Offering users installation, maintenance and customisation benefits World-leading manufacturer of mechanical pipe joining and fire protection systems, Victaulic has made design improvements to its FireLock Series 745 Fire-Pac system to offer users installation, maintenance and customisation benefits. Victaulic Fire-Pac is a pre-assembled fire protection valve and trim system pre-wired to a fire alarm control panel or junction box and enclosed within a metal cabinet. The system is typically installed in airports, data centres, high-security, industrial and mining facilities, parking garages and high-rise buildings. Maintaining the same compact Fire-Pac footprint, the enhanced Victaulic Fire-Pac is now suitable for both indoor and outdoor installations. A key design improvement in the new FireLock Fire-Pac fire protection system involves moving the electrical connection box from the top of the cabinet to inside; the new lower profile (2m) now allows the cabinet to fit through standard doorways for ease of installation. New insulation and heating components enable the use of the Fire-Pac in a wider range of operating environments including ambient temperatures as low as -6°C. Weatherproofing of the FireLock Series 745 unit to NEMA 4 standards keeps out moisture and dirt for long-term durability. David Sharkey, Vice President Australia, New Zealand, and South East Asia explains that a key objective of the design improvements was to reduce installation time. Several options are now available for clients to customise the Series 745 Fire-Pac system to suit their needs. These include sealed cabinets with heating and insulation options for outdoor installations, more inlet pipe and drain connection options, and a greater ambient temperature range, all within the same footprint. Customers can also choose to locate the pipe feed and drain on the left, right or bottom panels for faster connections. Hard piped water drains inside the cabinet eliminate potential leakage issues. The new panel designs offer addressable capabilities with other intelligent devices in addition to the Notifier RP-2001 releasing control panel, containing a power supply, standby batteries and battery charger. A stainless steel cabinet is also available for corrosive applications. The FireLock Fire-Pac is available in a 40-200 mm size range, incorporating any of these valve configurations: Dry – Actuated and/or accelerated; Deluge – Wet pilot, dry pilot and electric actuation; Preaction – Non-interlock, single-interlock and double-interlock; Preaction – AutoConvert preaction to dry. The Fire-Pac also includes a water supply shutoff valve, a sprinkler system fire protection valve, alarm line pressure switches, air supervisory pressure switches, optional air compressor or nitrogen connection, optional upper systems control valve and pressure gauges, viewable through the cabinet door. The FireLock Series 745 Fire-Pac is FM approved and cULus Listed; all electrical enclosures and connections are UL Listed, and all materials and wiring conform to NFPA requirements.

24 hour strike over a row with the Government over pensions The24-hour firefighter strike started at 9am today (June 12) in response to an ‘unworkable’ pension scheme. There will be a second strike on June 21 from 10am-5pm whilst fire-fighters will not carry out any voluntary overtime, which is routinely needed to maintain fire cover, between the beginning of the first strike and 9am on June 22. The two strikes will be the thirteenth and fourteenth over pensions. Today’s strike is the longest yet in a three-year campaign. Fire-fighters typically now pay £4,000 a year from a £29,000 salary, and the Government will impose another increase in 2015. The FBU say more members are considering leaving the pension scheme as a result of its decreasing affordability. Under the Government’s proposals, fire-fighters who retire before the age of 60 will have half of their pension taken away.

Metro presents Shannon with the President’s Award of Distinction The Metropolitan Fire Chiefs (Metro) Association honored James M. Shannon, president of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), with the Metro President’s Award of Distinction and the special Metro designation of Honorary Metro Fire Chief. The special honors were presented to Shannon at the Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Conference in Baltimore, Maryland on June 3rd.   The President’s Award of Distinction is presented to a person who has gone above and beyond to promote Metro values and its mission. Honorary Metro Fire Chief status is reserved for non-members who have demonstrated extraordinary leadership in fire and life safety. In the Metro’s 49-year history, Shannon is the second person to receive this honor following former NFPA President George Miller.   “Jim has been an outstanding leader at NFPA, a world leader in fire and life safety,” said G. Keith Bryant, president of Metro. “Not only has Jim led NFPA to new levels of influence, no one has done more than him to support the Metro Chiefs. In great appreciation for all he has done for Metro and the fire service as a whole, we are pleased to present him with the Metro President’s Award of Distinction.   “Further, on behalf of the Metro Executive Board and all Metro member chiefs, we honor Jim with a very special designation of Honorary Metro Fire Chief, only the second designation in our 49-year history,” Bryant added.   Shannon will conclude his 12-year tenure as NFPA president in June, with a legacy of support for the nation’s fire service. Under his leadership, NFPA has considerably advanced its mission of fire safety, better protecting the general public and members of the fire service.   Shannon spearheaded the Coalition for Fire-Safe Cigarettes, which quickly led to every state passing legislation that required cigarettes to meet a specific fire safety standard. In collaboration with the fire service and others, this initiative will save hundreds of lives, including the lives of firefighters who are at risk every time they respond to a cigarette-related fire.   Following the success of the Coalition for Fire-Safe Cigarettes, Shannon intensified NFPA’s work to advocate for mandatory installation of home fire sprinklers in all new one- and two-family homes, another critical safeguard to enhance public safety and better protect our nation’s fire service.   Throughout his time at NFPA, Shannon has been an ardent supporter of the needs of the fire service, especially its ability to respond to ordinary and extraordinary events. He testified before congressional hearings, advocated for increased funding through grant and government programs, and committed the support of NFPA staff and resources to every major fire service organization in the country.   About the Metropolitan Fire Chiefs (Metro) Association The Metropolitan Fire Chiefs (Metro) Association brings together fire chiefs from large metropolitan fire departments to share information and focus on major issues effecting policy changes in the U.S. and abroad. The Metro is a Section of both the NFPA and the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) and its members are the fire chiefs of jurisdictions with minimum staffing of 350 fully paid career fire fighters. For more information, contact Metro Executive Secretary, Russ Sanders.   About the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) NFPA is a worldwide leader in fire, electrical, building, and life safety. The mission of the international nonprofit organization founded in 1896 is to reduce the worldwide burden of fire and other hazards on the quality of life by providing and advocating consensus codes and standards, research, training, and education. NFPA develops more than 300 codes and standards to minimize the possibility and effects of fire and other hazards. All NFPA codes and standards can be viewed at no cost at www.nfpa.org/freeaccess.

Business headquarters/Americas manufacturing facility achieves milestone The Solberg Company, the world’s foremost innovator of firefighting foam concentrates and systems hardware announced today the company’s Headquarters/Manufacturing facility for the Americas, located in Green Bay, Wisconsin has been awarded Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) Certification. LEED is a third party certification program and the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings. Developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) in 2000 through a consensus based process; LEED serves as a tool for buildings of all types and sizes. LEED certification offers third party validation of a project’s green features and verifies that the building is operating exactly the way it was designed to. Solberg’s certification process took eighteen months to complete. “At Solberg we produce the world’s most complete line of environmentally responsible foam agents. It is only appropriate that these foam concentrates are produced in a LEED factory that has zero emissions to the environment. To do otherwise would be hypocritical,” explained Solberg’s General Manager, Steve Hansen. “LEED is a direct complement to our product strategy of developing and commercializing high-performance, environmentally sustainable firefighting foam concentrates like RE-HEALING™ Foam, the first multi-certified fluorosurfactant, fluoropolymer-free firefighting foam for Class B fuel fires.” Hansen went on to say, “LEED building criteria included: sustainable sites, water efficiency, waste efficiency, energy and atmosphere, indoor environmental quality and innovation in design. In short, we live the environment in everything we do.” The Green Bay facility totals 20,750 square feet (1928 m2) of floor space within two buildings located on 10 acres of land. The manufacturing / office building encompasses 16,650 square feet (1547 m2). A separate 4,100 square foot (382 m2) building – 64 ft. high (20m) is a state-of-the-art fire research and test laboratory where firefighting foam products are developed and tested to industry compliance standards. Solberg is an Amerex Corporation company with a European heritage. “Environmental commitment and sustainable operations is not new to Amerex,” stated Executive Vice President Dennis Kennedy. As a McWane Company, “our environmental legacy is not only to focus on today’s community, our goal is to protect the environment for today and tomorrow.” McWane is an active member of the USGBC board of directors at both the national and the state chapter levels to ensure sustainability remains a focus. Currently, McWane has three LEED accredited professionals on staff. Based in Green Bay, Wisconsin with operations in Bergen, Norway and Sydney, Australia, Solberg has been involved with the manufacture of firefighting foams since the mid-1970s. Solberg is recognized throughout Europe and the Asia Pacific Region for its environmentally sustainable fluorosurfactant and fluoropolymer-free products that are an innovation in Class B firefighting foam. Additionally, Solberg manufactures a complete range of traditional foam concentrates, Class A and High-Expansion foam concentrates including foam systems hardware. Solberg’s unique technology is preferred by customers in the aviation, chemical, energy, fire services, oil and gas, petrochemical, pharmaceutical, solvent & coatings markets.

Creates a provider of lifecycle building consultancy services Baltimore-based Hughes Associates and Chicago-based Rolf Jensen & Associates (The RJA Group) have announced a merger agreement. The transaction creates a provider of lifecycle building consultancy services that will include risk analysis, system design, commissioning, research, testing, and project management solutions that encompass fire protection, security, and related disciplines. “The built environment is going through a transition where engineers are involved throughout the design, development, and construction of a project,” said David Boswell, president of Hughes Associates. “In order for our business to continue the growth cycle we’ve been experiencing, we have to add the skilled and complementary services needed to fulfill the requirements that our clients are seeking. RJA brings to the table a flawless global record and reputation as well as an unprecedented staff with widespread technology expertise.” Combined, both companies have more than 79 years of experience and bring together 500 employees, offices throughout the world, and more than $100 million in revenue. Hughes Associates will now expand into a larger international footprint while RJA will utilize the extensive research and development for which Hughes is known. “This merger is mutually beneficial for Hughes and RJA,” said Martin Reiss, president of The RJA Group. “We will be able to further leverage our technical resources in order to provide even greater opportunities to service our clients. This partnership will also provide great career growth potential for our employees.” Phil Rogers will assume the position of CEO of the merged companies and will bring over 38 years of experience in facilities management, engineering, energy construction, and real estate. The transition and integration of the companies will be completed by year’s-end and will include a new name and branding. Hughes Associates is a fire protection and life safety engineering and consulting company. It offers services in the areas of fire protection engineering and design, building and fire code compliance and representation, accessibility code consulting, and fire protection systems commissioning. Hughes is a technical provider in specialized consulting, including fire research and testing, dust hazards, forensic, and risk and external hazards. Core fire protection capabilities are supplemented by electrical engineering, environmental, training, and security services. The company serves healthcare, transportation, higher education, accident and emergency services, government, DoD and DoE, power generation, transmission and distribution, historic buildings and museums, and industrial and petrochemical clients. The RJA Group is a professional consulting firm providing an extensive range of value-added engineering and construction management services on projects involving life safety, fire protection, and building codes for commercial, institutional and industrial clients worldwide. RJA is recognized as a global provider in fire protection engineering, construction management, life safety and building code consulting.

Attractive conference program supplements the exhibition The countdown for INTERSCHUTZ 2015 in Hannover has begun. Exhibitors from 38 countries have already registered. Even with about a year left to go, the International Exhibition for Rescue Services, Fire Prevention, Disaster Relief, Safety and Security is already proving to be a major magnet, with a total of four exhibition halls and the open-air site almost fully booked. This might even make it necessary to expand the site in order to meet demand. The show’s mixture of commercial and non-commercial exhibitors is entirely unique, and attendees can look forward to lots of added value thanks to a rich conference program featuring top experts and all the latest developments. Two display categories will be much-enlarged in 2015: fire prevention and “non-police hazard prevention”. The ambulance service will figure prominently. In its role as a co-promoter of INTERSCHUTZ, the German Fire Protection Association (vfdb) is planning a ground-breaking Rescue Conference. In addition, the aid organization Johanniter Unfall-Hilfe has chosen INTERSCHUTZ 2015 as the venue for its annual symposium, which regularly attracts around 600 attendees. A further new feature at INTERSCHUTZ 2015 is the central platform for rescue associations and organizations in Hall 26. This will be accompanied by a forum for product and company presentations. “Above all, the exhibitors and visitors will have an opportunity to build on their existing contacts and exchange ideas,” emphasizes Dr. Jochen Köckler, a member of the Managing Board at Deutsche Messe AG. There are similar plans for the other sections of INTERSCHUTZ. A central meeting place (located in Hall 13) is planned for the “Fire Prevention section”, while “Safety and Security” will have its own meeting place in Halle 12. INTERSCHUTZ 2015 will also host “CR!ISE – Critical Infrastructure Event”, which will take place under the umbrella of the German Fire Protection Association’s annual conference.

Captain missing and four crew severely burned A Japanese oil tanker has exploded off the country’s south-west coast near Himeji port, leaving one of the eight people aboard missing, the country’s coast guard has said. Four others were severely injured in the accident on Thursday. Fire gutted the middle of the Shoko Maru – the 998-tonne tanker, based in the western city of Hiroshima, was left leaning over in the water after the accident and was being doused by firefighting ships. Seven people were rescued, four having suffered severe burns, the public broadcaster NHK reported. A search was under way for the missing man, the tanker’s captain, it said. The cause of the explosion was unclear, said coast guard spokesman Koji Takarada. NHK said crew members had been working on the deck of the tanker at the time of the blast. The tanker had unloaded its cargo of crude oil and was stationary close to the coast of Hyogo prefecture, about 280 miles (450km) west of Tokyo, when the explosion happened. Akihiro Komura, an official from Syoho Shipping, a Hiroshima-based shipping firm that owns the vessel, told the AFP news agency that seven of the eight Japanese crew were accounted for but the fate of the captain was not yet known. "The ship unloaded crude oil at a port in Hyogo prefecture and the tanker was virtually empty when the accident occurred," he said. "I heard that a crew member was using a grinder to remove paint and that seems to have triggered the blast, which we believe could have occurred when the remnants of the oil caught fire. "It is a Japanese ship and belongs to our company. All the crew members are Japanese nationals. We have confirmed seven out of the eight are alive and one, believed to be the captain, is still missing." News of the incident, which happened at around 9.30am, caused the prime minister, Shinzo Abe, to interrupt debate in parliament. "In waters off Hyogo [prefecture] a tanker has exploded and is currently in flames," he said in the chamber. Himeji port is one of a number that sit along the Inland Seto Sea coast, where there are numerous pockets of heavy industry. The city itself is a popular tourist destination known for one of Japan’s finest feudal castles. The Associated Press and Agence France-Presse contributed to this report

For combined ventilation techniques France-based, Leader has won the tender issued by the fire brigade of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) for the supply of 40 ventilation kits. Each kit includes three fans and their respective accessories: One petrol driven Leader fan MT236. It blows up to 43 100 m³/h in open air. One electric Leader fan ESV230 with speed variator. It blows up to 33 900 m³/h in open air. One electric auxiliary Leader fan SR460 blowing up to 13 000 m³/h. In the same way that the Fire Brigade of Paris that recently acquired similar kits, the fire brigade of Rio will use these firefighting fans for operations with combined ventilation (offensive ventilation and defensive ventilation). The combined ventilation is a technique that consists of positioning a master fan with a high power (MT236 and/or ESV230) at the ground floor in order to pressurise the stairwell and attack fire by relaying its airflow with a Relay fan (SR460) at the floor of fire. This concept allows fast and controlled evacuation of smoke and gases and helps to fight against the spread of fire in an apartment more effectively. This kit has been designed specifically for this technique, and it was developed by Leader with the support of professional firefighters, and the firefighters of Rio de Janeiro were convinced by its effectiveness after several trials and demonstrations. These new orders by firefighters from major cities around the world underline the growing interest in the concept of combined ventilation globally.

The message from Hughes was one of optimism During a visit to the Hughes Operations Centre in Stockport, The Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg, met Deputy Managing Director Peter Evans and other Board members to discuss issues of particular interest to the Company. They included doing business within Europe, the role of British exporters globally and, closer to home, the value of modern apprenticeships. The Deputy Prime Minister was joined by local MP Sir Andrew Stunell and Lisa Smart who will contest the Hazel Grove Parliamentary seat in next year’s General Election when Sir Andrew retires. Nick Clegg was particularly interested to hear about Hughes’ involvement in Europe and welcomed the assistance given by the local Business Innovation and Skills team in support of the Company’s drive to boost exports. Group Sales Director Paul Darlington explained how Hughes has worked closely with the Government department and expressed appreciation for their assistance to successfully explore new markets worldwide. Discussions also included Hughes’ plans to open a sales office and factory in China and efforts to grow the business in North America. Group Financial Director Stephen Dootson highlighted the difficult trading conditions of the past few years and in particular the lack of support from the banks for small to medium size exporters. Nick Clegg acknowledged the problems caused by the recession and was therefore pleased to hear that for Hughes they have now been resolved. The message from Hughes was one of optimism and continued growth and a welcome for Government efforts to get industry back on track. The Deputy Prime Minister’s visit concluded with a tour of the Bredbury factory to see the latest technology in Emergency Safety Showers and meet members of the workforce. Apprentice Ben Oldham, 19, talked about his experience in gaining a Level 2 Diploma in Business Improvement Techniques and was congratulated by Nick Clegg on his success.