Victorian fire agencies take collaborative work to the skies
One of Australia’s smallest states, Victoria is also one of the country’s – and the world’s – most bushfire prone areas. The “We Work as One” mantra of its Country Fire Authority…
Buying high value equipment – The ins and outs of the procurement process – Part 2
So, you have been approved to spend some money. A lot of money for that matter. Now the fun begins! Sound familiar? As we discussed in the previous article of this topic, the next steps are delivery, acceptance and training.…
Putting an end to bullying and harassment in the fire service
Bullying and harassment. These two words have become quite the buzzwords in recent years. Back when I was younger, it seemed the general reaction when these occurred was to look the other way, that this is the way things are.…
Hydraulic rescue – Reaching new depths
With our latest innovation, first responders now have the ability to literally plunge new depths of possibility with hydraulic rescue tools that can operate whilst completely submerged. LUKAS EWXT (eDraulic Watertight Extrication Tool) mean it is now safe to go…
Should we rethink the protection of petrochemical tanks in light of the ITC Deer Park Fire?
After the ITC Deer Park Incident, the industry urgently needs to discover what went wrong and how is it possible that a relatively small fire escalated to an inferno that lasted almost four days resulting in the destruction of 11…
Air traffic control tower evacuation equipment
Anthonius Gunawan Agung died from his injuries after jumping from his ATC Tower. This 21-year-old Indonesian Air Traffic Controller stayed behind at his post during a major earthquake to safely guide a loaded airline off the ground. Anthonius is a…
The importance of being prepared for the recovery of disabled aircraft
Aviation remains one of the fastest growing industries in the world. The number of passengers has increased significantly over the past few years and, based on International Air Transport Association forecasts, it will double by 2037. Growth in the air…
Going door to door for fire safety
You seldom hear about the fire that was prevented, but these unheralded moments are our greatest source of pride. This requires more than just the hard work of our firefighters and fire inspectors; it requires a commitment from everyone in…
Leadership
One thing as leaders that we rarely talk, or even think about are the leadership traits. These are the things that make people want to follow you, an essential component of leadership. As a leader you should look behind often,…
Mutual Aid initiative in the Amsterdam harbour to start in 2020
Recently, in the seaport of Amsterdam, the foundations have been laid for a new firefighting organization with a special character. The Amsterdam-Amstelland fire service, the Port of Amsterdam harbour authorities and 16 industrial companies based in the port area have joined forces in a collective fire service tailored to the risk profile of the industry and the port activities.
Cloud technology bringing fire service into the twenty-first century
According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), there were more than 1.1 million career and volunteer firefighters in the United States as of 2016. In a high-stakes situation, every single one of them should be able to rely on…
Hard hitting nozzle types – Fact from fiction
Task Force Tips has engineered a test method to accurately measure the impact of a fire stream. Which nozzles hit hardest? “A fire stream can be defined as a stream of water or other extinguishing agent after it leaves the…
Capability is key
Australia’s Country Fire Authority (CFA) is one of the world’s largest volunteer firefighting organisations with over 35,000 volunteer firefighters and 1,300 career firefighters supported by more than 21,000 non-operational volunteers and staff across the state of Victoria; one of the…
S-GARD – Firefighter protective clothing made in Germany
We would like to introduce you to a manufacturer that in recent years has become the leading provider of modern, high-end fire service protective clothing in the German-speaking countries of Europe and is now garnering plenty of attention well beyond…
Extrication Planning – Part 2
In the previous article we looked at the initial stages of extrication planning and focussed on the gathering of information, establishing our priorities, contriving the plan based on the initial and ongoing needs of the patient and communicating our findings.…
Buying high value equipment – The in’s and out’s of the procurement process
So, you’re in the market to make a purchase, maybe a large purchase at that. Have you completed all your homework? Do you have the answers to the questions the procurement department approving the purchase will ask? We could go…
Powering Global SuperTanker to suppress extreme wildfires
Wildfires are an unfortunate reality in California, and the Western United States. Larger and more destructive wildfires year-round result in 6,870 wildland fires that burn an excess of 1.5 million acres on average each year. To battle these blazes, the…
A look into the past and the future of advancements in the firefighting industry
Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, “We are not makers of history. We are made by history”. When looking forward into the future of firefighting, observing past historical fire events helps to illuminate where the future lies with new technological…
PPV – Arm yourself with knowledge
Positive pressure ventilation (PPV) has become a very common practice in the fire industry, and as the benefits from it continue to become more documented and validated, its practice continues to grow worldwide. Evidence of this is seen in the…
Knowing your atmosphere
While some of us in the fire service are fortunate enough to have a dedicated Hazardous Materials Response Unit (HMRU) in our department, many agencies throughout the world do not. However, that does not mean we are exempt from responding…
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