Venari Group and Ziegler Group announce firefighting partnership West Yorkshire-based Venari Group has announced a major manufacturing partnership agreement with German firefighting truck and equipment manufacturer; Ziegler Group. The partnership will, for the first time, see Ziegler’s extensive range of world class products built in the UK for the British firefighting and rescue market. Venari and Ziegler have made the joint statement, which sees job creation for the Brighouse region of West Yorkshire, in what is being hailed by both organisations as “a tailor-made Brexit model”. Commenting on the partnership, Venari Group CEO, Oliver North, said: “We are absolutely delighted to announce this partnership, which is exciting for all parties involved, including ourselves, Ziegler, the UK firefighting market, and the wider economy.” Venari Group is the parent company of ambulance manufacturer, O&H Vehicle Technology. Oliver continued: “With Venari having ambitious plans for the emergency vehicle market, we were keen to arrive in the sector with a fundamental increase in technology and innovation from the current firefighting standard. Ziegler’s vehicles have evolved over the past 125 years and are the best I have ever had the pleasure of trialling. To manufacture them in Yorkshire, according to Ziegler’s IP, specifically for the British fire market is fantastic for the region.” Headquartered in Giengen, Germany, Ziegler is one of the largest firefighting vehicle manufacturers globally. Founded in 1891, Ziegler employs 1,350 staff over seven production sites and has five international sales locations. René Pol, chief sales officer and member of Ziegler’s board, added: “As a global leader in firefighting technology, it is critically important that we only partner with organisations that share our passion for perfection. After thorough assessment of one of the industry’s most exciting new brands, Venari, we are delighted to have the company as our manufacturing, sales and service partner for the UK fire market. “We have been searching for a high-quality UK partner for the past seven years to no avail. Now, in Venari, led by Oliver North, we have a business partner that shares our passion for technology, efficiency and reliability and to be able to manufacture here in the UK is the best thing for the British economy.” Venari will now commence sales, production and service of world leading pumping appliances for municipal fire and rescue services as well as manufacturing Ziegler’s new air crash truck, which is due for launch in early 2020, making Venari Group the only UK manufacturer of that specialist truck type.

Cheshire Fire and Rescue Services named top employers for LGBT staff Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service continue to be a sector leader for the LGBT community, by making the Top 100 Employers list compiled by Stonewall. Stonewall is a lesbian, gay, bi and trans equality charity and Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service made the lost for  a fourth year, maintaining their position in the top ten at number three. Six other Emergency Services organisations also made the Top 100 Employers list. The Top 100 is the UK’s definitive list ranking employers from across public, private and third sectors on how LGBT inclusive their workplaces are. This year’s Top 100 was the most competitive ever with 503 employers vying for a coveted spot. Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service also received special commendation as a top trans-inclusive employer. The organisation has demonstrated their commitment to LGBT equality through initiatives such as hosting ‘Proud to Provide’, a national conference exploring ways in which the public sector can better meet the needs of LGBT service users. Mark Cashin, Chief Fire Officer and Chief Executive of Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service, said:‘Over the past 10 years, we have worked hard to create a workplace where LGBT colleagues feel safe and able to reach their full potential. As a result, we are attracting more LGBT people into the Service than ever before and our latest staff survey showed that LGBT colleagues are among the happiest and most engaged in the organisation. ‘A diverse workforce makes us better able to understand the needs of our increasingly diverse communities. For that reason, our focus this year has been on promoting the importance of LGBT inclusion in the way we provide our services. ‘We are delighted that Stonewall has recognised this work and proud to have retained our position in the Top 100 Employers list. It is hugely important to us that we remain visible champions for LGBT inclusion.’ The sector’s second-highest performing organisation is Sussex Police at number 68, who moved ahead by 13 places from their 2019 position of 81. Derbyshire Fire and Rescue are a new entry to the Top 100 list this year, landing at 99. This year’s Top 100 was the most competitive ever, with 503 employers vying for a coveted spot. The full results can be found here.

Electrical Safety First launch new Alexa app to help reduce UK electrical fires Electrical Safety First has launched a brand new Alexa app in order to help dramatically slash the number of electrical fires in UK homes. Using voice technology to easily access information on product recalls, consumers can effortlessly discover if they have a recalled electrical item – simply by giving Alexa the item’s brand name. Currently, product recalls achieve a success rate of just 10-20%, leaving a host of potentially unsafe electricals items still in use and presenting a significant risk of fire. In fact, research by the Charity indicates almost 270 million unregistered electrical products are still in UK homes. As only those consumers who register an item can be easily contacted in the case of a product recall, this means that there is a significant proportion of the population who won’t know if one of their appliances is a safety risk. Electrical Safety First’s new Alexa app aims to boost those recall rates, preventing electrical fires caused by faulty devices. “Electricity is responsible for over half of all UK domestic fires”, explains Emma Drackford, Director of Communications for Electrical Safety First. “In 2017, almost 5,000 fires were caused by faulty electrical appliances and leads, including recalled items – the equivalent of 13 fires per day across the UK. “We are committed to using every advantage provided by new technology to reduce this risk. We hope that by launching the Alexa app, people will use it to make ad-hoc checks while doing chores around the house, without having to open a website. It’s all about removing barriers and giving our audience the tools they need to use their electrical products more safely.” Electrical Safety First worked with Manchester-based, digital agency Absurd, to develop and build the app. For more information please visit: www.electricalsafetyfirst.org.uk

Kinesis vehicle tracking sets customer service alight for Ignus Fire Services Ignus Fire Services has deployed the latest vehicle telematics technology to live track its mobile engineers. The system from Kinesis allows jobs to be allocated as they come in for the dynamic scheduling of resources which is helping to improve response times and operational efficiency. Traffic updates and live Estimated Time of Arrival (ETA) calculations are also helping Ignus boost customer service with more informed and timely communications. Established in 2016, Ignus Fire Services cover all aspects of fire protection including installation of sprinkler systems, alarms, extinguishers and emergency lighting, for example, as well as equipment service and maintenance. Operating across the Home Counties and East Anglia, Ignus services residential, domestic and commercial properties. “Without being overly dramatic having the correct fire protection system at your home and work is all about life and death and the extra time a correctly installed and serviced sprinkler system gives you and your family can save lives,” commented Alex Pretlove, Managing Director of Ignus Fire Services. “Now I am not saying that punctuality of our service engineers is quite as crucial but it is important to our customers and therefore to us. “Since installing Kinesis vehicle tracking we have improved the overall efficiency of our mobile operation with engineers spending less time travelling between jobs and more time keeping our clients safe,” she added. “We have also improved our customer communications with accurate ETA’s and real time updates.” Ignus selected Kinesis vehicle telematics following an online comparison with other suppliers taking into consideration functionality, existing customer reviews and price. Whilst initially Ignus is focussing on live tracking and real time ETAs it is also planning on implementing other aspects of the Kinesis system including geofencing with 24/7 alerts, driver behaviour monitoring and fuel card integration. “Kinesis was easy to install, is super easy to use and represents excellent value for money,” Pretlove continued. “The mobile app means I can access live information at any time and the historical reporting features are useful for invoicing, engineers’ hours and query resolution.”

New £10.5m fire training centre opens in Scotland for SFRS use SFRS Firefighters staged a dramatic ‘rescue’ at a new multi-million-pound training facility officially opened by Scotland’s Community Safety Minister recently. The crews raced to a fire at a petrochemical facility and snatched a casualty to safety before dousing the flames during the realistic practical scenario. They showcased their technical skills to mark the official launch of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service’s new £10.5million facility at Newbridge, Edinburgh on Tuesday, January 28. The facility is now the second largest fire training site in Scotland. It will equip 1,600 personnel from across 65 fire stations with the knowledge and skills to respond safely and effectively to fires within domestic, industrial and commercial buildings. Firefighters will also be trained to respond to a wide range of other incidents such as road traffic collision, urban search and rescue, mass decontamination, rope rescue and water rescue. And they will further be equipped to use new firefighting technologies such as Ultra High-Pressure Lances (UHPL). Community Safety Minister Ash Denham was joined at the official opening by SFRS Board Chair Dr Kirsty Darwent and Chief Officer Martin Blunden. Community Safety Minister Ash Denham said: “I was very impressed to see firefighters being put through their paces at the new training facility. “Training is an essential component in ensuring firefighters maintain the skills and professional competencies needed to keep our communities safe.  Having these fantastic facilities in the east of Scotland also allows training to be delivered closer to home, enabling firefighters to spend less time away from their core duties and their families.” Chief Officer Blunden said: “This is truly a landmark occasion for our national Service. “This state-of-the-art training facility will ensure our firefighters receive the best training to respond to a very wide spread of emergency incidents including water rescue and urban search and rescue.”

Tyre company director nailed for fire safety failings – LFB investigate London Fire Brigade (LFB) have investigated after the director of a scrap tyre yard has been handed a suspended prison sentence for a series of fire safety offences after an emergency fire door was nailed shut in a building where workers were living. Sentencing Tyre Channel Ltd (TC Ltd) and its director Anup Patel at Southwark Crown Court on Tuesday (January 28), His Honour Judge Hehir described the premises in Croydon as “a tinder box in the making”. Mr Patel and TC Ltd each pleaded guilty to three separate charges relating to breaches of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. The company was ordered to pay a total of £70,000. Mr Patel was given an eight month prison sentence, suspended for two years. London Fire Brigade (LFB) Fire Safety Officers visited the premises on Mill Lane after police raised concerns over poor fire safety conditions. Inspectors found a makeshift corridor constructed at the rear of the single-storey industrial unit with several rooms leading off it, including a kitchen and bedrooms which were used as living accommodation for workers at the site. They found the premises heavily fire loaded with flammable items, including tyres stacked in excess of four metres high and issued a notice later the same day to prohibit the premises from being used for sleeping or residential use. An emergency fire exit was nailed shut and inaccessible due to piled up tyres and there was no smoke detection in the building. The corridor, which bedrooms were accessed via, was constructed of plywood and would have offered little protection against fire spreading through the premises. The residential area had evidence of both cooking and smoking and scorched and overloaded cables highlighted the poor maintenance of electrics. TC Ltd had no fire risk assessment for the premises and there was no evidence that anyone working there had been trained in emergency procedures.  

Cygnus wins Bull Products contract for flagship Glasgow development Bull Products has won a contract to supply its Cygnus Wireless Alarm System to a flagship residential development in Glasgow. Part of the Sighthill Transformational Regeneration Area, the largest project of its kind outside of London, the 824-home NorthBridgedevelopment will include a range of two to five-bedroom houses, apartments, a new school campus and community spaces. In partnership with Keepmoat Homes, Bull has been selected as its fire safety supplier thanks to the high-strength connectivity and impressive signal range of its Cygnus alarm system. The Northbridge development is now fully equipped with a range of fire safety equipment to protect workers and the site up until project completion in 2021. Products on site include Bull’s Cygnus Fire Call Point Alarm, a range of fire extinguishers and fire trolleys. Bradley Markham, Director at Bull Products, says: “Winning this major contract is testament to the innovation of our Cygnus alarm system. We are hugely proud to be working alongside Keepmoat to ensure fire safety is a number one priority throughout the development of the project.” The Cygnus Wireless Alarm System is the most adaptable temporary alarm system for use in the construction industry. With an ability to operate in 15 zones and up to 32 devices per zone, its wide connection means it is well suited for large-scale developments that require multiple alarm units to protect the whole site. Established in 2001, Bull Products is an independently owned manufacturer and importer of fire protection, fall arrest and first aid equipment, spill control and a range of other life-saving products for the construction industry.

telent marks more than 18 years of providing Managed ICT Services to key UK client telent and Merseyside Fire & Rescue Authority (MFRA) are marking a milestone moment this year as their collaborative partnership enters its 19th year, with the contract now secured until 2024. Serving five metropolitan boroughs – Sefton, St Helens, Knowsley, Wirral and Liverpool – community safety and life-saving operations are top priorities for MFRA. Information Communication Technology (ICT) services are crucial to the day-to-day running of operations and must be developed, aligned and continually reviewed to ensure they can support the delivery of the Authority’s Integrated Risk Management Plan (IRMP) which prepares for various incidents and is a statutory requirement of all fire services. Since 2001, telent has delivered a range of vital ICT services and introduced multiple innovations, including an Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL)-based service catalogue to ensure that Merseyside can easily alter the services it receives according to changing needs.  At the heart of the contract, telent runs a service desk for MFRA, handling more than 650 IT incidents per month, with 75% of issues fixed by telent remotely, bringing significant cost-savings to Merseyside. “Our relationship with telent means we have a partner that we can rely on in the most demanding of circumstances,” said Phil Garrigan, Chief Fire Officer at MFRA. “As well as having a deep understanding of the blue light sector, telent brings a flexible approach to its service delivery which has proved invaluable to us as we work to keep up with the fast-paced technological changes across the business sphere. Ultimately we know we have a highly-trusted partner in telent and look forward to working with the team for years to come.” More recently, telent has made additions to the ICT Service Catalogue which include providing ICT life-cycle management services for National Resilience Fire Control (NRFC) and the introduction of MFRA ICT cloud-based services to deliver in-house apps on frontline appliances. The National Resilience is responsible for deploying and co-ordinating National Resilience equipment and supporting individual fire and rescue services to minimise the impact of major emergencies. “What comes with an ICT Service Catalogue is the ability to have a Service Level Agreement with clearly defined Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and I am pleased as telent continues to meet those KPIs,” said Ed Franklin, Head of Technology at MFRA. “The Service Catalogue also provides the flexibility to easily adopt new services as our requirements evolve or new technology solutions become available.”

Three dead after air tanker battling bushfires in Australia crashes Three people have tragically died after an air tanker fighting the continually damaging bushfires in Australia crashed into a fireball on January 22. Shortly before 13:30, officials lost all contact with the plane and as of yet, the reasoning behind the crash is unknown. The three that died were all American residents. According to the New South Wales Rural Fire Service, the plane crashed straight into an active fire zone around two hours south of Canberra, the capital of Australia. “The field reports are that the plane came down, it’s crashed and there was a large fireball associated with that crash,” said Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons. As of yet, the three crew members haven’t been identified, but the last flight data that was made available showed that the plane crashed near Cooma. Senior figures have offered their condolences, including Scott Morrison – the Prime Minister of Australia – and the New South Wales Premier, Gladys Berejiklian. “Today, again demonstrates the fire season is far from over,” Ms Berejiklian said. “Fires in southern Australia are expected to peak in February and continue into April. According to Fitzsimmons, the crew were both experienced and well known and were contracted by Australia in order to help combat the bushfires that have been arguably the worst in the country’s history. “Our hearts are with all those that are suffering what is the loss of three remarkable, well respected crew that have invested so many decades of their life into firefighting,” he said.  

Nomex 360 by Safety Components has been selected as the fabric of choice to protect the first responders of Fire & Rescue New South Wales (FRNSW). A state government agency, FRNSW is tasked to provide fire, rescue and hazmat services in the cities and towns across New South Wales, Australia. As one of the world’s largest urban fire and rescue services with more than 6,700 firefighters and over 4,500 community fire unit members, FRNSW is also the busiest brigade in Australia. This type of activity requires personal protective garments made with fabrics featuring superior protection and performance — the answer, Nomex 360 by Safety Components. Pac Fire Australia, a leading supplier of personal protective clothing and equipment, has won the FRNSW contract, partnering with UK company Bristol Uniforms who has designed and will manufacture the garments using Nomex 360 outershell fabric. Bristol Uniforms’ innovative designs are consistently chosen by firefighters around the world. Nomex 360 is constructed to deliver the perfect balance of firefighter comfort, mobility and protection. Combining Safety Components’ patented Filament Twill Technology™ with DuPont’s best fiber innovation in an expertly crafted powerful and iconic design for unparalleled performance. The lighter weight of Nomex 360 allows firefighters to do more, more comfortably — providing maximum maneuverability without any compromise in protection while reducing heat stress. Joey Underwood, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Safety Components, stated, “We are proud that FRNSW selected a Safety Components fabric. We support their long and proud history of protecting lives and property. “At Safety Components, we are committed to leading the way in the design and manufacture of revolutionary personal protective fabrics for professional firefighters. Providing these fabrics to FRNSW is integral in driving our success now and in the future throughout the Australasia market as well as around the world.”