Hochiki Europe is hosting an educational webinar on the updated British Standard (BS) 5266-1: 2016 Emergency Lighting at 10am on Wednesday 1st November 2017 for those looking to boost their knowledge. The webinar, has been certified by the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) as a Continuing Professional Development (CPD) course. It will explain the changes to BS 5266, which was fully revised in November 2016, and explore the implications for life safety system installers, facilities managers, duty-holders and building owners. Renowned industry expert, Ian Watts, emergency lighting manager at Hochiki Europe, will be hosting the event, providing attendees with the benefit of his decades of experience in the field. As part of the presentation, Ian will offer practical advice and take questions on the numerous aspects of the new standard, including: The different types and categories of emergency lighting The new category of “emergency safety lighting”, and its implications Emergency lighting requirements for High Risk Task Areas Testing and Maintenance Other additional requirements in the standard Speaking about the webinar, Ian commented: “Maintaining high standards of life safety across the built environment has never been more important. “By discussing the latest changes in standards and regulations with emergency lighting experts now, professionals can gain the knowledge they need to continue to uphold the wellbeing of building occupants and ensure they feel secure in the spaces they use every day.” Please visit http://bit.ly/2idiq2Z to register for the webinar.

​Elkhart Brass has released the Elkhart Hard Facts Calculator app.  Everything you need for accurate flow testing in one app.  Calculators included in the app are:             Smooth Bore Discharges & Flow/Pressure             Nozzle Reaction for Smooth Bore Nozzles             Nozzle Reaction for Fog Nozzles             Pump Discharge Pressure for standard layouts, with ability to input hose coefficient depending on make and inside diameter             Pump Discharge Pressure with elevation changes and appliances             Pump Discharge Pressure for high-rise layouts             Fire flow formula calculators for both the NFA and Iowa Formulas Also included in the app are direct links to the Brass Tacks Hard Facts video series. This is available for FREE download on the Apple App store!  Will be available for Android users coming soon, check our website for updates! About Elkhart Brass Elkhart Brass has been a proven leader in the fire suppression industry since 1902.  Providing innovative and proven solutions, while placing equal importance on its commitment to quality, value and customer service.  Our vast product line includes handline nozzles, monitors, ERCM Industrial systems, gauges, flowmeters and valves.  Elkhart Brass is part of the Safe Fleet, Emergency & Industrial group.

High winds that are being renewed are subsequently fanning the horrific wildfires which have devastated Northern California, killing at least 23 people so far. The 22 catastrophic blazes have caused thousands of people to be left homeless, while the flames continue to spread both rapidly and unpredictably. So far, almost 300 people are missing as a result of the blaze, however, police are claiming that one of the reasons why the figure is that high could be down to the chaotic nature of the evacuations to date. In addition to this, entire towns have been abandoned in the state’s wine-producing region. Smoke has been sent as far south as San Francisco, some 60 miles (100km) away, with the fires being among the deadliest in California’s history. Over 200 fire engines and crews have been deployed to California from the rest of the US, while 73 helicopters, 30 air tankers, and almost 8000 firefighters are currently doing their best to tackle the blaze. Entire neighbourhoods of Santa Rosa – a 175000 capacity city – have been reduced to ashes as a result of the flames. Napa County in Calistoga is one of the towns who have been evacuated, with all 5000 residents being told to leave the area, while police have put in measures to stop all traffic approaching the area. Of the deaths so far, at least 13 have occurred in Sonoma County, according to officials, while 40000 homes are currently without power. 25000 people across the county have evacuated their homes. In Mendocino County, six people have died, while two have died in Napa County and two have died to Yuba County.

The UK’s Isle of Man has seen its emergency services get a timely boost after a combined fire and ambulance station opened up on the island on the 4th October. The plans for the brand new £1.45m centre, which is directly opposite the Isle of Man Airport, had been in the pipeline for a while, with Manx politicians in Tynwald approving the proposed plans back in June 2016. The Home Affairs Minister, Bill Malarkey, has stated that the opening of the station will unearth a brand new era in partnership when it comes to working between front-line emergency services on the island itself. The new station will replace Castletown’s former fire station, which had to be replaced after reaching the end of its operational life following 53 years worth of use. As for the Southern Ambulance Service, they will also move from their current base at Four Roads in Port St Mary in order to join the new station. The new combined station has modern facilities for staff, a 10m (33ft) training tower, and a drive-in/drive-out capability for both ambulances and fire appliances.

Following a colossal fire that took place in a disused building on a Fife industrial estate in Scotland, a 15-year-old boy has subsequently been charged in connection with the blaze. The fire, which took place at the Hillend Industrial Estate in Dalgety Bay, was reported at around 18:40 on the 6th September, and the teenager will be reported for wilful fire raising as a direct consequence of the events in questions. As the blaze was taking place, local authorities advised residents to stay indoors as a precaution, as there was a small amount of asbestos in the building. Thankfully, the fire didn’t get to the asbestos as it was found to have been unaffected by the blaze, meaning that there was no risk to the community. Speaking in the aftermath of the incident, Sgt Kenny Bow from Police Scotland gave a detailed breakdown of what happened, and clarified that there was no risk to the public as a result of what happened, while also stressing that parents should ram home the notion that accessing disused buildings can be dangerous. “This fire caused fear and alarm to the local community and specialist resources were required as a result of the potential asbestos concerns,” Bow said, as reported by BBC. “Fortunately, this did not present any risk to the public, but the consequences could have been far more serious. “We would also urge parents and guardians to remind children in their care not to access disused or derelict buildings, as doing so can place themselves and others in danger.”​

Civic chiefs have green lit a new policy which is aimed at improving fire safety in the aftermath of the Grenfell Tower disaster , meaning that planning bosses and developers will now have to speak to Hampshire Fire and Rescue on every single application for high rise buildings in Southampton, UK. As well as this, any new plans for hotels, NHS budilings, student accommodations and new schools will all have to be approved by fire chiefs before anything can take place. The reasoning behind this is due to the fact that at least 67 people perished following the Grenfell Tower disaster in June, where a fire, which started from a faulty fridge, flew up the cladding and took over the whole building. Councillors agreed with the proposals to include fire chiefs in the city council’s planning process in unanimous fashion. This was put into motion by Labour councillor Sharon Mintoff, who claimed that while fire services are fully entitled to submit their thoughts on proposals, under national planning law, they’re not statutory consultees.

A fire crew in Southend, UK, have been suspended from carrying out their community work tasks after a firefighter was caught on camera wrapping two children – whose father worked at the same station – in cling film at a Southend fire station. Essex Fire Service is investigating the incident after the BBC had got in touch with them after receiving pictures of the fire crew wrapping the children in cling film, with the images being sent in by a concerned party. The chief fire officer at the station, Adam Eckley, said that the images in question had ‘raised concerns’ and that a ‘thorough investigation’ was under way to get to the bottom of what took place. The main reason for the inquest is that the watch in question had been placed on ‘core duties only’, which means that they can’t carry out any of their community work that they’d normally be tasked with. The children’s mother – who refused to be named for privacy reasons in order to protect the children involved – claimed that the youngsters enjoyed what happened as it was ‘intended as a joke’ by the fire crew involved. It was in mid-September that the incident occurred, as five people – including the two children – were in attendance when the pictures were taken, and the mother of the children later put the pictures on social media platform Facebook. Although Eckley maintained that he openly encourages ‘family spirit’, he also stressed that fire stations are ultimately a ‘workplace’, and behaviour there ‘must reflect our service values and exemplify professionalism.’