In This Issue News
Two firefighters injured in warehouse blaze 22/07/2008
Two firefighters have been injured trying to tackle a fire at a warehouse in Edmonton, north London. The fire took 60 firefighters 36 hours to put out. After the blaze the warehouse was damaged beyond repair and was subsequently destroyed.
Hazel Blears, secretary of state for communities and local government, will be giving the keynote closing address at the Fire & Rescue 2008 conference in Liverpool next month, which is running alongside the World Firefighter Games.Electrical safety plan for socket misuse 15/07/2008
An initiative to cut down on fires from electrical appliances connected to European style plugs by supplying adaptors for UK 3-pin sockets has been welcomed by the Chief Fire Officers’ Association.
Colt International has supplied a specially designed control system for the 2,000 capacity car park at ‘Liverpool One’ shopping centre. In the event of a fire, smoke would be driven along a zoned route by a series of aerodynamic dampers which open and close automatically to increase smoke extraction.Resident dies in care home fire 11/07/2008
A fire earlier this week at a care home in Kent resulted in the death of an elderly resident.
£20,000 fine for residential home landlord 04/07/2008
The landlord of a residential home in Northampton has been fined £20,000 for breaches of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order following a fire at the premises last August.
Pub landlord fined £4000 under RRO 03/07/2008
The landlord of a pub in Berkshire has been fined £4,000 after pleading guilty to 10 charges under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order.
Paul Dailey, proprietor of the George and Dragon in Swallowfield, Berkshire, was prosecuted last month at Reading Magistrates Court after a routine inspection by fire safety officers in May 2007.Fire destroys French immigration centre 02/07/2008
A fire at a detention centre in Vincennes, near Paris, has resulted in several injuries and the destruction of two buildings at the centre. The injuries were not serious and were mostly due to smoke inhalation.
Swiss alarm company signals UK push 27/06/2008
Network communications and signalling specialist Ascom has launched a UK fire and security IP alarm and signalling business. The new venture will be headed up by James Winter and Graeme Lewington, who have both worked previously worked for BT.
Two recent voice alarm installations demonstrate that they are just as suitable in historic buildings as they are in contemporary ones. Systems from Baldwin Boxall have been installed in the striking new 35-storey Broadgate Tower, and in the historic Victoria & Albert Museum, both in London.
In This Issue Features & Articles
Sprinklers on the curriculum 26/06/2008
Last year's decision to have a presumption in favour of sprinklers was hailed as a big step in protecting new school buildings from fire. But as Andrew Nicholson suggests financial realities may still be a hurdle to their installation.The economics of sprinklers 26/06/2008
While the immediate fire suppression advantage of sprinkler protection is not difficult to appreciate, the wider cost-benefit implications are often harder to grasp. Jonathan O'Neil and John Stephens examine the arguments.Clearing the mist 26/06/2008
To mark the recent publication of what is effectively the first UK-based standard for watermist systems, Bob Whiteley examines the technology and outlines the main provisions of the FIA Code of Practice.Transparent Options? 26/06/2008
The considerations to be made about fire resistant glazing are not limited to whether or not to specify it. Colin Bennett sheds some light on a topic that is less transparent than it seems.Sprinklers and Water Mist: a cautionary tale 26/06/2008
The publication of a new watermist standard should give a boost to this type of system. But Alan Cox warns that insufficient care with design and installation can be potentially disastrous.
In This Issue Opinion & Comment
Hard cases for steel 30/06/2008
Often, technical guidance is good as far as it goes but can be unsuitable for non-standard problems. Here Wilf Butcher examines the precautions you need to consider when more than one system of fire protection is required on the same structural steel element.Cables that compromise? 20/06/2008
Using fire resistant cable for detector wiring in fire alarm installations might seem like a sensible decision. In most cases, however, it may not be necessary says Don Scott.Escape by elevator? 28/05/2008
If you are in a tall building when the fire alarm goes off, is your first thought to get into a lift? Probably not, but research by the BRE shows that in certain cases, using lifts and escalators in a fire or other emergency may – far from being dangerous – actually help people get out of a building faster.Tough love required on false alarms 28/05/2008
Although there has been unprecedented co-operation between the fire and rescue services and the fire industry, the revised joint policy on false alarms will not actually come into force yet. Terry Martiny calls for a consistent, national adoption of the policy.In This Issue Product Profile
Voice sounders from Klaxon Signals have been developed to communicate with extinguishant systems. Sara Mudalige, marketing executive at Klaxon Signals, explains the concept.
Cranford Controls' growth and expanded product range has seen a dramatic rise in its customer database and product output. The latest example of its focus on research and developments is the VSO LED base sounder beacon, as marketing assistant Charlotte Philo explains.
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