The Fire Industry Association (FIA) unveil new Level 3 FD&A qualification The Fire Industry Association (FIA) is offering training to a new Level 3 qualification for the fire detection and alarm (FD&A) sector – Fundamentals of FD&A in Non-Domestic Premises. This new qualification is designed to provide a concise and focused introduction to the FD&A sector. It is ideal for anyone who is working in or starting out in the fire detection industry and are looking for training leading to a qualification within this area. Following the Grenfell Tower fire and subsequent Independent Review of Building Regulations & Fire Safety, along with listening to industry feedback, the FIA reviewed its current training and Level 3 qualifications available and identified the need for a more succinct Level 3 qualification focusing on the fundamentals of fire detection and alarm management. The training comprises 2 x two-day training units with an open-book exam at the end of the second unit. Those who pass will gain a Level 3 qualification based on BS 5839-1. In addition to the two standard units, there is a ‘Conversion to Fundamentals’ unit, which is available to delegates who have previously taken the FIA’s Foundation to FD&A course. Delegates successfully completing the conversion unit & exam will gain the Level 3 Fundamentals of Fire Detection and Alarm Systems in Non-Domestic Premises qualification. The current advanced qualifications which the FIA have been running since the start of 2018 will continue to run alongside the new qualifications. FIA CEO, Ian Moore says, “We have been running our Level 3 qualifications for over a year now and it is clear from the feedback a different style of exam is needed. Modern exam techniques focus more on where to find the information that is readily available (i.e. through the internet, manuals or standards) and not a memory test as I was used to ‘back in the day’. The new Fundamentals qualification will have an open book (BS 5839-1 or the FIA training manual) exam and having completed, what we consider to be world-class, training the learners will be able to approach the exam with confidence.” People can find out more information and even enrol here.

Fire cadets come to Eastleigh and Gosport in Hampshire, England Hampshire fire stations have rolled up their shutter doors to welcome a new batch of Fire Cadet recruits. Two new fire cadet units have been launched in Hampshire to give young people the opportunity to gain essential social, life, work and wellbeing skills. Eastleigh Headquarters and Gosport Fire Station have opened their doors to a new batch of recruits aged 13-17 years old, joining Ringwood Fire Station in hosting the nationally recognised programme. Following the success of the New Forest-based unit, the HFRS Children and Young People (CYP) team, supported by the Hampshire Fire and Rescue Authority, secured funding to deliver the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) programme. Volunteer cadet instructors deliver the programme which offers young people the chance to gain a BTEC Level 2 qualification and develop confidence and personal skills. The programme runs one evening a week during term-time. Having just launched prior to the summer school break, cadets and volunteers were given the time to bond before their programme fully began in September. This is just the start for the CYP team who aim to open seven units across the county by 2021, offering more than 100 young people the opportunity to complete the programme. Director of Operations, Stew Adamson said: “I’m delighted that we’ve opened two brand new cadet units in Eastleigh and Gosport. “Our volunteer instructors will deliver the national cadet programme, which gives 13-17 year olds the opportunity to develop their leadership, communication, firefighting and first aid skills. “Supported by stations and the success of our Ringwood unit, the cadets will be able to use social action to make a real difference in their community.” Cadet Watch Manager, Emily joined cadets when she realised her brother was having all the fun! Emily said: “At cadets we do lots of ladder, hose and breathing apparatus drills. Some of the equipment is just for us because it needs to be slightly smaller, but where possible we use the real station equipment. “It’s really exciting to be using Ringwood’s fire engine in training then hear the bells go down and the retained crew dash in to take the fire engine out we were just practicing with. You don’t get more of a realistic experience than that.”

Bristol Uniforms mark 40 year anniversary working in Qatar Bristol Uniforms and its distributor International Gulf Trading Company is this year celebrating a successful 40-year partnership, which has seen it build a sound customer base and a strong reputation for quality in the region. International Gulf Trading Company is part of the Al Mana Holding. It is the region’s leading fire safety equipment and security solutions provider. Its capabilities range from the provision of sophisticated fire detection and fire-fighting systems for major high-risk, high-value installations to solutions for smaller industrial, commercial or domestic use. International Gulf Trading Company became a Bristol Uniforms distributor in 1979 and together we supply firefighter PPE to Qatar Civil Defense and the oil and gas industry in the region, including Qatar Petroleum and Qatar Gas. A lunch and presentation took place at the Al Mana residence in Qatar’s capital Doha. Attending the celebration were Maged Hassaballah and Rami Batrawi of International Gulf Trading Company, Paul Gibson of Bristol Uniforms, and Maher Alzaeem, Hamad Al Mana and Abdulrahman Al Mana of Al Mana Holding. Rami Batrawi, General Manager of International Gulf Trading Company said: “As a total capability company, International Gulf Trading Company is ideally positioned to provide firefighter PPE to both the Civil Defence and the oil and gas industry in the region. Thanks to Bristol Uniforms, we are able to offer top-of-the-range PPE at a competitive price. “We have formed an extremely productive partnership which continues to go from strength to strength. It was nice to mark the occasion, reflect on the last 40 years and look to our exciting future.” Paul Gibson, International Sales Manager at Bristol Uniforms said: “International Distributors, such as International Gulf Trading Company, are an integral part of our business. They have extensive knowledge and a unique understanding of the markets they operate in. “Their industry insight, and our quality firefighting PPE, are a winning combination. To mark this momentous occasion we presented an engraved, Bristol Blue Glass, plaque. Like our clothing, Bristol Blue Glass is world-renowned and has been made in our city since the 1800s, therefore ideal to mark our successful, long-standing partnership.” Bristol’s ergonomically designed XFlex kit with distinctive sports styling is very popular in this region. It enables an excellent range of movement and flexibility, which helps firefighters carry out a variety of physical roles more effectively. In addition, its combination of protective and breathable light-weight materials offer maximum comfort and guard against heat stress, a major consideration in hot and humid countries like Qatar.

LION expands Totalcare PPE gear cleaning and maintenance services LION First Responder PPE hosted a grand opening of their newest TotalCare facility on November 8. TotalCare represents LION’s high-quality fire gear maintenance services, including PPE repair & retrofitting, advanced cleaning, decontamination, biohazard disinfection, and advanced PPE inspection. The event included a presentation by official guest speaker Ron Siarnicki, National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF) Executive Director sharing the mission and importance of taking precautions to avoid exposure to dangerous particulates, tours explaining and showcasing the gear cleaning & maintenance equipment and processes, as well as complimentary lunch. LION’s Mobile Fire Experience will also be on-hand, providing a unique opportunity for firefighters to experience the latest training technology with hands-on live fire and digital fire demonstrations. First responders can also check out additional safety equipment, such as NFPA-certified turnout gear, while at the event and visit distributor partner NAFECO’s Store Open House at 715 Park North Blvd, Suite 120, Clarkston, GA  30021. “We are very proud of our work to address the issue of cancer in the fire service by increasing the protection of first responders against carcinogens and harmful particulates, as well as increasing awareness and advocating for their safety,” said Mark Smith, President of LION Americas. “This mission is at the core of everything we do.” Adding comment was LION VP TotalCare Jim Baker, who said: “Our newest facility, providing the highest level of proper, verified ISP [Independent Service Provider] gear cleaning & repair demonstrates not only a commitment to the safety and health of firefighters, but also to the dedicated employees performing the work. “As a leader in this industry it is our duty to take the necessary steps to protect all individuals who come in contact with ‘dirty gear’ and this facility, with state-of-the-art, chemical-free, highly specialised ozone generators, as well as forward-thinking containment processing procedures delivers on LION’s commitment to mitigate risks throughout the process.” The new 13,000 square foot facility expands LION’s gear cleaning and maintenance services to cover Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, and South Carolina.

Students to be re-housed following blaze at flats in Bolton, England The students that were forced to evacuate a block of flats in Bolton, England following a serious fire are set to be re-housed, with an investigation also taking place. On November 15 at 20:30, a fire ripped through The Cube student accommodation in Bolton, which left many students with no possessions. Following a crowdfunding appeal, over £10,000 has been raised for students of the University of Bolton that were directly affected as a result of the blaze. Two people suffered injuries following the fire, thankfully with no deaths, but confusion ran riot among the residents given that fire alarms go off almost on a daily basis at the building. The key issue is that much like the Grenfell Tower disaster, the fire spread rapidly through the cladding on the outside of the building – though in this case, the cladding material was different to that of Grenfell. At the fire’s height, close to 200 firefighters from 40 different fire engines were fighting the blaze – which had an impact on every single floor – and crews remained on site until 05:30 to ensure that the fire was completely put out.

Dräger SCBA earns NFPA certification Dräger earned certification for its latest Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) based on the 2018 Edition of National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) standards, as announced recently in the common notification from the certification organisation. “Dräger is proud of our legacy of saving American lives for more than 100 years, and our newest SCBA will continue that tradition for American and Canadian firefighters,” said John Wilson, senior vice president for Dräger U.S. “The worldwide team at Dräger worked to ensure the 2018 Edition of our SCBA would be a fitting successor to the 2013 version.” Dräger-authorised sales partners throughout the United States and Canada will be able to order the newest SCBA configurations today. SCBAs are in stock and were ready to ship in October. Although similar to the 2013 Edition and bearing the same name, some significant changes are included in the 2018 Edition of Dräger SCBAs: Firstly, the connection of the lung-demand valve (LDV) to the full-face mask includes two independent release buttons. Pressing either button will not disengage the LDV; both buttons must be pressed simultaneously. The previous version had a single release button on the mask. Secondly, the pneumatics perform at a greater range of environmental temperatures. Finally, Dräger previously offered the Buddy Breather with universal male and female connectors in the 2013 Edition. Now, the Universal Emergency Breathing Supply System (UEBSS) is an option with a 40-inch connection hose to assure mutual aid, no matter the 2018 Edition SCBA manufacturer.

Linesense to display linear heat detection capabilities at Intersec 2020 Linesense is exhibiting at Intersec 2020 (Stand 4-G32), focusing on its range of FM approved Linear Heat Detection (LHD) cables, alongside the Linesense DLI-2K Digital Location Interface and DIM Digital Interface Modules. These interface units monitor the cable along its entire length and are certified to SIL – 2 (Safety Integrity Level), making them a cost-effective method of providing reliable fire detection in high-risk hazardous situations. The cables provide early warning of overheating, with a range which extends from a temperature activation point of 68°C through to 240°C. This means the technology can be employed in a number of different applications including floating roof storage tanks, cable trays, tunnels and conveyors. A recent growth area for Linesense has been in mass transit applications. LHD is being employed to provide protection in metro projects as well as enabling early detection of bus and coach fires. Commenting on the company’s decision to attend Intersec, Ian Jacob, Linesense Marketing Manager, said – “we are seeing significant growth in our export markets and Intersec provides the opportunity to further strengthen our position in the Middle East, Africa and Indian subcontinent. “The petrochemical industry is one in which we have extensive experience, providing effective fire protection for storage tanks with a system that is third party assessed to IEC61508 and certified as SIL-2 capable. It is therefore ideally suited to the particular fire safety challenges posed by highly flammable substances. “The need for such protection is clear from a headline statistic which shows that some 480 fire tank incidents were recorded worldwide over a 50 year period.”

New app from Fireward gives complete control over mobile workforce Automatic fire suppression specialist, Fireward Ltd, has rolled out high-tech mobile workforce management software, providing real-time visibility to field operations within the business. The App-based software, JobWatch sees field-based engineers equipped with rugged tablets, replacing all need for physical paperwork, delivering a 5-in-1 business solution incorporating a CRM, job scheduling, tracking, invoicing and management reporting. Formed in 2009, Fireward is regarded as the UK’s leading specialist in fire suppression systems for mobile and heavy plant machinery and equipment. The Chelmsford-based company installs, maintains and services systems manufactured by Reacton Fire Suppression Ltd, which detects and suppresses fires in a matter of seconds. Fireward’s certified engineers install, maintain and service fire suppression systems across the UK. Providing a rapid response service, engineers use their tablets, for everything from risk assessment and post-fire reports to job checklists and vehicle inspections. Edward Barnes, CEO of Fireward comments; “Fire is often overlooked as a cause of disruption and as a serious risk to the business itself. The immediate physical damage is only part of the problem caused by a fire; the costs of operational disruption and reputational damage often far exceed the cost of the original damage. Without adequate protection, it can take just a matter of minutes to bring a company to its knees.” “We were pleased to discover BigChange at a show back in 2016. We had been through a long and unsuccessful process trying to get three different systems working for our business and all had failed. Due to the ease of set-up, we were able to implement the system ourselves in just two weeks,” says Barnes.

Firefighter applications from under-represented groups double The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service has welcomed double the number of firefighter applications from women, ethnic minorities and the LGBTQ+ community compared to previous years, latest figures reveal. The Service launched a wholetime firefighter recruitment campaign in April which 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. It also saw 403 people from the LGBTQ+ community submit applications compared to the previous 168 with 157 applications from those within the ethnic community compared to the previous 69. As a result, almost a quarter of the 84 new firefighters who began their exhaustive 14-week training course last month are female. The applications were shortlisted “blindly” by hand – meaning no identifying data was made available such as names, gender, age, ethnicity or sexuality. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service’s Director of Human Resources and Organisational Development, Liz Barnes congratulated all of the success recruits. She said: “We received a very high volume of applications and we were clear from the outset that there were no quotas here and that no one had any advantage. “It was vital that applicants hit a very high standard for their applications to be accepted. Those who were successful should be thoroughly proud of themselves. “We also encouraged under-represented groups to apply and the figures show that we have taken another step forward as an organisation in reflecting the very rich and diverse communities we serve.” She added: “Our process is designed to ensure a level playing field from the outset. “Our standards have never changed, and they are high – but if you have what it takes, then we will help you get there.”

Scotland firefighters attend over 350 fires on Bonfire Night 2019 Firefighters across Scotland dealt with more than 350 bonfires on their busiest night of the year. Initial figures indicate that Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) crews had responded to approximately 359 bonfires across the country between 3.30 pm and 11.30 pm on Tuesday, November 5. Meanwhile, Operations Control firefighters handled 882 calls from members of the public. There were also several attacks on crews, but no firefighters were seriously injured. SFRS had appealed to the public to choose to attend organised events rather than do-it-yourself fireworks displays or illegal bonfires. Assistant Chief Officer John Dickie is the SFRS Director of Response and Resilience. He said: “Bonfire Night is our busiest night of the year by far, and indeed it tops off one of our busiest four-week periods in the year. “In addition to attending the numerous deliberate fires and bonfires, our firefighters continued to respond to the full range of emergencies we face day-to-day. “Our frontline crews and Operations Control personnel and support staff have shown extreme dedication over this period and I would like to pay tribute to their professionalism, skill and hard work which enabled them to help protect communities. “In addition, I must thank our partners and indeed communities across Scotland for their assistance and support.” As well as attending an overall estimated total of 665 incidents over the course of the night, firefighters were also attacked a reported six times during the Bonfire Night time period. He added: “Any number of attacks on emergency service responders is completely unacceptable. “This type of behaviour not only prevents our crews from bringing any emergency to a safe and swift conclusion but it can impact on our emergency service colleagues including the police when they have to escort us at the scene.”