More safety against fire – EmiControls presents an innovative way of fire protection with water mist turbine
The Italian company EmiControls has been working on innovative fire protection solutions worldwide since 2011. With the FT10e water mist turbine, EmiControls has launched a product that gives companies more safety in…
Space weather: The modern natural hazard
Since the dawn of the ‘Space Age’ in the late 1950s, we have become increasingly susceptible to space weather as we have grown more reliant on electrical grids, satellite navigation, space infrastructure, and radio and wireless communications. But while there…
Workplace safety, performance and back health
In the emergency services, safety and performance must be top-level. Many factors play a role in physical performance, but focusing on back health is the key to a long and active career. The true professionals pay attention not only to…
Who does the fire and rescue service call when they need help?
Your Service has come under the spotlight because of a major incident. The government is insisting on savings or cultural change. Disputes with unions. Perhaps you simply want an independent perspective on the status of your organisation. Sound familiar? Almost…
Focus on Bahrain Civil Defence
Des Tidbury QFSM, Advisor to Civil Defence, Bahrain Ministry of the Interior. illed with excitement and of course a little trepidation, my wife and I boarded the plane at Heathrow Airport on 31 May 2019 for our new life in…
Thermal imaging – understanding high and low sensitivity
This short article is an attempt to clarify a few misconceptions in regard to fire-service thermal-imaging cameras (TIC). All fire-service thermal-imaging cameras automatically switch gains or sensitivity modes based on the following: the overall heat detected within the field of…
Home oxygen fires claim a life every four days in the US, new study reveals
Fires involving oxygen in the home are a serious public health issue in many countries around the world. Data on the scale of the problem can, however, be difficult to obtain. Now though, pioneering new research by BPR Medical has…
NFPA fire investigation standards help to identify JPRs and fire causes
In the mid-1970s, salty old fire investigators would work their way through the smoky ruins of buildings, armed only with knowledge gleaned from mentors or picked up along the way from others charged with figuring out fire puzzles. Back then…
Asbestos risks for firefighters
Asbestos was once extensively used in construction materials to strengthen roof shingles, concrete, piping, wall boards, floor tiles and compounds and adhesives. Its fibers served to be a durable addition to construction materials and even served as a superb insulator…
The fire service family
From the time I was old enough to go to the fire station, it has been obvious to me that there is a connection between firefighters, regardless of where you are from or where you serve. It is because of…
Building mind power to create strategies for whole well-being
It’s a silent mayday. For those who have worked in the fire service for any period, you know many who experience burnout, compassion fatigue, anxiety, depression, and many other forms of mental health challenges. A lack of understanding in how to effectively address these matters has led to an increase in mental/nervous injuries. Sadly, as a result, we have seen a significant increase in suicides in the recent years.
Keeping it clean
The provision of cleaning and maintenance services for firefighter PPE varies greatly around the world. Cleaning is a high priority in the USA and parts of Europe, where the majority of Fire and Rescue Services (FRS) will expect a managed…
The new addressing system helping emergency services
Emergencies can happen anywhere, from a wildfire in a park to an incident outside one of the gates at a crowded stadium. Saying precisely where first responders are needed is crucial but can sometimes be near impossible for callers to…
Protection by design
Bristol Uniforms has been at the forefront of firefighter PPE design for more than 60 years. Working closely with the world’s leading fabric and fibre manufacturers, such as WL Gore, Hainsworth and PBI, we bring a wealth of knowledge and…
How precision imaging systems are improving efficiency
Every year, thousands of first responders are deployed to fires all over the world with little or no precise location knowledge of the fire. Fighting fires can become a guessing game as well as a perilous race against time. This…
Investigating the technical rescue variations between the UK and US
Between 2017 and 2018 I was fortunate to be awarded the Winston Churchill Fellowship allowing me to travel to areas in North America known for their technical and challenging terrain both in the urban and geological arenas. The emergency services…
A new approach to extinguishing fires on combustible-liquid storage tanks
One of the trickiest challenges a fire fighter will ever face is a full-surface blaze at a storage tank containing flammable fluid. Any grade-school student can deduce that water is useless in suppressing such fires because its higher density causes…
Is it time for a global approach to vehicle extrication?
Since the arrival of social media and the almost instantaneous exchange of thoughts, values and ideas, is it time to adopt a more global approach to the subject of vehicle extrication? Surely it should be the same all over the…
Battery safety
Love them or hate them, batteries are an integral part of modern living. However, recent incidents have raised their profile from help to hindrance – this article will discuss the considerations that should be made when responding to an incident…
SAR in action: Deep cave rescue
A caver, who has suffered multiple injuries after a fall, is trapped approximately 300 metres deep in the Ellis Basin cave system on Mount Arthur. A full-scale cave search and rescue is launched, with cave teams tasked to locate the…
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