Already been used to combat eight fires Firefighters are using a new piece of technology to fight fires more efficiently and help Idaho’s forests and rangelands recover quicker. It was developed in the Gem State by Idaho State University and NASA. Every year, wildfires scorch thousands of acres of Idaho, destroying homes and vegetation, and even changing the soil. After a wildfire is contained, the Bureau of Land Management or other fire management agency has just two weeks to figure out how they are going to try to help the land recover. They need all sorts of information to do that, from the soil, to the vegetation, to the land, and more. It would take an agency like the BLM four days to compile all that. But, Keith Weber, Director of ISU’s Geographic Information Systems Research Center, already had a bunch of that information from other projects. So the center created, with NASA scientists, a program called RECOVER that compiles that information much faster than four days. "We can go from nothing on the screen to a complete decision support system web-map in five minutes," said Weber. It’s an interactive map with 20 layers of information on the history and ecology of a wildfire site. Once fire managers heard about RECOVER, they wondered if it could be used while a fire is burning to help them make, not just wildfire recovery decisions, but firefighting decisions. And, of course, it could. "So, now we’ve got this decision support system that is actively being used by the BLM, Idaho Department of Lands, and so on… to get right on top of the fires as they happen," said Weber. Starting in 2013, RECOVER has so far been used on eight Idaho wildfires, including the Big Cougar and Timber Butte fires this year. It’s accessible by fire managers anywhere they can get a signal on a smartphone or tablet, and is updated in real-time. All in an effort to keep Idaho green, growing, and beautiful. According to Weber, "Yeah, it’s very cool." NASA funded a lot of the work that went into RECOVER, and NASA scientists continue to work on it daily. Weber says firefighters seem to love it. In fact, he says, they’re going to start using it to help coordinate fire retardant drops from their air tankers.

Booth features all-new Saber and Enforcer chassis Pierce Manufacturing Inc., an Oshkosh Corporation [NYSE: OSK] company, is displaying seven custom firefighting and rescue vehicles at the 2014 International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) Fire-Rescue International (FRI) Conference and Exhibition at The Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in Dallas, Tex. Among many highlights at Pierce booth #4313 are the new Pierce® Saber® and Enforcer™ custom chassis, both introduced earlier this year. In addition, Pierce Manufacturing and Hurst Jaws of Life are sponsoring the “Power to Protect” sweepstakes at the Pierce booth to benefit the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF). “We are a proud supporter of the IAFC, and Fire Rescue International is an excellent opportunity for Pierce to showcase its industry-leading lineup of fire and emergency apparatus,” said Jim Johnson, Oshkosh Corporation executive vice president and president Fire & Emergency. “From the all-new Saber and Enforcer chassis, to the groundbreaking Dash CF, visitors to the Pierce booth will not be disappointed.” A Pierce Saber and an Enforcer pumper are front and center in the Pierce booth. The Pierce Saber establishes a higher level of performance and value in its segment, while the Enforcer (available with the Pierce exclusive DD13 big block engine) supports a wide-range of apparatus configurations. Other vehicles on display in the Pierce booth include the innovative Pierce Dash® CF aerial platform (shown courtesy of the Midlothian Fire Department in Midlothian, Tex.), Dash CF pumper and a commercial-chassis based rescue vehicle (both on display courtesy of the Irving Fire Department in Irving, Tex.), Pierce Velocity™ pumper (thanks to Champions Emergency Services District in Harris County, Tex.), and a Pierce 75-foot aluminum aerial ladder (shown courtesy of the Frisco Fire Department in Frisco, Tex.).   The “Power to Protect” sweepstakes, sponsored by Pierce and Hurst Jaws of Life, will award a state-of-the-art Hurst eDRAULIC rescue set valued at more than $30,000 to a lucky entrant. FRI attendees are encouraged to purchase $10 tickets at the Pierce booth for the chance to win*. All proceeds benefit the NFFF to support its work on behalf of the families of fallen firefighters. (The winner need not be present at the drawing.) *All rules, including instructions for entry and eligibility requirements, will be at the Pierce booth. No donation required for entry.

Underpinned by third party certification UCL has broken new ground by becoming the first University to be third party certificated to carry out Life Safety Fire Risk Assessments through the UK’s leading fire and security Certification Body, NSI. UCL turned to NSI (one of the first certification bodies to be licensed to deliver BAFE’s Fire sector schemes), to take it through the process to become third party certificated to BAFE’s SP205-1 Scheme for Life Safety Fire Risk Assessment. To ensure compliance with the BAFE Scheme requirements and to prove their competency, UCL were rigorously assessed by NSI against the Scheme criteria and their documented management system. Their management system process was thoroughly audited and the execution of fire risk assessments by the appointed UCL fire safety team, witnessed by NSI. Having successfully completed the certification process, dual BAFE registration and NSI approval for the Life Safety Fire Risk Assessment Silver Scheme was granted to UCL at the end of July. UCL’s campus extends to over 250 buildings across London: these include office premises, classrooms, research facilities, laboratories and student accommodation. Those responsible for fire safety within the University are now able to prove they have the necessary competencies to carry out their own risk assessments, or sub- contract this work to a similarly competent organisation, if they so wish.   To maintain their approval with NSI, UCL have committed to carry out regular internal audits to ensure their fire risk assessors continue to meet the necessary competency requirements and they will be regularly audited by NSI to verify continued compliance with BAFE’s requirements. Keith Todd, Fire Safety Officer from UCL comments “We are delighted to have successfully attained BAFE SP205 third party certification. In so doing, we have demonstrated that UCL are providing suitable and sufficient fire risk assessments. It also helps us to ensure that we continue to operate to the highest fire safety and management standards possible, and can demonstrate this to our relevant persons, our organisation and fire authorities responsible for enforcing legislation”. On achieving their NSI approval, Richard Jenkins, NSI Chief Executive stated “I am delighted UCL chose NSI to act as their third party Certification Body. Our certification process and auditing capability has a reputation second to none within the security and fire sectors. UCL clearly understands the value that NSI certification brings: demonstrating their competence and ongoing commitment to the safety of all on their premises.” Stephen Adams, Chief Executive of BAFE, comments “There is significant evidence across the UK, that end users are recognizing the value of competent providers of fire protection services. The BAFE scheme for Fire Risk Assessment is receiving rapidly growing recognition in the public and private sectors and from the statutory bodies including the Fire and Rescue Services. The UCL team should be congratulated for their vision of excellence in achieving this certification.” Background With the introduction of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 in England & Wales (and equivalent legislation in Scotland and Northern Ireland) anyone responsible for premises that come within the scope, is required by law, to carry out a fire risk assessment. The ‘Duty Holder’ or ‘Responsible Person’ for the building(s) must ensure that a fire risk assessment is completed, so that the building is ‘safe enough’ for the escape of anyone who is lawfully allowed on the premises, or within the immediate vicinity of the building, should a fire occur. By selecting to use a third party certificated organisation to carry out fire risk assessments the ‘Responsible Person’ can help to demonstrate that they carried out “due diligence” when selecting their fire risk assessment provider. As a sector-specific Certification Body accredited by United Kingdom Accreditation Service, NSI is well placed to provide effective third party certification to this discipline.

Teaser: Dubai, UAE Website: http://www.intersecexpo.com/frankfurt/18/for-visitors/welcome.aspx

Teaser: Birmingham, UK Website: http://www.emergencyuk.com

Teaser: Essen, Germany Website: http://www.security-essen.de

To measuring sound levels in dB E2S Warning Signals, one of the world’s leading independent manufacturers of high-performance audible and visual signals for commercial, industrial, marine, onshore and offshore hazardous locations, has published an educational guide that seeks to ‘de-mystify’ the dB (decibel), one of the most common units in engineering, yet also one of the most confusing. The guide can be found at www.e2s.com/soundbasics. The main difficulty in comprehending dB measurements is that it is a log-linear scale, which, while it is very useful in representing very large differences in a more user-friendly scale, also compresses the scale. Sound is defined as any pressure variation that can be heard by the human ear. The Threshold of Hearing is defined as 0 dB; the threshold of pain is around 130 dB, a scale that can be readily understood. However, as the power difference between the two levels is 1013 : 1, or, to spell it out in full, 10,000,000,000,000 or ten million million to one, expressing it in these terms suddenly gives a much better idea of the change. The guide sets sounder output levels in context with some everyday examples. For example, the A151 disaster warning sounder is rated at 150 dB, the same as a jet engine at 1m. It also discusses the effect of frequency on perceived loudness and includes some rules of thumb for system designers who are specifying the output and location of warning sounders to provide the desired sound levels as part of a warning system.

The first aspiration detection system to be approved by leading NPP operators Honeywell’s FAAST is the first aspiration detection system to be approved by one of Europe’s leading nuclear power plant (NPP) operators for installation in their facilities’ most demanding locations, the reactor building. Understandably, equipment installed in enterprise-critical locations in NPPs has to conform to extremely stringent specifications, requirements which have recently been significantly tightened in the wake of the Fukushima disaster. For the fire detection system, fast response and approaching 100% immunity to false alarms are the most critical operational requirements. Taking a single reactor off line for a day can cost upwards of €2m in lost output, even before the additional costs of powering down and re-commissioning the reactor core are considered. FAAST devices were subjected to nine extended extreme environmental tests covering vibration, temperature and humidity – achieving a 100% pass rate. • Seismic testing to Richter Scale 9 • High frequency vibration testing • Extreme temperature test at +65 °C and -28 °C • Rapid temperature changes fluctuating from -25°C to +70°C • Dry heat endurance at +70 °C • Damp heat endurance at +70 °C with 95% condensing humidity • Cold test, -25 °C • Radiation test, exposure up to 140 Gray • Multiple power up/power down David Coffinet, Honeywell Life Safety’s Project Manager, commented, “Honeywell has a great deal of experience in nuclear facilities. Having FAAST in our portfolio has extended our ability to offer a robust fire detection solution that can withstand some of the toughest environmental challenges in one of the most regulated industries. The tests were extremely challenging and made even more so due to the impact of Fukushima so it’s a great testament to the device’s ability to stay in operation through any potential disaster.” Gintare Budriunaite, System Sensor Marketing Manager, said, “FAAST is designed to deliver 100% business uptime and the earliest and most accurate fire detection. These tests are a great confirmation of FAAST’s endurance in even the most arduous conditions. The ability to prevent downtime in an industry where every lost minute of operation result in the loss of hundreds of thousands of dollars, is critical and is where the value of the technology really comes to the fore. It is no surprise that power generation and large industrial facilities are key markets for FAAST.” To see a video of the testing, visit www. http://www.faast-detection.com/downloads/seismic-testing-video

American Emergency Response Training Ferrara Fire Apparatus, Inc., America’s premier custom fire apparatus manufacturer, announced today American Emergency Response Training will be their new dealer in Tennessee. American Emergency Response Training is led by President Jody Rood from their Rockford, Tennessee headquarters. Working alongside Mr. Rood will be longtime Ferrara sales representative, Jeff Bagwell. In addition to servicing his accounts, Mr. Bagwell will also be the sales manager for American.   “We’re extremely excited to have American ERT on board as our dealer in Tennessee,” said Chris Ferrara, President/CEO of Ferrara Fire Apparatus. “We have a large number of customers across the state and the team that Jody Rood has assembled, given their experience with our products, will be very successful.”   American Emergency Response Training has been very successful conducting all types of emergency response training, in Tennessee and across the country. In recent years the company has branched into equipment sales at the request of their growing customer base. Apparatus sales was the next logical step in the company’s growth. “At American ERT we have been blessed with the trust of our long time and new customers. This trust is tested each time we recommend a solution for their Emergency Response Program. This relationship with Ferrara allows us to include the highest quality fire apparatus for our loyal customers. We are excited to be part of the Ferrara Family and look forward to serving the needs of the Fire Departments and Emergency Service Organizations in Tennessee,” said company President Jody Rood.   Ferrara Fire Apparatus manufactures a full line of fire, emergency and rescue vehicles. The company offers the Ultra, Inferno, Igniter and Cinder custom fire chassis, pumpers, tankers, rear and mid-mount aerial ladders and platforms, rescues and incident command vehicles and high-flow industrial apparatus. A leading innovator in the industry, Ferrara takes pride in offering such firefighter safety items as the MVP Multi-Vocational Pumper, On-Site Tilt Table Testing, Cab and Body NFPA Compliant Crash Testing, Independent Front Suspension, Complete Airbag Protection, and SmartWheel steering systems. Additionally, the Ultra, Inferno, Igniter and Cinder chassis are available with the popular F-Shield corrosion protection system, which has proven extremely popular in northern climates that are concerned with corrosive materials used on winter roads.