Johnson Controls introduces new SAPPHIRE COMPACT Johnson Controls have announced the launch of SAPPHIRE COMPACT, a cost-effective, direct low pressure (DLP) solution for the protection of small, electrical enclosures. Designed to protect small electrical enclosures with both natural ventilation and forced airflow, the new fire suppression system will allow quick and efficient detection and extinguishment in a large number of facilities, such as oil and gas sites and power generation plants. Certified to Loss Prevention Standard (LPS) 1666 and ISO 9001 standards, SAPPHIRE COMPACT can protect up to four electrical enclosures with one single system, including multi-compartment enclosures for increased flexibility. By discharging 3M Novec™ 1230 Fire Protection Fluid, a fast acting and electrically non-conductive clean agent, the new system can suppress fires without causing damage to electrical equipment, as well as being safe for the environment. The new SAPPHIRE COMPACT system features a highly reliable, pressurised detection tube, which is unaffected by dirt, dust, debris and oil, designed to detect and suppress the fire through the tube. The detection tubing is installed close to high-risk areas within the enclosure, to enable quick and efficient fire detection of a fire condition. In the event of flame impingement or high ambient temperature, the pressurised detection tube ruptures, causing the extinguishing agent to be discharged through the rupture point on the tube and directly onto the fire. Complementing existing gaseous suppression systems, the new solution requires no power supply fordetection or actuation, enabling it to remain operational during any electrical interruptions or power outages. The contacted pressure gauge provides continuous monitoring of system pressure, helping to confirm system health – for optimised maintenance and repairs. “Small electrical enclosures can present a huge risk of fires, due to faults, damaged wiring or improper installation,” comments Alan Elder, Fellow Engineered Systems at Johnson Controls. “This can have significant repercussions on high-risk assets, often resulting in total loss of equipment, fire spread or even the shut-down of vital services and systems on-site.” For more information on SAPPHIRE COMPACT, visit http://tycofpp.com/sapphire-compact

Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service discussing to support ambulance workers The Norfolk Chief Fire Officer and his team are working with colleagues at The East of England Ambulance Service Trust (EEAST) to identify ways fire service staff can support them during the COVID-19 pandemic. Recently, the National Fire Chiefs Council published a national agreement following discussions with Fire and Rescue Services and the Fire Brigades Union. It paves for the way for the local discussions to identify areas where Norfolk’s firefighters and other staff can best support blue light colleagues. Norfolk’s chief fire officer Stuart Ruff said: “We’re now working with EEAST to understand what they need and how we can best support them while maintaining our own operational capabilities and ensuring the health and wellbeing of our own employees. “One of those areas may be utilising the skills of our staff to assist in driving ambulances, but I must stress that no decisions have been taken locally at this stage. As a service, we are committed to doing everything we can to support the national and local response to the COVID-19 pandemic.” Cllr Andrew Proctor, Leader of Norfolk County Council, said: “This is a really positive approach in the current challenging situation we face. I am very grateful to our fire and rescue service staff for doing everything they can, and more, to protect Norfolk’s residents and communities.” Cllr Margaret Dewsbury, Norfolk County Council’s Cabinet Member for Communities and Partnerships, said: “Our Fire and Rescue Service are on the front line every day and are committed to protecting Norfolk. Stepping forward to explore new ways to support their blue light partners in this time of crisis will benefit everyone. Maintaining our own operational response and the wellbeing of staff are the top priorities but the service will do all it can to offer assistance to other agencies.” For more information please visit: www.norfolk.gov.uk

Fire Brigades Union (FBU) give all clear for UK firefighters to assist country Following an unprecedented agreement between the Fire Brigades Union (FBU), fire chiefs and Fire and Rescue Employers, UK firefighters will be able to deliver food and medicines, drive ambulances and retrieve dead bodies during the coronavirus outbreak. For the first time, all three stakeholder groups have agreed to a joint national approach to the crisis. The fire service organisations say that the measures in the agreement reflect the scale of the national crisis and the urgency of the response required. Under the agreement, firefighters will be able to: Deliver essential items like food and medicines to vulnerable people Drive ambulances and assist ambulance staff Retrieve dead bodies, should the outbreak cause mass casualties Firefighters will continue responding to core emergencies, such as fires and road traffic collisions, but under the agreement can now provide additional services specifically related to COVID19. The agreement states that core responsibilities must be maintained throughout the crisis. The organisations will meet weekly to discuss any additional requests for assistance made by Local Resilience Forums and Strategic Coordination Groups. Any activities considered will be risk assessed with fire and rescue personnel being given any necessary additional training and the appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE). The additional work taken on by firefighters will be temporary to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic. Initially in place for two months, the agreement can be extended or shortened if agreed between all parties. The agreement between National Employers, the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) and the FBU follows measures to limit cross-infection between firefighters and the public, agreed earlier this week. There are around 48,000 firefighters and emergency control staff in the UK. Matt Wrack, FBU general secretary, said: “We face a public health crisis unparalleled in our lifetimes. The coronavirus outbreak is now a humanitarian emergency and firefighters rightly want to help their communities.”

London Fire Brigade still ready for fire and rescue emergencies London Fire Brigade will continue to provide a full emergency fire and rescue service to the capital amidst these challenging times with the COVID-19 pandemic. London Fire Commissioner Andy Roe has reassured Londoners that he is confident the Brigade can maintain a good level of service despite the challenges ahead. Speaking about the news, Roe said that the LFB will strive to do the very best that they can and that they are confident of meeting London’s needs in the case of fires. “London Fire Brigade continues to provide a full emergency fire and rescue service response for Londoners. Our priorities at this stage are to do all we can to stop the spread of this virus, to protect the public, our staff and safeguard our resilience. “The Brigade has contingency plans in place which are constantly being monitored and we’re confident that we can maintain a good level of service to London despite the challenges Covid-19 may present.” LFB priorities “We’re following advice from Government and Public Health England and doing all we can to stop the spread of Covid-19. We intend to protect the public, ourselves, and ensure we stay resilient.” How we’re adapting “The Brigade has contingency plans in place, which are constantly monitored, and we’re confident we can maintain a good level of service to London, despite the challenges the virus may present.”

Wolf Safety release torch with three power modes installed At one-time safety torches sacrificed performance. Those days have gone, with Wolf now prioritising high power and absolute safety. World leaders in portable and temporary lighting for safe use in hazardous areas, including explosive atmospheres, Wolf have developed the TR-65 compact right angle primary cell torch, offering high performance with a choice of three power modes. With a market-leading, peak tested light output of 300 lumens emitted, no safety torch shines more brightly. Four AA batteries power three output modes from a slide switched, high-efficiency microchip circuit: Slide once and the light comes on at 10% power, strong enough to see at close range and be seen by in low light conditions, offering over 150 hours of light output; that’s more than six days of continuous light; A second slide of the switch brings up medium power at a peak of 150 lumens emitted, providing a highly useable light for 14 hours; Slide again to select full power, with 300 lumens emitted for seven hours, providing great visibility in maintenance and rescue activities. This leading-edge torch, fully certified to EN and IECEx standards and compliant with the ATEX Directive for use in Zone 0 and 21 explosive gas and dust environments, offers users greater functionality in a lightweight, compact package. Its beam pattern provides a good balance between intensity and size of spot beam, combined with a wide-angle flood of emitted fringe light. A battery level indicator tells users when 45 minutes of power remains and, when the battery level gets down to 15%, the low battery level indicator will flash continuously and the beam will be interrupted momentarily once every five seconds. All the best features of the company’s existing renowned safety torch range have been retained in the TR-65 as well as in their new TR-60 right angle torch, a more economical, single power mode alternative. Certified for use in ATEX Zone 1 and 21 explosive gas and dust environments, this model provides an impressive output of 260 lumens from the single power setting, combined with more basic functionality.

First Due release self-reporting software for first responders First Due have announced in partnership and collaboration with the International Association of Fire Chiefs, a FREE version of their Community Connect platform, in order to help fire/EMS, police, emergency management, and healthcare agencies better combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Community Connect is currently used nationwide, enabling citizens to share critical life safety details of their households and businesses with their respective public safety agencies. With the ensuing COVID-19 health crisis developing across the United States, First Due has released a COVID-19 focused version of Community Connect, designed to allow residents to self-report their status and take protective actions during the outbreak. Agencies can use this information at the time of response or analyze the data in GIS platforms such as Esri’s ArcGIS. “This tool will allow fire and EMS agencies the ability to know better where citizens have self-isolated or self-quarantined themselves in their community,” Fire Chief Gary Luwig, IAFC president and chairman of the baord, said. “With this information at their fingertips, firefighters and EMS personnel will have a much clearer picture of who they are responding to and what their health situation is. The IAFC is pleased to partner with innovative companies and technologies that help provide better, faster, and more capable services for our communities. We are pleased to partner with First Due.” Community Connect for COVID-19 offers residents an easy-to-use web portal, available on any device, where they can self-report critical information in line with industry protocol. Within the web portal, residents will be able to share contact, symptom, test, and high-risk related information. Shared information will then be available to first responders to better prioritize COVID-19 driven care or take proper precautions before entering. Additionally, data collected from residents will be made actionable across GIS applications, such as Esri’s ArcGIS to give public safety agencies insight into how the novel coronavirus is affecting their community.

Bronto Skylift announce Prioritet Ltd as Russia distributor Bronto Skylift are pleased to announce that Prioritet Ltd. has been named as a non-exclusive Bronto Skylift distributor in Russia. The agreement includes the sales of Bronto Skylift high-rise rescue and firefighting products as well as professional supporting services such as spare part supply and maintenance activities within the given territory. “In the complicated situation in the Russian market at the moment we are happy to start co-operation with an experienced partner like Prioritet. We are looking forward to a bright future for our well-renowned fire-fighting products in Russia,” says Harri Tanhuanpää, Regional Sales Manager, Bronto Skylift. Priorited Ltd offers firefighting vehicles on a variety of chassis of Russian and foreign production, trucks with foam fire extinguishing system, vehicles with combined fire extinguishing system, rescue vehicles, fire-fighting pumping stations, fire-fighting vehicles with ladder, small fire-fighting vehicles, fuel servicing trucks, special purpose fire trucks such as foam towers, as well as airfield fire fighting vehicles. Bronto Skylift’s aerial firefighting and rescue platforms further reinforces their offering. Bronto Skylift specialise in truck mounted, hydraulic platforms. They design, manufacture, sell and service appliances for rescue and firefighting as well as for industrial access. Bronto’s product range includes approximately 50 models of various truck mounted platforms between with a range of 17 to 112 metres working height. The advanced modularity also allows numerous client-specific modifications. During the past 50 years, the company have delivered over 7000 truck mounted platform units to fire brigades and industrial customers throughout all continents in more than 120 countries. Bronto’s headquarters and production plants are situated in Finland, while they also have subsidiaries in Germany, Sweden, Switzerland and USA.

SFRS doing all they can to keep Scotland safe amid COVID-19 Scotland’s SFRS Chief Fire Officer has reassured communities that the fire and rescue service is taking all necessary measures to minimise disruption to its emergency response amid the coronavirus (COVIDー19) pandemic. Martin Blunden, Chief Officer of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS), said “robust contingency plans” are in place to manage increasing levels of sickness and self-isolation among firefighters and staff. This includes the temporary suspension of the Service’s Home Fire Safety Visit programme; halting attendance at external events; and inviting recently retired firefighters and specialist staff to return to the frontline to cover potential absences. Chief Officer Blunden said: “This is an unprecedented time for Scotland and the whole the UK, for ourselves as a Service, and for our emergency service partners. “We’ve been working hard over the last ten days to put plans in place to ensure our staff are safe, and that we’re able to supply an emergency response for the people of Scotland who require our assistance and to support our partners. “As a service we have already taken a number of steps to protect all of our staff and the public, as the coronavirus pandemic develops. “This includes instructing many staff across the country to work from home; stopping our Home Fire Safety Visits, aside from carefully managed very high risk visits; limiting access to community fire stations to essential personnel only; and making sure that we don’t attend any external events outside of fire stations, including some training events. “As well as protecting staff and the public, these measures help to ensure that we can continue to provide a 999 response when required.”

London Fire Brigade issue fire safety warning as millions work from home London Fire Brigade firefighters are issuing urgent #StayHomeStaySafe advice as millions of people enter their first full week of working from home amidst the Coronavirus pandemic. The majority of city office workers have now stopped commuting following Government advice to avoid all but essential travel in a bid to try and contain the spread of Covid-19. With the increased numbers of people at home during the day, London Fire Brigade is warning of the potential for more fires as people adapt their daily routines and others are in isolation and calling for people to think, take action and avoid becoming a further casualty for the NHS. Firefighters are usually called to a larger number of domestic fires between 6pm and 8pm and there has traditionally been an increase in cooking fires during the weekend when people are at home for longer periods of time. However in 2020, we are seeing an increase in weekday fires and fires earlier in the day, so firefighters are warning that common causes of fires in the home such as cooking, smoking, electrical items and heating sources could become even more prevalent as people are spending more time indoors than usual. The Brigade’s Assistant Commissioner for Fire Safety, Dan Daly, said: “It’s absolutely vital that in these uncertain and unprecedented times people don’t forget about basic fire safety in the home. “We are not trying to scaremonger, but clearly with increased numbers of people indoors for much longer periods of time, there is a heightened risk of fire. “This is about keeping you and your loved ones safe and we must all do what we can to not inadvertently add pressure to our already challenged NHS. “There are such simple things we can all do to ensure we are keeping safe while we are all spending more time at home. The first thing you can do is to test that your smoke alarms are working.”