Learning and leading
During my career in the Fire and Rescue Service I have seen many types of leadership and changes in the way leadership is displayed and has evolved over the years. When I…
FireMaster Cleanroom – New fire curtain for cleanroom facilities
Despite fire and smoke curtains becoming increasingly popular fire-safety solutions for a wide range of buildings, from retail and residential to office and manufacturing facilities, they have until now been unable to…
Reach and Rescue – The award-winning innovation that is saving lives across the globe
Reach and Rescue are the forerunners in water-rescue innovation – the unique and versatile long-reach telescopic rescue pole system – and a testament to the success of this lifesaving innovation is a…

Emergency Vehicle Products Ltd – Appointed as the exclusive distributor for Kussmaul Electronics Inc
EVP Ltd, offering a range of automotive and safety products for the emergency and utility services, are proud to have been appointed the exclusive UK and Ireland distributor for Kussmaul Electronics products.…
Ensuring fire-system effectiveness in historic sites
The threat and consequences of fire in any building are serious, but historic structures pose a particularly complex challenge for the people and systems charged with protecting them. Not only do these…
PPV fans – New technologies for improved health and safety
The benefits of PPV, both for active and passive purposes have been well known to fire services for some time, but recent advances in PPV technology have led to a rewriting of…
From test to reality
Modern cladding approaches bring together a seemingly ever-increasing diversity of materials and components including fixings, fasteners and sealants. The manner in which these elements are designed, combined and integrated within a cladding…
Veteran firefighter reflects on incredible 50-year career
When Dave Farries began his career as a firefighter, the Vietnam War was still raging, Britain had just introduced the decimal coin and Harold Wilson was in his first tenure as Prime…

Cornwall Fire and Rescue chooses the new Vauxhall Grandland X
Through their risk review process, Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service (CFRS) identified the need to increase the capability of its officer-response cars. Experience in responding to inclement weather such as the Coverack…
Cheaper systems using extended-coverage sprinklers
Extended-coverage sprinkler technology dates back to the 1970s, and one of the most common applications is the horizontal sidewall extended-coverage sprinklers that you often see protecting hotel bedrooms. However, more recently, manufacturers…
Bristol Uniforms past and present
Today, Bristol Uniforms is a global leader in the design and manufacture of PPE for firefighters, providing cutting-edge protective garments to fire services in 110 countries across the world. But the company…
The importance of fire suppression in wind turbines
Wind power is an exciting emerging sector that needs those of us involved in fire safety to get on board. As electricity generation becomes more reliant on renewable energy, wind power is…
Selecting a drone for emergency response: visual payload selection
Through the data they can collect or the payloads they can deliver, drones are saving lives faster, safer and cheaper than ever before, making payload selection pivotal to the lifesaving capabilities that…

The Fire Safety Event – Profile & Showcase
The Fire Safety Event is an independent exhibition and conference dedicated to supporting the UK’s fire and safety industry. Featuring a powerful combination of education, networking and business-support opportunities.
Now in its third year, the Fire Safety Event has been designed to help organisations maintain the very highest standards of fire-safety management.
Procured, designed and supplied in Cornwall
Cornwall Airport Newquay Rescue and Firefighting Service has added a new incident-command unit to its front-line fleet. The vehicle was locally sourced, converted and delivered to the airport by Cornwall’s oldest motor…
Cables that save lives
The recent Grenfell fire tragedy has brought to our attention that in a real-life fire situation we need to know that the fire-safety systems will work and continue to work while 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 the last few years. Given that the formal introduction of the capability didn’t start until after the…
Servicing fire extinguishers
Everyone remembers that old advert from the ’90s with the slogan, ‘it does what it says on the tin’. And you’d hope that when you picked up a fire extinguisher, it would…

Fire protection of containers at sea
As new ships out of the dockyard boast ever greater capacities, container ship fleet sizes are also expanding rapidly in accordance. With growing volumes comes increased responsibility, meaning the safety of these…
Closing the gaps on fire protection
The fire-protection industry is changing and recognises the need for new legislation and guidance to keep pace with the rapid shift in building design, materials and specification. Here, Bob Glendenning of Sherwin-Williams…
Common misconceptions of thermal-imaging use
The fire service has been using thermal-imaging cameras (TICs) successfully since the 1990s, and many lives have been saved through their tactical use. Since their first implementation TICs have improved greatly and…
Scrutiny must deliver improvement
Phase 1 of the Grenfell Inquiry concluded on 12 December 2018. In a statement, Chairman of the Inquiry, Sir Martin Moore-Bick described how Phase 1 was about establishing the detail of what…