New fire foam testing expertise Intertek, the leading quality solutions provider to industries worldwide, has expanded its ability to provide fire foam testing services for industrial clients by opening a new, dedicated, fire foam testing laboratory in Antwerp, Belgium. The new lab complements an existing Fire Foam testing laboratory in the United Arab Emirates. Intertek fire foam testing helps clients meet safety, compliance, and regulatory requirements. Most international safety organisations require that fire foam concentrates are tested on an annual basis to ensure the fire suppression capability of the foam meets quality specifications. Intertek’s fire foam testing is offered to clients on a global basis, as samples are easy to collect and ship for analysis. “Fire foam storage containers can operate under harsh environmental conditions in ships, terminals, offshore platforms, and airports. Fire foam stored under these demanding circumstances should be routinely monitored for fire foam contamination and deterioration,” said Kurt Tyssen, Intertek Analytical Services Manager for Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA). Intertek fire-fighting foam testing meets compliance standards for the International Maritime Organization (IMO), National Fire Protection Association (NFPA 11), and other industrial and national quality and regulatory standards for fire-fighting equipment. Client fire foam samples are easily shipped to the foam testing laboratories, with testing usually occurring within 24 hours for rapid results. Additionally, Intertek provides testing and certification expertise for materials flammability certification, hazardous location certification, and other fire and explosion related services. Intertek is the leading quality solutions provider to industries worldwide. From auditing and inspection, to testing, training, advisory, quality assurance and certification, Intertek adds value to customers’ products, processes and assets. With a network of more than 1,000 laboratories and offices and over 36,000 people in more than 100 countries, Intertek supports companies’ success in a global marketplace. Intertek helps its customers to meet end users’ expectations for safety, sustainability, performance, integrity and desirability in virtually any market worldwide. www.intertek.com

The five year fair is going strong The INTERSCHUTZ fair is a five-yearly international feast of innovative equipment and solutions for fire departments, disaster relief and rescue organizations and the safety and civil defense sectors. Organized by Deutsche Messe, it will next be held just under two years from now – from 8 to 13 June 2015 – in Hannover, Germany. Deutsche Messe anticipates that the 2015 showcase will bring together businesses, non-commercial exhibitors and emergency services from more than 50 nations. Strong exhibitor interest from outside Germany Dr. Jochen Köckler, the responsible member of Deutsche Messe’s Managing Board, says that even at this very early stage, the company is noticing strong exhibitor interest across all of four of the fair’s main display categories (fire protection, disaster relief, rescue, safety/security). “The show is still nearly two years away, but many companies have already committed to an exhibition presence. The high level of exhibitor interest from outside Germany is particularly pleasing to see. A good 50 percent of the projected 1,200 exhibitor turnout will come from beyond Germany. And we know from past experience that the fair’s trade audience will be similarly international in composition.” Not that INTERSCHUTZ is valued by exhibitors purely for its international reach; its high percentage of qualified trade visitors is also a major drawcard. Köckler: “Exhibitors value INTERSCHUTZ for the high percentage of senior decision makers among the visitors it attracts. More than two thirds of the fair’s visitors have key input into their organizations’ capital investment decision making. To put this into perspective: we’re expecting about 125,000 visitors from all around the world.”   Progress sparked by mutually fruitful dialogue among technology users, developers and manufacturers The German Fire Protection Association (GFPA) is an official co-promoter of INTERSCHUTZ. Its president, Dirk Aschenbrenner, is very pleased with the 2015 showcase’s broad thematic coverage: “In 2015, INTERSCHUTZ will once again show the way forward for the fire protection, disaster relief, rescue, safety and civil defense sectors with presentations of the very latest technical and tactical standards and quality dialogue among technology users, developers and manufacturers. The various conferences and congresses organized by the GFPA will form an important part of this dialogue, and INTERSCHUTZ 2015 will provide the perfect setting.” GFPA, DFV and VDMA: first-rate partners for INTERSCHUTZ Other official co-promoters of INTERSCHUTZ, alongside the GFPA, include the German Fire Service Association (DFV) and the Firefighting Technology Association within the German Engineering Federation (VDMA). The President of the German Fire Service Association, Hans-Peter Kröger, is very much aware of the fair’s international importance: “For fire services around the world, INTERSCHUTZ is the number one tradeshow for discovering the latest innovations, sharing knowledge and gearing up for future challenges. It showcases the innovative power of the fire prevention industry – an industry that engages with its users and finds solutions to their problems. The German Fire Service Association is very happy to be associated with INTERSCHUTZ. It is the leading exhibition for fire prevention, disaster relief, rescue, safety and security solutions and it brings together fire service representatives from around the globe.” Dr. Bernd Scherer, the Managing Director of the Firefighting Technology Association within the VDMA, sees INTERSCHUTZ 2015 as offering major opportunities for German providers of firefighting vehicles and equipment: “INTERSCHUTZ is an outstanding platform for getting innovative, premium-quality, German-made firefighting hardware in front of an international audience. It is no accident that INTERSCHUTZ is based in Germany. The country is the single biggest market in Europe and, most importantly, its fire services demand very high standards of the equipment they buy and use. Germany’s fire services value innovative technology. They specify products that perform to the highest standards of quality and reliability and which are closely tailored to their requirements as end users. The German firefighting technology industry’s ability to meet these demanding standards is also the reason why it has been able to steadily grow its export business over the years and now ranks as a major player in many markets around the world. In short, INTERSCHUTZ is an absolute must for fire-service procurement managers from Germany, the rest of Europe and around the globe. Every five years, it brings together qualified trade visitors, key fire-prevention-industry leaders and organizations and leading technology companies from around the world.” Everything relevant for emergency services, security & safety at one convenient time and place INTERSCHUTZ 2015 will fill more than 90,000 square meters (968,750 sq. ft) of net exhibition space spread across four halls, a large open-air site and a demonstration site at the Hannover Exhibition Center. Professional bodies and organizations, service providers and training academies will use the fair to profile their services and skills to an international audience, and technology and equipment providers will showcase their latest innovations. The fair will comprise four main topic clusters, namely Safety and Security (Hall 12), featuring personal protective equipment, measuring and detection apparatus, security systems, control-center and signaling technology, and monitoring and surveillance equipment; Fire Prevention (Halls 13 and 27) featuring fire extinguishing technology and agents, equipment for fire stations and workshops, and technical fire and building protection systems; and Disaster Relief and Rescue (both in Hall 26), featuring vehicles and vehicle equipment, technical support equipment, emergency, first-aid and medical equipment. The displays of vehicles and vehicle equipment will be located in Hall 27 and on the open-air site.   At INTERSCHUTZ 2015, the Rescue, Proactive Fire Prevention and Flood Protection theme areas will have keynote status and feature an expanded exhibition lineup. “In 2015, the INTERSCHUTZ format will amply reflect the rapid evolution of the world’s fire services into universal risk-management and public-safety organizations,” said GFPA President Dirk Aschenbrenner. “The show will pick up on all the key themes and issues in our sector and communicate them to visitors via a comprehensive offering of product and concept presentations.” Other highlights at INTERSCHUTZ 2015 include an emergency services symposium, the presentation of the St. John Ambulance Hans-Dietrich-Genscher Award and, last but not least, the Toughest Firefighter Alive (TFA)

Contract will provide range of diversified aerial fire-fighting services Erickson Air-Crane Incorporated, a leading global provider of aviation services to a diverse mix of commercial and government customers, and the vertically-integrated manufacturer and operator of the powerful heavy-lift Erickson S-64 Aircrane helicopter, has announced that it has won a 10-month contract to provide fire-fighting services to the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality in the country of Turkey. The Company noted that this was its first fire-fighting contract in Turkey, opening the door to an important new market. Udo Rieder, Chief Executive Officer of Erickson, commented: "Erickson has been saving lives and resources fighting fires in Greece, Australia and the United States for several years. This new contract represents an important step in expanding Erickson’s unique fire-fighting capabilities and services to other regions. Our partner in Turkey, Pan Aviation – with whom we’re teaming to provide the full range of diversified aerial fire-fighting services – is an established aviation company in Turkey with experience providing services to the Istanbul Municipality." The contract is for 10 months and 500 guaranteed flight hours. Erickson will provide one S-64 Aircrane helicopter, equipped with the Company’s proprietary, 2,650-gallon fire suppression system, a detachable water tank with multiple refill options and eight coverage levels for targeted fire suppression. Erickson is a leading global provider of aviation services to a diverse mix of commercial and government customers. Erickson currently operates a diverse fleet of 90 rotary-wing and fixed wing aircraft, including a fleet of 20 heavy-lift S-64 Aircranes. This fleet supports a wide and worldwide variety of government and commercial customers, across a broad range of aerial services, including critical supply and logistics for deployed military forces, humanitarian relief, fire-fighting, timber harvesting, infrastructure construction, and crewing. Erickson also maintains a vertical manufacturing capability for the S-64 Aircrane, related components, and other aftermarket support and maintenance, repair, and overhaul services for the S-64 Aircrane and other aircraft. Founded in 1971, Erickson is headquartered in Portland, Oregon and maintains facilities and operations in North America, South America, the Middle East, Africa and Asia-Pacific. www.ericksonaircrane.com

Albert Ziegler GmbH & Co has been sold to CIMC Cash-strapped German fire-fighting vehicles maker Albert Ziegler GmbH & Co has been sold to China International Marine Containers Group (CIMC) . Ziegler, which filed for insolvency in 2011, was bought for £46 million, the company said on Friday, adding that all 1,000 jobs will be preserved. "The Chinese CIMC group has extensive experience in the business of commercial and special vehicles and provides an ideal base for the expansion of Ziegler’s international business," said Bruno Kuebler, Senior Partner at insolvency lawfirm, Kuebler. Ziegler makes specialised fire trucks for airports as well as electrical tunnel rescue vehicles with driving cabs facing in both directions. CIMC produces, among others, transportation vehicles for liquids, cement and refrigerated goods. "Ziegler can now have access to a significant technical expertise and a vast international sales and distribution network, which none of the competitors can only begin to compare with," Kuebler said. Ziegler, based in Giegen an der Brenz, Germany, was put up for sale after it filed for insolvency following the imposition of an anti-trust fine for participating in a fire-truck procurement cartel. China has a five-year development plan that puts emphasis on industries such as high-end manufacturing equipment, information technology, alternative energy, biotechnology, advanced materials and environment-friendly technologies. In August last year, Shandong Heavy Industry Group took a 25% stake in Kion Group, giving China access to industrial technology from the world’s number two fork lift truck maker. In 2011, Sany Heavy Industry bought concrete pumps maker Putzmeister. It too kept German management in place and said Putzmeister would become a new international distribution hub outside China for concrete machinery. www.cimc.com

Romanian Air Force’s C-27Js will be the first to use the system One of the Romanian Air Force’s C-27Js will be the first aircraft in Europe to use an innovative fire-fighting system. In the several past weeks, Alenia Aermacchi conducted intense operating and training tests on the aircraft, which included the new fire-fighting system onboard. Alenia Aermacchi recently completed an experimental campaign in a Romanian mountain range with a C-27J that operates with the Fortele Aeriene Române —the Romanian Air Force. The objective of the campaign was to test the innovative fire-fighting system called Caylym Guardian. The system allows C-27Js to drop up to six large cardboard containers on bushfires; each container has a capacity of 1000 liters water or extinguishing liquid. The system allows for a quick, accurate and innovative way to fight bushfires. Using the C27J’s system of in flight drop, the Guardian guarantees extreme precision of the drop and creates a retardant liquid cloud well focused on the target. Containers are biodegradable but they can also be recovered by ground firefighters. Containers feature standard dimensions type A22 which can be installed on aircraft of C-130 and C-27J’s class without any peculiar equipment or modification and can be launched at higher altitudes (1.500 feet) than traditional fire-fighting aircraft, thus significantly increasing mission safety and allowing night operations. The tests, performed both on ground and in flight, have proved successful and have thus confirmed the great operating flexibility of the C-27J, whose wider fuselage section and flight characteristics allow it to manage loads and perform missions that other aircraft of its same class cannot. www.aleniaaermacchi.it  

Roll-on, roll-off fire-fighting system for use on its medium airlifter Airbus Military has tested a roll-on, roll-off firefighting system for use on its C295 medium airlifter. The program aims to widen the multi-mission capability and appeal of the twin-turboprop transport. Early trials were conducted at a site near Cordoba, Spain, in October. They examined how the aircraft reacts when large amounts of water are released. Since then, the company has conducted further tests using the prototype C295 equipped with tanks in the rear cabin releasing water through doors installed in the aircraft’s belly. Further trials undertaken at the end of November saw the aircraft flying seven water drop sorties. These involved the aircraft dropping water into a field containing hundreds of small cups spread over a wide area.  The November trials were conducted in conjunction with France’s Securite Civile agency, which is considered a potential customer of the aircraft, and the Marseille-based Ceren research agency, which works closely with the Securite Civile on forest fire research. Ceren is now examining the data from the trials and is expected to report its findings to Airbus Military in February. Several nations have expressed an interest in a firefighting capability for the aircraft, while the French Securite Civile has said that such an aircraft would give the agency the advantage of being able to project its capabilities beyond French borders. 

Rotary International District (RID) collaboration increases its efforts The Rotary International District (RID) 3292 Nepal-Bhutan in collaboration with the Devon & Somerset Fire & Rescue Service has scaled up efforts in the Kathmandu Valley. This is part of ongoing plans of providing the valley with fire-fighting and humanitarian kits. As part of the programme, 10 acquaboxes have been handed over to Kathmandu, Biratnagar, Birgunj, Butwal and Dhangadhi Rotary Clubs each. The aquaboxes and fire-fighting gears were donated by Rotary Club of Wirksworth and the UK-based firm, respectively.  Fire-fighting gears were also provided with the objective of managing essential equipment and humanitarian goods before tackling disasters in the first phase. The acquabox contains clothing and hygiene equipment for humanitarian and emergency relief with special focus on women and children. Other materials include fireproof jackets and stretchers. The RID 3292 is also doing its groundwork to provide aquaboxes and firefighting gears to nine other cities as well. Rotarian Governor Dilendra Raj Shrestha said they were planning to manage 200 units of shelter box to be used during disasters. “We have stepped up our efforts in association with the Government and the Nepali Army,” he commented. John Monaghan, Station Manager of Devon & Somerset Fire and Rescue, said his organisation has been working to produce skilled fire-fighters for the past five years. “We have offered fire-fighting training to 104 people in 22 cities of Nepal. Tangible change has been seen between then and now in terms of their capacity to tackle disasters,” he said. Monaghan’s office will also provide two small fire trucks to two municipalities soon. www.dsfire.gov.uk

On behalf of the Marine Well Containment Company Following the 2011 contract award from ExxonMobile, on behalf of the Marine Well Containment Company (MWCC), Burner Fire Control’s agreement has been extended to design and supply additional Fire Safety Control equipment and services to all MWCC members in the event of a well incident in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico. The the scope of the contract includes Burner’s Water Curtain ® Rig and Boom Cooling Systems, methonol cooling, and zoned supporting fire protection equipment. The Water Curtain ® will allow rig operations to flare oil & gas captured and minimize radiant heat risks to personnel, facilities, and equipment. During non-emergency operations, The Water Curtain ® Rig and Boom Cooling Systems are deployed to drilling rigs during well testing operations to maximize testing, regardless of external factors, such as changes in wind speed or direction and increases in oil / gas flow rates. Burner’s Rig Cooling systems are designed for quick deployment and multi-facilities protection. "We are honored to be selected and participate in the MWCC initiatives," says Butch Ridgedell, Manager of Burner Fire Control’s Water Curtain ® Division, "This is a testament to the experience and performance of our company throughout the years, delivering results to our customers globally" About Burner Fire Control: Burner Fire Control is a manufacturer and market leader of specialized active fire protection services & equipment to deliver an integrated suite of solutions for offshore and land projects. Headquartered in Lafayette, Louisiana, Burner comprised of a staff of managers, supervisors, and labor support personnel who are highly trained, experienced, and certified in their respected areas. The company has cross-functional divisions ranging from construction, fabrication, fire equipment manufacturing, fire equipment distribution, offshore services, research & development. About Marine Well Containment Company: Marine Well Containment Company (MWCC) is a not-for-profit, stand-alone organisation committed to improving capabilities for containing a deepwater well control incident in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. Members include ExxonMobil, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, Shell, BP, Apache, Anadarko, BHP Billiton, Statoil and Hess. Burner Fire Control, Inc. has provided Water Curtain ® Rig Cooling Services in the Gulf of Mexico and internationally for over 30 years for the majority of these members.

For Euro VI chassis Alongside, the introduction of the new Euro VI chassis models, Ziegler announces the launch of its new Z-Cab Evolution. The well-known Z-Cab is now available in the new generation both as a driver’s cab integrated version and in a modular design under the term ‘Z-Cab Evolution’. ‘All ergonomic advantages and safety aspects of the proven Z-Cab, for example comfort space, ample storage room and excellent cab lighting remain unchanged. Furthermore, with the new generation Z-Cab model, thanks to its self-supporting design, a significant reduction in the tension and wear on the vehicle body structure especially during interventions on rough terrain has been achieved,’ said Yvonne Fritsch, marketing manager for Ziegler. The new Ziegler cab generation can be built on all types of chassis including Euro III-VI models. The company took the opportunity to add a range of new safety options including airbags, wide entrances, pneumatic doors, and various lighting and visibility packages. All of these new features are further innovations validating the company’s corporate slogan: ‘We provide Security.’ Ziegler was recently acquired by Chinese logistics conglomerate CIMC (China International Marine Containers group ltd.).