters the thermal decomposition mechanism of wildland fuels, rendering them nonflammable, depriving the fire of fuel while reducing fire intensity and the rate of flame spread. PHOS-CHEK LCE20-Fx fire retardant is also a useful tool for prescribed burns and fire breaks. When applied at lower concentrations, fire intensity can be dramatically reduced, while only slow and controlled burning remains supported. Produced as a concentrate, PHOS-CHEK LCE20-Fx is delivered to application sites as a low-viscosity liquid. During application, it is diluted and mixed with water in-line as it is transferred to delivery systems. PHOS-CHEK LCE20-Fx is an Ultra-High Visibility Fugitive (Fx)-coloured concentrate that offers better ground visibility than any product on the market to date, which improves in-field effectiveness and also enhances the safety of pilots engaged in firefighting operations. The fugitive color maintains visibility during application, and slowly fades after exposure to sunlight. According to Shannon Horn, Business Director, North America Retardant and Services at Perimeter Solutions, PHOS-CHEK LCE20-Fx was developed in response to the company’s Agency customers’ requests. “Improved environmental performance is a topic that is particularly important to our customers. The new formula, compared to previous formulas, offers lower metals content, lower fish toxicity, lower overall toxicity, enhanced product safety and lower costs for disposal. In addition, the new product has better stability, which translates into easier handling, and reduced concentrate separation,” said Horn. “We think PHOS-CHEK LCE20-Fx can be the standard for fire retardants for the next 20 years. “We look forward to rolling it out to our customers as they look to save lives, homes, property and communities around the world,” he added.

Texel fire brigade in Wadden Islands, Netherlands, took delivery of a 32-metre Bronto Skylift F32RPX aerial platform mounted onto Scania P-series chassis in October. The delivery was made by Bronto Skylift’s local distributor, Kenbri Fire Fighting B.V. The F32RPX features a spacious rescue cage with 500kg maximum load. As a special option Texel has a permanently mounted folding stretcher carrier in the cage for rescuing injured people. The minimum outrigger width of the vehicle is only 2,80 metres, which makes it ideal to set up in narrow streets and congested city surroundings. Texel’s new aerial platform has a hydraulically driven fire pump with 4 000 litres per minute capacity. The RPX range has a good up-and-over capability and below-ground reach, as well as a large action area. Read more about the RPX range or download the brochure to see the working envelope of an F32RPX. Texel is the biggest of the Dutch Wadden islands. The fire brigade consists of about 60 volunteers who live and work on the island with about 13,500 inhabitants. You can see more images and read the news in Dutch at Kenbri’s website. Bronto Skylift was founded some 50 years ago and from the beginning, the Bronto products featured cutting-edge technology, and have broken world records as the highest aerial platforms more than once. Since those days, he company have delivered over 7000 hydraulic platforms to fire brigades and industrial customers throughout all continents in more than 120 countries.

The Emergency Services Show is set to focus on transformational change in the emergency services driven by the challenges presented by COVID-19 and the fast pace of technical innovation being introduced to the sector. The show will be returning to Hall 5 and the outdoor area at the NEC, Birmingham, with its traditional September timing on 7 and 8 September 2021. “While it’s too early to fully assess the impacts of COVID on the emergency services, the pandemic has unquestionably been an unprecedented driver for change,” says ESS Event Director David Brown. “The Emergency Services Show uniquely brings together the many and diverse ways in which emergency services, their partners and supply chain are adapting during the pandemic. It’s the one place where you can see the latest equipment, explore innovative technologies, share experiences, exchange best practice and learn from each other.” The show has launched a new feature: Future Policing, supported by an Advisory Councilchaired by Lord Hogan-Howe, the former Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Service. Showcasing the latest innovations available for the police sector and sponsored by Audax,Future Policing has the full backing of the Police Federation of England and Wales and will feature a two-day, CPD-accredited high-level conference with a line-up of senior speakers. Health & Wellbeing is the exclusive focus of one of the show’s four dedicated CPD-accredited seminar theatres, alongside Lessons Learnt and Emerging Technologies. The fourth seminar theatre due to be announced later this year will focus on one of the fastest growing areas of innovation in the emergency services sector. Health & Wellbeing topics explored will include tackling historically neglected health and safety issues and the unique mental health challenges facing the emergency services working under COVID. The Emerging Technologies seminar theatre will showcase how the emergency services can use data and technology more efficiently, including overcoming the organisational challenges presented by the pandemic. The ever-popular College of Paramedics CPD seminars are also set to return with highly topical programme of 30-minute workshops. Free-to-attend, The Emergency Services Show features more than 450 exhibiting companies including leading names in search and rescue, extrication, training, protective clothing and uniforms, medical equipment, vehicles and fleet, vehicle equipment, outsourcing and safety.New technology on display will include connected vehicles that serve as mobile communications hubs, satellite communications, ruggedised mobile computers, tablets and phones, data, cloud storage, wearable tech, connectivity, UAVs/drones, hybrid and electric vehicles, body-worn cameras and other video capture systems. Among more than 50 organisations exhibiting for the first time in 2021 are Linkwave Technologies, Bullitt Group, Halo Technologies and BiTEA. With COVID limiting opportunities for face-to-face training, Virtual Reality technology is also set to feature strongly, as is the use of other online technologies like Zoom and Microsoft Teams for training. Enabling ICT applications being showcased include control room systems, data management, mobile apps for emergency service and public use and the multiple technologies now being used to speed and aid collaboration. The Emergency Services Show 2021 will for the first time be co-located with The Fire Safety Event, The Health & Safety Event, The Security Event & The Facilities Event, creating the UK’s largest event dedicated to the protection of people, places and assets. The Emergency Services Show is working closely with the NEC to ensure visitors enjoy a safe and secure visit, in line with the event industry’s All Secure Standard risk-assessment-based framework of COVID-19 secure industry best practice and guidance. The NEC Venue Protect programme has put in place comprehensive social distancing measures and enhanced cleaning and sanitisation and supports testing and tracing. To minimise contact and ensure smooth and efficient entry flows, all visitors are required to register in advance for free entry and free parking at: www.emergencyuk.com

E-ONE,  a subsidiary of REV Group, Inc., has recently announced the delivery of an E-ONE HR 100 ladder truck to the Auburn Fire Department in Auburn, N.Y. To allow for ample equipment storage space, Auburn Fire Department chose a tandem axle, no-pump, no-tank design. The body features full-height, full-depth compartments, and a large forward transverse compartment. A well-thought out assortment of roll-out trays, shelving and tool boards provides firefighters quick access to equipment and tools. This truck also features several options to increase manoeuvrability including a raised lower rear body for additional ground clearance and 45-degree rear corners to reduce tail swing and to help navigate Auburn’s tight city streets. Other key features of Auburn’s E-ONE HR-100 aerial include: Cyclone long cab with roll-cage design Barrier style cab doors with extended lower steps Severe duty interior including cab dash, engine cover and door panels Integral torque box chassis frame coated with zinc flame spray for enhanced corrosion protection Extruded aluminium body with large forward transverse and full height/full depth compartments each side HR 100 extruded aluminium aerial with 500 lb tip load (wet or dry) Advanced Aerial Control System (AACS) Monitor with wireless remote controls and pinnable to allow waterway to be set at the tip or end of section three for rescue operations Narrow crisscross under-slung outriggers with only 12′ spread Increased width ladder tunnel provides enclosed storage for 192′ of ground ladders including (2) 35′ two-section, (2) 28′ two-section and (2) 20′ roof ladders 10 kW Harrison hydraulic generator with (2) cord reels AXIS Smart Truck Technology “The manoeuvrability and handling of the vehicle is impressive,” said Auburn Fire Chief Mark Fritz. “The 12′ outrigger spread allows us to operate in places we previously were unable to. Having the ability to carry a total of 225′ of ground ladders while keeping the overall length and wheelbase to a minimum was a requirement. “E-ONE was able to accomplish this and still incorporate a large amount of compartmentation. Feedback from department personnel has been positive and we expect many years of service with this aerial.” “The Auburn unit is an extension of the growing family of HR 100 aerial configurations,” said Joe Hedges, E-ONE Product Manager. “The tandem axle design with no pump or tank provides a large amount of equipment storage capacity. “This unit also features our new increased width ladder tunnel option providing additional capacity for ground ladders.”

In January 2020, SKYLOTEC acquired Actsafe AB in Sweden and with the ‘Actsafe RCX’, the company is now presenting a new development: a battery-operated power ascender specially developed for rescue operations. For search and rescue teams from the fire brigade, disaster relief, mountain rescue or emergency services, the device facilitates the transport of people and loads in areas that are difficult to access. The “Actsafe RCX” is quickly ready for use and offers flexible deployment options for rope-based rescue. If, for example, a fitter during maintenance work in a sewer shaft or a recreational athlete who is climbing a rock face has an accident, every second counts in the rescue. Areas like these are difficult to access. This is a great challenge for search and rescue teams, because even vehicles are often unable to reach the accident site. Suitable equipment must therefore be transported to the scene of the accident. For such cases, SKYLOTEC offers a new solution with the “Actsafe RCX” power ascender, which was developed especially for this problem. The battery-operated device is fixed to an anchor point and is ready for use within a short time. The battery-operated device is fixed to an attachment point and is ready for use within a short time. The speed during up and down movement can be infinitely adjusted as required using a lever – from 0 to 24 metres per minute. The device starts up particularly smoothly and accelerates evenly to avoid power shocks to the system. This is also a great advantage for casualties, as ascending and descending with the rescuer is gentler than with comparable devices or when the rescuer is pulled up with muscle power. With its speed of 24 metres per minute, the device is extremely fast. A rigging frame can also be used with the power ascender. This makes rescue operations easier if, for example, an injured person has to be transported upwards over roof edges or rock ledges. In addition, the “Actsafe RCX” can also be used to transport loads, for example to bring equipment or technical support material to the accident site. Also, the “Actsafe RCX” offers many advantages in terms of occupational safety: For example, the device has built-in safety electronics. This constantly monitors and controls the charge levels, temperature and energy output of the batteries. If the system overheats or is overcharged, it temporarily shuts off the battery to prevent damage – and thus a dangerous situation for the user. In addition, the device can be controlled with a remote control from the ground up to a distance of 150 metres in open spaces, for example without visual contact via radio announcements. In this way, a person can move a comrade up and down if the comrade has to support an injured person or if an injured person himself is no longer able to climb up and down on the rope. The “Actsafe RCX” is suitable for lifting persons and loads with a permissible payload of 250 kg. This authorised load is an advantage over solutions available up to now. The device’s new variable rope take-up system allows suitable ropes with different diameters to be used. Ropes for lifting persons must be certified according to EN1891 A. For loads heavier than 150 kg, however, a rope diameter of 11 mm is recommended.