Elmdene delivers fire safe storage solution Innovative electronic security and fire products manufacturer, Elmdene International Limited – a subsidiary of Potter Electric Signal, LLC – announces the launch of a lockable, A4 size, Fire Document Box. The smart-looking Fire Document Box has been designed by Elmdene to be used in conjunction with a building’s fire alarm system to provide a convenient, wall-mounted, enclosure so that relevant log books, manuals and other important documentation can be kept safe until they are actually needed. Made from robust 1.2 mm powder coated steel the low profile (50 mm) box comes with two keys and, crucially, features the distinctive red branding associated with fire applications plus a screen printed white ‘fire’ logo. Said Ian Moore, Managing Director at Elmdene: "Whilst, not surprisingly, much attention is given to the specification of the latest fire systems themselves, alongside this, it is critical that any associated documentation can be stored in a safe and easily accessible place adjacent to the fire alarm panel. Practically, the ability to use, and service, a panel can be impacted if vital information goes astray. We believe that the lockable fire document box offers an ideal, cost effective, answer to this requirement and builds on our experience providing similar solutions to the intruder alarm sector." The new fire document box is available to order now through Elmdene’s usual distribution channels in the UK and across EMEA. www.elmdene.co.uk  

New South Wales will use RE-HEALING Foam The Solberg Company, a global supplier of firefighting foam concentrates and systems hardware, announced today that the company’s Asia-Pacific operation was awarded a multi-year contract by the New South Wales (NSW) Government for supply of firefighting foam. Solberg Asia Pacific Pty Ltd. was awarded a three year contract for the supply of RE-HEALING RF3x6 ATC™ Class B and FIRE-BRAKE™ Class A foam concentrates for use by both the New South Wales Rural Fire Service (NSW RFS) and Fire & Rescue NSW (previously known as New South Wales Fire Brigades). Additionally, included under this contract are NSW National Parks and Wildlife Services, Forestry Corporation of NSW, other State related agencies, plus member agencies of the Australasian Fire Authorities Council. RE-HEALING RF3x6 ATC is a high performance fluorochemical free foam concentrate that easily extinguishes hydrocarbon (petrol) and polar solvent (ethanol) fuel fires. RE-HEALING foam concentrates can also be used to prevent re-ignition of a liquid spill and control hazardous vapours. Fire & Rescue NSW, and NSW Rural Fire Service will no longer use AFFF, FFFP or other fluorochemical based foams that are environmentally persistent with their transition in firefighting foam technology. FIRE-BRAKE Class A foam, achieved fame in the 1994 in assisting NSW firefighters in successfully extinguishing the largest wildfires to ever surround Sydney. By making water up to ten times more effective the product was later recognized as one of The Top 100 Australian Inventions and Innovations of the Last Century by the Sydney Powerhouse Museum and the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering. The New South Wales Rural Fire Service (NSW RFS) is a volunteer-based firefighting agency and statutory body of the NSW Government. The NSW RFS is responsible for the general administration of rural fire management affairs including administration of the Rural Fire Fighting Fund, co-ordination with local government of the State’s Rural Fire Brigades, design and provision of firefighting equipment to rural fire brigades through local government, the training of volunteer Rural Fire Brigade members, community education in relation to fire affairs, emergency planning and generally taking measures for the prevention of loss and life and property from fires. The NSW Rural Fire Service’s jurisdiction covers more than 90% of the geographical area of the state of New South Wales in Australia. The NSW RFS is one of the world’s largest volunteer fire service, with 70,246 volunteer members forming 2036 volunteer brigades across the state. Fire and Rescue NSW, also an agency of the government of New South Wales, is responsible for firefighting, rescue and hazmat services in the major cities, metropolitan areas and towns across rural and regional New South Wales. Fire and Rescue NSW is the seventh largest urban fire service in the world, with over 6,800 firefighters serving at 339 fire stations throughout the state, 408 support staff, and 6,000 community fire unit volunteers. NSW Rural Fire Service and Fire & Rescue NSW join Queensland Fire and Rescue Service, Queensland Rural Fire Service, the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Emergency Services Agency, the Melbourne Metropolitan Fire Brigade, The Northern Territory Police, Fire and Emergency Services and Bushfires NT (Northern Territory) as converted believers in proven fluorochemical free firefighting foam technology from The Solberg Company.

Oshkosh added an off-road capability to the vehicle Oshkosh will deliver three prototypes of its P-19R Airport Rescue Fire Fighting (ARFF) replacement vehicle to the US Marine Corps (USMC) before the end of 2013, marking the beginning of a year of rigorous testing before achieving low-rate initial production. Oshkosh unveiled the truck, which provides a number of new capabilities for marines, during the annual Modern Day Marine exhibition at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia, 26 September. Under a contract awarded in May 2013, the USMC could buy upward of 200 full-rate production P-19Rs. "We see an acquisition objective for the marine corps of 165 vehicles," John Bryant, senior vice-president for defence programmes at Oshkosh Defense, told IHS Jane’s . The company has taken the benefits of its Logistics Vehicle System Replacement (LVSR) to make the new iteration of its legacy P-19A more off-road capable, Bryant said. The P-19A dates back to the 1980s, he said, adding that while it has been a good fire-fighting truck, over the vehicle’s lifecycle the national standards for the design of airport rescue fire-fighting vehicles has evolved, Bryant added. Besides the changes to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) ‘414 standards’ for aircraft rescue and fire-fighting vehicles, the marines recognised that they needed a more advanced capability that would be similar to the LVSR and Medium Tactical Vehicle replacement (MTVR), Bryant added. "We have combined the rugged off-road capability of LVSR with the advanced fire-fighting capabilities of the Oshkosh Striker vehicle into one tailored platform to meet the marine corps’ requirements," he said. "It is an absolutely up-to-date NFPA 414 compliant [ARFF] vehicle but also a tough off-road vehicle that can keep up with LVSR and MTVR." The Oshkosh Striker is a commercial variant of the P-19R, which features several unique Oshkosh capabilities including the company’s TAK-4 independent suspension system. "It is the benchmark for off-road rugged military suspension systems," Bryant said. "That suspension allows a vehicle to travel at high speeds off-road by providing a very stable platform, a very high ride quality for the occupants, and equipment so that the equipment is not shaking or breaking," he added. "That is fairly unique for an ARFF vehicle to have an independent suspension to provide great off-road mobility." Additionally, Oshkosh configured the P-19R in a 6×6 configuration that in combination with the TAK-4 suspension allows "superior soft soil mobility", Bryant noted. "That traditionally is not an attribute of an ARFF, but that is an attribute of LVSR." The P-19R also has a 600 hp engine that provides not only the off-road mobility but the acceleration required in a NFPA 414, he said. For fire-fighting operations, the P-19R is capable of simultaneously pumping water and driving, Tom Merckx, senior director of USMC programs Oshkosh, told IHS Jane’s . "We utilise a power divider that is unique to Oshkosh. It allows us to drive around the scene with pumps engaged so if there are flare-ups it can hit them quickly," he said. The P-19R can respond to a fire at a high rate of speed while also preparing to engage its roof and front bumper turrets, 500-1000 ft (152-304 m) before reaching a fire, without damaging the power train, Merckx said. Oshkosh has also added additional storage along the side of the ARFF to hold hoses for use on structural fires. The P-19R can use the hoses to draw water from its own 1,000 gal (3,785 liter) tank, a fire hydrant, or from a pond. Besides its 1,000 gal tank, P-19R carries 130 gal (492 liter) of foam and 500 lb (226 kg) of halogen compound to tackle any type of fire, Bryant noted. On the underside of the ARFF there are nozzles that can discharge 15 gal (56 liter) of water and foam to extinguish a fire or fuel spill underneath the vehicle. In front of the vehicle Oshkosh has installed nozzles that spray water and foam on the windshield to keep it cool. The P-19R is also equipped with Oshkosh’s Command Zone integrated control and diagnostic system originally developed for the company’s commercial fire-fighting vehicle in 1999. According to Bryant the P-19R’s four-man crew (an operator and three-man team) have "fingertip" control of all the systems on the vehicle as well as a digital vehicle health monitoring system. The P-19R could also be a very good international ARFF solution, Merckx said. "It drives from the centre so you don’t need to worry about left hand or right hand drive. You are in the centre not only for visibility for the driver but when your people are in the cab they can exit both door at the same time without having to crawl over someone." Currently Oshkosh and the USMC are developing tailored operator and maintainer training materials for the P-19R, Bryant said. "The maintainer training package will leverage what we are doing for LVSR and MTVR maintainers. The operator training we are actually formulating that right now. Our customer wants a robust training package. They want a training programme that makes everything second nature."

With Singapore Changi Airport  Managers at Texas-based Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and Changi Airport Group said they have signed a memorandum of understanding to enhance shared efforts and cooperation between DFW Airport’s Department of Public Safety and Changi’s Airport Emergency Service division in the areas of fire-fighting rescue evacuation and fire safety strategies. Effective for five years, the MOU formalises the partnership between the two airports to utilize assets that will continue to ensure operational excellence and safety with the best techniques in fire-fighting and training. The DFW Fire Training Research Center offers advanced fire response techniques and research to firefighters from around the world. The FTRC features a full-size mockup of an Airbus A380, as well as an interactive curriculum and some of the world’s most highly trained instructors on aircraft rescue firefighting. Changi’s Airport Emergency Service provides rescue and fire protection at Singapore Changi and Seletar Airports as well as at the Republic of Singapore Air Force airbases within the Republic to the highest standards prescribed by the International Civil Aviation Organization. Both airports conduct their respective training exercises throughout the year, designed to have the skills and assist in the development of their fire-fighting personnel. Under the MOU, each airport will be responsible for organizing a training program for the fire-fighting personnel from the partner airport. Located halfway between the cities of Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas, DFW International Airport is the world’s fourth busiest, offering nearly 1,900 flights per day and serving 58m passengers a year. Changi Airport Group was formed on 16 June 2009 and the corporatisation of Singapore Changi Airport followed on 1 July 2009. Changi Airport handled more than 51 m passenger movements in 2012, an annual record. Today, it serves some 110 airlines flying to over 250 cities in about 60 countries and territories worldwide. Find out more at www.dfwairport.com and www.changiairportgroup.com.

Will now be known as MAGIRUS At a press meeting in Ulm, Germany, apparatus manufacturer IVECO MAGIRUS announced this morning that it will henceforth be known as MAGIRUS as part of a rebranding exercise. The company unveiled a new logo and business strategy aimed at streamlining the business. In a separate announcement, MAGIRUS’ parent company will change its name from Fiat Industrial to CNH as of Monday, September 30th.  

RE-HEALING™ foam concentrates The Solberg Company, a global supplier of firefighting foam concentrates and systems hardware, announced today the company has achieved ICAO Certification on the company’s RE-HEALING™ foam concentrates. A range of products have achieved certification to Level B and the new Level C standard. RE-HEALING RF3 (3%), RF6 (6%) and RF3x6 ATC™ (at both 3% and 6% solution) have achieved Level B Certification. The ICAO Level B certification for RE-HEALING RF6, 6% foam concentrate has been achieved on both the UL 162 Listed and the EN 1568 Approved product formulations. In addition, Level C Certification has been achieved on RE-HEALING RF3x6 ATC at the 6% solution rate. The newest generation of RE-HEALING RF3, 3% foam concentrate is now approved as ICAO Level B, in addition to existing product certifications including Underwriters Laboratories (UL) Standard 162 Listed, and EN 1568 as 1A. Customers can now purchase a single foam concentrate for all their fire protection needs. “Solberg RE-HEALING foam is the future of firefighting foam worldwide. Achieving Level B Certification on our range of RE-HEALING foam concentrates is further proof of the continuing advancement of our fluorine-free technology”, stated Jan Solberg, Director of Business Development for Solberg. A specialized agency of the United Nations, the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) was created in 1944 to promote the safe and orderly development of international civil aviation throughout the world. ICAO sets the Standards and Recommended Practices necessary for aviation safety, security, efficiency and environmental protection on a global basis. It serves as the primary forum for co-operation in all fields of civil aviation among its 191 Member States. The ICAO certification was carried out by the UK CAA through its subsidiary CAA International and provides independent third party verification of firefighting performance. Simon Webb, the UK CAA Technical Specialist said: “This independent certification of firefighting foam is good news for prospective purchasers. They now can be assured of the firefighting performance in these witnessed tests.” Based in Green Bay, Wisconsin, with operations in Bergen, Norway and Sydney, Australia, Solberg (an Amerex Corporation company) has been involved with the manufacture of firefighting foams since the mid-1970s. Solberg’s unique technology and foam systems hardware is preferred by customers in the aerospace, aviation, chemical, defence, energy, fire services, marine, mining, oil and gas, petrochemical, pharmaceutical, pipeline, solvent & coatings and utilities industries.

XVR will bring core technology for single and joint service command simulation training  As part of the investment into improved training facilities for London Fire Brigade (LFB), Babcock has chosen to partner with E-Semble to implement the XVR Simulation Platform in two newly built Incident Command Simulation (Sim) Suites. The Sim Suites located in East and West London will be equipped with state of the art technology for an immersive training experience. This will include floor to ceiling screens where delegates will be able to move freely around an incident and full audio to enhance interaction. Recordings of the training will provide immediate feedback and assessment for delegates. E-Semble will equip the new Simulation Suites with a variety of scenarios to keep training current. For example, scenarios resulting from the European Commission FP7 Project “CRISIS” led by Middlesex University. Additional innovations include the simulation of Incident Command Unit processes and an online news media and social media simulator. Most importantly, delegates will benefit from an immersive, varied training experience in a realistic and safe environment. “We selected XVR after a thorough comparison of the leading simulation providers in the UK“ explains Gordon Reynolds, Director of Training for Babcock. “We chose on the basis of a proven track record, acceptance in the field and quality of the software and the supplier”. The XVR Simulation Platform is used by over 20 Fire & Rescue Services in the UK and over 150 in the rest of the world. This makes it an ideal platform for use in multi-agency Incident Command Training exercises, which both of the facilities can accommodate. The Simulation Suites in London have been specifically designed for Joint Emergency Services training in accordance with current and future JESIP guidelines. Multi-agency usage of the simulator has been at the core of its design in 2000. “We look forward to working in partnership with Babcock and the LFB to further increase the quality and usability of XVR for all users.” explains Martijn Boosman, founder and Director of Strategy at E-Semble. “We see it as a challenge to continuously improve XVR to match the evolving needs and requests from users from all emergency response organisations. Software development never ends. Our development team is continuously upgrading the XVR software to respond to requests from our users in the UK and elsewhere.” The London Incident Command Simulation Suite at Harrow will be opening in autumn 2013 and the Beckton facility will be opening in April 2014.

Victoria’s state firefighting aircraft has been retired ELVIS, the state’s flagship firefighting aircraft, has been axed from the 2013 fleet after more than a decade in Victoria’s skies. A list of firefighting aircraft, seen by the Herald Sun, reveals the Erickson S-64F Air-Crane will no longer be part of the state’s firefighting arsenal. United Firefighters Union secretary Peter Marshall said that overlooking Elviswas a mistake. "Fire protection in Victoria is at an all-time low under the Napthine Government and clearly, they’ve been caught out trying to deceive the public by replacing Elvis with an inferior capacity aircraft," he said. But Fire Services Commissioner Craig Lapsley said the state would still be protected even though Elvis was not being used this fire season. The bright orange chopper had been a champion of Victoria’s bushfire season. In the days before Black Saturday, Elvis was instrumental in saving the town of Boolarra and is also credited for helping save 300 homes near Sydney in 2001. The S-64F is the largest air-crane model and has the capacity to carry 9500 litres of water or foam and travel about 200km/h. But this year, it will be replaced by the smaller E model aircraft, which can carry only 7500 litres of water. A person familiar with the aerial fighting in Victoria told the Herald Sun the new model was inadequate. "They’ve stuffed this up and gone with the inferior model," he said. "It’s an inferior machine to Elvis." While Elvis had a 9500-litre tank, the replacement model has a 7500-litre tank. An attached bucket can bring the total capacity to 9000 litres but sources say the E model would struggle to operate at that capacity. Opposition Leader Daniel Andrews slammed the decision to axe Elvis and blamed it on cost cutting. "Elvis is one example of vital fire support equipment that has been scrapped as a result of the Napthine Government’s Budget cuts," Mr Andrews said. "With predictions of an above-normal fire threat this fire season, Victorians expect that our hardworking firefighters will have the tools and resources to keep them safe – sadly Denis Napthine is letting them down." Mr Lapsley said losing Elvis would have no impact on Victoria’s aerial firefighting capacity. "Victorian firefighting icon Elvis was not offered to Australia this year but of the 41 aircraft we do have, 24 are helicopters," he said. "Of those helicopters, two are still Erickson Aircranes that can carry 7500 litres of water or foam and two are Sikorsky helicopters that can carry 3500 litres."