Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation Swears In Rebecca Ramirez as Chief of the YDFD The Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation has sworn in Rebecca Ramirez as the new Fire Chief of the Yocha Dehe Fire Department (YDFD). She became YDFD’s third chief following the retirement of Chief Gary Fredericksen. “We are pleased to have Chief Ramirez join as the next leader of our Yocha Dehe Fire Department,” said Yocha Dehe Tribal Chairman Anthony Roberts. “Our team has known Chief Ramirez for many years as an effective partner in firefighting in our region. Her depth of experience and exemplary career made her stand out as the right choice as YDFD’s new chief.” Ms. Ramirez was, until recently, the Fire Chief of the City of Woodland and has nearly three decades in the fire service. She began her career as a volunteer for the California Department of Forestry San Bernardino in 1991 while pursuing her education at Crafton Hills College. She joined the City of West Sacramento Fire Department as its first female firefighter in 1993 and attended the Sacramento Regional Fire Academy. Over 24 years with West Sacramento Fire, she worked her way up from Firefighter to Engineer, Captain, Battalion Chief, Division Chief and, finally, Deputy Chief. In 2017, she became Fire Chief in Woodland. “The Yocha Dehe firefighters are a dedicated group of professionals with a strong commitment to the people they serve and to one another,” said Chief Ramirez. “I am both privileged and honored to lead them and to serve under the progressive leadership of the Yocha Dehe Tribal Council.” “We’re thrilled to welcome Rebecca Ramirez as our new Fire Chief. She brings the department years of invaluable experience in fire safety and exceptional energy,” said James Kinter, Yocha Dehe Tribal Secretary and Chair of the Fire Commission. “With her coming aboard, we’re certainly excited for this new chapter for the Yocha Dehe Fire Department.”

TST Systems selected by Home Officer crucial role TST Systems Limited (“TST”) has been selected by the Home Office as a Framework Supplier of Fixed Vehicle Devices (FVD) and Accessories to the Emergency Services Network as part of ESMCP, with a potential supply of up to 40,000 units worth £90M. The Framework provides hardware and support services for in-vehicle mobile voice and data equipment, approved for use on the Emergency Services Network (ESN). The FVD is a vehicle mounted radio and control unit which enables secure and resilient mission critical communication via the ESN using externally mounted antennas for maximum coverage. As well as providing voice services, the FVD provides a modern platform for additional data applications and services. The FVD uses a modular approach, so is able to support marine and motorcycle users, as well as being compatible with existing audio accessories. The procurement establishes a Framework Agreement for the Authority and nominated ESN User Organisations (UOs) to procure FVD units and support and warranty services for use on the ESN. The ESN system, a first of its type worldwide, will provide mission critical push-to-talk voice and high-speed data services over LTE (Long Term Evolution) for all UK emergency service vehicles.  Deliveries for testing and trials are scheduled for the latter half of 2020, with roll-out scheduled to be in early 2021. The procurement was launched in April 2019 via formal OJEU contract notice 2019/S 073-173137 announcing the Programme’s intention to establish a Framework Agreement for the Authority and nominated UOs to procure the required goods and services for use on the ESN. The Framework Agreement comprises multiple suppliers with a call-off period of 5 years with the option to extend for up to an additional 2 years. The contract includes on-going service management but excludes vehicle installations. Simon Clifton, Chief Executive Operator of TST Systems, said, “This contract award establishes TST Systems as a market leader in critical communications LTE devices for vehicle users. We are proud to offer next-generation mobile devices to the UK emergency services, which will offer critical voice communications over ESN, telematics, and both wired and wireless Ethernet data connectivity around the vehicle, all within a single unit. We are excited to be involved in transitioning users to LTE, enabling new voice and data services along with many other capabilities whilst maintaining compatibility with existing vehicle systems.

Richard Lewin becomes new Chief Executive Officer at The Will-Burt Company The Will-Burt Company have appointed Richard J. Lewin as the company’s chief executive officer, president and member of the Board of Directors. Mr. Lewin succeeds retiring CEO Jeffry O. Evans, who has led the company since 2002. The lead director of the Board of Directors, Gary Clark, comments on the appointment, “Given the increasing importance of international sales to The Will-Burt Company, the Board conducted an extensive search for a leader that was highly competent in all functional areas and had substantial international sales and marketing experience.  We were very fortunate to have found that person within our company. Richard Lewin has demonstrated outstanding leadership qualities during his time as President and the Board is very confident that we have the right person to be the Chief Executive Officer and lead our 100-year-old, employee-owned company for many years.” Mr. Lewin said, “I am honored by the opportunity to lead this dynamic organization.  We have expanded our reach dramatically over the past several years in both the worldwide markets we serve and the products we offer.  We, as employee-owners of The Will-Burt Company, have created a positive culture that I am proud to be a part of and I am looking forward to leading this company through its second century.” Mr. Lewin has spent 10 years at Will-Burt in a variety of roles.  Initially hired to be the Commercial Director at Will-Burt EU in The United Kingdom, Richard also served as Sales Director, Vice President and General Manager, and as the Senior Vice President responsible for all worldwide businesses. Most recently, Richard has held the titles of COO and President, while guiding the company to a record 2019 and positioning the company for a successful future. Prior to his time at Will-Burt, Mr. Lewin served as Sales Director at J.D.C., Europe’s largest fire truck manufacturer, he has held various senior level roles at various companies including Utilux (a Textron company), Alcan Metal Centers and owned and operated his own successful company, The Pegasus Group.

Plans to build Theale Tri-Service Fire Station get green light from RBFA A new fire station will be built in Theale, after plans for a new full time station were approved by Members of the Royal Berkshire Fire Authority’s (RBFA) Management Committee. Theale will become a tri-service community station, offering a shared location for Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service (RBFRS), Thames Valley Police (TVP) and South Central Ambulance Service (SCAS). The new site, which is being purchased from Network Rail, was identified during a search to optimise the locations of RBFRS’ fire stations with the aim of improving the overall speed of response. Emergency vehicles will be closer to the local communities of Calcot, Thatcham and Theale, as well as benefitting from improved access to the wider county via the M4 and A4 corridors RBFRS firefighters and TVP’s Neighbourhood Policing Team will be based on site, together with paramedics from SCAS who will be able to use the station’s facilities when on standby. A community room will also be included in the build, providing a flexible, fully accessible meeting space for local residents and community groups to use. Councillor Angus Ross, Lead Member for Strategic Assets on Royal Berkshire Fire Authority: “The inclusion of these facilities ensures that the station will be an asset and resource for local residents to make use of. This is just one example of RBFRS delivering on its commitment to put fire stations at the heart of the communities they serve.” “Careful planning has ensured the plans will provide ‘state of the art’ modern operational facilites for the Blue Light services as well as a community hub.” Prior to work getting underway, a groundbreaking ceremony was held at the site to mark the beginning of construction work. Those in attendance included senior representatives from RBFA, RBFRS and local residents, who were among those consulted in the development of the plans.

Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) welcomes 57 new graduate firefighters Just before Christmas on December 20, The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) welcomed the latest additions to its firefighter ranks. Fifty seven recruits graduated in front of proud family and friends during an emotional ceremony at the SFRS Headquarters in Cambuslang. The delighted graduates were lauded by SFRS Chief Officer Martin Blunden before displaying a series of drills, showcasing what they’d learned during a gruelling 14-week training course. Paying tribute to the commitment of Scotland’s new firefighters, Chief Officer Blunden said: “It fills me with immense pride to see these men and women graduate in front of their loved ones. “Being here today means they have successfully completed an intense three-month training programme, which will have tested them both physically and mentally. “This training regime is designed to ensure we have the very best people wearing the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service crest while protecting Scotland’s communities, so each and every one of today’s graduates has earned the right to hold their head high.” Chief Officer Blunden added: “There is no doubt that this is an exciting time to be joining the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, as we seek to broaden the role of firefighters to protect communities from new and emerging risks. “Indeed, in the days, months and years to come, these men and women will play a vital role in helping to keep their communities safe. “But, for now, I’d like to once again pass on my congratulations to all of our trainees and welcome them to theScottish Fire and Rescue Service family. Today is the fourth and final, graduation ceremony of 2019. This year has seen 170 graduates join up with firefighter crews across Scotland. “May I take this opportunity to wish each and everyone of them the very best as they continue their careers with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.” The recruits applied after the Service launched its ‘Break the Mould’ campaign in April. It saw the overall number of applicants rise by almost 25% – from 4,373 previously to a total of 6,075. And this included 771 applications from women – compared to just 360 previously. More applications were also submitted by the LGBTQ+ and ethnic communities.

How ULTITEC are well prepared for INTERSEC 2020 in Dubai According to Protective Clothing Market Global Forecast to 2024 by MarketsandMarkets, the protective clothing market size is projected to reach USD 3.6 billion by 2024 from USD 2.6 billion in 2019, at a CAGR of 6.5%.  The key market players profiled in the report include 3M (US), DuPont (US), Kimberly Clark (US), International Enviroguard (US), ULTITEC (Taiwan) and Lakeland (US).  ULTITEC is proud to be mentioned as a major influencer as this has proven that ULTITEC have moved beyond Asia and into the international standard.  ULTITEC will be participating in INTERSEC 2020 again to introduce appropriate protective clothing to more potential users in the Middle East regions.  Currently, the company has various renowned users – namely Shell Qatar, Qatargas, Dolphin Energy Limited, Kuwait National Petroleum Company (KNPC), Qatar Chemical Company (Q-Chem) and others – and from the report, stringent regulations pertaining to the safety of personnel in developed economies are expected to drive the protective clothing market.  “You know the job, we know the protection and our first goal is your safety,” said Jason Lin, General Manager of ULTITEC.  “We help you not only to comply with regulations, but your life is also what we care the most. In the ULTITEC world, all frontline operators come home safe. With over 10 years of experience in occupational safety, we do more than provide protective clothing.  “We build comprehensive safety training services to ensure frontline operators not only wear their protective gear, but also understand how to work safely,“  “This year, we are proud to announce few advanced services namely ULTITEC Selection App, Donning and Doffing Animated Video, Data Centre and Online Product Training Videos.  “ULTITEC encouraged appropriate selection of protective clothing, but there will be different varieties of uncertainty in Human Decision-Making.  “This App will minimise this uncertainty and assist you to select based on Occupational Risk, CE Certification, Additional Standard and ULTITEC Product Line. Our professional team will specially demonstrate the App during INTERSEC 2020.”

New South Wales declare state of emergency following bushfires Australia is currently reeling following bushfires and the state of New South Wales have now declared a week-long state of emergency in response. The threat of bushfires is ever-growing and has forced the state into making the decision, which comes into place on 08:00am on 3/1/2020 Australian time. The state has done so on the basis of a) what has already happened thus far and b) because of the strong winds and high temperatures that are forecast for the coming weekend, which they have stated will lead to “widespread extreme fire danger.” Australia as a country have broken their record for the hottest day on record twice over the last few weeks and since September, 18 people have died from bushfires, while over 1200 homes have been ruined across both Victoria and New South Wales. The threat is getting more and more severe and there are at least 17 people who are currently missing from the bushfires that have emerged from this week alone. The threat has seen thousands of people flee New South Wales, which in itself is a tourist hotbed, as supplies are running dangerously low in areas that are not centrally located. The state of emergency will enable local authorities to evacuate people, close roads and tie up any other loose ends that are needed in order to provide safety for the residents. Speaking about the state of emergency called in relation to the bushfires, Gladys Berejiklian, New South Wales Premier, said that it wasn’t a decision that was made easily, but the safety of people is at the forefront of their thinking given the challenging and dangerous circumstances. “We don’t take these decisions lightly but we also want to make sure we’re taking every single precaution to be prepared for what could be a horrible day on Saturday,” Berejiklian commented.  

Vimpex Smart Guarding will deter false alarms from happening A focus of particular interest to risk management is the Vimpex Smart+Guard, a tamper-evident protective cover showcasing at Intersec 2020 Dubai (Hall 4, Stand C40). The Vimpex Smart+Guard is a tough polycarbonate hinged protective cover that can easily be installed over a range of call points, emergency switches and other devices to provide protection from vandalism, accidental damage or misuse. Smart+Guard can also be fitted with an integral battery powered alarm that, when lifted, emits an ear piercing 90 dB alarm, warning the user that the device is for emergency use only and should not be tampered with. It is commonly installed over fire alarm break glass call points to protect the break glass from deliberate misuse or accidental damage and this effectively reduces the incidents of false fire alarms. Also featured by Vimpex is their industry-leading, state-of-the-art Identifire range of 50+ evacuation and alarm sounders, beacons and system accessories, all manufactured in the UK by Vimpex. UL certified, their flawless functionality combines with sleek design to ensure easy installation. They can be customised and come with versatile flush or surface mounted options. Also on show is Vimpex’s Fire-Cryer range of voice enhanced sounders, the proven solution that reduces delay and evacuation response times, yet is as simple to install as electronic sounders. Fire-Cryer Solo provides the clearest, unambiguous voice message for communication at critical times. Established in 1994, Vimpex claim to be the UK’s leading independent manufacturer and distributor of Fire Detection, Alarm and Evacuation products and accessories and will be out in force at Intersec 2020

FireDos unveil new generation of foam agent proportioners with GEN III With GEN III, FireDos is introducing a new generation of foam agent proportioners to the market. Doing so, FireDos has optimised its specially developed and purely mechanical system consisting of water motor and piston pump. GEN III is characterised, among others, by more compact dimensions, reduced pressure loss, improved cylinder cut-off and optimised delivery of highly viscous and pseudoplastic foam agents. As a result of an optimisation process, GEN III shares the advantages of the previous FireDosproportioners and adds numerous improvements to them. Its sturdier and smaller design makes transport and installation of the system easier. Hydraulic optimisation has led to pressure loss reduction by 25%, allowing an optimum extinguishing water flow. The cylinder cut-off for selecting the proportioning rate has been improved, ensuring higher precision even under severe system conditions. Compared with previous models, the suction capacity of GEN III has been optimised to deliver even highly viscous and fluorine-free foam agents without problems. “GEN III is a new level of evolution. We have adapted the product to the requirements on the market. In the course of this, we did not move away from the basic FireDos proportioners’ product concept but optimised it according to the customers’ requirements,” explains Frank Preiss, Managing Director of FireDos. Foam agent proportioners by FireDos have a purely mechanical design and are driven just by the flow of extinguishing water. The units work flow-proportionally, guaranteeing exact foam agent proportioning across a wide range of extinguishing water flow rates and pressures. In addition, they allow efficient testing of the proportioning rate without producing any foam or premix.

Woodway Engineering release innovative lighted mounting solution With an aim to develop a universal light mounting solution to suit a wide range of vehicles, Woodway Engineering have launched a unique, adaptable screen mount complete with 9 customer selectable screen angles. The first of its kind, with angle options ranging from 35° to 90°, this all in one solution is fully adjustable, allowing the user to select their desired gradient for each application. Having engineered a small and lightweight mounting solution specifically designed to house the Whelen ION Mini T-Series lighthead, Woodway’s two-part Adjustable Screen Pod weighs in at less than 55g when fully assembled with light. Supplied with strong bonding tape, this lightweight design guarantees adhesion in all conditions, and with no mounting brackets, you can expect a quick and easy installation experience. The ION Mini T-Series lighthead is a versatile, high performance warning lighting option, available in blue, red, amber and clear, as well as duo colour options with independent flashing, with an extremely compact 13mm depth. With no light bleed or bounce back, the sleek Adjustable Screen Pod provides a discreet and innovative lighting solution for emergency service applications. When paired with tinted windows, the pod appears almost invisible, making this an excellent option for covert vehicles, too. Woodway’s Chairman Ray Skelhon explained, “Our main objective when developing the Adjustable Screen Pod was to ensure that we engineered a solution suited to almost any application. We had to ensure the pod was both lightweight, and offered multiple angles which would allow the finished product to be used on a range of different vehicle types. We’re pleased to have received such a positive response from our customers.” Designed and manufactured in the UK, the Adjustable Screen Pod for ION Mini T-Series has been developed by Warwickshire based Woodway Engineering, manufacturers of a full range of emergency lighting, equipment and accessories; and is available to purchase on the website: www.woodwayengineering.co.uk