Moving and handling individuals, particularly plus size individuals, is becoming an ever more common situation,…
Issue 55 – September 2017
Hazmat 2017 – Pivotal event reaches 10 year milestone, with record attendance levels
Hazmat 2017 marks the biggest and best year in the event’s history. For the 10th…
How to choose a fan
Selecting a fan for firefighting and rescue operations, much like a hand line nozzle, comes…
UKFSC 2017 – Record breaking year for the United Kingdom Firefighters Sailing Challenge
The 14th United Kingdom Firefighters Sailing Challenge (UKFSC) took place from the 8th to the…
Training for Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) in the UK
USAR in the UK Fire and Rescue Service (FRS) has undergone some dramatic changes over…
Leicester hosts ‘hot’ competition
The British Firefighter Challenge (BFC) 2017 made Leicester its home for this year’s competition after…
Class A Foam – A force multiplier in structural and wildland firefighting
As a largely misunderstood firefighting tactic, the use of foam has at times been confusing…
The realities of firefighting and mental health
In June, the London Fire Brigade responded to one of the most tragic incidents the…
The environmental impact of fire service activities
The explosion and subsequent fire at the fuel storage depot at Buncefield are familiar to…
Overfilling tanks: Disasters and prevention
The recent 3-part article by Shelley and Tarantino said “Overfill ground, dike, or bund fires…
Plus size evacuation – What is the solution?
One of the consequences of modern living with its obtundents of high energy foods and…
Fit for action
When designing PPE for firefighters, providing protection against the dangers of fire is of course…
The Deadly Dozen: Twelve barriers that can impact situational awareness – Part 3
Flawed situational awareness is one of the leading contributing factors in first responder near-miss and…
Supplemental evacuation equipment for high-rise towers
“Learn from history or you’re doomed to repeat it”. You’ve heard this before. I’m just…
An unfair hand
Most of us enter the fire service knowing that danger and risk are inherent parts of the job. We know that we will be exposed to heat, smoke, and flame, but many do not realize the hidden dangers that we face far away from the fireground.
Becoming a firefighter is a choice. But it is a choice that comes with a requirement to fully commit to the higher standards that come with the profession, regardless of whether you are paid or volunteer. As David J. Soler shares in the book Firefighter Functional Fitness, “The deck of cards is stacked against firefighters and their health. When we took the firefighter oath, we never knew that our life expectancy would automatically be reduced by the hazards that confront us. Take your pick: Heart disease, obesity, diabetes, cancer, inhalation hazards, dehydration, overexertion, heat stress, sleep deprivation and disorders, traumatic and thermal injuries, psychological and emotional stress, PTSD, infectious disease, physical assault…. On and on, the list of hazards and ‘career side effects’ continues with almost no end in sight.”1
International Floodfighting Masterclass 2017
Our 2017 Masterclass in flood response and rescue techniques centred on Charlotte Fire Department (CFD)…
Flood Expo – The World’s largest flood exhibition and conference is coming to London
On the 27th & 28th of September, London ExCeL will once again swing open its…
Lincolnshire firefighters enjoying “many benefits” of new kit
Firefighters at a UK fire and rescue service have become the first to successfully introduce…
The Emergency Services Show 2017 Exhibitor Showcase
Expertise and equipment at the UK’s largest event for emergency services Returning to the NEC,…
Balancing firefighter protection is like a 3-Dimensional chess game
The alarming rate of cancer diagnoses among firefighters is very real and very serious. What…