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Campus upgrade uses Apollo's SOTERIA® Range

Apollo Fire Detectors has announced the installation of its SOTERIA® range of detectors at The University of Hertfordshire, a modern education establishment based in Hatfield and home to 25,000 staff and students. The University’s ‘2020 Estates Vision’ is a detailed plan which sets out an ongoing maintenance and improvement schedule for its facilities. As part of the schedule of works, the Vision outlined a replacement of the existing fire alarm system across its College Lane campus. To carry out this programme, Imtech – commissioned to carry out refurbishment works at the campus – chose Lloret Fire & Security to install the fire protection system. To address the many challenges posed by large educational premises, including multi-purpose spaces and large numbers of transient staff and pupils, Lloret specified the Apollo SOTERIA® detector range, installed in conjunction with the Apollo’s Intelligent Manual Call Point. Discussing the choice, John Griffith, Head of Building Surveying at the University, commented: “We were looking for a technologically advanced fire detection system to protect buildings which are used for a variety of activities, including lecture theatres, offices and creative arts studios.” The upgrade saw more than 680 SOTERIA® devices installed across the four buildings, including 500 smoke detectors, 70 heat detectors and 107 call points, with numerous VAD sounder bases and interfaces fitted to supplement them. In total, more than 1,100 Apollo devices now protect the University. “The trust we put in our contractor and their supply chain has paid off,” summarised Griffith. “The project was completed on time, and we now have a technologically advanced fire detection system that will protect students and staff for many years to come.”

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Hampshire FRS sign up with Infographics' Azure Cloud Managed Services

Exclusives, News Desk / Editor

Infographics UK Ltd., a specialist software manufacturer and Microsoft® Gold Partner, announced on the 13th July that Hampshire Fire & Rescue Service (FRS) has gone live with their new Microsoft Azure Managed Service option. Azure is Microsoft’s global cloud platform for building, deploying and managing services and applications. Clients are now able to run Infographics’ mission-critical solutions for Enterprise Resource Management and Business Process & Case Management on the Azure platform. This includes FireWatch®, TeamWatch® and FloSuite® based solutions. Hampshire FRS are one of Infographics’ first clients to move to the Azure Cloud, and have approaching 2,000 end users of the FireWatch and FloSuite solutions – previously provided via an ‘on premise’ infrastructure. The new agreement has migrated their existing FireWatch and FloSuite applications into Azure, with Infographics providing an additional fully-managed service for both infrastructure and solutions, and 24 x 7 support. Colin Sutherland, Systems Manager at Hampshire Fire & Rescue, said: “We’re extremely pleased to have moved over to the Azure Hosted Environment provided by Infographics. This has delivered us cost savings based on the previous hosting arrangement we had in place, increased our level of resilience and support, and also delivered greater flexibility to our employees as they are now able to access our suite of applications from anywhere they have internet access. This marks a major milestone for ourselves and for Infographics as we move forward with our ICT Transformation to move into cloud-based solutions.” As a Microsoft Gold Partner, Infographics’ IT professionals have both the Microsoft platform and solution knowledge to remove the complexities surrounding Azure, by assuming management and support responsibilities for customers. Microsoft Azure is a collection of integrated cloud services, covering analytics, computing, database, mobile, networking, storage and web offerings. Azure provides an integrated toolset, pre-built templates and managed services make it easier to build and manage enterprise, mobile, web and Internet of Things apps faster. With the broadest global footprint, largest compliance portfolio, enterprise-grade SLAs and world-class support, Azure provides a robust, resilient and reliable environment – not just for your Infographics applications, but also other workloads. Azure cloud has been designed for enterprise needs with 85 per cent of Fortune 500 companies already using it.

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Choosing the right PPE to fight fire

News Desk / Editor

Roger Startin, Joint Managing Director at Bristol Uniforms, explores the specific requirements and selection process for Airport Firefighter PPE Thankfully, aircraft fires and accidents are rare, but when they happen the ability to respond quickly and effectively is paramount. Since most aircraft accidents take place during take-off or landing, the response of the airport fire crew can and does play a major part in minimising injuries and loss of life. As such, airport firefighters have a unique job role which varies considerably to that of municipal firefighters. They must be ready at all times to respond to major and intensive fire incidents involving large aircraft, passengers and fuel. In the UK, they also have a tighter target response time of just 3 minutes, set by the Civil Aviation Authority. Training and preparation for these scenarios is specific and uses particular equipment, and forms a significant part of the job. However, airport firefighters are also required to respond to other emergency situations in and around the airport. Bristol Airport’s Deputy Chief Fire Officer, Rich Lynn, who has 48 firefighters on station, comments: “Our main responsibiity is to respond to aircraft-related incidents, however, we also provide a domestic response to safeguard the Airport’s infrastruture. This can include such calls as fire alarm activations, bin fires, car fires, fuel spillages, security-related incidents and medical emergencies.” As a result, PPE for airport firefighters needs to be suitable for all these situations. There is no time to change uniforms for each emergency, the PPE must offer protection and be comfortable for every call-out. Bristol Uniforms has been supplying PPE to airport firefighters across the globe for many years. Most, if not all, airports use a selection procedure for purchasing PPE which involves trialling samples from several manufacturers. Selection is based on a number of criteria including wearer comfort, durability, price, sizing, availabilty of stock and the provision of managed care services for cleaning and repair. In Europe, we supply airport firefighting services in Budapest, Oporto and Amsterdam Schiphol. In the UK, airports include Gatwick, Bristol, Manchester, Edinburgh and Glasgow. Across European and UK airports in recent years, we have seen a steady move to replace traditional PPE designs with Bristol’s XFlex designs, which are more suited to the wider variety of incidents today’s airport firefighters are likely to face. XFlex is light-weight and breathable, which helps to minimise heat stress. Its ergonomic design with distinctive sports styling means that it is suitable for various hazardous roles. Above all, our customers tell us it is particularly comfortable to wear. It is certified to EN469:2005 Level 2 and complies with EN343 waterproof and EN1149 anti-static standards. Both Edinburgh Airport FRS and Glasgow Airports FRS have recently placed orders for 60 replacement XFlex uniforms; Edinburgh opting for a navy Hainsworth TITAN1220 outer fabric, and Glasgow selecting the same but in Paris Blue. Further afield, XFlex is also the PPE of choice for the Peruvian Airports Authority, or Aeropuertos del Peru, which manages and operates 12 regional airports including Cajamarca, Huaraz, Tarapoto, Chachapoyas, Pisco, Talara, Chiclayo, Tumbers, Piura, Trujillo, Iquitos and Pucallpa. XFlex was selected for its ergonomics and comfort in various working conditions, and PBI outer-fabric was specified due to its strength and performance in close-proximity firefighting. For this client, Bristol had to ensure that the design adhered to the NFPA structural firefighting standard, NFPA1971:2013, which is generally adopted across the USA, Middle East and Latin America. Bristol is also the largest supplier of PPE to airports in Australia. We have supplied Airservices Australia for a number of years, which is responsible for managing firefighting services at 26 of the country’s busiest airports, including Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Darwin and Perth. Together with our distributor Pac Fire Australia, we recently secured a new five-year contract to supply and maintain their PPE. Following extensive wearer trials, Airservices Australia opted for Bristol’s Ergotech Action range, which offers special shaping for optimal compatibility and greater rotational mobility. In particular, the lightweight, ergonomic range features special shoulder shaping, eliminating the shoulder seam, which provides greater comfort when wearing breathing apparatus, plus large underarm gussets for greater reach manoeuvrability. Airservices Australia was familiar with this design as its existing kit is currently from the same range. This time, however, it opted for a Hainsworth TITAN1260 gold outer, a Goreâ CROSSTECHâ Airlock moisture barrier and a red Nomexâ slick liner – a slightly different fabric combination to reflect the newer, better performing materials available on the market today. Airservices specified that the ensemble must be certified to the requirements of the Australian National Standards Body, NZS/AS 4967:2009. By working closely with airport firefighters over the years, we have seen the demands of the job shift and change, and have in turn provided updated solutions to offer maximum protection. It is crucial that PPE manufacturers understand the specific role and needs of each crew, wherever they are in the world, so that the very best protection can be provided.

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A new fire alarm system at West Dean College, UK, keeps students safe

News Desk / Editor

The college is protected by Hochiki – the leading life safety systems manufacturer has installed a new fire alarm system at West Dean College, UK, to help keep students and lecturers safe. Leading life safety systems manufacturer, Hochiki Europe, has helped keep college students and their lecturers’ safe with the installation of a new fire alarm system. West Dean College, West Sussex, UK is internationally renowned for creative arts and conservation education, attracting students to 700+ short courses, and specialist degree and diploma programmes. The two kilometre estate is comprised of seven different educational, residential and leisure buildings, some of which date back to the 19th century. The college invited Southern Fire Alarms (SFA) to design and install a new fire alarm system compliant with British Standards. A key concern for any college is false alarms; they not only disrupt lessons, but can also cause unnecessary panic, increasing the risk of possible injuries and accidents. As such, SFA had to ensure it selected the most reliable and robust solution on the market. As a result, SFA specified approximately 200 Hochiki Europe detectors including Photoelectric Smoke Sensors, designed with High Performance Chamber Technology, across the seven buildings. In addition, 41 manual call points with short circuit isolators were installed; allowing the system to retain its integrity and operate as required, even if loop cables became compromised. The size of the site also called for an increased number of base sounders, with a total of 64 being used to offer optimum sound coverage. Oliver Reynolds, Director at Southern Fire Alarms, said: “Hochiki Europe detection paired with the Advanced Electronics MXPro5 panels were our first choice of products for this project. The combination of the two provides unrivalled system performance, configurability and above all reliability. The client had very specific needs when it came to cause and effect – both locally within each building but also in terms of network alarm information transfer and cause and effect – which were easily fulfilled.” Each of the products specified for the new system feature Hochiki Europe’s Enhanced System Protocol (ESP). Selecting an open protocol like Hochiki’s ESP, affords the installer the freedom to select a combination of devices and panels that will best suit the project, and can reduce ongoing maintenance costs for the building owner. In this instance, SFA selected an Advanced Electronics Panel which seamlessly communicates with Hochiki Europe devices. Ian Graham, Director of Property and Campus Operations at West Dean College, commented: “The safety of our students and staff is of paramount importance, and this is only possible with the installation of an effective life safety system. It’s essential, however, that the benefits of these products are not compromised by false alarms. “Hochiki Europe’s products are highly intelligent and promised efficiencies in reducing false alarms, making them a sound choice for this project.” Speaking about the impact of false alarms, Michael Reed, Regional Sales Manager at Hochiki Europe explained: “False alarms are a growing problem in the fire safety industry. According to a 2015 Building Research Establishment (BRE) report, false alarms cost public sector organisations more than £1 billion per year. As well as the financial implications involved, false alarms also waste valuable time and resources that could be spent on genuine emergencies. “Education can play a vital role in eliminating false alarms. This, combined with correct installation and regular maintenance, can help building managers to reduce the risk of false alarms and protect the wellbeing of building occupants.” Following a successful installation across the seven buildings, a further two buildings have been fitted with a Hochiki Europe fire safety system. To find out more about the full range of Hochiki Europe products, visit: www.hochikieurope.com

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Bayco's LED USB Rechargeable Tactical Dual-Light Flashlight delivers versatility

News Desk / Editor

The new Nightstick flashlight is designed with ease of use in mind, with an in-body USB recharging port that makes removing batteries a thing of the past. Bayco Products Inc., a Texas, USA based leader in professional grade lighting products has announced the availability of their new 850 Lumen Nightstick NSR-9854XL LED USB Rechargeable Tactical Dual-Light Flashlight. The new waterproof USB integrated port innovation obsoletes the need to recharge flashlight using a separate charger, saving time while adding convenience. “Our Nightstick brand is already known as the innovator of Dual-Light Technology and we just upped the stakes again with the introduction of our new in-body USB recharging port that eliminates the need for external chargers and the need to remove the battery from the flashlight to recharge.” says Russell Hoppe, Marketing Manager for Nightstick. “No one else offers waterproof USB recharging capability directly into the flashlight body while also offering 6 different lighting modes including dual-light.” he continued. The Nightstick NSR-9854XL USB Rechargeable Multi-Function Tactical Dual-Light Flashlight uses a CREE® LED rated at 850 lumens to create a usable beam rated at 280 meters. A 200 lumen unfocused floodlight is smartly integrated in to the housing which is perfect for close-up illumination. Both the flashlight and the floodlight can be used independently or at the same time in dual-light mode for maximum safety and versatility. The NSR-9854XL also features a unique tail-switch that operates both the flashlight and floodlight in one configuration. The upper portion of the switch operates the flashlight that provides either momentary or constant-on functionality with high, medium or low-brightness settings as well as a disorienting strobe and the lower portion of the switch operates a downward facing floodlight. The housing, tail-cap and bezel are made from aircraft-grade 6061-T6 aluminum with a Type III hard-anodized finish. Power comes from the included rechargeable Lithium-ion battery which can be accessed through the USB charging port that has been tested to be IP-X7 waterproof. An optional CR-123 Lithium-Metal battery carrier (batteries not included) is also provided as a back-up solution. Nightstick products are built with lumen ratings that frequently exceed competitor products, but also with optimised performance characteristics such as candela, beam distance and run-times. Their designs take into consideration factors that impact a light’s efficiency and performance in a variety of settings. The Nightstick product line uses CREE® LEDs, the #1 LED manufacturer in the world with products designed and manufactured using the best quality housing materials, precision engineered reflectors, reliable real-world switch functionality, state-of-the-art electronics and latest generation battery technology. All products that are produced in Bayco Products’ dedicated ISO 9001 Certified Factories undergo thorough quality control inspections which take place throughout the manufacturing process. Also included in the Nightstick portfolio is the NSP-4650B, Helmet-mounted Multi-Function Dual-Light™ product, which serves as a Flashlight, Floodlight and Dual-Light™. The advanced technology means allows user-selectable brightness on Flashlight and Floodlight, including 15 Lumen Survival mode on Floodlight. The light works is designed to work with almost all fire helmets and hard hats, while meeting the requirements for NFPA-1971-8.6. By contrast, the FDL-300R-K01 Tactical Fire Light w/Multi-Angle Helmet Mount exhibits 140 Degrees of adjustability, has 180 lumens and also meets the requirements of NFPA-1971-8.6. Also key is the product’s 3-hour run-time.

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University of Duisburg-Essen & NFPA co-host 21st annual symposium

Event News / Editor

The Fire Protection Research Foundation, an affiliate of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), announced it will be co-hosting the 21st annual Suppression, Detection and Signalling Symposium (SUPDET® 2017) with the University of Duisburg-Essen (Germany) as part of a joint conference with the 16th International Conference on Automatic Fire Detection (AUBE ’17). The symposium will be held September 12-14, 2017 at the College Park Marriott Hotel & Conference Centre in Hyattsville, M.D. This year’s program will feature over 80 presentations over a three day period focused on the latest development in research, technology, and applications for the fire protection community, and how they can be put to use. SUPDET®/AUBE 2017 welcomes professionals and researchers in the fields of fire alarm, suppression, enforcement, insurance, and emergency communications to share their expertise and research, and to exchange ideas. The symposium will feature a variety of topics including smoke aerosol characterisation for detection applications, new detection technologies, and detection of wild fires. Some other areas of focus are new suppression research, new statistics and tests related to unwanted alarms, relevant standard updates, smart applications, unique modelling investigations, research on oxygen reduction systems, and fire protection in aircraft, vehicles, and tunnels. To register head to www.nfpa.org

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Debut of Singapore’s first dual function fire medical vehicle

News Desk / Editor

A debut of Singapore’s first dual function fire medical vehicle has taken place HOPE Technik, a leading engineering firm delivering high-performance products and solutions globally, has released the Fire Medical Vehicle (FMV). As the company’s latest emergency vehicle, the FMV is also Singapore’s first hybrid function emergency vehicle that merges the firefighting capabilities of a lightweight fire engine with the medical support functions of an ambulance. This enables firefighters who are cross-trained in emergency medical services to provide early care to accident victims, improving first response efficiency. Dual Function With a frontal appearance that has a strong resemblance to a mini fire engine, the FMV is able to carry a crew of four. Extensive engineering was carried out to ensure that the dual functions of firefighting and medical care are combined seamlessly. The fire pump module of the vehicle is housed behind the driver’s cabin. It uses Compressed Air Foam System technology to produce a firefighting medium of water, foam and air that puts out fires with less water while suppressing heat quickly. The rear of the vehicle morphs into a white ambulance cabin that caters space for one stretcher, four seats and various medical equipment, allowing the crew to render crucial first aid to incident victims before other emergency vehicles arrive. “Merging two mature emergency vehicle systems into one requires a thorough understanding of the user’s needs to ensure that the FMV meets the demands of emergency services,” said Vic Naidu, Head of HOPE Technik’s Special Vehicle Operations. “However, a dense urban environment like Singapore will command more ingenuity to achieve a viable solution and this is what sets HOPE Technik’s FMV apart.” Light and compact The FMV stands at about 2.9m high by 2.3m wide and 7.3m long, making it one of the most compact light fire engine and ambulance hybrid emergency vehicle in Asia. Employing efficient vehicle packaging, HOPE Technik’s engineers effectively created multiple compartments to hold various rescue and medical equipment typically found in a light fire engine and an ambulance. It also has a triple extension ladder attached to the vehicle roof that allows firefighters to reach a height up to 6.4m. Features within the rear ambulance cabin include flush tilt drawers, a medication cooler with a combination lock and a stretcher support system that provides assistance when loading the patient into the vehicle. The stretcher support system comes with lateral, height and tilt adjustment functions, helping to facilitate medical attention while en route to the hospital. Two rotating paramedic seats with flip down backrests for lying casualty conveyance and two rear-facing seats with one integrated child safety seat are also equipped within the cabin. With the FMV’s concept and schematic design first explored by the Singapore Civil Defence Force, the vehicle’s design development, engineering and manufacture was taken on by the Special Vehicle Operations business arm of HOPE Technik. The FMV is built on a Euro 5 Isuzu N-series truck chassis with a customised rear airbag suspension.

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High-rises in England fall short on passing fire safety tests

News Desk / Editor

High-rise buildings have fallen short on passing fire safety tests in England. The country’s Prime Minister Theresa May told the House of Commons today that cladding from 120 high-rise buildings in 37 local authority areas in England have failed fire safety tests meaning a 100% failure rate on all the samples submitted since the Grenfell Tower fire. According to the BBC, London Fire Brigade previously issued a warning to all 33 London councils about panels attached to the exterior of buildings in May this year. At least 79 people are thought to have been killed in the Grenfell Tower inferno that occurred on 14 June, prompting Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn to brand the event as a “disastrous effect of austerity” caused by there being fewer building control inspectors and planning inspectors in operation. The blaze in north Kensington started in a fridge-freezer and destroyed more than 150 homes in the block. Earlier in the week, the Prime Minister commented that there should be a “major national investigation” into the use of cladding on high-rise towers.

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