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Earns EPA’s Design for the DfE programme New Fire Fighting Product category for environmentally safer alternatives created by the U.S. EPA’s Design for the Environment programme   TetraKO, LLC, the fire suppression subsidiary of EarthClean Corporation, has earned recognition under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) Design for the Environment (DfE) programme for its TetraKO™ biodegradable water enhancer. TetraKO water enhancer is the first fire suppression product to earn EPA’s DfE recognition under the new Industrial/Institutional product category “Fire Fighting Product”, satisfying the need for a highly effective, and environmentally safe fire suppression alternative. TetraKO is a cornstarch-based water enhancer that transforms ordinary water into an adhering gel that is dramatically more effective at attacking, suppressing, and containing fires.   When you see the DfE label on a product, it means that EPA‘s scientific review team has evaluated every ingredient for potential human health and environmental effects and allowed only chemicals from the safest in their class – that meet stringent EPA criteria – to be used. DfE-labeled products do not contain known chemicals of potential concern, like carcinogens, reproductive or developmental toxicants – and even minor product components, like dyes and fragrances, are screened for safety.   After a year of technical information exchange about TetraKO agriculturally-based fire suppression/extinguishment technology, a Partnership Agreement has been executed between EarthClean Corporation and the EPA’s DfE Program. This is the first fire suppression/extinguishment product to be accepted under this category, and will now be listed on the DfE website.   “One of our first priorities as a company was to test TetraKO for its health and environmental impacts. This first-ever EPA DfE certification is further confirmation of this product as a safe and effective alternative for fire suppression,” said Doug Ruth, TetraKO, LLC CEO. “We believe TetraKO has the potential to transform fire suppression technology. We are testing TetraKO with municipal fire departments, where it has proven effective in structural and car fires, as well as on wildfires.”   In collaboration with the EPA’s DfE programme, EarthClean formulated TetraKO, a Class-A firefighting water enhancer that offers safer health and environmental characteristics, when compared to other firefighting chemistries. The TetraKO Qualifying Product contains no halogenated organics, inorganic phosphates, or hazardous solvents. Instead, EarthClean uses a proprietary blend of ingredients, much of which are agriculturally-based, that exhibit more positive environmental and human health characteristics than conventional fire-fighting formulations.   A main element of the partnership between EarthClean and the EPA’s DfE programme provides EarthClean the opportunity to work with EPA chemists and environmental scientists in investigating materials to further improve the health and environmental profile of its TetraKO Qualified Product. EarthClean agrees to make continuous environmental improvement an important activity in its R&D activities.   DfE-labeled TetraKO offers the following benefits:   ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION TetraKO is formulated with the environment and human health strongly in mind. It contains components with a more positive environmental profile than conventional Class-A fire fighting products.   WORKER/CONSUMER SAFETY TetraKO is formulated to help ensure a safer workplace. Users of TetraKO benefit from ingredients that include no components that pose serious health hazards. This benefit is amplified for firefighters, forest service workers and others who must use fire-fighting products on a regular basis.   RESOURCE CONSERVATION TetraKO has certain attributes that may significantly reduce use of water and decrease overall fire damage, due to its enhanced fire-fighting performance.   CUSTOMER EDUCATION EarthClean acts as a product steward by providing its customers information on environmental and worker safety matters, and trains its sales force on the benefits of formulations with improved environmental and health characteristics. About EPA’s Design for the Environment EPA’s Design for the Environment (DfE) works in partnership with industry, environmental groups, and academia to reduce risk to people and the environment by finding ways to prevent pollution. For more than 15 years, through partnership projects, DfE has evaluated human health and environmental concerns associated with traditional and alternative chemicals and processes in a range of industries. These analyses have empowered hundreds of businesses to select safer chemicals and technologies. DfE focuses on industries that combine the potential for chemical risk reduction with a strong motivation to make lasting, positive changes. About EarthClean Corporation EarthClean Corporation is a Minnesota-based clean technology company whose mission is to develop and introduce environmentally friendly and biodegradable technologies. TetraKO, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of EarthClean Corporation, is the firefighting company that helps firefighters attack, suppress, and contain fires. A team of engineers, scientists, and firefighters developed TetraKO water enhancer.   Visit www.tetraKO.com for more information and to see the product in action.  

All suitable for marine applications… Leading fire protection product manufacturer Apollo Fire Detectors Ltd. has recently launched several new bells, sounders and beacons suitable for marine applications. Designed especially to suit any signalling need in a marine environment, Apollo’s new products range from simple bells to separate or combined alarm sounders and flashing beacons, with a variety of input voltages and audio/visual output levels offered.   New products for the marine market include the Marine version of the fire market’s favourite Roshni Low Profile (RoLP) Sounder, the Marine Flashni combined Sounder Beacon, the patented low-current Electronic Solenoid Bell, the Marine 6 Inch Motorised Bell 24V DC, Marine Solista Maxi LED beacon, and the IP66 rated Marine Asserta 110dB-120dB sounder and sounder beacon variants. One of the most trusted fire protection manufacturers, Apollo is renowned for the reliability of its products and leads the field in providing a product lifetime guarantee. For the potentially dangerous and hard-wearing marine market, the added value of this assured level of quality is obvious.   For further information visit www.apollo-fire.co.uk  

Leading life-safety equipment manufacturer… Leading life-safety equipment manufacturer, C-TEC, has celebrated its 30th anniversary by relocating to a magnificent new factory Situated at the heart of Wigan’s Challenge Way commercial district, C-TEC’s state-of-the-art facility measures an impressive 75,000 sq ft (the size of three football pitches) and has been purposely equipped to set the stage for the next phase of the company’s development. As one of the biggest employers in the area, C-TEC’s expansion is certainly good news for the local economy.   The ground floor houses modern manufacturing, meeting, training and storage areas whilst the first floor is dedicated to office space. A custom-built glass staircase, clearly visible from the outside of the factory, links the two floors. A huge backlit C-TEC logo illuminates the spacious marble-tiled reception area and the external entrance to the building.   As one would expect, C-TEC’s life-safety innovations feature prominently throughout the building. Two powerful 4-loop ZFP touch-screen controlled analogue addressable fire panels link to over 100 C-TEC-manufactured loop sounder beacons and Apollo devices distributed around the site. The panels present clear and constant feedback on all aspects of fire alarm activity via intuitive touch-screens. A Quantec addressable call system provides alarm facilities in the marble-tiled disabled persons’ toilets and also functions as a panic attack/door monitoring system in certain areas of the building so staff can sound an alarm should they encounter an intruder.   A significant amount of space has been dedicated to training rooms. Over 500 engineers were trained on C-TEC products last year and the company is renowned in the industry for its hands-on free-of-charge courses. Said Andy Green, C-TEC’s Marketing Manager: "Our training sessions undoubtedly encourage customers to start installing our products and, as such, we have invested heavily in training facilities. The three new training rooms have been designed to facilitate many different types of product training to suit the various new product lines C-TEC will be introducing over the coming months."   Each room contains working demonstration boards of C-TEC’s fire alarm control panels, call systems, power supplies and disabled refuge products. One-to-one training and product presentations are carried out in the meeting rooms adjacent to the training rooms. Two PDA200E induction loop amplifiers have been installed in each room to ensure that the sessions are accessible to the hard of hearing.   With regards to external security, a high-tech CCTV/speaker system has been installed to assist the security guards who patrol the building and its grounds. A series of C-TEC’s EN54-compliant power supplies control the internal security doors.   Current Building Regulations insist that all non-domestic buildings with more than one storey provide ‘refuge’ areas and a SigTEL disabled refuge/emergency voice communication system has been installed to enable two-way communication between rescue teams and disabled people waiting in the refuge areas should an emergency situation arise.   One of SigNET’s Integrity Voice Alarm systems has been connected to the ZFP fire alarm system, and will broadcast alert messages in the event of an emergency. The system also connects to the telephone system to allow members of staff to page individual messages throughout the building from their telephones. In addition, Integrity stores a wide range of pre-recorded building-specific messages to help facilitate the smooth operation of the building. For example, staff in the collection area will be notified that a caller is waiting as soon as the button outside is pressed.   Said Andrew Foster, C-TEC’s Managing Director: "Our magnificent new factory marks the beginning of a new era for C-TEC as we build on the successes of the last 30 years of manufacturing world-class life-safety equipment to venture into very exciting and previously uncharted territory. We intend to launch some highly innovative new product ranges, which will dramatically enhance our status as one of the leading manufacturers of fire detection equipment. These are very exciting times indeed."   C-TEC’s extensive range of fire alarm control panels, call systems, voice alarms and disability products, many of which are third-party approved, are currently protecting and improving the lives of thousands of people worldwide. The thriving business has been officially nominated as one of the UK’s outstanding examples of manufacturing excellence in the Government’s prestigious ‘Made by Britain’ initiative and its innovative Hush Button Fire Alarm Solution has also been hailed a remarkable success.   For further information visit www.c-tec.co.uk  

Sustainable 3M fire protection technology             In the racing world, the drive toward greater sustainability is being addressed in countless ways. Roush Fenway Racing, operator of the No. 16 3M Ford Fusion, has fully embraced the NASCAR® initiative to reduce waste, carbon emissions and power consumption. But there is one area in particular that offers no compromises in performance – and that is driver safety.   For years, NASCAR racers have employed various types ofchemical "clean agents" for fire suppression in their cars. Traditional halon and hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) clean agents have high global warming potentials and pose significant long-term sustainability issues. So when 3M introduced a next-generation halon replacement with excellent safety, performance and sustainability characteristics, Roush Fenway Racing expressed keen interest.   This material, 3M™ Novec™ 1230 Fire Protection Fluid, is based on a proprietary 3M chemistry that addresses many of the shortcomings of conventional clean agents. It has become widely used around the world to protect critical assets where water or dry chemical agents could damage sensitive equipment. Novec 1230 fluid is not only a highly effective fire extinguishant, but also has a very short (5-day) atmospheric lifetime and a global warming potential of 1 – about the same as naturally-occurring carbon dioxide. Moreover, it offers the widest margin of human safety of any chemical clean agent, CO2 or inert gas mixture. Roush Fenway’s goal was to incorporate Novec 1230 fluid into a new fire suppression system for the No. 16 3M car, driven by Greg Biffle, in time for the STP 400 Spring Cup Race in Kansas City on April 22 – which happens to coincide with Earth Day 2012.   Long-time performance racing and marine fire suppression equipment manufacturer Metalcraft, Inc. worked with Roush Fenway’s engineering team to develop a dedicated fire suppression system, sold under their Fire-Trak™ brand, for both the driver cockpit and the fuel cell in the trunk.   Jim Ryder, Roush Fenway’s Engineering Design Manager, considers the greatest advantage of the new system to be its reliability. "We don’t worry that the agent isn’t going to work as well because it’s considered ‘green;’ in fact, we’re all very confident about its performance."   Jim Ryder, Roush Fenway’s Engineering Design Manager, considers the greatest advantage of the new system to be its reliability. "We don’t worry that the agent isn’t going to work as well because it’s considered ‘green;’ in fact, we’re all very confident about its performance." Even though the new system will never be seen by most race fans, Joe Ziemba, 3M Marketing Manager, looks forward to watching the No. 16 3M Ford Fusion take its first lap on Earth Day. "To me, this is symbolic of a whole new way of thinking about technology and sustainability," he says. "It demonstrates that we can be good stewards of the environment, while still maintaining a high standard of living, keeping people safe and having fun at the races. From where I stand, that sounds a lot like progress." For more information visit             www.3M.com/novecracing  

The Association of Specialist Fire Protection has produced a guide to assist Fire Risk Assessors as ASFP Technical Officer Niall Rowan explains… Fire safety legislation in the UK is designed to save lives in the event of a fire. As a result, the legal requirements for Passive Fire Protection (PFP) are aimed at ensuring that, in the event of fire, the occupants of a building can escape, fire will not spread easily within a building or to other buildings, the fire and rescue service can attend safely and the building will not collapse prematurely.   Since PFP products are those ‘built-in’ to the fabric of a building to restrict the growth and spread of fire and smoke, they are often difficult to identify and inspect. The ASFP Guide to Inspecting Passive Fire Protection for Fire Risk Assessors has been produced to assist Fire Risk Assessors to carry out inspections of PFP as part of a fire risk assessment under UK fire safety legislation. It provides Assessors with appropriate guidance for them to be able to verify that the PFP supporting means of escape is adequate and will perform as expected to ensure that life safety is never compromised.   PFP products work to control the flammability of wall and ceiling linings, divide the building into fire resisting compartments, provide protection to the structure of the building to prevent its collapse, and provide protective routes for escape. PFP products include : Fire doors, fire resisting walls, floors and ceilings, fire resisting ducts and dampers, fire stopping and fire protection to structural members.   Whilst a full investigation of all PFP would be the ideal; it is generally not necessary for a fire risk assessment under the current legislation. The aim is to ensure that the means of escape is not compromised by deficient PFP and that the spread of fire and smoke is restricted. A fire risk assessment should thus typically consider:   Lining materials for wall and ceilings on escape routes Fire doors – especially those serving escape routes Construction of walls, ceilings and floors forming escape routes Penetrating services in walls ceilings and floors forming escape routes e.g. ducts, pipes etc.   There is much guidance on this from trade associations and other organisations. Whilst this is useful background information it tends to comprise rather more in detail and quantity than is required for a risk assessment under the legislation. It is also spread over many different publications, in different formats and in different levels of complexity. The ASFP guide provides sufficient guidance on what to look for in relation to all types of PFP in a single document, thus enabling the Fire Risk Assessor to adequately evaluate PFP without constant reference to a large number of specialist guidance documents.   Evaluating the PFP The Assessor needs to evaluate what is needed for occupants to escape in the event of a fire and then evaluate the PFP accordingly. The assessment needs to be balanced, taking into account the occupation and purpose of the building, its age and construction, as well as the building layout. It should consider the life safety fire strategy for the building and the extent to which fire resisting construction on escape routes and fire compartmentation contributes to that.   Age of the building The age of the building is also important in evaluating the PFP of existing escape routes. In older buildings it is possible that the type of construction and materials used may not perform to current fire test standards. Changes of occupier and/or refurbishment may have led to the creation of cavities and voids, allowing the potential for fire and smoke to spread unseen.   In more modern buildings it is likely that there will be fewer unsealed voids; cavity barriers should have been installed where appropriate and any breaches in fire-resisting construction e.g. for the provision of services should have been adequately fire-stopped.   Irrespective of the age of the building the Assessor should be alert for breaches in all types of fire resisting construction and/or inappropriate fire stopping and record these as part of his risk assessment. If his survey indicates that there may be significant breaches in difficult to survey locations, the Assessor should not be afraid to recommend a more invasive inspection by a specialist third party inspection organisation. B uilding layout   To be able to decide on the appropriate level of PFP and evaluate it, the Assessor must familiarise himself with the building layout and escape routes. If a Fire Strategy document exists this should provide the required information and should be considered with the building drawings. The ASFP guide indicates where such information can be found and what the legal basis is behind its formulation and retention.   Such information should include details of fire resisting construction on escape routes, fire compartmentation and other PFP information and should include where appropriate fire test and assessment reports and any third party certification. The use of third-party certificated products and installers should confirm to the Assessor that all installed penetrations are effective as these installers are regularly audited by the certification bodies. However, this will not necessarily reduce the amount of inspection required as the Assessor will need to confirm that additional penetrations have not been made since the PFP was installed.   For older buildings, or those where the information is not available, the only way to determine the escape routes and critical compartmentation may be a survey of the building layout, from which the assessor will have to decide on what level of PFP/fire resisting construction is appropriate. From this, a document that lists the escape routes and where fire-resisting construction is required can be created, as a basis for checking the PFP as part of the risk assessment. The ASFP guide provides sensible guidance to fire risk Assessors including what considerations need to be made for a number of building type/occupancy scenarios.   Guidance on each type of Passive Fire Protection Once the Assessor knows

The North American alarm industry continues to grow The North American fire alarm equipment market is a well-established market, with the participation of over 30 main manufacturers. The number of competitors has reduced slightly since 2005 due to a series of mergers and acquisitions, which resulted in higher consolidation of the market in a few large conglomerates.   In 2007, revenues for fire alarm equipment were estimated at $1,025.3 million, with a growth rate of 4.6 percent over 2006. The North American fire alarm equipment market is expected to grow moderately from 2007 to 2014. The North American fire alarm equipment market is likely to witness favourable demand, mainly due to the increasing activity in renovation and retrofit of existing buildings, as the non-residential building construction levels are not showing signs of recovery. New non-residential construction activity had been experiencing a serious diminution since 2001. However, renovation and retrofit of existing buildings have compensated for this decline in activity and also maintained market growth.   The fire alarm industry is mainly driven by the fire and building codes, which have been maintained in a conservative manner, as they deal with issues of life safety. Some of the main pieces of legislation driving the market are National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 72, which is the national fire alarm code covering the application, performance, and maintenance of fire alarm equipment, the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) that requires specific notification devices for the hearing impaired, and Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) guidelines. Moreover, there are approvals and listings given by nationally recognised testing laboratories such as the Underwriter’s Laboratory (UL) and Factory   Mutual (FM), for the various components of the fire alarm system as well as for the complete system. These conservative codes, legislation, and standards explain the historical stability of the North American fire alarm equipment market, which is characterised by slow growth and the cautious nature of the market in adopting advanced technologies. Manufacturers have to deal simultaneously with old conservative codes and an increasing end-user demand for innovative solutions.   Currently, most technical advances are mainly advocated to respond to the push from end users to integrate fire alarm systems with other building safety and building management systems. Building control has traditionally been divided into separate as well as disparate systems. With an increase in the trend toward automated buildings, these independent, proprietary technology-driven, and legacy systems have to be interconnected to constitute an intelligent building. Intelligent buildings converge data, voice, and video with security, HVAC, lighting, and other electronic controls on a single IP network platform, which facilitates user management, space utilisation, energy conservation, comfort, and systems improvement.   The market for fire alarm equipment is very price-sensitive, as installing this equipment is a requirement and not an option. As building codes mandate that, all non-residential buildings must have an effective method for the detection and suppression of fire in the incipient stage, some end users with low budget tend to install the minimum to comply with the codes. Consequently, there is fierce competition among participants to attract customers and price is a major competing factor. Other key competitive factors in the market are code compliance, brand recognition, and a proficient distribution network.   Generally, participants in the fire alarm panels industry utilise traditional distribution channels through engineered systems distributors, fire and security distributors, and original equipment manufacturers. Some of the larger companies offer support through their branches and representatives, but most of them follow the usual methods of distribution.   Definitions Fire detection and alarm systems are universal in their applications and are installed in all building types, irrespective of whether it is a shopping centre, an office building, or a manufacturing facility. In terms of the end use, all buildings can be classified into residential and non-residential buildings and this is consistent with the industry classification of buildings.   End-user definition Key end users for the fire alarm equipment market encompass the entire spectrum of the non-residential sector and are best described in terms of building categories.   In this research service, end users have been divided into the following groups: Office buildings Commercial buildings Manufacturing buildings Educational buildings Healthcare buildings Other buildings   The other buildings category includes the buildings for non-residential use, which do not come under any of the above categories such as cinemas, theatres or hotels.   Product definition The North American fire alarm equipment market has been segmented based on the type of equipment and this is consistent with the industry’s segmentation of the market. This study considers all types of fire alarm equipment, except the automatic initiating devices such as fire and smoke detection devices.   Fire alarm equipment can be broadly classified into two product groups as shown below:   Fire alarm panels: Panels are the heart of any fire alarm   system and include the controls, which process the signals received from input devices and give out signals to the output devices.   Fire alarm devices: This product group takes into account • devices that are connected to the main fire alarm panel, and that either send to (initiating devices) or receive (output devices) signals from the same.   Fire alarm panels are further sub-segmented into the following types:   Conventional fire alarm panels Addressable fire alarm panels Voice evacuation systems   Fire alarm devices are further sub-segmented into the following types: Annunciators Notification appliances Manual pull stations   The geographic region covered in this study is North America, which includes the United States and Canada. Moreover, this study examines the current structure of the industry and analyses its competitive factors from 2004 to 2014, with 2007 as the base year.   Market Trends The following are some of the major market and technology trends:   Addressable fire alarm systems offer more value for money and are being preferred over conventional systems. The declining prices of these systems and the savings in terms of lower amount of wiring, easier maintenance, and better false alarm immunity,

Firefighter turnout gear: Why fit is important Mark Mordecai and Pat Freeman of Globe Manufacturing tell us the importance of fit for firefighters PPE and why it matters…   Firefighters come in a remarkable range of shapes and sizes — which isn’t surprising, as firefighters span the entire adult population — so the days of building turnout gear that fits a “normal” range of firefighters are over. When your gear really fits your body, it’s not just more comfortable; it enables you to perform your job to the maximum of your ability — but that’s not all.   Although National Fire Protection Association 1971, Standard on Protective Ensembles for Structural Fire Fighting and Proximity Fire Fighting, and NFPA 1500, Standard on Fire Department Occupational Safety and Health Programme, address turnout gear fit — and manufacturers have been meeting these minimum requirements for years — many firefighters are still getting gear that doesn’t fit well.   NFPA 1971 provides for the minimum availability of sizes for chest, sleeve, waist and inseam, as well as requiring specific patterns for men and for women, but the standard doesn’t provide for different body shapes. NFPA 1500 speaks to “fit” only in terms of the required overlap between the jacket and pants — at least a two-inch (5.08-cm) overlap of all layers — so there is no gap in the total thermal protection when both protective garments are worn.   The standard further specifies how this overlap shall be measured on the wearer, without self-contained breathing apparatus, in two positions:   Standing, hands together, reaching overhead as high as possible.   Standing, hands together, reaching overhead, with body bent forward at a 90-degree angle, to the left or right and back.   These standards help keep you safe, but don’t guarantee that your gear really fits.   The physiology of performance  Firefighting requires a lot of bending. Every time you step up, crawl or work with your arms in front of you, you’re bending.   Consider this: When you bend your knee, your skin has to stretch five inches to cover it, as compared to when your leg is straight. That’s why the skin over your knee is wrinkled: so it’s able to stretch to accommodate this movement. You also need eight more inches in length in the seat in order to bend your knee freely. When you bend over at the waist, you need more length to cover your back and seat — and when you raise your arms to work in front of you, you need more length across your back and under your arms. If you don’t get this added length in your turnout gear, your movement will be restricted.   How do you get this added length where you need it? One way would be to wear turnouts that are oversized and baggy, but they would be bulky, heavy and in your way. Or you could make turnouts from stretch fabric. Unfortunately, the technology isn’t available that would let all three layers of your turnout stretch.   The best alternative is to have turnouts that are tailored to fit your body with the added length and fullness to accommodate when you move and bend. A more tailored fit will reduce weight and bulk while providing you with increased mobility so you can perform your job more effectively.   Dimensions of fit When it comes to fit, women really are different than men; and just as there is no normal-size man, there just is no normal-size woman.   For a given waist size, women generally have wider hips relative to men, but they can also be petite, misses, women’s or plus-sized, tall, short or in-between.   Although NFPA 1971 requires specific patterns for women, most women have a difficult time finding the right fit. As with male firefighters, the key to fit is gear that comes in different shapes, not just sizes.   Turnout pants aren’t like a regular pair of pants because they fit over your pants, so your turnout waist size likely will be two or more inches larger than that of your street pants. Your waist measurement also depends on the height of the pants up from the crotch — called the front rise — and where you like to wear your pants.   For example, turnout pants with a shorter front rise sit below your actual waist and need to be a little wider because they sit down closer to your hips. Many men with a “front porch” wear their pants lower (under the porch), so although they have a larger waist measurement, their turnout pants are actually worn at a point that is narrower than if they pulled the pants up around their belly.   If your turnout pants have an integrated belt, how and where you secure this belt affects where the pants ride on you. There’s no substitute for trying on the pants in the correct style to determine the waist size that works for you.   In turnout pants — where added length and fullness are needed to do your job without restriction — you need options to fit your body properly, just as you do when you choose a pair of jeans. Most firefighters will choose a relaxed fit for maximum mobility.   Squat down when you try on the pants: Is there excess fabric in the seat? If not, going trimmer will restrict your movement. If so, and you’re trimmer in the waist, seat and thigh, you’ll likely find a regular fit (that has added length, but less fullness) will be ample and less baggy.   Again, as every turnout pant style is different, there is no substitute for trying them on.    There are two opposing schools of thoughts concerning the length of the pants:   You should wear your pants a little longer so that they don’t ride up over the top of your boots when you step up and crawl.   If the pants are too long, you will end up stepping on the cuffs and causing premature wear.   The best answer is to buy turnout pants that don’t ride up, and then you can order your pants a little shorter. Shorter pants don’t get stepped on or dragged through the

At the largest worldwide trade fair for rescue, fire and civil protection services, INTERSCHUTZ 2010, Iveco Magirus presented a new range of Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting Vehicles for airport applications (ARFF Vehicles). ARFFV is a special category of airport tank pumpers that involves response hazard mitigation, evacuation and rescuing of passengers and crew of an aircraft involved in an airport ground emergency. The models of the Iveco Magirus Dragon 2 range represent a completely new generation of customised ARFF vehicles with performances that exceed current ICAO and NFPA requirements. Fire fighters from around the world are very impressed with this newly developed concept. Once again, innovations from Iveco Magirus have set new standards for the entire fire-fighting industry.   In keeping with the IVECO MAGIRUS philosophy, this consistent solution has been developed in-house and is made using a ‘one-stop shop’ approach. The modular structure makes it possible to implement different configurations and drive variants that include a 6×6 on a three-axle chassis and a 8×8 on a four-axle chassis with Twin Engine Power Pack (TEP) drive system as well a 6×6 model with single motorisation based on a powerful Iveco engines and as a special option also a Deutz engine.   The 8×8 Dragon chassis with a “Twin Engine Power Pack” solution drives the vehicle and the fire pump and results in a better performance single engine solution. The two electronically controlled IVECO CURSOR 13 engines provide a total power of 1,080 HP in Euro 3 or 1,120 HP in Euro 5 version. Iveco Cursor engines have long been known for their exceptional efficiency, light weight and high specific power output.   Independently from one or two engines the Dragon ARFF chassis surpass by far the ICAO and NFPA requirements. The development of the new ARFFV chassis from Iveco Magirus Brandschutztechnik was featured by only one manufacturer. All innovative concepts were specifically developed for this range: Drive train, extinguishing systems, controls and bodywork design are perfectly matched to the chassis – and represent integral parts of a consistent overall vehicle concept as only IVECO MAGIRUS can supply.   The modular design makes it possible to create different vehicle configurations according to customer needs, exceeding ICAO and NFPA standards. The first customer was the Hong Kong International Airport and as a result of good experience here. Iveco Magirus received the next order for a similar vehicle. Further reference customer countries include Poland, Kuwait, Turkey, Romania, Philippines and Laos.   More major airports are to follow. Up to now 5 new Dragons were supplied to big airports around the world. An additional 25 units will be delivered in 2012 and others will follow in the year 2013. The success is based on the following strong points:    The new driver cab which provides space for 3, 4 or 6 people of whom up to 4 with breathing apparatus, due to the generous internal dimensions. The driver seat can be positioned on the left, on the right or in the centre. The cab is a well-designed workplace and satisfies all demands for maximum comfort and functionality.   The vehicle entry is ergonomically optimised for fire-fighting operations. Large, lowered windows provide optimal visibility in all directions.   The crew cab features hinged doors or alternatively, automatic sliding doors (coach type). Sliding doors in particular enable more comfortable entry to the spacious cabin. Large, lowered windows provide optimal visibility in all directions.   The bodywork realised in AluFire 3 design is a perfect combination of functionality and progressive design: Large air grilles guarantee maximum cooling efficiency; the rear cover panel facilitates access for maintenance and repairs. The AluFire 3 modular bodywork system provides also optimum usability and variability of equipment lockers. This thousands fold proven system was developed with a significant contribution from the users and very much directed to fully meet the individual needs of fire fighters everywhere.   Chassis Newly-developed, rough terrain capability all-wheel airport rescue fire fighting ARFF chassis with rear engine and rigid axle suspension with coil springs, single tyres with same track width for faster forward progress and larger track for maximum stability.   Planetary hub reduction axles with disc brakes for maximum ground clearance as well lower starting torque thus ensuring less wear of drive chain.   All thousand-fold proven chassis components are from the large-scale production truck “IVECO Range”, still in service and modified to meet the specific requirements of applications. Benefits are derived in particular from the global presence of Iveco as a world market leader in the manufacture of trucks and engines and in terms of reliability and availability of spare parts.   The electrical installations are all in 24 V version according to the European Standard. 24 Volt system of course being more powerful and safer than 12 volt.   The control of all vehicle electronic apparatus of the Dragon ARFF is provided by an advanced CANBUS system as standard equipment.   Engines The Dragon ARFF is powered by original Iveco Cursor engines which allow a fast-response acceleration time from 0 to 80 km/h in much less than 25 seconds for the Dragon 8×8 chassis and less than 23 seconds for Dragon 6×6. Top speed of up to 135 km/h.   Iveco Cursor engines have long been known for their exceptional efficiency, light weight and high specific power outputs. The new-generation Cursor engines are more responsive, and interact to a higher degree with the automatic gear-box.   The Cursor engine’s variable geometry turbocharger assists in delivering high torque across a wide range of engine speeds and works in harmony with the quietly efficient Iveco Turbo Brake.   For the ARFFV Dragon 6×6 and 8×8 the advantages of the “twin-engines” concept are not only evident in more power availability. More important are pump and roll operations where there are no limits, and you can do up to 70 km/h, whereas on a ARFF vehicle with one engine you have some limits in operation and the maximum speed achievable is 20 km/h. Furthermore, in case of engine failure of a single engine vehicle, this is stopped and there is a risk of losing the vehicle to the fire.   With the “twin engines” solution in case of failure of one engine of the power pack, the vehicle can be driven safely out of the danger area by