The need for fire-fighting and rescue organisations to optimise their costs is not a new concept, but it is fair to say the challenges of managing the spiralling costs and increased demands on resources are only continuing to make the…
Issue 49 – March 2016
International fire fighting, becoming the ‘norm’?
Dry winter conditions created a Canadian fire season which was dominated by an unusually large number of forest fires, some in Boreal Forests that typically don’t burn. Area burnt by forest fires in the Northern hemisphere continue to set new…
Solar power: Enabling new capabilities for emergency services
September 12, 2015: Lake County, California. A fire starts and expands rapidly just north of the California wine country. It takes over 200 fire personnel and equipment to finally contain the fire. The aftermath: over 700 square kilometers burned. With…
The case for training all responders in preservation of evidence
It is a rare firefighter who, in the excitement of a fire event, thinks of a fire scene as a place filled with valuable forensic evidence. Although we may think of the fire itself as the reason evidence is destroyed…
When Seconds Count: Disaster Relief using Augmented Reality
On Saturday, March 22, 2014, at 10:37 a.m. local time, a major mudslide occurred 4 miles east of Oso, Washington in the North Western United States. The mudslide covered over 2.5 Km2, buried 44 properties. More than 176 people were…
Ergonomic personal protective equipment design saves lives
From turnout gear, helmet, gloves and boots, to self-contained breathing apparatus, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is designed to protect firefighters from the multiple hazards they face. In such a physical profession, where firefighters must work in bursts of intensive physical…
New Zealand USAR advances their technology capability
The USAR capability in New Zealand falls on the shoulders of the New Zealand Fire Service. Their taskforce has a pool of 210 people sourced primarily from NZFS personnel both career and volunteers. The early days of USAR back in…
Fire and Rescue NSW – Planning for the Future
The delivery of Fire, Rescue and Hazmat services in today’s complex operating environment presents significant challenges for leaders within Emergency Services. Improving today’s operational performance in addition to planning for the challenges and changes of the future requires a high…
Extrication – the importance of correct Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
So as the ‘shout’ comes in and you get dressed in the appliance bay ready to attend an incident or you are in ‘isolation’ before your run at a RTC Challenge you will all be wearing PPE of one form…
Where the rubber meets the road: the importance of tyre husbandry
A tyre failure is an inconvenience for a commuter looking to get to work on time. For firefighters, such an event can be the difference between life and death. What steps should services take to keep firefighters safe on the…
The value of proportionate advice in chemical incident response
Supporting global supply chains Fire services play a dual role in the global chemical supply chain. With one hand they fulfil their primary duty of protecting members of the public from the risks of hazardous chemicals transport and use. With…
Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) training for first responders: Part 1
Marine Firefighting Inc. has been training Mariners and Firefighters about Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) safety and firefighting tactics for over 14-years. This training had previously been conducted for the few large LNG import terminals in the US. Eventually, the US…
Firefighter PPE procurement – the essentials
As high performance technical garments, firefighter protective clothing is required to deliver levels of protection and wearer safety which not only need to satisfy national and international performance standards but also trust in its integrity by those whose health, safety,…
How the UK fire service is revolutionising situational awareness
The latest advances in thermal imaging and gas detection now enable firefighters to interpret a scene from safer distances, helping to eliminate the need for high risk ‘fast attack’ entry to burning buildings and keeping firefighters safer as they save…
BAE Systems, Warton, UK – High-tech trainer keeps fire crews ready for action
For specialist firefighters at BAE Systems’ busy runway, the ability to hone their skills using the most cutting-edge training technologies is key. And the team of 25 firefighters at the Company’s own in-house fire service, based at Warton, Lancashire, is…
VIKING Guardian – DuPont™ Nomex® partner develops suit innovation to protect firefighters
DuPont™ Nomex® Partner VIKING Life-Saving Equipment has developed a ground-breaking suit concept incorporating DuPont™ Nomex®, with a detachable outer shell, to help reduce firefighters’ exposure to potentially harmful particles, resulting from combustion from a fire. In addition, this concept allows…
HAIX Group – Proudly worn by firefighters in Germany and across the globe
Xaver Haimerl founded the HAIX company in 1948, establishing the first shoe factory in Mainburg, Germany. The company quickly made a name for itself locally by selling hiking and work boots. The brand evolved in 1992 when Xaver’s son, Ewald…
Scott Safety – A game changer in decontamination is achieving a fire industry first
A new portable airborne and surface decontamination solution from Scott Safety is achieving a fire industry first – decontamination of chemical, biological and radiological vapours, liquids and particles simultaneously in as little as five minutes. The Light Decontamination System – LDS…
Frontline Fire & Rescue Equipment – Australia’s leading manufacturers of firefighting and specialist Vehicles
Rio Tinto Iron Ore (RTIO) operate numerous mine sites around the thinly populated Pilbara region of Western Australia. These remote mine sites are operated as Fly In/Fly out (FIFO) operations which is a method associated with flying personnel to remote…
MetalCraft Marine – Congratulations to FDNY on the completion of their new FireStorm 70
FDNY has had a long history of serving the needs of their community dating back to 1648. It wasn’t until 1865 that the modern-day Fire Department was first established. The professional force was needed to better provide protection to the…
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